CHASING MARWA

16-RED-HANDED

OMNISCIENT

It was a chilly Sunday evening, Hamida Haroon Baghdad is bribing princess Eshaal with chocolates, something she does whenever she wants some secrets to be revealed. As usual, they were in her room and Eshaal was grinning widely, the ten-year-old was elated.

"Eshaal, my dear" Hamida smiled and ran her slender fingers through Eshaal's long hair in a soothing way. As usual, the princess was busy munching on her chocolates to even give a care in the world.

"Yes, Auntie H" She retorted cheerfully.

"So tell me, do you think your brother likes Anty Nawal or is there someone else?" She asked, eager to extract some information.

Yesterday, she saw the way Zafeer left the government house in such a hurry, he was barely able to contain his happiness. She asked some guards to follow him only to come back with a disappointing answer, that he went back to the palace. The dumb guards didn't know that he intentionally mislead them, that was the reason why he asked Junaid to drive, he knows that his aunt will try to find what made him happy and once she does, they will be doomed.

Eshaal thought for a while, trying to recall if her eldest brother has ever talked about a girl before when her eyes widened in astonishment.

"Oh yes! I heard him, Ya Turad, Ya Junaid and Ya Sabreen talking about a girl, her name is--" She tried so hard to remember but nothing came up.

"What is her name?" Hamida couldn't hide the eagerness in her voice, the moment Eshaal says her name, that person is as good as dead.

"I can't remember, but it starts from B" Eshaal shrugged

"B" Hamida frowned, hoping that it is not her cause of destruction.

"Yes, B. Auntie H, I have to go now. Ummi said she'll have my head if I spend more than ten minutes here" Eshaal lied and ran out of the room with her chocolates in hand, she bumped into her maid and handed the chocolates to hold for her.

She was warned strictly by her mother, not to give any piece of information about the crowned prince's life to her aunt. Eshaal dared not to ask the reason, in order not for Hamida to suspect and force the truth out of her, she lied that the name starts with a B, that way, she has misled her aunt just like her mother told her to. The Baghdads' are exceptionally intelligent people, even a small girl is smart and of course, she knows well that the name is Marwa.

"Like mother like daughter, so stupid and unwise. Whatever that B stands for, I will look for the girl and make her life a living hell" Hamida laughed nefariously then dialled her niece's number.

"Nawal dear, you have to start the act while I look for the girl" She slumped on her bed and smiled.

"Gotcha! I love you so much Aunt" Nawal grinned before hanging up, happier than ever to carry on the task that she has been waiting for, blackmailing the crowned prince!

*
Zafeer sighed for the umpteenth time today, no matter how much he tries to solve mathematics today, nothing will just work. The thought of it doesn't even appeal to him anymore, Marwa occupied his mind, she won't answer his calls and even reply to his messages, Junaid, Turad, and Sabreen were giving him cold shoulders.

Deciding to call her one last time to see if she will answer, he prayed before clicking the call button. His body was bruised, some places were red, others purple and even orange, he received that wake-up call he needed from Junaid yesterday. He was only clad in camouflaged sweatpants, his injuries didn't allow him to go out throughout today and he didn't let anyone in.