Episode -07
Tamim strolled through the university hallway, lost in thought. "The tournament is postponed, and Samia gave us a break from our activities. I barely started attending university and already have a 3% attendance. I'll have to show up every day now to improve that percentage," he pondered.
Entering the classroom, all eyes turned toward Tamim. He quickly realized he wasn't wearing his mask and swiftly put it on.
"Wait, he's a student here too?" remarked a girl.
"I didn't know dedicated university students followed e-sports," Tamim overheard, feeling slightly puzzled, and took a seat at the back.
The teacher arrived, and the lecture began. Tamim listened attentively and noticed Faria sitting alone on a nearby bench.
As the classes concluded for lunch, Tamim spent the break absorbed in his phone, unfazed by hunger or thirst.
The lunch break ended, and another teacher entered, announcing, "We'll be taking your assignment next Monday, so be prepared," initiating a lecture that left Tamim bewildered. "I have no idea what he's talking about. I haven't been attending these days," Tamim thought to himself.
Once the university day concluded, Tamim walked outside, stopping at the bus stop. Faria soon joined him.
"Do you know about the assignment?" Faria asked.
"No, I have no clue," Tamim replied.
"It's an analysis on the farmland company's business strategy," Faria explained.
"Why are you telling me this?" Tamim questioned.
"Oh, nothing, I just assumed you weren't aware," replied Faria.
"Yeah, I don't know, but I didn't ask you anything," Tamim responded.
After boarding the bus, Tamim and Faria found their seats. As the bus progressed, an elderly lady stepped in but there were no available seats. Faria promptly stood up and offered her seat, but Tamim chose to ignore the situation.
Arriving home, Faria opened the door to find a shadowy figure in the room. As she stepped in, she was surprised to see a man cooking.
"Dad?" Faria called out.
"Oh, Faria ! It's been so long. Come here, let me give my little girl a hug," the man greeted, revealing himself to be Foisal.
"I'm glad you're here, but please, don't treat me like a child. I'm 18, not 8," responded Faria.
"You'll always be my little child," chuckled Foisal. "I made some food for you."
"Just a moment, let me freshen up," Faria replied.
"So, what happened at the tournament? I heard it got canceled," inquired Foisal.
"It was due to cheating issues involving the Bloodstrok team," answered Faria.
"Forget about it, Dad," Faria tried to dismiss the topic.
"Alright, sorry I couldn't meet you earlier; I had some problems," Foisal apologized.
"Dad, there's something I want to talk to you about," Faria began.
"Is it that you hacked into my phone and accessed the documents about Dr. X's mission?" Foisal asked Faria with a slightly happy face.
"What? How did you find out?" Faria's astonishment was palpable in her voice.
"I've known all along. You're the one who saved me that day. I just pretended not to know,"
- Foisal confessed, his tone a mix of understanding and concern. "But I need you to step back from this now."
"Dad! You know why I'm doing this," Faria interjected, her urgency apparent. "I'm following your path. My only concern is to protect those who are vulnerable."
"It's not the same. I've been a professional in this for my entire life,"Foisal insisted, his voice tinged with concern.