Unshackled

The Bus

**BOOK IS UNDER SERIOUS EDITING**

Asiyah's POV.

I got up early in the morning as I always do and got ready for school. After getting ready, I went downstairs to meet my family at the dining table to eat breakfast

Maa made paranthas and eggs. My favourite.

As I was eating I had to let them know that I was going to be late today.

"Maa, I'll be late today I have to go to the library with Maryam" I told her.

"okay but you know that you can't be out after 7pm or else your Abbu will be really mad at you" she warned me. I nodded as I am well aware.

I know she isn't just saying this because my father will get upset. But also because of this horrible city that we're living in. Where men are in the Sky and women on earth. They lead and we follow.

We have strict curfews and we aren't allowed to do many things because we always have to be careful about them. If it's not the men around here, it's the eagles who keep an eye on every woman in this town. As if our sole purpose was attached to them. I don't remember a day when I felt like I was free to be here. I live in a city in Karachi called Gulshan Town. Although it seems like a calm place where everyone lives peacefully, it isn't at all. During the day you can hear the chickens, the cows and the birds but during the night, you hear gunshots, screams and fear haunting everyone.

I grew up most of my life in England with Abbu and around the age of ten, I joined my parents back in Pakistan.

Every guy's dream here is to be able to become successful and bring goods to his family and every girl's dream—well let's just say finish school and hope not to get married or taken away.

I always wanted to be something. To be different. Because I know for a fact that everyone is special and everyone has potential. Even though girls aren't seen this way here. That's why I pray to Allah that he never lets anything break my dreams and ambitions and never lets me end where I never want to be.

Once I was done eating, I got up and went to the bathroom to put my hijab on. Every girl in this city has to be covered from head to toe or else you're looking for trouble or a husband. I always try to dress myself in modesty.

Although I didn't feel like wearing the hijab yet, Maa said that I had to because that was the only way to ensure my safety. I decided to wear a baby pink hijab matching my pink Abaya.

I walked out of the house after grabbing my school bag and made my way to the bus stop. The buses here are really different from what we see in England, here they're small and there's not a lot of space. It can fit like 10 people no more no less. Two buses arrived, one for the girls and one for the boys as we all got on. I saw Maryam, my best friend and joined her.

"hi jaan!" I exclaimed scaring her a little.

I call Maryam Jaan out of pure love. She is a bit chubby, has brown eyes and is shorter than me and the cutest human being on earth and I'm the only one who can make fun of her from time to time. She takes off her earphones and looks at me.

"You scared me!" she says placing a hand on her heart.

"Sorry! How are you?" I asked taking a seat beside her.

"I'm nervous for the finals—If I don't pass my mom is going to end me," she said with full exaggeration.

"Don't worry, you scored so well last time. You just need to take deep breaths as always," I said trying to make her feel better. Her stress makes things worse but she's calm, she can accomplish anything.

"inshallah" she added.

I let her listen to her music for the rest of the ride while impatiently waiting to get out of this tiny bus and get to school. Keeping my eyes on my phone, the bus suddenly stopped and I looked up to see that we had arrived. But, this isn't our school. Where are we?

I looked at Maryam and she was falling asleep so I grabbed her arm to wake her up as she looked at me.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Look," I said pointing outside the window beside her.

"Where are we?" she asked and I couldn't say anything because I had no idea.

We could hear and sense every girl in the bus starting to panic. I got up and walked up to the driver.

"Brother, where are we?" I asked him but he did not even look my way.

"brother?" I called him again but he remained silent. This is odd. Very odd.

I got back to Maryam trying to reassure her as she wasn't feeling well at all. She's panicking.

I saw a few black cars stop outside and that's when both of our attention turned to look through the window.

"What is this? What's going on Asiyah—I'm scared" Maryam said as I squeezed her hand.

I don't know Maryam, I don't know what to tell you because I am scared as well.

The bus driver stepped out of the bus and we saw him walking up to the car and receiving money from someone before he got into the car himself and then someone else got out of it. It was a man with a black suit. He seemed really tall and muscular. He got into the bus and we all went silent.

"Hey girls, the school organized a little activity for you today so don't worry, I will ask each one of you to get out of the bus, my name is Sultan and I will be taking care of you guys until we arrive to our destination," he said that before getting out of the bus and waiting for us to step out.

This is not true, This cannot be. They can fool everyone but not me. Who the hell are they? And what are we here for?

***
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