Chapter 11: She ran. 

*

"What hath night to do with sleep?"

-John Milton: Paradise Lost-

*

Today was Thursday which meant Yusra had to be at the university before nine in the morning. So that morning, by six, she was up and about groggily. She managed to get dressed in dark jeans and top with a cardigan as it was beginning to grow cold nowadays due to the monsoon season. She tied her hijab and was out of the house by seven.

The university was fairly empty since it was merely seven in the morning and most of the students arrived after eight. She walked over to the building of the seminar and took a seat at the very top in the corner. Placing her bag on the desk, she leaned onto it and closed her eyes. A little nap, that's it. This is exactly what happens when one watches the complete season of Hotel Del Luna in one night. A friend of hers recommended she watched Korean dramas and having never watched it before, Yusra decided to give it a try. Hotel Del Luna happened to be the first one she watched and look what it did to her. 

The little nap turned into an hour then two and three. Yusra did not realize how time flew by until a loud voice rang through her sleep. It's a nightmare, Yusra. Go back to sleep. His voice would only pierce your nightmares.

But the voice rang again and again until she gave up and set up groggily. Rubbing her eyes, she let her vision clear. In front at the podium stood a man, dressed in black Armani and the finest of dressing shoes. The same ones she recognized anywhere. Her gaze traveled up; her mind constantly saying Astagfirullah at her thoughts of how good looking he was, until she met familiar blue-gray eyes staring right at her.

With her mouth agape, she stumbled and set straight on the chair. He is the guest lecturer? Islah? CEO Islah? Her eyes never left his nor did his left hers. Green clashed with blue-gray and she found herself being lured into them. Such beautiful eyes. When she snapped out of it, she realized he was speaking about encryption.

She turned to the person beside her, surprised to see one of her friends.

"Hey, Luna!" she whispered to the blonde haired girl beside her. Luna turned to her with raised eyebrows. She had eyes which were the lightest shade of gray and Yusra found them quite intriguing. Not as much as a certain blue-gray eyes she found intriguing. Stop, her mind chastised her. 

"What is he doing? I mean what topic?" she asked her and Luna let out a low laugh, the corners of her eyes wrinkling.

"He is talking about encryption. Before that, he introduced himself. Also he talked about careers in cyber security, what is was and stuff. Basically he covered cyber security and management" she explained and Yusra nodded, turning back to the devil in front of the room. He walked around the empty space in front of the room with grace and poise which Yusra admired about him.

The lecture was short. Like really short according to Yusra. Later though, she found out she slept through half the lecture. Ah great. Now I have one more thing to add to my bad character list.

"Miss Yusra Uz-Zaman?" she was hurrying out of the hall when her name rang throughout the room. With widened eyes, she turned to face the front of the room. Students who were otherwise uninterested, halted in their tracks to see what's going to happen. After all, who didn't know Yusra Uz-Zaman.

In front stood Islah Reza-Ibrahim, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black slacks. He was standing in front of the podium with Professor Fritwood and Professor Bashar. I am so done for. Professor Fritwood is here. Damn it Islah!

She waded through the crowd which departed like red sea for her. She stood in front of the two professors and the CEO, and greeted them with a forced smile.

"Good morning, professors and Mr. Dev- uh Mr. Reza-Ibrahim" she said and Islah raised an eyebrow at her. The two professors smiled at her brightly and replied the greeting.

"Yusra. The brightest child around, isn't she?" Professor Bashar said, smiling at her. Yusra's cheeks tinted slightly pink and she looked at her nike clad feet. Islah watched in amusement, fully knowing that his hijabi slept 15 minutes into his lecture. He didn't mind it though, she looked tired to him.

"Of course. I am glad you were able to make it, Yusra. I need you to submit the report I asked of you the other day" Professor Fritwood told her and her eyes widened. The report? What re- oh damn it, Yusra! The report of cyber analysis of one of the cases! How could you forget to finish it?!

Islah seemed to see right through her predicament and smiled. He watched her face pale and let out a small cough. This caught the attention of both professors as well as Yusra's, who stepped out of her trance. He glanced at her and then to the professors.

"I think I should leave. May I drop you somewhere, mom? Professor Fritwood?-" he turned to Yusra with a knowing look. "Yusra?" Yusra stared at him wide-eyed. Take his offer and leave right now without answering Professor Fritwood about the report I forgot about or.......... Yeah leave. CODE RED. LEAVE. Yusra smiled at him before glancing at her watch.

"Please. It would a great help if you could drop me at Mayview clinic. I have an appointment in fifteen minutes" she told him and he smiled slyly at her. Oh Allah, please forgive me for lying. She turned to the professors with a smile.

"I will let you know as soon as I am done, Professor Fritwood. I apologize but I have to leave for the doctors. Have a nice day, Professors" she told them, blurting out the latter a little too fast. Islah suppressed his urge to laugh by letting out a small cough. He turned to his mother and bent down. His mother placed a small kiss on his forehead before turning to Yusra, her brown eyes sparkling in mirth. This woman knew. Yusra was sure of it. Professor Bashar is intelligent.

"Goodbye, Yusra. Take care" Yusra nodded and rushed after the CEO who was already exiting the halls from the side door.

She followed him until the car park where he stood by his black jeep. Yusra eyed it with awe. It is magnificent, my god. She touched the edges of the black vehicle with a smile as she walked, coming to a halt at the figure leaning onto the passenger side door of it. She looked up to see Islah eyeing her with a rather questionable gaze.

"You forgot about the report and lied about the clinic" Islah was not asking and Yusra knew that. Somehow, Islah seemed to see right through the woman. She heaved a sigh, looking down at her feet sheepishly.

"Yeah" she muttered and Islah smiled at the little kid's antics. He was very tempted to pat her head, very.

"Is your time too occupied by Reza-Ibrahim's work that you forgot?" he questioned her and she shrugged.

"Not really" she replied, looking out at the gardens around. It's the obsession with tv-shows that is causing all this, not Reza-Ibrahim workload, Mr. Devil CEO. Don't worry.

"Right. Get in" he told her as he opened the front passenger seat door.

"Oh don't worry. I will get a ride home" she told him before she added, "Thanks for letting me out"

"Get in" Islah told her firmly and she glared at him. Just because you got me out of there doesn't mean I will follow- when she caught a look of his firm expressions, she knew she should follow. What harm would sitting in the same car as Islah Reza-Ibrahim do, right? After all, she had been at the same dinner table with him before.

So she tried to open the back passenger door but he slammed it shut before she could completely open it. She eyed him with a scrutinizing gaze. What is he planning? I thought I'd sit at the back? He gestured to the open door and she frowned, getting in. Islah placed a hand over her head to prevent it from hitting the vehicle roof when she got in. Once he saw her settled, he shut the door and walked over to his side.

By the time he was in the car, Yusra Uz-Zaman was gone from the passenger seat. He growled, getting off only to see her rushing towards the other side of the campus. His eyes narrowed in slits.

When Yusra saw him walk around the vehicle from the back, she took the moment to flee. Thank heavens for Nike runners, I swear! She rushed to the other side of the parking lot, from where she could walk towards the bus stop. She did turn back a few times while running, to see Islah was no longer following her. She finally reached the bus stop and took a seat on the dark black benches.

You do know you work for him, right? He will see you soon?

She screwed her eyes shut and took deep breaths. It is okay, we'll deal with him later.

"Not very creative of you to run to a public bus stop while trying to escape, now is it?"

Good lord, why?! Whyy?! 

****

Wahaahha she ran. 

As salaam alaikum, my beautiful people! 

I hope you all are in good health. ♥

Ramadhan is a few days away so, Happy Ramadhan in advance. :)

| R - C - V |

xx,

-Aalihha-