I was beginning to realize how perfect time Asim had chosen for us to escape.
It was the time for the patrol to start, that way there would be lesser invaders inside the school, and chance of us getting caught inside was thin. And after the patrol is done the curfew is lifted for two hours, during which the citizens are allowed to move freely, that was the time we citizens would purchase our necessities.
"Wait here" he said.
He made me stand at the corner of a grocery store. I saw him walk towards the grocery's door. He signaled me to hide.
I did so.
Asim had got us here, hidden from the patrol, this grocery was very near to the school. I was wondering why he got us here.
"Come lets go" He came back to get me
And we went inside the grocery store.
"How did you manage to do that" I asked surprisingly.
"What" he questioned.
"I mean you have a dress up of the invaders, the grocery owner is from our side, and all of us hate the invaders, why will he let you in his grocery"
"Well because I showed him my face, and he knows me since I was a child" he explained
And I desired that he would show me his face too, although I disliked his hoarse voice, which was actually comforting to me now. But I knew if I asked him to do it he would say in the same voice, I can't reveal my identity you know. And I wondered how could he reveal it to the grocery owner. I was a bit confused and jealous.
"And he is also one of the freedom fighters, his name is Abdullah" He added.
Well that made sense, but still it did make me jealous and as I turned towards him and though his face was covered I could make out he was smiling, looking at me.
"What" I hissed
"Nothing" He said, still with that smile on. I felt he knew I was jealous and was giving me a teasing smile.
The grocery owner got us some food, which I really needed, we now had to wait for the curfew to be lifted.
Asim spent the whole time with Abdullah and I could hear them speak in our language, but still I didn't understand why he continued to speak in English with me.
"Okay we are going to go drop you home now, Mr Abdullah has let me borrow his car." He said
Home, I was finally getting home.
We got into the car and as the curfew was lifted we could drive back freely without any one stalking us. And before we started I asked him.
"How did you manage the cameras?"
"Oh well, you see these invaders follow a schedule, a well planned schedule, and I knew who were to be posted on the duty of the surveillance room, there were two of them, and I had visited them with some special coffee, if you know what I mean, after drinking which they would probably fall into some beautiful dreams, accompanied with loud snoring, I am glad I am away from those snoring now." He ended with a laugh.
"I can't understand how you are able to laugh under such circumstances, and what about those guards whom you attacked, are they dead"
"So two questions huh, to answer the first one, life is a learning experience, I noticed that as we grow older the things which make us sad, change over time, and then we laugh at those things which made us sad when we were young, for example, as kids if when we run out of chocolates, although we were the one's to finish it, we feel sad about it and wished there were more, and now thinking about it we do laugh, isn't it" he looked at me questioningly.
"True" I nodded and smiled.
"I have been through a lot of emotional pain, again if you know what I mean, and I have learned to be happy, no matter what the difficulty or problem is, I have learned to enjoy every time now, because I know when I become an old man I will look at all this and laugh. And for the second question they are not dead, I only incapacitated them, first the guard of the compound lot, and second the one who was posted in your cell, if I had killed them, it would have made the invaders very angry and they would make the citizens life more miserable after that, and now I have a question for you"
"What" I enquired.
"Where do I drop you"
"Haha, yeah we were staying at my Uncles house, so you have to drop me near Al Qais park, my uncle's house is just in front of the park."
He started the engine and started to drive.
"On a more serious note, now that we have escaped, they will be looking for both of us, the first place they are going to check are the houses of the streets from where you were arrested, so you have to move from this place and go somewhere else, and after I drop you I will go to our camp, and pass on what I have learned and lay down a strategy and hopefully will be attacking in another month and push these invaders off, you should remember us in your duas"
A sudden fear ran through me when he said the invaders will come looking for us, but I suppressed my feelings and said "Freedom fighters are our heroes, and I have learned to respect them even more now, after I have seen what you have done, and the courage you have shown, and you especially are my hero, my kids will know about you, I will tell them about your bravery, I thank Allah that he sent you to me."
I turned towards him and could see a gleam in his eyes.
"I didn't know even tough beings like you would cry" I teased
He left out a soft laugh.
"And I pray that you get a wife, who would love you even more than how much you shared the love with the girl, who you couldn't get"
"Ameen" he said
We didn't speak anything else rest of the way until he pulled over, infront of Al Qais Park.
"You should come inside, give my family a chance to show you some hospitality" I requested.
"I can't, I have to go back to my camp"
"I know you are making an excuse, Please come" I insisted
"Well I wish I could, but I should really get going" there was a change in his tone now, he sounded quite gleamy and I really couldn't understand why.
I didn't know why the sudden change he had from his happy self to being so emotional.
"May Allah accept your deeds, I can't thank you enough, you brought me home." I smiled.
"Ameen"
"Okay Assalmualaikum" I said
"Walaikumassalam" he smiled.
I got down from the car and started moving towards the house when I heard him get down from the car, I turned to look at him, he waved, I waved back smiling and turned to walk towards my home again.
"Haleema" came a very soft and familiar voice.
I never told him my name, I felt weak in my knees, more weak than how I felt on seeing the invaders, more shocked than seeing Asim strangle the giant, I got extremely cold, I could feel my heart pounding, I was thinking how did the hoarse voice change to the most beautiful voice I have known in life and I turned to look at him.
And I could see Asim pulling his shemag down, and I was looking at the most beautiful smile I have known in my life.
"Rehan" I breathed out.
I couldn't control my tears, in seconds my face was drenched with tears, and I thought to myself, It was you, all this time, and I couldn't even recognize you, the girl you were speaking about to me was actually me, so that's why you had that hoarse voice, so that's why you never spoke to me in our language, and that's why you said you can't reveal your identity, because you knew I would get weak when I knew it's you.
"Take good care of yourself" he Smiled.
And I gave him the best smile I could with all the tears in my eyes, half crying.
And I knew that he will know my smile meant I am happy now, and things are fine between you and me.
What could I say, they had trained him well.
:D