#NotEdited
"It's time to get up, Ne-al."
"Rise and shine, Ne-al."
"Go to sleep, Siri." Shifting on the other side, Nayal adjusted the pillow on his head which was throbbing in pain.
"I don't sleep, Na-el." She answered in monotone at which he muttered 'you don't know what you're missing' and snuggled into the comforted.
"You should get yourself checked, you sleep way too much than a normal person." The robotic voice surely offended him but he was too tired to answer.
"Go to Jahanam!"
"Google Jahan-num."
Annoyed by a stupid-lady-robot, he sat up on his elbows looking around the messy room. Papers, documents, clothes, food wrappers everything was scattered over the whole room.
Avoiding the rubbish, he carefully stepped towards the bathroom.
"Ten minutes till your workout session, Na-el." Siri's voice boomed throughout the room.
"It's Nayal! You angreez ki aulad! " He replied turning on the faucet of hot water. He literally shouted when icy cold water greeted him.
"Adam, you nincompoop!"
Zeeniya is seriously rubbing off you.
After making space for the prayer mat (which was quite impossible), he prayed Fajr and headed out. Within a few good minutes he found himself running along the side of the street. The sun wasn't fully up and his body sensed it too, not allowing him to get up so early. Fatigue didn't leave his body after the three hours sleep but he managed to face the day. Fishing out his cell phone he left a voice note on a very fimiliar WhatsApp.
'Assalam o Alikum, Dad. Nayal here. Hope you're doing good. Erm...h..have a good day. Don't forget the meds, they're in the chester drawer. Allah Hafiz.'
With huffing breaths he ended the message. Every morning for the last (how many years he lost) this has become his ritual. It wasn't an act of mercy or kindess, it was his duty. He remembered how Zeeniya told him about the night her Mum died and how it changed every angle of her life. He mentally laughed.
Another similarity!
Except for the fact that his didn't die.
He loved everything about himself but he adored his cooking skills.(Self-obsessed much?) His father taught him that being a man doesn't mean to build six packs but it also meant that he should be independent. He clearly remembered the time when he used to come back from high school and prepare his own lunch and sometimes dinner too. His father was an average, middle class man but with a tough job making it hard to create an emotional bonding between the father and son.
Adding the herbs and tomatoes in the eggs, Nayal poured them in the skillet. In the next few minutes he added the cheese and slid it in serving platter. Multi-tasking, he kept the coffee for brewing and bread in the toaster and went back to his room.
Getting in a grey and black sweater along with the same jeans he wore last night. Call him lazy, but you have to do your own laundry this becomes a routine. Sweeping his hair back with a dime of gel he grabbed both of his phone and essentials when he smelled something burning.
Shit!
Hurrying out he almost ran into Adam, whose appearance seemed a little too much fishy. Seeing the slight black eye and the bruised lip, Nayal knew that asking him for breakfast would be like inviting a bull for pizza. So he ran into the kitchen and gobbled down the divine food before heading to the university.
But there was something that tugged on his heart. Like something was not right, so not right.
~*~
"Focus on the slides on your laptops, as I will further elaborate it." The Professor's authoritative voice spread throughout the huge room pining the attention of all the students.
Jason and Sid were both snoring off on his left while a very disturbed Zeeniya stared in the space. For the last two hours they were trapped in the extra classes that were arranged by the Dean.
Even though he had no interest in Automobile but under a few circumstances things took an interesting turn.
"Zeen?" He whsipered.
"Hey!"
"Listen."
The guy beside him shot a glare before retreating his attention back to the screen.
Why is it always the same guy?
Kebeb mein haddi!
"You're girlfriend still mad at you?" He quickly slid to the front seat before catching the Professor's sight which gave Nayal an opportunity to move next to Zeeniya.
"Zeen? Listen."
When she didn't answer, he start kicking her chair. For a few minutes she didn't say anything and tilted her laptop in a way he can't peek. And since they were the last benchers, no one could take a look except for her.
He hated the feeling that always burnt in his chest whenever she is in his vicinity. Most of the times he avoided looking directly at her face, but sometimes Shaitan works his black magic, like he did right now. Her small figure was wrapped in a flowy black cloak, which modestly covered her. While the grey hijab along with the big black rimmed glasses almost covered her beautiful face.
Suddenly she caught him staring, so quickly he waved to the Russian girl sitting in the front row who was coincidentally turned back. Zeeniya rolled her eyes at him and continued with her work but he noticed a single thing she had been doing the first day he met her and even today.
There was a certain pattern on which her fingers acted. They twitched and a second later she would crackle her knuckles. Or she would shake them like she is thinking something even though her eyes were glued on the Professor.
Playing with something near her neck. A necklace or something or maybe a strand of hair. Or maybe the wire of the earphones she was listening too.
~*~
"I can't be there Jess."
"Try to understand!" He muttered for the umpteenth time.
"I can't leave! I'm in the middle of something!" He slightly yelled but still it didn't leave mark on Jessica.
"Yeah don't talk to me! Bye Jess." He mumbled in anger, slamming the phone on the table. He hated when people fail to understand other's situation. But he was very well aware not to leave that girl hanging or hell will break loose.
He was still busy but an hour break wouldn't hurt him so he grabbed his belongings and headed towards the car he was given a few months back.
His work has put him in an invisible pressure cooker for the past few months which made his soul lack any sort of fun. But since Zeeniya came, everything seemed more fun; after a long time he felt happy whenever he was with her.
After finding a suitable place to park, Nayal called Jessica. He walked through the narrow streets of South Hall* finding the shop she was in. His other phone beeped in the pocket, the tone indicated that it wasn't a call nor a message but before he could look further into the matter his gaze fell ahead of him.
His breath hitched.
Pupil dilated.
His heart missed a beat.
A foreign feeling overpowered his senses.
His feet halted.
Jaw slightly opened.
At that very second he felt all the problems and worries breathing down his neck.
Nothing mattered.
Except for the diva who stood in front of him.
He had no idea what kind of dress she was wearing but Wallahi she looked phenomenal. With the lip trapped between her teeth and uncomfortableness in her eyes, she flapped her arms in the air like a chicken. She didn't quite realize that he was almost gaping at her 'zero ounce makeup face.'
Even when his eyes lacked sleep for a week, he couldn't look away. The clearing of someone's throat brought him out of the gaze. Running a finger over his eyebrow, he turned to the owners of the coughs.
None other than Jessica and...
Abiha?
"You again?" Zeeniya rolled her eyes as soon as she saw him.
"I saw that movie a few weeks back!"
"It's such a fun chicklit! I saw it with my cousins, like a hundred times!" Abiha gestured her hands that were full of shopping bags.
I thought they just arrived?
Zeeniya who had no idea what the other two girls were talking about plugged in a pair of earphones that were connected to a tape recorder.
I was so right!
"I'm getting out of it."
"Yeah sure!" Abiha smiled brightly and then turned to the helper. "We'll get this one too."
"No!" Zeeniya literally made the whole store their head around.
"It seems like a unicorn puked Skittles and MnM's on me while riding a rainbow!"
Nayal burst out laughing. Literally burst into fists of laughter. All the people who were shocked seeing Zeeniya's reaction were more surprised to see a tall, dashing and handsome man chuckling like an idiot.
"Hi!" Jessica walked over to him, hands stuffed in her pockets. "Thanks for coming by." After leaving a peck on his cheek and giving him a side hug she sprinted off with Abiha towards the aisle of bridal couture.
From the corner of his eyes he watched Zeeniya coming back to her usual self and thought to himself.
Why in the world did I agree to this trip?
~*~
"The last time I tried something like that was when I was seventeen. Remember it, Nayala?" Jessie twirled in some pink tutu dress she was trying. I looked up from my phone and gave her a thumbs up even though he hated when she calls him that.
"You're always busy on the stupid phone!" She whined for the sixth time in past hour.
My counting skills rock!
"Is it work?"
"Take a look at that Abi!" To Abiha's question she quickly covered him.
His job wasn't a good topic to discuss right now.
As the two ladies got busy again, Nayal turned to Zeeniya. He knew that she wasn't the most friendly person but this moment she looked almost spaced out.
"Are you free tomorrow night?"
"No."
"What about this Saturday?"
"No."
"Next weekend?"
"No."
What the hell is wrong with her?
"You alright?" He pushed further.
"No. I mean... I mean yes." He stammered.
Something's definitely wrong.
"Why'd you ask?" She stared at him boldly.
"Umm..there's a new café opened on Cromwell Road and I was thinking that maybe we should..." Leaving the sentence in the mid, toyed with his watch.
"We should...?" Her blue eyes subconsciously grew bigger.
"We should work on the project. They have a big space and are open till late." He offered confidentially.
"Oh...I'll see what I can do."
"Sure." As he responded to her his phone vibrated. Again.
'It's an emergency."
He didn't need any other clarification. If Anderson says it's an emergency then either the atomic is dropped or he is taking his last breaths.
He quickly went over to Jessica and after he hugged her goodbye, he heard something that boiled his blood.
"Excuse me?" A sudden wave if anger took over him.
"What?" Zeeniya shrugged as if nothing happened.
"What did you say?" He gritted his teeth to the extent that they woukd break.
"It's nothing new for you, right?"
On several other occasions she had called him various names, even harami but today it wasn't a sacrastic comment.
"She. Is. My. Damn. Sister! You gotta problem with that, Tahan?" He hissed in rage, only a few inches away from her face. Before he would do anything more stupid, he stormed out, leaving behind a shocked and horrified Zeeniya.
There is something suspicious in the air!
How did Zeeniya agreed to come on the shopping trip?
Is Obiha wedding on? (I want ship names, PLEASE!)
What's up with Zeeniya?
All questions will be answered in the next chapter. InshaAllah!
Banner by LetsBreatheWords_ who was dying for Nayal!
Please tell how it was! I had a hard time writing a guy's POV. So please give your feedback!
LISTEN!!!!
The next chapters will blow your minds away! Trust me!