RUNNING

Chapter Four (Unedited)

“If you do not feel ashamed of anything, then you can do whatever you like.” (Abu-Masud, Bukhari)

Maraya has spend almost half an hour in front of the mirror trying to adjust her look, she likes standing out so she always her time to dress up especially when she want to impress Usman. She glanced at the wall clock again and realizes it was already four o’clock, the party is scheduled for four to seven and she had planned with Zainab that she will branch to pick her up when her driver is taking her to the party. Maraya had always want a car but her parents already told her they will only give her when she enter the university and she had been trying her best to prepare for her certificate exam which will determine her entrance to the university to study her dream course which is physiology. She was getting impatience, she knows that her friends never comes late so she was wondering what kept her late.

Just as she was searching her bag for her phone, she heard a knock on her door and was happy that her friend is around as she rushes to the door. She could not hide her disappointment and anger when she opens the door only to find Habeeb fully dressed smiling pleasantly at her.

“What?” she snapped almost shouting.

“You look beautiful.” Habeeb comment ignoring her question and walks into the room. “How do I look?” he asked looking confidently at himself. Maraya couldn’t hide her disgust and wonder impatiently what Habeeb is doing in her room.

“What do you want?” She asked impatiently. The way her brother was looking made her to be alert and she knows he was up to no good. Adam and her has grown so close and she loves him so much but there is absolutely no one who can irritate her like him also.  

“I’m here to take you to the party.” He grinned happily.

Maraya was stunned to hear her brother it was the last thing she was expecting from him, she knows it is one of his tricks of being an overly protective about her. She remembered how much Habeeb fought many of his friends just to scare them away from her, she won’t forget how he had once threatened Usman when they first started dating and it was after so much argument between them that Habeeb stopped harassing her boyfriend but despite that her brother is always on guard to ensure that her relationship with Usman does not go beyond by volunteering to be her driver whenever she is going to school..

“You’re kidding me right?” she asked praying so hard that Habeeb will answers in confirmation and to her greatest disappointment, he continues shaking his head telling her that he is very serious with what he said.         

“Why do you need to bother yourself about secondary school party, you are now a big boy you know?” she said trying to convince him giving him a tight smile.

“Well, when my sister is in danger, nothing else matter.” He said smiling at her.

She was getting irritated and she knows she can lose control at any time which may attract her parents who are watching film in the sitting room. She knows she cannot risk having them interfering in their argument which will take hours to settle after which the party might have ended, she desperately think of a way to convince her brother who can be very difficult to control when he gets protective about her safety.