Lots of prayers for Beirut, may Allah help them all (Ameen)
~*~
Unedited.
Hira's POV:
Ahmar's presence was missing at dinner and Zulqarnain was busy with work, the usual. Therefore, it was just Uncle Auntie and me, heaving our meal in complete silence but soon I was asked by Uncle to have a cup of tea with him.
The day was going quite eventful, Uncle praised me early in the morning and lift up my mood which Ahmar successfully ruined, and right now I wasn't ready for a new adventure, yet I couldn't reject the Uncle's offer. He barely asked me anything so my heart didn't allow me to let him down. Taking a hint of Uncle's request Auntie didn't join us for the tea. This is something I really admire about her, she has a sharp sense for situations like such and never tries to pry into others' matters.
Uncle told me to wait in the living room and after a few minutes, he came in holding two mugs of tea in his hands. I quickly got up from the couch and rushed towards him.
"Uncle why are you bringing this. You should've asked me to do it."
He smiled and held out a mug for me, "I don't mind making a cup of tea for my daughter."
"Thanks." I smiled back taking the mug from him.
"Hira, don't get upset if I am wrong. But after pondering all over the day about the discussion we had..." He said walking to the couch opposite from where I was sitting, "I realized that you have already figure out the problem with Ahmar and as well as his friends a long time ago."
His direct words caught me off guard. I didn't saw this coming and so soon.
"Am I wrong?" He asked me when I was struggling to find proper words to answer.
"No, you are right."
"Then why you didn't tell me before?"
"It wasn't my place to say." I honestly replied.
"What are you trying to say?"
"As a third person,... I doubted that you will tolerate my interference in your family matters."
"But you just did today."
"I just show the direction, considering it, and walking on it was and will always be your decision... and I have thought thoroughly about the consequences if I were a keep a blind eye." I felt like being interrogated by a crime that didn't even fall into the category of crime.
"Don't you think it would've been better if you tell us from the start?"
"Kindly, believe me, Uncle, I tried to approach them in a different way after realizing the problem. I thought it would've been nice if things have gone better without anyone feeling guilty about it. But I failed, those boys didn't allow me to break the barriers they have created."
"But you didn't give up."
"How could I Uncle, they are my students. I don't know how should I explain my feelings towards them but they are very special to me. Just like students love their first teacher in the school, we teachers feel the same too. It's vice versa... and if I the slightest ability to make their lives better then I will do. Whether they accept it or not."
"And what if you got hurt in this process."
"Victory tastes much after knowing the taste of defeat."
"What makes you so sure about your victory?" A small smile appeared on Uncle's face and my muscles relaxed.
"We aren't even sure about our next breath Uncle, how can I be about the victory?... yet I believe that my efforts will make a change, even a little."
"A pebble in the lake."
"A pebble has the power to create ripples for some time." I smiled which he returned.
"That's an optimistic way to think." He nodded with a satisfied expression on his face.
~*~
Ahmar's POV:
"...I doubted that you will tolerate my interference in your family matters."
I slow down my pace after hearing Hira's voice. I thought she was talking to the big brother of mine but the voice answered her was Dad's.
"But you just did today."
What kind of conversation they are having???
"I just show the direction, considering it, and walking on it was and will always be your decision... and I have thought thoroughly about the consequences if I were a keep a blind eye." Said Hira.
Tiptoed, I came closer to the entrance to hear them more clearly.
"Don't you think it would've been better if you tell us from the start?" Asked Dad.
Tell him what?
Did she complained about my behaviour???
If she did then I must get ready for a good scolding...
"Kindly, believe me, Uncle, I tried to approach them in a different way after realizing the problem. I thought it would've been nice if things have gone better without anyone feeling guilty about it. But I failed, those boys didn't allow me to broke the walls they have built up around them."
They are talking about us???
I don't know what shocked me the most, their topic of conversation or the words Hira said.
"But you didn't give up." Said Dad.
"How could I Uncle, they are my students. I don't know how should I explain my feelings towards them but they are very special to me. Just like students love their first teacher in the school, we teachers feel the same too. It's vice versa... and if I the slightest ability to make their lives better then I will do. Whether they accept it or not."
Hmph! students...
"And what if you got hurt in this process?"
"Victory tastes much after knowing the taste of defeat."
"What makes you so sure about your victory?"
"We aren't even sure about our next breath Uncle, how can I be about the victory?... yet I believe that my efforts will make a change, even a little."
I wasn't able to hear what Dad said next because my mind suddenly flooded with flashbacks of memories.
'I will give my whole salary to you then you can throw into the garbage or do whatever you please. Teachers do not teach because of money.'
'I don't want to be a hero Ahmar, nor I am trying to help anyone. In fact, I am the one who needs help to find the purpose of my life since I left with none.'
'She is really insane.' Mumbling I went into my room, don't want to hear something to confuse me more. Her presence is getting more and more intriguing as well as influential day by day. No matter how much I deny the fact will remain unchanged. She has already made a change.
'even a little.'
Her voice echoed in my mind once again.
~*~
Spending all night lost in thoughts, I got up early when the time came to drop Hira at work. But she completely ignored me on breakfast and ask Dad to drive her to college which he gladly accepted and after they left I faced a strict inquiry session by Ami.
She believed that I must've said or done something to Hira that's why she avoided me. Ami hit the spot but confessing the truth means to welcome another long session of scolding. From Ami and later at night from Dad. Therefore, I tried my best to dodge the topic and after a long time of twenty-five minutes I finally succeeded but it doesn't mean that I was able to convince her for being innocent. She knows me better just like every mother knows her child and I never doubted that.
After calming down Ami I came back to my room, to be bombarded with the same thoughts of yesterday. Don't know why I found myself fighting this strange inner battle. My heart is pushing me to apologize to Hira and accept her offer. Yet my mind stopped me from trusting her because there is no such thing as 'good intention' in this era, it is all about benefits. Also, in all my student life till now I never met a teacher who is really concerned about students' wellbeing.
Teaching has become nothing more than a profession and as professionals, all teachers are concerned about is their good earning. The term 'Rohani Walidain' (spiritual parents) we used to read in books has become a myth.
Still, my heart argued with my mind that this deceitful world has blinded us so much that we are unable to differentiate between fake and genuine. And... there is something else more powerful than any logic, defying my all reasonings and pushing me to be submitted.
This something unnerved me.
Why???
I wish I knew the answer...
_____________________
Salam and hello everyone!
Sorry for updating so late. Sometimes, things happen so frequently that we are unable to keep our commitments. Lately, I have been suffering from anxiety and unable to find the cause of it. Extra workload and lack of sleep from the past few weeks have completely drained my energy and I am barely able to complete my daily task properly. So I will humbly request you to pray for me or I am not sure how long I can keep up with this routine without getting seriously ill.
I will try my best to update the next chapter before the third week of this month but cannot promise. Because I will be working on 'Be Mine' update.
Once again I apologize to all and Belated Eid Mubarak.
Don't forget to vote and comment!
Take Care :)