NAZREEN'S POV:
It was a beautiful day, the clouds were really pretty today (SUBHANALLAH). Today I was finally going to continue my 2nd year 2nd semester here in New York City as I and my friend omysha were enjoying our precious semester break( this time we got one and a half month off as we didn't get any sem break in the first year ) by visiting omysha's aunt in Pakistan, my birthplace. I couldn't get much time to spend there as my parents moved to the USA permanently when I was 5 years. It was good to see Pakistan which I have only heard through stories from my Ammi and the photographs they have there, Ah! It was great there. Okay so there we were waiting for my parents to come to pick me up from the airport but they were late and omysha was already panicking texting her mother that we are surely gonna be ready today as she was finished texting, I saw a kid just really running towards the moving car on the busy road and I was doing my non-existence karate rolls to save the kid and SHUKAR ALHAMDULILLAH the kid was saved.
"Ouch," I gasped, my arms and legs were hurting badly after doing all the stupidest things when I can just grab the kid and leave the road but no! I have to be an extraordinary one there, anyways that kid was safe I was having that kid in my arms for don't know how long but after coming back to my senses I asked him; "Are you okay little buddy ", I sat up looking down at the boy, searching for any injuries on his body but Alhamdulillah, there's nothing to be worried about.
That little boy just nodded at me and started to cry looking for his, "Oh my God. My baby" A mid-thirties elegant woman with a beautiful pair of emerald eyes( Masha Allah) came towards us crying, and by that that I knew that she was for sure his mother.
"Thank you so much for saving him," she said as some tears rolled down her cheeks. She takes her son from my arms, hugging and kissing his son. (Aww, I love them so much ).
I smiled nodding at her. My eyes were still focused on the road, eying that car, I went their knocked the window but the owner seemed to be ignorant, he doesn't even flinched, after knocking again and again he finally stepped out of the car. A man may be in his 20s, who allowed him to drive the car. Did he even have a license huh? Well,l he was young, tall with hazel eyes, and a sharp jaw" ASTAGFIRULLAH nazreen you should lower your gaze ", by the face he looked like he belong to a noble family but didn't he saw that someone was coming towards his car, passing by or was he blind, Ya Allah! Forgive me if I have said too much about him ( oh poor blind guy).
After observing him for at least solid 5 minutes I broke the ice and said; Can't you see the road, Don't tell me that you didn't see that kid running towards your car or are you blind. If you are blind by any chance I'm sorry for that but how can you drive then, come on man speak up you're annoying me ..oh wait are you perhaps deaf too? You can hear me right?
"Oh, Allah! Please have mercy on him, first he was blind now he is deaf too".
STOP IT RIGHT NOW !, "That's how Satan sounds right? No, it's that man finally speaking now. SHUKAR ALHAMDULILLAH.
Oh, so you're not deaf? Good to know so now answer my questions, Mr . Satan or whoever you are, why were you driving like a madman in broad daylight? Oh sorry I forgot you are blind, sorry but still how can you drive though! .. ( now he is driving me crazy ).
Excuse me! First of all, I'm not Mr Satan or whoever, I do have a certain specific name, and the second thing I'm not blind or deaf and thirdly I can drive how the hell do I want to drive, that kid is safe now, isn't he? ( said that idiot)
Yes, ALHAMDULILLAH he is fine( I said being annoyed by him).
Right, so any other queries if not then bye chatterbox. ( okay that was the point when I was about to kill him but omysha was calling me )
After giving him a dead glare I said ;
" Excuse me you..you haram piece of shawarma .who are you calling the chatterbox, and no we are not done yet, you are going to apologize to that kid's mother, see where her mother is, in what condition she is? Are you really that selfish? you idiot just go apologize to her or else you're not going anywhere not anytime soon."
OK! OK okay, stop talking, do you even take a breath while talking .okay I'm going now fine.
( I don't know what he was saying to that boy's mother but by looking at his face I saw a slight hint of guilt maybe he was guilty and he apologized properly I guess)
Here the devil comes... Okay is it fine now ma'am, I already apologized to her so I can go now right? And yeah my name is muraib Ali, will see you next time. ( oh my my did he just smile at me I mean wow that's beautiful oh no ASTAGFIRULLAH that's not)
Wait no, there's not going to be next time, I'm not gonna see you ever again you idiot, and yes bye!
As soon as he leaves, I got a sight of my parents and Omysha, they were busy talking about something, oh! I guess omysha already told them about what happened here. I got there to say salam to my parents, and they after returning my salam started questioning me like why do you always have to be involved in stupid things like that or why did I even talk to that idiot these questions you can never imagine. After that, we got to our car, and the rest of the way to our home, I begin to clear my point that he ( the idiot or should I say MURAIB) was rude and really needed to apologize to that lady & telling them that how bravely I made him apologized that lady and made feel guilty, well I was just bragging at this point and my parents weren't having any of my lies. They were simply worried about me I guess.
"You know uncle when she was arguing with that man I was trying to stop her but she never listens to me, I was like what if that man never apologized to that lady and started doing something crazy to her ( ASTAGFIRULLAH), But you know uncle, aunty she just shushed me and completely ignored my presence", SAID OMYSHA( bragging about herself ).
Thank you omysha for being the sensible one there because nazreen has no brain left after joining the medical college, right nazreen? (said, Baba)
Baba, that's not true she just came to me for I guess one sec and didn't even try to stop, and thanks omysha for this, I hate you. ( now I was frustrated why can't they just accept the fact that I needed to talk to him or else he wouldn't have apologized).
Okay nazreen we are sorry, I understand that you just wanted to make him apologize to that kid's mother, that's good but don't every time try to jump in front of the car like that, it would have hurt you or the kid but you and that kid are fine (SHUKAR ALHAMDULILLAH), come here dear. (said Ammi giving me a tight hug, I think she understands me now ).
Well, now you realized that your only daughter is back from vacation well baba won't you hug m, after all, I'm your only daughter baba!
Oh! Nazreen don't be sad, now you are back you're going to get all your love from us and now I can't hug you right, I'm driving beta. ( said, Baba)
Oh yeah, the sweet scent of being at home!Subhan Allah, Masha Allah, and Shukar Alhamdulillah. I'm back now my sweet home, I love my home, my bed, and my lovely kitchen, yes I love I love it all. ( me being overdramatic here).
Noorah Nazreen's mother): okay! Omysha and nazreen stop exaggerating about you guys loving it here, I know you guys wanted to spend more time there in Pakistan, but as you know your 2nd year's 2nd semester is around the corner now and you are going to continue studying! So
you guys better go to your rooms and freshen up a bit till then I'm going to make lunch for a guy as it's already past 1 pm. So to your rooms now.
OMYSHA: OKAY.
Jee Ammi ( I said showing off my Urdu accent that I just learned from omysha's aunty).
SALMAN'S POV;
Hi, I'm Muraib Ali well my actual name is Salman Awan but my uncle called me muraib and I'm used to that name & after my uncle's death I go by this name.
He always taught me about Islam and being a good person like my parents as they were in the police department and being a police officer costs them their life so I'm never gonna be like them, I had promised myself that I will Vincent's family as he murdered my parents.
As today I was going to meet my agent and was about to find out about his hideout but due to that idiot girl I met today, I couldn't get a chance to know where Vincent was. yeah, I was driving peacefully to the airport as Vincent and his family were going to be landed there anytime so as soon as I got there my car was about to hit that kid who was cheerfully walking towards a moving car. Was he an idiot okay well he was a kid but that girl was crazy, why did she have to jump in front of my car like she was having a great urge to be a superwoman? Oh my God, she was annoying I can't believe after all that drama she started interrogating me like she was some kind of an FBI AGENT which I hated the most, and only because of her stupid questions, Eros(my agent) and Rodegro's family were gone and I lost them. I had made up my mind, first I'm gonna find that girl and kill her then I'm going to kill that rodegro's.
She was damn annoying but no doubt she was pretty though, And the fact called me Mr . Satan without knowing that I'm a mafia boss was funny how will she react when she will find out that I'm some kind of Mafia, hmm isn't that interesting well I wanna see her reaction. But unfortunately, she said that it is never gonna be the next for us to meet .well yeah cuz she was a stranger Salman. Hope to meet her again. Ok back to me.
Aside from being a Mafia, I'm a 4th year engineering student too. Tomorrow our 2nd semi is going to start, the main goal of my entering the engineering university was just to be a normal person without creating any kind of problems for me do you guys know what I found when I was in my 2nd year? No, you probably don't so let me tell you that Vincent Rodegro's only son( Xavier Rodegro) is in our uni, in my class .well he doesn't know that I'm the guy whose parents were murdered brutally by his father. Now you guys are probably thinking why I hadn't killed him and his father till now so here is a thing that he doesn't live his, His father protected him well but not anymore because I'm gonna make him suffer for what he did to my parents I'll make his life miserable, I'll make him die every day. I promise I will.
"Yo bro who got you mad like that "
Oh shut up Zach! (here's he now, when I wanted to rest, he is here to annoy the hell outta me ).
"Yo! It's not Zach, it's your Prince Zachary, your right hand, your best friend, your everything".
Oh My God Zach please shut up, I'm not in a mood right now. And by the way, why are you so happy, got yourself a girl finally, are you engaged, or did your chicken give you 3 golden eggs perhaps?
Zachary;
hmm, nothing like that but I do have a piece of great news for you. And knowing that, that I have something for you which will make you happy, even the thought of it makes me happy bro.
Okay now spill the tea, or else all your happiness will go in vain.
Zachary; okay, okay, okay Boss, so the news is that Vincent Rodegro's died last yesterday of lung cancer that's why I guess his family came here to mourn his death and Eric said that he's gonna send us their location anytime soon. So are you happy now SALMANN?
Hey Zac! Lower your voice it's muraib for you guys,s okay, And yes I'm a bit relieved no, well we'll wait for the information then. So are you gonna be here tonight or are you going back to your apartment?
Zachary;
hey! Hey why are you being such an arrogant fool, Dude just now I made you the happiest man on the earth and you're not even letting me be here for just one night, you selfish boss, well good for you I'm going back to my apartment, I've got my own business too you know. Well just tell me why are you so pineappled off?
Ah! Nothing Zach ( me just annoyed by that overdramatic idiot). It's just I met a girl who was much crazier than you. You know she called me blind, deaf, and yes how can I forget Mr Satan, can you believe it?
Zachary; (well what's not to believe huh! She was right though).
What are mumbling Zach? you know I can hear you.
Zachary; oh, nothing, I was just imagining that girl, like she had a nerve to call you Satan and all. well, why are you smiling now? oh.., don't tell me you got a crush there bro! Just marry her already!
"WHAT? Have you lost your mind, are you crazy, do you have a death wish? I don't even know her name...,"
Zachary; what about the name, you know her right, paint a picture of her I'll find her name for you if you want.
"Oh no, that's fine( well I do want to know her name though)."
ZACHARY;
I bet you will marry her one day, that's your fate, your destiny, your soulmate.
"Okay! Shut up Prince Zachary, your Boss is HANGRY now, he will eat you if you don't shut your mouth now."
Zachary; ( doing lip-sealed action) is so childish! Okay eat then, here is our favorite sushi, go eat and die now.
THANKS, Zach.
BACK TO NAZREEN'S HOUSE:
After taking a shower, me and omysha prayed as we missed our fajr salah and don't wanna miss Zohr so after praying we had our lunch.
Omysha;
off aunty, the food is delicious, Jazak Allah for the meal aunty.
Nazreen's mom:
beta you can have more if you like it.
Omysha:
oh, no Aunty I'm full. Shukar Alhamdulillah.
"Hey, Omysha! You are spending the night here right? ( me hoping that she spends more time here )"
Omysha: No nazreen, ammi is waiting for me so I have to go.
"Okay, I won't force you. But at least have some rest here, you can go after Asr or maybe Maghreb." ( please stay for some time omysha)
Omysha: Ah! Nazreen, I really can't.
"Hey, omysha stop arguing you have to be here for now & help me unpack my bags, and fold my clothes, and then put them in my cupboard, please! ( I'm nervous because I'm bad at things like that ) "
Omysha; oh! Nazreen, now I know why you want me here. Fine, I'll help you with this, but after doing that I will be going home okay?
"Jazak Allah omysha, that's why I love you so much. You are the best!"
Ammi where is Hamza by the way? I haven't seen him today, he wasn't with you at the airport too?
Noorah; oh, actually he is a neighbor. He wanted to come but he wasn't fine got a fever. So, Clair told me to leave him there with Benjamin. Well, I forgot about him, thanks for reminding me, now can you please go and check on him if he's feeling fine, so bring him here, and yes don't forget to say Jazak Allah to Clair she's been nice to us, okay.
" yeah ammi, I'm going now ", Hello aunt! How are you?
Clair; oh! Hello, when did you come, well come inside and tell me how was your vacation?
" oh Aunty that was awesome and I'm fine Alhamdulillah, well where is Hamza I came here to pick him up, and Jazak Allah Aunty for taking of him"
Clair: oh that's fine, no need to thank me it was Benji's idea to have Hamza here, and they are upstairs in Benji's room.
"Okay, I'll go talk to them then, hey kids! How are you guys ?"
Hamza; Appi! You came back.
Benji ( Benjamin): when did you come princess?
"Okay Benji stop calling me that and yes I'm fine finally came Hamza, how are you feeling now by the way?
Hamza; yes app, I'm fine now, can we go home now?
Benji; hey hamza why are you going now, spent some more time here, please.
Hamza; Sorry Benji but I've to go now, she is back so you know, bye then.
Benji; okay bye.
" Aunty we are going now, Allah hafiz, will see you around then, bye".
Clair; Bye, but please come tomorrow to have lunch here OK.
"Okay we'll see bye aunt and Benji "
Nighttime at Salman's;
As I was waiting for Eric to give the information, I got a call from Zach,..,
Zach; Hey listen there's a problem, Eric found the location of their hideout and was about to send me but then he found out that the building was abandoned 2 years ago, so is that even possible for them to live there?
" I don't know Zach, maybe they are hiding there for some time so that no one would know about them. Just tell Eric and Kareem( my left hand in the mafia) to go to that place and find out what's all that about.
Zachary: okay, I'll call him, bye.
" yeah bye"
"Why would they live in an abandoned place, when they have thousands of mansions worldwide, that's suspicious. Maybe some funny business is going g on there or are they really afraid that someone is after them? Ah, whatever it is I have to find out as soon as possible.
To Nazreen's house;
After omysha left for her home, Hamza and I were playing on his tablet, and Ammi was busy in the kitchen, she won't let me help her today as after a month I came back ..special treatment I'm getting from my parents and I do love it.
Mr.Mohammad;
Nazreen, Hamza come downstairs now don't play too long on a tablet, your eyesight is weak already Hamza.
"Baba we are coming in 5 minutes it's the last game promise"
Okay but come quick(said baba)
"After 5 to 10 minutes I and Hamza walked down the stairs in our TV launch where Ammi and Baba were seeing some pictures I guess"
" what are you doing baba"?
Mr.Mohammad; oh nothing, we just found your old pictures come here Hamza look nazreen was just like you...,
" as Ammi and Baba were showing my pictures to Hamza my eyes went to that single picture which was at the corner of the box I picked it up. That was my picture with a boy I guess older than me, I think I know him. Who is he baba?"
Mr.Mohammad; oh he is Salman you know our your Ammi and my best friend was our neighbor when you were 5 years, he is their son.
" The one whose parents were in the police department right?"
Mr.Mohammad; yes beta, but unfortunately due to their case to find the mafia boss they were murdered.
" Baba tells me one thing, is there any mafia left here now in New York?"
Mr.Mohammad: I don't think so, as there is no news about any mafia thing, I don't know.
" so Baba, do Salman Now about his parent death, I mean you told me that he was not there when you guys going guys found his parents died there ?"
Noorah: I don't think that he knows, because his uncle promised Mr.Awan that he will not tell anything about it to Salman.
" oh ! ( why Ammi replied like that like side-eying Baba, she had never done that before?.)
"Well, where he is now ?"
Noorah; Nazreen stops asking about him, we don't know anything about thank you got that?
" sorry ammi, I was just asking because he was a good friend of mine, wasn't he ? " ( Amii left the room after saying that not listening was I saying, that's strange )
Mr.Mohammad; hey nazreen don't be upset, it's just your ammi just sad that we remind her of their death, you ms. awan ( zainah awan) was close to her like her own sister that's why she's just sad okay, don't mind your mom.
" I know baba, hmm well what's that ( pointing to the piece of paper in between pictures)"
Mr.Mohammad: ah nothing, that's
just Ayub uncles number, he left this so we could contact him or talk to Salman, but I guess he changed his number so that's why we couldn't know anything about Salman.
( OK! But why does it seem something else to me, why baba is hiding that paper now, well my parents should be in the FBI too, they now acting suspiciously).
"Okay baba, would you please check on Ammi if she is fine I'll talk to her in the morning".
Mr.Mohammad; sure beta.
Conversation b|w Noorah and Mr.Mohammad: Noorah, how can you react like that? What was that all about?
Noorah; listen to me, we had promised Zainah and Feroz that we will marry Salman and nazreen can you change that, no right? So are you gonna marry your daughter to the person we don't even know if he still exists or not, or where he is, what he's doing? What are you going to do?
Mr.Mohammad; okay, you don't have to worry about it, I'll find Salman just don't ever react like that again in front of her okay? Just pray that we find Salman or that your promise with your best friend will never come true. Everything will be fine.
Back to nazreen;
"I don't know what happens to Ammi, you know omysha when I asked her about Salman, she acted strange, I just wanted to know about Salmon, just wanna know if he changed or not."
Omysha;
well nazreen it has been years now and he's nowhere to be found, how are you gonna know about him? Wait nazreen did you have a crush on him back then?
"omysha are you an idiot I was just 5 years old when I last saw him ..well wait Fatima is calling me, oh no we didn't inform her about us, she's gonna be mad, okay I'm hanging up now I'll call you lier. Allah hafiz".
(I hung up the phone immediately, so u could talk to Fatima, Ya Allah please save me from her)
"UHM! Assalam o alaikum Fatima, hey how are you doing girl?"
Fatima;
EXCUSE ME, Nazreen, are you an idiot, did you think that I'll forgive you? You and Aysha, didn't tell me that you guys are finally back. If it isn't for me to call on your landline, I wouldn't have known about you guys, well it was Hamza who told me about you, and you call me your best friend and didn't even try to call me.
"Hey, hey calm down, actually I was really busy, first at the airport Ammi and Abbu got late, then Hamza got a fever and now I was talking to omysha as she is gone to her home, and after that, I was gonna call you. Don't be mad please, and we will be meeting tomorrow right at the university, so what's the rush girl?
Fatima;
were you going to call me? , okay well there's some news for you.
"Okay then tell me, I'm waiting ".
Fatima; hmm actually why not I'll tell you and omysha tomorrow at university, well you guys will be coming tomorrow right?
" Ah yes Insha Allah "
Fatima: okay then Allah Hafiz.
"Okay, Allah Hafiz" ( well that was strange because whenever she call, she won't stop talking for hours but today she hangs up like that, whatever, it's good for me I have to pray Isha and then sleep because I have university tomorrow."
You will be coming tomorrow right? ( message sent to omysha)|
Omysha; Ah yes, I got a message from Fatima about her having some important news to share with us, so I guess I'll be there (at university) tomorrow or I'll miss the fun I guess.
"Okay, will see you guys tomorrow then, Insha Allah. Allah hafiz."