When Stars are Hidden

Chapter 23

Naima's birthday was on Friday.
She was still adamant she didn't want anyone to know about it.
It really wasn't a big deal.

Normally, she would just pray and thank Allah for adding another year to her life and Aunt Faiza would give her a present. Which she'd accept after a long argument about not needing any gifts.
Zain would take her out, wherever she wanted.
That was the only fun thing she actually did on her birthday.

No big party or anything. She had made Zain promise her to never tell anyone when her birthday was and always avoided the topic when asked.

She knew Dean and Belinda's birthday. Mostly because they celebrated it together.
Okay so maybe she found it on Instagram.

Yes, she was a big hypocrite for doing that.
Belinda's birthday was 13th March. She had turned 18 that year.
Dean's birthday was on the 5th of May.
He had also turned 18 as well.
But the only person Naima couldn't find was Tawfiq. And her investigation slash stalking skills were really great. On another whole level.

For example. She knew almost everything about all Zain's supposed 'friends', who were girls. All she needed was maybe a first name and bam...Facebook and Instagram made things really easy these days.

Tawfiq was nowhere on social media-literally. Okay so she only had Facebook and WhatsApp, personally. But you get her point.
WhatsApp, he was on. But not Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or Snapchat. No where.

But who wasn't on Facebook?

Since she couldn't find his account anywhere, she didn't know his birthday to at least wish him.

But she was positive his birthday would be between June and September. . .summer.
Since no one said anything about his birthday when they were in school.
Belinda was the exception. She knew her birthday but Naima had made her swear on everything not to tell the boys.
They would make a big deal from it. Like what they did on Belinda's birthday. It was extraordinary. She was never going to forget that day.

She had her last lectures at 11am on Fridays. Her roommate, Hasia, who reported a day after Naima, was really cool. She was also doing Biomedical Science and a Muslim. No offense to anyone but she was really happy she was a good Muslim at that. She didn't want a roommate who always had boys in their room. Muslim or not. I won't judge but I wouldn't feel comfortable with that.
Naima had thought that stuff in the room belonged to Hasia but she had said she didn't own anything in the room. Yes, they were well off, but a lot of stuff in the room wasn't particularly necessary to survive school.
Naima had come to a conclusion that it either belonged to the previous room members or it came along with her scholarship.
Wasn't that getting out of hand?

But whom ever arranged all this, was really a wonderful person. And Naima wished to one day meet the old lady who had helped her out a lot. She was basically an angel walking on Earth.

Any time, Naima would seek her out though, the school would tell her, she had traveled or wasn't fit to receive visitors because she was sick or something thus unavailable.
Naima didn't even know her name. And they refused to tell her. Something about it being her 'principle'.

"Naima?"
Naima heard Hasia call out as they both got ready for Jummah.
She was almost done in the washroom, so she closed the tap and came out.

"Yes?" She replied.

"Why not go to another Masjid today? Ya know, change of scenery?" She asked as she started to apply pomade on her legs.

"Um. . .sure. Where do you suggest?" Naima quirked a brow.

"The one by the mall." She suggested.