Fated

Chapter- 2- Suprise

Liybha

Why do there have to be so many lecture rooms? Because right now I am running late for my lecture in criminology. I was having a nice tea break with my friends and totally lost track of time ,so now I am trying to energy walk to the lecture room in b block which is right at the end of the auckland university city campus.

Just as make it in b block breathing hard, a body slams into me. All the papers from my file scatter around the floor,just perfect.

I look up into deep green eyes staring down at me.

" I am really sorry ." He says and bends down trying to recollect my papers.

"It's okay, I can do it myself." I say hastily and gather my stuff quickly in my folder. I wanted to escape far from this guy, becuse I can't look at those eyes without my thoughts wandering of far away.

" I am new here, could you please point me to a halal place." The stranger asked me before I could escape, probably because I screamed out muslim ,with the beige scarf I had wrapped around my head.

"Just keep walking straight and in ten minutes you will reach a kebab shop.",and then I was back sprinting into my lecture room.

I quietly found a space at the back ,which luckily my friend Iqra had saved for me.

"What took you so long Liybha?"

"Don't even ask ." I wispher to her,and start copying notes from her which I had missed.

I try to focus but my mind keeps wondering off, the familiarity I felt towards that stranger had to be my imagination.

I don't even know why at times I find my self longing for him. But before I go any deeper I manage to stop my self, but today something triggered my memory. Somthing scratched that wall, a wall that took years to build.

I don't know why I even think about the past. Especially now that I am engaged to Zunair Afzal. The son of a millionaire business man, who my Daddy is working with in Australia.

"So have you spoken to Zunair yet?" Iqra asks me, dragging me away from my thoughts.

"No, for the millionth time, I told you I still consider him a na-mehram, because we are engaged and we have not had a niqkh yet."

"Wow, your self control is so admirable, because if I was engaged to a millionaire, I would be wanting a wedding soon as possible."

"Yeah, well I wanted to complete my law study, but my parents just confirmed the wedding date in two months during the uni break."

"Omg! Liybha." Iqra says smacking my shoulder.

"What kind of friend are you? You didn't tell me that last night."

"Don't worry I will tell you all about it after the lecture." I tell her forcing a smile on my face.

-----------------------------------------------

I can't wait to get home and fall onto my bed. I had to force my eyes open in the last few hours.

I drive in my blue hundiya car ,into the large drive way; of our double story house, only to see an known BMW car has stolen my parking spot.

So now I park my car on the grass ,which I was not happy about because my tires were going to get muddy.

Before I can raise my arms to knock on the door , it opens up,  revealing my beautiful bhabi (sister-in-law) and my best friend Aisha.

We had gone to high school together, she used to be around my house a lot. It was like sparks flew instantly between them,like in movies. When Aisha finished her one year course in social work last year my brother propsed to her. Of course Aisha said yes, now my brother and Aisha are happily married.

"Asalam Alikum, who's here?"

"Walkum Salam, well it's no fun telling you." Aisha tells me, leading into the kitchen.

"Yes, beta Shehryaar is right, you should stay here, its better then staying at the motel until you get your boarding settled with the university." I hear Ami's voice rising from the living room.

"Wait a minute; how is Ami okay with a stranger living in our house,and who is this person?" I question Aisha.

" I don't think Ami really had a suggestion in this, we both know how persuasive your brother can be. Go on say salaam to this stranger."

Aisha says ,nudging me towards the living room.

Finally I straightened up my clothes with my hands and went to greet the stranger who would be staying over at our house.

When I entered the living room my eyes find Ami ,at the coffee table, pouring tea into the cups unhappily. Then my gaze flys over to the corner, where my brother is engaged in a deep conversation with a stranger.

I freeze as realization hits me. This is the stranger I had bumped into this morning.

Those deep green eyes that huant my dream. The stranger's dark hairs were set in such a moderate style unlike the way that today's guys that wear it up, full with spikes.

The strong jaw made the face seem more masculine. Out of the corner of my eyes I see my brother raise his eyebrows to drag me back down from my thoughts. I finally find my voice and speak out;

"Aslaam Alikum"

The strangers eyes finally diverted away from Shehry for only a few seconds. He takes in my apperence from head to toe with a smile, making shivers race up my spine. He returns his attention to my brother.

" She's the girl I was telling you about, I knew there was something familiar about. But really Liybha has growed so much but still has those innocent features."

"Well what can I say, a lot of things change with time and while other things remain the same, just like our
friendship." My brother tells the stranger.

I finally decided to sit on the red armchair, still trying to figure out how this stranger was completely at comfort with my brother. My brother must have noticed ,the worry rising on the temples of my forhead, because he answers the question that was wondering around in my head.

"This is Hamid Naseer."

I stare at my brother as if he has spoken a forgien language and I am having trouble translating it. No way could this be the boy from my childhood. The one who still refused to evacute from my dreams. But I could see the truth reflecting on my brother's face.

I can't believe it, the past that I had tried so hard to forget was sitting in front of me as an handsome man, but I gulp these un halal feelings down because he is a
na-mehram to me. In just a matter of few weeks I will be wed to Zunair and the Dimond ring his mother had placed on my left hand was the proof of this.

" We just met yesterday at the office, because somehow Hamid managed to pull a few strings and track me down. He is here on scholarship for masters in computer engineering but his apartment that the University provided is getting renovated, so I suggested that he stays here for a while." Shery explains to me.

"Yeah, that's really great, sorry but I have a few things to do. "I announce and escape, rushing through the stairs to my room, allowing my self to finally fall onto the bed.

I am studying law with a passion, settling in with the group of new friends, getting prepared to enter a marriage with a stranger just because my parents think he is the perfect guy for me. For once it seems like everything was getting back on track.

I am a good daughter, sister,friend and soon to be a wife. But something is changing already with the arriavle of Hamid back into our life, the walls I had put up are starting to crumble and it won't be long before they breakdown.

So the best option is to stay far away from Hamid as possible, because he might have been someone special to me in past but now he is a na-mehram and a total stranger now.

To release the tension of such an exhausting day ,I have a long hot shower after Isha salha. After reading my usual dua at night ,I let sleep pull me under it's spell ,as the events of today linger around my head.