I laid my head on the back of the passenger seat, feeling a strange sense of peace and tranquility.

 It was my first time in a car since the accident. The flashbacks were diminishing, but I kept having those nightmares of beheaded snakes and bloodstained blonde hair. That macabre scene, the end of my nemesis, was carved into my memory for the rest of my life. 

On the other hand, it was my first time on a car ride with Akram behind the wheel. It might seem trivial, but the fact that Akram was driving toned down my restless nerves. It felt like, in that instant, he took the driver's seat of my reality and with that, he carried a load off my mind. Being in his care was unwinding. Still, it was unfair to put him through all of this, as well as his family. They'd done so much for me. More than anyone ever had. 

Eyes closed, I mused on the past ten days I'd spent with Akram's family. The real family I'd always dreamed of. The warm-hearted treatment I'd received from Akram's mother. His sister's innocent playfulness . Even Akmal's blunt, outspoken manner. They all summed up how a real family should be. They protected me and offered me their home. Unlike all the foster homes I'd moved into, or the homeless shelter I'd just escaped from, this was a real, wholesome home. 

In fact, I was over-pampered in their house. I had books, lots of them, that Akram bought specially for me, demonstrating how much he knew my weakness for paperbacks. I had an en-suite bathroom, which was manna from heaven for a perpetual refugee like me. I had cable TV and a mini fridge, which Sophie had filled with refreshments I'd barely touched. It wasn't just home. It was a divine abode.

Even though I hadn't seen Akram as much as I'd hoped, because Sophie made sure we maintained proper contact, his consoling presence was my daily fix whenever he'd showed up at my door to check on me and try to get me out of my shell. I had a hard shell, but his smile could soften a boulder stone. And his warmth filled the cold ditch I'd drowned myself in all day. 

 Jannah had paid me a few visits, too. She'd popped in now and then, frisking about and jumping on my bed, until her mom had caught her and got her out of the guest room. Akram's special little sister had grown on me so much in such a short time. I'd always felt that kids hated me, but Jannah, with all her purity and innocence, made me feel like I wasn't the terrible person I thought I was. 

I wasn't the best house guest, though. I'd mostly stayed in my room, moping, and trying not to bug anyone with my sulky mood, or the tears that bursted out at random intervals.

 It wasn't easy learning, after fifteen years of being homeless and struggling to survive, that I had a living father. A father who had dumped me and my mother when I was four. The mother whom I lost before I got the chance to know. It wasn't easy to know my father had a dark past that haunted me and everyone I cared for until now. My heart jumped in my mouth whenever I imagined how my cursed life could hurt the people who mattered the most. The people I'd finally found and could not lose. 

"You're overthinking." Akram's soothing voice broke the silence. 

I chuckled, snapping out of my reverie. "I'm not."

"I have a hard time believing that." He shook his head without looking at me. 

Letting out a sigh, I straightened in my seat, peeking at Akram's profile that was framed by the driver's side window. His proximity was a caress to my anxiety. 

"You've been too silent." Akram turned his face slightly, I could see a concerned wrinkle on his forehead.

"I'm just enjoying the ride," I said, watching him as the pine trees raced in the background, overshadowed by the perfect contour of his face. Each slope and angle of Akram's face, defined by the sunlight, was a sight for sore eyes.

He smiled, focusing back on the road ahead. "Do you like my hometown?"

I returned a genuine smile. "It's beautiful. Everything here is beautiful." 

His hometown was nothing like where I'd grown up. New York was gray, raucous, and gloomy. Akram's town was bright, serene, and unbelievably green. Tall and graceful pine trees lined the roads with a thick canopy of branches. Some parts were woods, as thick as rainforests. The roads were smooth and uncrowded, the houses elegantly grand with neat lawns and sleek driveways. The place was heaven on Earth.

Having enough of the scenery, I returned to watching Akram instead. He looked pretty laid-back as he steered the wheel with his left hand, running his free hand through his hair, which had grown longer than usual. Soft, cocoa waves covered the nape of his neck and curved around his ears. It made me want to feel its texture with my fingers.

 It had been a long time since I've gotten an eyeful of him, just the two of us without interruption. Not since that day I'd felt the heat of his face between my hands, and his breath fanning my tears, when he'd declared his feelings for me. When he'd asked me that mind-boggling question. 

 It wasn't even a question, was it? 

'Marry me, Melody.'

My heart skipped a beat as I replayed that moment in my head. The three M words that stirred the butterflies in my stomach, and sent a lump down my throat at the same time. My ultimate prize and my ultimate fear moulded into the ultimate state of confusion. 

Asha was right. Akram wasn't like anyone else. He was a dream. A beautiful, live dream that felt like a sin for someone who'd been having nightmares all her life. My rejection wasn't about him. I'd rejected myself, with all my inhibitions and shortcomings. Akram deserved the best. Which I wasn't. And as much as I'd wished to indulge in the impossible dream, the dream of Akram as mine, I was scared to corrupt his life. 

An angel shouldn't tie his fate to a demon, because eventually, the demon would cause the angel to be banished from heaven. I wanted my angel to keep his wings intact. He deserved heaven. I didn't. 

"You're doing it again," Akram murmured.

I rubbed my eyes quickly. "I'm sorry I can't help it."

He sighed. "I wish you didn't have to worry so much."

Shyly, my fingers inched closer to his side and I grasped his hand that was resting next to him. He automatically spread his palm and interlocked our fingers. 

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm less worried right now?" I whispered. 

Akram was facing the road, but his grin touched his eyes, drawing gorgeous laugh lines above his cheekbone. 

 "Hmm! Let me think." He pulled my hand, fixing it to his chest for a moment, then he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. "I believe you."

My cheeks warmed, but I willed myself to have more courage. I didn't know when I'd get a chance like this again. 

Carefully, I slipped my hand from Akram's hold and did something I'd always wanted to do. I reached to touch his hair, letting my fingers dive in its softness, massaging the downy overgrowth on his neckline.

"You're spoiling me," Akram uttered huskily.

My heart was running wild in my chest. "I missed you."

My thumb was stroking his jaw, when he gently pressed my palm against his cheek and closed his eyes. 

"Akram!" I snatched my hand and gasped. "Eyes on the road!" 

Akram's eyes snapped open. "What?"

I threw up my hands. "You closed your eyes." 

He gave me a confused look. "The road was empty. It's a small town."

I groaned, my heart shaking. "Promise me you won't do that again."

"I promise." His lips twitched. "If you promise me you will do that again." 

My hand felt cold and empty when I caught what I thought he'd meant. Slowly, I reclaimed his hand, caging it between my palms. 

"I'm a wet blanket, aren't I?" I mumbled, staring at our connected hands.

"No. It was my fault," he spoke softly, wrapping his fingers around mine. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

I bit my lip, deliberating, before I had the guts to ask, "you know what really scares me?"

"What?" 

A plethora of reasons spun around in my mind and it was hard to just pick one answer. I wanted to say 'losing you'. That was the most obvious one. I also wanted to say, 'hurting you just because I existed.'

Another one that knocked the breath out of me was, 'it scares me that one day, you'll wish you'd never met me.'

I swallowed as I came to the conclusion that summed up my fears.

 "The future," I revealed.

Akram cradled my chin in his hand, tipping my head up to look into his eyes, the swirls of cinnamon seeing through my very core. "I told you I'm not giving up. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere until my heart stops beating."

My heart stuttered, but I flinched at his last few words. "Please don't say it like that."

"Then I don't know what to say, except 'I love you'. And even the future can't change that." His eyes were intense. His tone resolute. "Now let's go get Jannah."

Akram released my overheated face, unfastened his seatbelt, and got out of the car. 

I blinked and looked around, coming back from my emotional trance. Only then did I realize the car had stopped.

Akram jogged around the front of the car and opened the passenger side door for me. He helped me out and a wave of heat slapped me on the face. I didn't expect it to be so sunny in New Jersey, even though it was late August. 

My palm was sweating in Akram's grasp, as we crossed the parking lot. I didn't know if it was the heat, or the nerves. The only thing I knew was that I would go anywhere, as long as it was with him. 

Heading to the main building, there was a giant blue sign on top of it, with the school name inscribed on it in white lettering. 

 
|Unity Private School|
Merging special education with regular education into one unified system for the best of our beloved children. 

I stole another glance at his face. His cocoa hair glistened in the sunlight. A stray strand arched gracefully to the middle of his forehead. His eyes squinted, adjusting to the glare of the day. 

"Are we early?" I shaded my eyes with my hand as I tried to catch up with him on the stairs. 

He chuckled. "Yeah, but thanks to mom, we can pick Jan up anytime. She's best friends with the headmistress."

Akram seemed to know where he was going as he walked us through a long hallway towards the headmistress office. He knocked on the door thrice and entered immediately. 

I lagged behind, brushing my sticky hair with my fingers and trying to fix my clothes. Unfortunately, there was nothing to fix when all I had on were jeans and a plain, cotton top.  

"Good afternoon, Mrs Moritz," Akram greeted, offering one of his attractive smiles. 

"Well, hello my dear. It's so good to see you," the lady greeted him back, rising gracefully from behind the desk and gliding around her leather chair. Her confident posture and fluent motion gave her an aura of aristocratic elegance. Not to mention her classy, off-white pantsuit and the perfectly coiffed blonde bob that made her look like a European politician. 

Feeling horribly underdressed, I took a step back, while Akram extended his hand for her. "It's good to see you too."

Mrs Moritz smiled ear to ear, opening her arms as she walked over to Akram. "Come here, I've missed you dearly." She threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down for a tight hug, kissing him on the cheeks. 

"Oh, look how tall you've gotten, and how handsome. Such a lovely gentleman. Sophie must be so proud of you," Mrs Moritz gushed, patting Akram's face. "By the way, how is she? I haven't seen her for weeks. Ahh! How I missed the old days. Working with her was such a blessing."

Akram cleared his throat, backing away from her touchy-feely welcome, his ears a visible shade of red. "She's great, thank you," he replied politely as always. "She would've come to see you, but she's been busy today. She sent me to bring my sister home."

"Oh, I understand. Family's always been her first priority." She held her hand over her chest and nodded. "I would pay her a visit as soon as I can. Work is taking most of my time, however, I give credit to your mother that our school is one of the first schools in the state of New Jersey to merge special and regular education. Sophie did the hard work and trained our teachers before she retired. Isn't she marvelous?"

"She really is." Akram's voice softened, overflowing with pride. 

Mrs. Moritz picked up the conversation, not giving Akram much time to speak. "By the way, you won't believe who's one of our teachers now. It's my daughter, Dana. I am sure you remember her. You were inseparable in high school, weren't you?"

Inseparable?!

My mind snapped to attention, eyeing Akram's response to her words. He clasped his hands in front of him, his body clearly rigid.  "Oh! Dana? Yeah. Of course." 

I didn't miss the shift in his mood as he fidgeted, massaging the back of his neck. Something was off about this 'Dana' and it made my stomach churn. 

"You two should meet sometime. She mentioned you the other day when she came home and told me she'd really missed you." Mrs Moritz tilted her head, patting on Akram's arm. 

Akram scratched his brow. "Well, uh, that's really nice of her." 

Gnawing my lips, I listened to the aggravating exchange, my pulse thumping in my ears. 

My presence was completely forgotten, until Akram's arm brushed my back. "Mrs. Moritz, I'd like you to meet my friend, Melody," he said, grabbing my hand and drawing me close to him. "Mel, this is Mrs. Amanda Moritz. She's the headmistress and my mother's best friend."

I shambled forward to shake her hand. "H-hello, ma'am."

"Oh, my! I am sorry, dear. I haven't seen you. How lovely to meet Akram's friend. Or is it 'girlfriend', perhaps?" She arched an eyebrow as she shook my hand slowly, taking her time appraising me from head to toe. 

My hand froze until she dropped it. 

"Both, actually,"  Akram declared simply, looping his arm around my waist. 

Gawking at him, I couldn't help the tingles that ran down my spine or the heat that rushed to my face. 

Akram grinned, flashing his eyebrows at me. 

"Oh, how lovely!" Mrs. Moritz's neat brows touched her bangs, although her compressed lips threw me off. "Sophie never mentioned you were seeing someone. Such a lovely surprise. It's nice to meet you, dear."

"N-Nice to meet you too." My voice came out weak as I tried to collect myself in front of her assessing looks.

 In other words, I avoided looking directly into her beady eyes that clearly looked down on me. It was obvious she didn't like me. Or she thought Akram was out of my league, which was true. I wouldn't blame her either if she judged me by my appearance, because that too would be a fair evaluation. 

Mrs. Moritz ambled back to sit on her comfy leather seat, steepling her hands on top of her desk. "Come, have a seat, my dear," she addressed Akram with a wave of her hand. "Jannah's class should be dismissed in…" she glanced at her expensive-looking wristwatch. "Twenty-five minutes. You can wait for her with me and we can all go somewhere for coffee after school. How about that? Dana would love to catch up with you."

I pressed my lips tightly, fiddling with my fingers, an uneasy feeling crawling on my nerves. It seemed she insisted on bringing up her daughter in the conversation at any price. And deep down, I hoped Akram was as annoyed as I was about this. 

Akram squared his shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Sounds great, but maybe some other time. I was hoping to pick up Jan from class right now. Mom's expecting us in good time and I shouldn't keep her waiting."

"Oh, how sweet of you, dear. Of course, you can. We don't want to concern Sophie." Mrs. Moritz leaned back in her seat, her smile showing brilliant, straight teeth. "Well, at least you can say hello to Dana. She will be thrilled to see you. She's Jannah's class teacher this year. Isn't it lovely?"

Akram squeezed my hand lightly.  "Absolutely," he murmured. "Thank you for understanding. Now, if you'll excuse us, we should get going."

"Anytime, my dear." Mrs Moritz jutted her chin and nodded her head elegantly. "Say hello to your lovely mother for me."

"I will. Thank you." Akram was dragging us outside. 

We walked at a fast pace as we exited the office, our footfalls echoing through the main hallway. I tried to keep up with Akram's long strides, but I needed to catch my breath after that dramatic office encounter. 

I pressed Akram's hand, signaling him to slow down and we halted in the empty corridor. 

"What just happened in there?" I asked, panting.

Shaking his head back and forth, he chuckled once. "School drama."

"You told her I'm your…" I gulped. " Your girlfriend."

"Aren't you?" 

I looked down at my feet. "Honestly, I don't know what I am." 

"You're a girl and my friend, so technically, I wasn't lying." He sounded amused.

I gaped at him. There was a hidden smile in his eyes and he tried to disguise it by pressing his lips together. 

"What about Dana? Is she your girlfriend too?" I couldn't hide the annoyance in my tone. 

His smile faded. "She was just a friend."

"But you were inseparable, right?" I fidgeted with the sleeve of my shirt , pretending to be cool about it.

His expression softened. "That's subjective."

"What do you mean?"

He reached to caress my shoulder, resting his hand there. "I mean, she was a childhood friend who wanted to be more, but it was one-sided." 

"Does she know that?" 

Akram shrugged. 

My heart sank. "I guess she doesn't." 

Akram sighed, offering me his open hand. "We'll just get Jannah and go home. I'll tell you everything later, okay?" 

"Okay," I mumbled, seizing his hands. 

Trying to overcome the feeling that I was out of place, I focused on my pace, until we stopped in front of one of the classrooms. 

Just as Akram held up his fist, ready to knock on the door, it creaked open before he even touched it. A pair of forest green eyes, accentuated by flowy ginger-blonde hair, peeked out from the opening. 

As if fate was mocking me, the young teacher was really blonde, really tall, and really, really beautiful. Of course it was Dana! Who else could she be?

"Oh my God. Akram!" She warbled his name softly, her full lips parting as she held the sides of her smooth, tawny face. 

I watched in horror when she plunged herself at Akram, winding her arms around his neck, hugging him for too long and kissing his cheek in a way that made the blood rush to my head. No one should be allowed to hug him that way. Not even me. I wouldn't dare. 

Akram froze, his eyes wide with shock. He reached to unlock her arms from around him, pulled her hands down and staggered backwards.

He cleared his throat. "Hello, Dana."

"Gosh, I'm sorry I got carried away. I know you don't like hugs, but I missed you so much." She smiled sweetly, bending her exposed knees as she swept her fingers along Akram's arms. "Oh my God, It's been so long, I can't believe life came between us like that. How are you? How is Juilliard?"

"I'm all right. Thanks. Just busy with school." Akram had a tight smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm running late. I came to pick up my sister and I don't want to get stuck in traffic."

"Oh! Sure." Her pretty face fell, looking disappointed. "Let me check if she's ready."

Dana sashayed back inside, showing off her fitted pencil skirt and perfectly toned legs, her expensive heels clicking on the tiled floor.

Involuntarily, I glanced at Akram to see where he was looking. His eyes were on the ground and I couldn't be more thankful for Sophie at this moment. 

"She's pretty," I confessed when she disappeared inside the classroom.

"Yeah, I guess."

I wrapped my arms around myself. "Not a guess. It's a fact."

He chuckled "She's too blonde, though."

"There's no such thing as 'too blonde'." I remarked.

Akram bowed his head at my eye level. He pulled his eyebrows together, lifting the middle of his forehead. "Did I ever tell you I've got a thing for brunettes?" 

My jaw dropped, staring at him in disbelief.  He did not just steal Eugene's line from Tangled! 

"And blue eyes," he smoothed the hair on my temple, his lips curving into a full crescent.

My heartbeat accelerated, losing track of my thoughts. Akram's sudden bursts of affection always caught me off guard and stole my breath away.

Our eyes locked for a long moment. Too long for Dana's return with little Jannah, which was the thought that brought me back to the real world.

I turned my gaze towards the door. "Umm! Is she taking too long?" 

"Yeah. I think so." Akram bent over, looking through the thin glass panel.

I stepped closer, peeking from behind him. 

Through the glass strip, Dana was speaking on the phone, tossing her long blonde mane off her shoulder with too much force. She turned her face towards the door, her eyes expanded when she saw us watching. She averted her face and hung up the phone. 

A short, veiled lady came into view, talking to Dana. The lady was shaking her head and wringing her hands, as if she was explaining something that had gone amiss.

Dana glanced at us one more time and they both moved out of sight. 

I looked at Akram. His forehead was wrinkled. He inhaled deeply and rapped on the door with his knuckles.  

seconds later, the clacking of heels echoed from the other side and Dana's shapely figure came out of the door. Alone.

Akram craned, looking behind her. "Where's Jannah?"

Dana blinked, staring at his face for a moment, a strange expression passing across her delicate features. "Jannah's not in class at the moment."

Akram tensed next to me. "What do you mean she's not in class?" 

Dana touched Akram's arm lightly, her sweet smile on display.  "It's okay. Marcy took her to the girls room. She'll be back any minute."

Akram's eyes narrowed. "Marcy?"

"She's a new assistant, but she's a really good one." Dana nodded a little too enthusiastically, waving towards the door. "Why don't you come inside until they get back?"

It was possibly my prejudice, but the tingling in my guts told me something wasn't right.

Akram ignored her invitation, his eyebrows furrowed. "Exactly when did they leave?" 

"I'm not quite sure." She placed a finger over her plump lips. "Maybe ten, fifteen minutes ago?" 

Akram's brows flew up.

"That's too long for a bathroom break." I cut in hastily, ignoring the fact we were not even introduced. 

Dana's genial attitude shifted. She shot me a cold once-over, as if she just noticed my existence. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

My brain froze. "I-- I'm…"

"Melody. My girlfriend," Akram announced for the second time. "And she's got a point."

"Oh! Hi." Dana advertised her perfect smile once again. She spared me a brief look then turned to Akram, tilting her head. "Wow! And I thought you didn't date. It's good to know you changed your mind." 

Akram frowned, pressing his lips into a straight line.

"I think you should call Marcy," I blurted out, twisting my hands. "They're taking too long. They should've come back by now."

Dana crossed her arms, raising her neatly done eyebrows. "It's her job to help out the students for as long as they need. I assure you, we choose our staff very carefully. We do not allow low-class scum into our school."

My face flushed and I looked down. Her words felt like an intentional low blow that hit me deep into the core. 

"Dana," Akram's tone was low and gruff. "Would you please send someone to get Jannah so we can go home?"

The classroom door swung open and the short, veiled lady scurried outside. "Marcy's gone," she said, clutching her hands together.

Dana's eyes went round. "what?"

"I contacted the office. She signed out and left," the lady explained. 

"And Jannah?" My voice quivered.

Akram raked his hair swiftly with rigid fingers. "Did she leave her in the office?" 

The lady shook her head nervously. 

"Then where is she?" Akram snapped,  glaring at her. 

I tightened my arms around my chest, my heart pounding erratically as the situation began to sink in.

No! No! No! Please, not Jannah! Not Jannah!

The veiled lady stuttered. "I - I'll try to call Marcy and as---"

"Excuse me. Are you trying to tell me my sister's missing?" Akram interrupted, his fists clenched at the sides of his body.

Dana shifted her feet, palming Akram's shoulder. "Don't worry, Akram. She couldn't have gone anywhere unnoticed. She must still be on campus."

Akram was silent. But the paleness that spread on his face plunged an icy dagger into my heart. 

 I stepped closer to him, clinging to his arm. His jaws were set, his expression detached and his petrified eyes staring into nothingness.

And I just knew it. I knew what he was thinking. He was considering the terrifying scenarios that had plagued my mind since I'd entered his life. And I knew he would eventually put two and two together. He would realize it was all because of me. Because of the evil that had followed me into his world. 

I tightened my hands around his arm, hyperventilating.  

I'd always been afraid my existence would harm Akram and his family. And now I wish I hadn't existed. 

****

Helloooo dear ones!!

Happy Holi festival!!!! 🎉🎊🎇🎆

An update in less than a month! Can you believe it?? XD

I hope your enjoy reading this chapter and that it gave you a few little surprises. 😅

So how do you feel about the new characters: Dana and her mom?

What's your favorite moment in the chapter?

Is there new information that gave you shock or surprise?

What do you think happened to poor little Jannah?! :(

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Much love

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