I was staring at the big chandeliers on the ceiling. The lights coming from them were blurring my vision. Clutching my gown I took a deep breath because I was so nervous that I could literally faint right now. I never wanted to come here in the first place but cannot avoid this wedding because it was of someone who was close to me. The dark green gown was a glittery outfit and I was wearing heels. The minute I entered the hall I sat as far away as possible from the crowd.

I was in Bloom woods for Heavens sake !

Zenna and Zohair were getting married today. Zenna was wearing a red lahenga (an Indian dress that comes as a long heavy skirt and a top) the whole wedding theme was Indian. Zohair was wearing a kurti (a typical Indian groom's dress) and he was standing proudly beside his wife. His wife was beautiful, her name was Thamanna and she was a journalist. Zenna's husband Wahid was tall, slim and looked so innocent.

I've prayed so hard today that I should never meet the people from my past. And I was sure that Mehara would be here and she can come by any minute now. I wasn't ready to meet her and what will I say if I saw her ? Since Zohair was famous there were too many photographers and media.

I wanted to call dad and book my tickets so that I could go back to Yasrid but I couldn't, because dad would be dissappointed. We were here for just one day and I wanted this day to end soon. Bloom woods had changed alot and there were more malls and shopping centres. More rich people lived here and they were no more town areas, just big big cities.

"You are awfully quiet today" Yousi spoke beside me and I slowly turned to meet his concerned face.

"So are you" I said as a matter of fact. He shakes his head chuckling a bit.

"Well coming here back after six years is creeping me out" I nodded my head and he understood that was my reason too.

When Yousi and I were so tensed, the one who didn't have any problem at all was Ahsan. He was so excited and he had even called all his old friends to meet. Whereas me and my older brother was hiding. The truth was that we both never made a contact with our old friends.

Sometimes when I creep into Yousi's room I had caught him staring at his laptop screen watching a video of Yahiya and himself playing baseball. I saw the way he laughed when Yahya's bat had flew away while hitting the ball. He used to watch every videos and that made him never forget his best friend. He misses him badly but yet never called him to ask how he was and how much he missed him.

Same was my situation, we both were silently praying that our best friends doesn't show up on this wedding day because there was a slight chance that Zohair might have call them, because for him every one is family. Grans was coming to stay with us from now onwards since she said which I quote 'Osman household will be boring from now onwards when both Zohair and Zenna will stay with their spouses and I'll never have anyone to play football'. Truth said we were glad to have someone who is enthusiastic as her to join our gloomy family.

"Save me Izza" Ahsan said clutching my arm when he sat next to me, I narrowed my eyes at him and asked,

"What did you do ?" He rolls his eyes and said while panting.

"Why do you always assume that I did something bad when I ask for your help ?"

"Well you can't blame me because till now you only asked for help when you created trouble" I said sticking my tongue at him which resulted Yousi to laugh. He scowled crossing his arms on to his chest and huffed turning away.

"No, this time I didn't do anything" he said and suddenly turned his head searching for someone then ducked behind my back.

"Ahsan ? What the fudge are you doing ?!" He was now covering his face with my hijab.

"Look there's this girl who had a crush on me during my school days and she is here as a relative of Osman uncle's side. And my friend told me that she still likes me and came here especially to see me".

"How can you be so sure Ahsan, that she came to see you for expressing her emotions ? Did she ever say that she likes you directly ? No, right ? Her crush on you was something that you guys made up". He runs his fingers through his dark brown hair and sighs.

"Well she always used to follow me around in school telling me she wanted to talk". I punched him on his shoulders and said,

"She said she wanted to 'talk' and you assumed that it was something else" He groaned in annoyance and whisper yelled,

"You don't understand-

"Ahsan ?"

He was cut off abruptly by a beautiful hijabi girl who was so fair, had rosy cheeks with peach coloured lips and big hazel coloured eyes. How can Ahsan never like this girl ?, shouldn't he at least fall for looks ? I was proud of my brother since I understood that my brother never fell for the looks, he looks upon the personality.

Back to present, Ahsan's eyes bulges out when he recognise the voice behind him and swiftly looks up, pleading me to help him. I smiled at the girl who was standing there awkwardly and rubbing her gloved hands.

"Assalamu alaikum. I'm Ahsan's big sister Izza and its nice to meet you".

I thought she would leave but instead she smiled at me warmly and returned her salam in a soft voice. She was still waiting for Ahsan to acknowledge her, so I kicked him under the table and he turned to greet her with much reluctance.

"Oh hello Hira. How are you ?, Look I'm really busy, so-

He was starting to get up but Hira blocked his way by standing right in front of him and it was really cute as Ahsan towered above her small figure.

"You are not going anywhere this time Mr Ahsan khalid ! Do you know how much I've waited for you ?"

At this, me and Yousi suddenly jerk up and Ahsan almost took a step back. He swallowed the lump in his throat then pulled his collar and stammered.

"L-Look, we -

She suddenly motioned him to stop and opens her sling bag to retrieve something. Then she took a small snow globe outside and Ahsan's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"Here you go. Its yours right ? Finally I can rest in peace !" she exclaimed happily and Ahsan looked at the snow globe with a small smile on his lips. That snow globe was bought by Yussa for his eighth birthday and that was the precious thing he ever had and it holds so many memories of him and Yussa.

"I thought I had lost it" he whispered.

"Yeah, I found it lying next to your locker one day but I wasn't sure if it was yours so I wanted to ask and you'd always run away when you see me. So whenever I go out, I kept it inside my bag thinking I might meet you some day. So here I am completing my mission ! And also I want to tell you that the song played had being damaged that time but I fixed it and it plays well now".

This time Ahsan looks at her with a certain adoration. She was rambling on but he kept staring at her, only when I coughed did he snap out of it.

"Thank you Hira".

"Any time !" she said grinning and then saluted him while running back to her family.

"Now look who has got a crush" Yousi said smiling smugly at Ahsan who in return rolled his eyes but never denied that he liked her.

••••••••

I wiped the sweat that formed on my forehead and took the last book from the cupboard. It was a very hectic day and when I entered the school I was met with so many construction workers wearing those yellow caps, bull dozer, cement unloading trucks, bricks, transformers and many more. In middle of the chaos stood the leader wearing white cap and giving out instructions together with an engineer.

I was surprised when the engineer turned out to be Ahmed Walid, the late school president of Bloom woods. I beamed as I recognised him but Ahmed didn't and he looked at me confused. The guy wearing white cap which was Zeeshan Harris had to come in between us and just give my name so that Ahmed could rake his brains and find out who I was.

When he finally did, he smiled at me warmly. Ahmed looked the same with the beard and with an intimidating hazel eyes. He recently got married with an artist and was happy in his life.

"I want to meet her !" I said when both Zeeshan and Ahmed exchanged worried glances which I didn't understand.

"One day I'll bring her and you both can meet up".

I furrowed my eyebrows at the event that took place when I had entered the school. Was it someone I knew whom had married Ahmed ? Then sighed and ignored getting back to work in dusting the books.

"Need any help ?"

I was startled at the sudden change in the air and whipped my head backwards to meet him standing at the threshold of the library. In the process I almost thought that my neck just got twisted. I kept one hand on my chest and slowly rubbed easing away the shock.

"I'm the one who is suppose to ask to you"

He chuckled entering the library and sitting infront of a pile of books going through it. It was true that Zeeshan was working very hard and I've heard he had reached here at six in the morning when I was sleeping my butt off at my home. I was the one who told Ahmed that I wanted to do the library and he was glad with it. I never approached Zeeshan and I guess he knew that I was avoiding him.

"So what did you do all these six years ?"

And that question was finally asked and J knew it'd be sooner or later. I never looked up from the books and continued doing my work ignoring him. Did he think that just because he said his story I'll also have to repay him back ?, not a chance !

I heard him sigh and that literally broke my heart. I thought about when I was in his shoes, wouldn't I feel defeated ?, of course it would. This time I sighed, out of the corner of my eyes I saw him staring at the books and then clenching his fist. He was getting up, but then I cleared my throat and started to speak.

"I like Yasrid, Yasrid was a new beginning for our family. When I joined the school every body were my friends there was no bullying and no fighting. It was a world full of muslim girls and I was comfortable. The only thing I didn't have was football, I didn't get to become a football player. But I didn't mind as long as I was happy with my family. I studied literature when I went for university. I did social works and invested in charity foundations. Then I got into little daffodils primary school as an English teacher".

Finishing I smiled at him with my eyes closed so that I didn't need to see his expression. I stood up taking some books in my hands to keep it inside the new shelf. I ignored the person in the room as there was suddenly a tension in the air. Anytime words could be spilled but those words will let your pain increase. So the person contemplate whether to let it out or not, and that was the tension.

Keeping all the books there were some large ones to be kept at the top of the shelf. I stood on my toes and tried to keep them but they slipped from my hand. Before it could reach the ground, a hand reached out and took hold of the book swiftly. I gulped as Zee glanced my way, his dark green eyes amused and lifts his hand up to keep the books. I tried hard to not stare at the toned chest that was visible because of the first two button of his white shirt which were open. Before he looked my way I quickly averted my gaze and pretended to be looking at the books.

"Izza ?"

"Yes !" I replied too quickly.

"Your hands are trembling"

Not only my hands but my whole body was shaking with nervousness. He was so close and I might faint due to the way he was looking at me in a concerned way. I shook my head like a nine year old who was caught from stealing chocolates and clasped both of my hands together.

"No no they are not ! My hands are completely fine. See !" I said as I showed him my hands but he smirked and turned away to walk out of the library but before that he said,

"You are still nervous around me" That reply brought back some old memories. During prom he had said to me.

'Do you know what I found out about you ?'

'It is that you are nervous, I make you nervous'.

••••••••

"You like him" Maryam said skipping her steps as we walked back to our respective home. I in return rolled my eyes and said,

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"No"

"Yes" the word slipped out from my mouth without knowing.

"Ha !" She exclaimed pointing a finger at me.

"You cheated !" I said swatting her hands away and walked ahead off her. All of a sudden Yousi watching Maryam while he drops me crept up my mind. I smirked and smiled devilishly then turned around and said,

"Let's play rapid fire" she nods her head and fist her hands as if she was going for a wrestling match.

"Food"

"Pasta" she said quickly then she grumbled under her breath saying "I'm starving for some Alfredo pasta".

"Movie"

"Spiderman"

I rolled my eyes, she likes him because she says "Do you know how much he had given importance to photography so that he could earn a living when he was still being a superhero and saving the world ?".

"Flower"

"Lily"

"Friendship"

"With Izza"

"Life"

"Pressurized"

"Love"

"Halal"

"Destination"

"Jannah"

"Husband"

"Yous-

But before that could even complete she clicked her tongue and bite it on the way, taking back what she said. I smirked then narrowing my eyes I asked,

"Yousuf. You like my brother, don't you ?"

She didn't deny like me and instead gave a small smile and walked past me. I jogged and tried to reach her since she was walking too fast. When I finally reached her I kept one hand on her shoulder to stop and she did, giving me once again a smile.

"But ?" I asked because I was sure there was a but in everything.

"Yousuf deserves much better. Not a girl like me who doesn't have a family, who doesn't have a status, who doesn't have a citizenship and who doesn't have a home. He deserves a girl who could stand on her two feet. And also he hates my guts since I annoy him too much. He'll rather die than have me".

She giggles and waves me a goodbye when she reaches the gates of the orphanage. I smiled and said my Salam as I started walking back home.

The thing that both Yousuf and Maryam doesn't realize is that they both deserve each other.

_________________

Greetings ladies,

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