Strings Attached

~Chapter 12~

"I will, Uncle. But I have a condition." "Name it and you shall have it." His eagerness makes me smile. "I don't need anything, thank you anyway. All I want to ask of you is even if I report anything troubling, you wouldn't outright scold her for it. Instead, I'd request you to go easy on her. Be gentle towards her." "That's a difficult request to comply to, but I'll try my best." "It will be a huge change, Uncle, and I pray that it removes all your problems. Can I go now?"

"Yes, you may go now, child. May Allaah keep you happy and prosperous, Aameen," he concludes our unusual conference with a heartfelt du'a and I, echoing his Aameen, go out with a sigh.

When I open the door to see if the way is clear, I see someone disappear around the corner, and I am terribly afraid for my life. Was that Hiba? Or was it Ayaan? It doesn't really matter which one of them it was. What matters is what they heard and how much!

Even the thought that I've been found out makes me wanna give up my promise and run away. Should I go back and tell Uncle about this? But I don't feel like going back when he's already dismissed me. I feel like disappearing into thin air. If only...

I'm in a dilemma. On one hand, I'm mortally afraid of Hiba and just don't think it right to snoop on her, however much I detest her. On the other hand, I'm indebted to Uncle Jabbar and feel it my duty to comply to whatever he asks of me. And to top it all, his slumped and defeated figure keeps resurrecting itself in front of my eyes and haunts me. But I remind myself that I promised him.

There are situations in life when you feel you could really use some help, but there is none, near or far.

______

When I get to school the next day (I'm now taking the bus, by the way), I have this premonition at the back of my mind that something bad is gonna happen. And it's related to one and only, Daniyal Hasan. Though when I reach my locker, he's nowhere in sight. Must be late, I think. Or he's skipping. Whether it's one or the other, I don't care. He's not here to frighten me and that's enough to make me sigh in relief.

Come to think of it, he's not been around at all for more than a week. I noticed his friends giving me murderous looks from afar some days ago. I remember because all four of them looking at me like that was a lot to take in. And it'd made me go weak below the knees with fright.

But what if he turns out to be correct? If the Principal checked my notebook at the end of next week, I'd be doomed. Who knows she could hand me a detention too and I'd be stuck with him forever. The thought is troubling, at the very least.

"Hey, Hidayah!" Poulomi greets me chirpily from afar and pats my back the moment she reaches my side. I wave at her, smiling through my naqab and greet her in return. "Is something the matter? You're not in your usual mood, judging by your depressed tones," she sees through my fake smile and I feel like going into hiding, she's such a darn psychic. "No, everything is fine," I reassure her, hoping that she stops scrutinising me.

"Okay, I believe you. Where's Caroline, by the way?" she asks, and I shrug in response. "Maybe she won't be coming today. She's a cold for some days now and her dad was coming to see her too," I inform and the girl makes an 'O' of her mouth by way of response.