Rumors

Whenever you hear a rumor, always consider the source from which it comes.

One month later.

It has been a month since Hamza and Ayla joined Aliya, Muskaan, and Zayn at the school.

They have always been hanging out together, either in school or even at the park where they first met.

But this didn't sit well with Alina and her group, as they wanted Hamza to be with Alina instead of Aliya.

It's time for the plan to start. Thank you, Mother, for the plan you provided for me.

Alina gave a signal to one of her friends to make the move about the rumor that would or might ruin Aliya and Hamza's friendship for good.

Anita started going to a group of girls who love to gossip and telling them about what she had discovered about Aliya.

"No, I don't believe that's true...."

"Yeah, she isn't that type of person to do what you are telling us...."

They need a little convincing. Thank God for Alina's quick thinking.

Anita removed a forged picture of Zayn and Aliya together in a compromising situation.

But what they didn't know was that they were cousins, and what they thought

"So, it is true. I can't believe she could stoop this low. Especially to her best friend. She isn't someone to be trusted", one of the girls says after seeing the picture.

Anita looked behind her and saw Hamza walking towards her.

This is a perfect opportunity for me to get the second part of the plan in motion.

She started talking loudly about Aliya and Ahad while knowing that Hamza was behind her.

No, no, it can't be true. This isn't happening. How could they lie to me by saying that they are cousins and Muskaan is the one who has always been in love with Zayn? I will need to talk to them, but first I will need to get my hands on the picture.

He walked away from there and turned around to go and look for Asad. He might have an explanation for what he heard.

Meanwhile, Anita ran to her friend Alina and informed her of everything that had happened.

"Are you sure he heard?" Alina asks her friend.

"Yes, I am sure. He looked furious, and I think he went to see her..."

"Thank you so much, my friend. You are a great friend", Alina says to her, hugging her.

Even if you had the best grades, I would have Hamza, who is rich and handsome, even though I don't think I would fall in love with him. I am doing this for you, Mother. So that you can love me or even try to care for me.

Hamza found Muskaan and Aliya at the library studying for their upcoming presentation. He needed to talk to Aliya because he couldn't believe what he heard, especially when he was planning to have a relationship with her.

"Aliya, can we talk?" he asked as soon as he took a seat beside them.

"Sure, we can talk..."

"I will go ahead, Aliya. I will call you and get the research paper from you later," Muskaan says, knowing that it was more important for them to talk.

Maybe he will confess his feelings for her, and she might do the same.

Hamza watched as Muskaan left, and then he turned to face Aliya, the girl who might be playing with her best friend's guy.

"Hamza, what's wrong? I have been calling you for a while now," Aliya asks him.

"I want to ask you something, and I want an honest answer for you," he tells her.

Aliya nods and waits for him to ask her.

Hamza cleared his throat and began telling her what he heard in the hallway.

"She was even showing them your picture with him, and it was in a compromising situation. All I am asking is, is it true...?"

They were interrupted by Alina, who slammed the picture on top of the table.

"Now, she can't lie, right? Tell him the truth, dear sister. Tell him how you are playing with your best friend's guy. And now you are acting all innocent," Alina tells her while smirking inwardly, knowing that she might have won.

"Did you photoshop this picture, dear sister? Because I would never go for Zayn, as I can never hurt my best friend, who has been more than a sister to me," Aliya explained to her, and then she turned to face Hamza, who was waiting for her to explain to him. "I never thought that you would believe rumors instead of me. Someone you have known for years, and all I can say is that whatever she is saying is a lie, and if you don't believe me, then why are you doing here?" she added while trying to hide her tears.

Aliya never thought that someone who had known her since they were kids would doubt her. But when it came to her sister, who believed whatever her mother told her, she wasn't surprised that Alina would do this.

"See, she is lying. And the truth is right there. Let's go before we get entangled with her," Alina tells Hamza.

Before they left, Aliya turned to face Hamza and immediately knew that he had believed her sister instead of her.

"Go on. She is waiting," she tells her. But then she calls him and says, "Sometimes our eyes are blind to what's right in front of us. So when regret comes, it's the heart that cries the most," she added, giving him a sad smile.

Aliya watched as her sister dragged Hamza out of the library, and he wasn't even resisting her.

Allah knows best, Aliya. The truth will come to light one way or another. At least I have two people who will always believe in me, no matter what. And I am always thankful for them. Alhamdullilah.

After a few days, Hamza has been hanging out with Alina, who has become more glued to his side and never wants to let him go.

But for Aliya, the friendship between her, Muskaan, and Zayn was stronger than ever before.

They were the only people that she could count on, including her Nanny Lea.

Hamza couldn't stop thinking about what Aliya had told him.

"Sometimes our eyes are blind to what's right in front of us. So when regret comes, it's the heart that cries the most."

Ahad tried to talk to him, but all in vain, as he didn't want to listen to any of his explanations.

"Aliya, you can't give up." Red tried to convince her friend to go and talk to Hamza.

But Aliya smiled sadly, knowing that whatever her sister did or said to him was something that she couldn't change.

"Red, let it go. Now we need to focus on the project as it might be the final grade for our year and we need to ace it", Aliya says to her friend.

But Muskaan knew better. She knew that Aliya had been keeping what she felt inside and trying to cover it up with studying and over-studying.

I can't let my best friend be sad and hurt just because of her jealous sister. I wish I could help them, but how?

Aliya knew that Muskaan would try everything to get them back together as they were before, but what's done is done and can never be undone.

Trust is like a piece of paper; once it crumbles, you can't put it back together the same way as before. Just like the friendship that I had with Hamza.

In the coming days, Aliya studied harder and harder, as she didn't want to think about her friendship with him.

If he didn't want to believe her, then that's his problem, right?

Alina was happy with what she had accomplished, but her mother wanted more than that.

Rukita wanted her daughter to be at the top of her class and the entire school, but that position always goes to Aliya.

She needed to get rid of Aliya one way or another, even if she had to use drastic measures.

Rumors might be spread by someone who either hates you or wants to be you. But you should always consider the source of where it came from because it can either be someone who wants to be you or someone jealous of you.