Naima didn't turn to see Tawfiq's face.
She was sure her words might have hurt him. But that wasn't the main problem now. She could always apologize later.
Her father had anger issues which would somehow end up being her fault because it was always her fault.
She was basically shaking now but still said her salaam before entering the house.
Aunt Faiza got up with a relieved smile but before she could get to Naima, her father's voice boomed in the hall.
"Faiza, get back to your seat. This is my house and she is my daughter so I decide how we welcome her."
He looked at her like she was an in intruder in his home.
"Abdullah. . ."
Aunt Faiza became short of words but reluctantly sat back down. She couldn't do anything.
Abdullah got up from his single couch and walked to Naima.
Her eyes were trained on the ground.
She could feel her blood racing.
"Where on Earth have you been?!"
"Baba I'm so s-sorry, I di-didn't think it was going t-t-to ra. . ."
Naima was cut short in the middle of her explanation.
"Shut up! I never asked for any explanation! I asked where you were at this time of the night!" He shouted.
Naima trembled.
She felt like a mouse in a cage.
Cornered.
Trapped.
Scared.
"They gave m-me d-detention." Naima answered without looking up at him.
"So that is the excuse you are using to cover up the fact that you are slutting around with that boy outside?" He fumed.
Naima was not shocked.
Anytime he saw Naima with a boy, that was his first assumption.
"I didn't do anything wrong. He just offered to send me home because it was raining and I was tired waiting for a car. I couldn't walk from school to the house. That's the truth Baba, why do you never believe m. . ."
Before Naima could end her sentence, she felt a sharp sting on her right cheek which had the brute force to make her fall back.
But before she felt the ground, Zain appeared from nowhere behind her and held her to him.
"Baba, don't you dare hit Naima again! I'm sick and tired of how you treat her like a worthless paper. She's your fucking daughter! I respect you, Baba but Wallahi if you hit her again you will have to deal with me."
Zain had never gone against their father before but today Naima saw something he had never seen in his always bright eyes.
Regret, fury and pain.
Well her mind decided too much information was going through it so it did what it could do best in the most inconvenient situations. She blacked out.
⚜️
His mother had called to tell him that his Baba had come home, earlier than expected.
Zain wasn't scared of him. He just gave him the respect of being his father. His father was all talk and no action especially with him.
Naima on the other hand, he definitely despised. Everything wrong was somehow her fault according to him. And she always got hit for it. At times, Zain couldn't believe that Naima was his father's daughter. Real fathers treated like daughters like rare pearls.
Naima always had a way of cheering people up. If you were close to her she could talk to you so much, your ears would fall off.
Zain had told his mother to tell his Baba that he had gone out to look for a job, which was partly true, in a way.
He had wanted to go home after he was done visiting a friend but it started to rain so he had to wait for a while for it to stop.
Baba would buy his excuse.
He only hoped Naima was home though. He was sure she would be. School closed a long time ago.
When Zain finally got to the house, he saw a black Bugatti in front of it.
'Wow, maybe Baba changed that old car to buy a Bugatti?"
He highly doubted it. Baba hated these types of car. Said they were not for family use.
Because there wasn't a lot of space in it. Blah. Blah. Blah.
He peered into the car to see a guy in it.
He seemed to be looking at his house. Zain knocked at his windows to get his attention.
He brought it down and looked at Zain for a second.
"Salam Mu Alaykum. Are you looking for someone here or are you lost?" Zain asked him.
"Wa Alaykum Salam. Not exactly. I'm just a friend of a hijabi who lives here and I just came to drop her off because it was raining." He answered.
He replied his Salam so he was Muslim?
He could also just be an Arab.
Clearly, they weren't good friends if he didn't even know her name.
Zain really don't know why Naima didn't like telling people her name. But he wouldn't dare reveal it.
"Wait. My sister has a friend? The world is really ending. Anyways, thanks for dropping her off but next time drop her off not so close to the house especially at this time of the night. She's a lady you know. People talk."
Zain felt himself worrying for Naima. If dad saw this guy he would flip.
"I'm not sure the friendship feeling is mutual though. She thinks I'm annoying." He smiled.
Zain could tell he wasn't a bad person. He and Naima would be good friends.
"Take care of her at school when I'm not around. She may seem weird and quiet at times but that's how she copes with life."
"Sure, will do." He said now buckling his seatbelt to leave.
"If I hear that you hurt even a hair on her head I will find you. Trust me."
Zain said in his overprotective brother voice.
"I won't hurt her. Rest assured. Tawfiq by the way"
"Zain."
Zain moved away as he maneuvered the car to go back to wherever he came from.
He prayed silently for Naima to get friends she could talk to. He wasn't expecting a Muslim boy because that would make things difficult with their friendship because boys don't just become friends with girls and not feel something.
They would cross that bridge when they got there. At least a boy could protect her from both boys and girls.
He didn't even look like a high school student. He looked too old for high school.
Maybe he was a serial killer and Naima's was a target. . .um what?! Naima was influencing him with believing every stranger was a possible killer.
He walked to the door and entered but before he could voice out a Salaam, he heard Naima talking.
Oh no. Baba was definitely pissed at her.
When he got closer he saw his father slapping Naima and she falling backwards.
He caught her before she fell to the ground.
Her cheeks were already starting to bruise. That was when something in him clicked.
He was tired of being a spectator as Naima was being hit everytime. She didn't deserve to be hit. By anyone. And definitely not by her own father.
"Baba, don't you dare hit Naima again! I'm sick and tired of how you treat her like a worthless paper. She's your fucking daughter! I respect you, Baba but Wallahi if you hit her again you will have to deal with me!" Zain seethed.
He regretted being a spectator all that time. He was angry at his father for being the monster he was with Naima.
'I'm sorry Naima. I will make it up to you.'
He thought to himself.
Zain noticed her eyes close as she falls unconscious.
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#VCS ❤️
⭐️💭🗣
Bye.❤️