Have you ever heard of someone who lives more in their imaginary world than in reality? Someone who is completely detached from the people around them?
This is the story of Abrar Khalid.
---
The classroom was silent. Only one voice echoed—a student reading aloud from the English chapter "Follow Your Dreams."
But Miss Asma, the teacher, was not in a good mood. It was the last period of the day, and after teaching for hours, she was exhausted. She was in no mood to tolerate distractions.
Suddenly, she scanned the classroom and called out a name without thinking twice:
"Abrar Khalid! Stand up and read from the next paragraph!"
But… silence filled the room.
Abrar Khalid was sitting in his seat, but mentally, he was somewhere else. His eyes were lost in space, as if he was in a different world.
"Abrar Khalid!!!"
His deskmate shook him abruptly, snapping him back to reality. Startled, he stood up, but words refused to come out of his mouth.
"M-Ma'am... I... I'm sorry..."
Miss Asma's eyes flared with anger.
"What kind of behavior is this?! Pay attention in class, or else I will complain to your sister—Laiha Khalid!"
The entire class reacted with curiosity.
Laiha wasn't just the head girl, but also one of the top students in school. She was known for her intelligence and discipline. If she found out about her brother's careless attitude, it would be nothing short of embarrassing for Abrar.
As soon as the school bell rang, the students rushed outside. Abrar, Laiha, and Muzammil Khalid were called by the school guard. Their van had arrived, and they all climbed in, exhausted.
"What happened?" Laiha asked immediately.
Abrar hesitated before saying, "Nothing. I just wasn't paying attention in class, and Miss Asma scolded me in front of everyone."
"Oof! That's bad," Muzammil teased. "You became famous today!"
"Yeah, as if you don't get scolded every day!" Van driver Ashraf Chacha joked, making everyone laugh.
---
At Home:
Thirty minutes later, the van stopped in front of a grand house with a nameplate that read "Muhammad Khalid."
Inside, Zara Younus (Abrar's mother) glanced at the clock. Just as she expected, the doorbell rang. She quickly walked toward the entrance.
"Assalamu Alaikum, Ammi!" The three siblings greeted her in unison.
"Wa Alaikum Assalam! How was your day?"
"It was great!" Laiha answered cheerfully.
"The best!" Muzammil said, throwing his bag onto the sofa.
But Abrar remained silent. A strange thoughtful expression covered his face.
"What's wrong, beta?" Zara Younus asked with concern.
Before Abrar could answer, Laiha casually spoke while pulling out a bottle of water from the fridge, "Nothing serious, Ammi. Miss Asma just scolded Abrar a little in class, so he's feeling down."
"Don't take it to heart, beta," Ammi said gently. "She's your teacher. Whatever she said must have been for your own good. Now freshen up and have lunch. I made French fries for you all!"
"French fries? Yummm!" Muzammil immediately perked up.
---
After Dinner:
Abrar sat in his room, lost in thought. "How would it feel to be a secret agent?"
Suddenly, he turned to Laiha and asked, "Api, do you think being a secret agent would be fun?"
Laiha raised an eyebrow, "Why are you even thinking about this? You know Abu wants all three of us to become doctors."
"I know... but not everyone has to become a doctor, right?" Abrar said hesitantly.
Laiha sighed. "Being an agent isn't easy. Your life is constantly at risk. You never know what could happen next." Then she changed the topic. "Anyway, forget about this. We have to get ready for tomorrow's dinner at Abu's friend's house."
Abrar nodded, but his mind was still filled with thoughts of becoming an agent.
But little did Laiha know… that this dinner would change their lives forever.
Would Abrar finally step out of his imaginary world?
Would he abandon his dream of becoming a secret agent?