When the world says, "Give up,"

Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." 

~Unknown  

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Tani's POV

WTF!

Now why he texted me some shit like that, who is that fucking creepy guy? I bet he is the monster or maybe vampire or werewolf, who knows? His voice shows me that he is some creepy bastard who is trying to make me fool but he is too stupid he don't even know that he can't scare me like this. I am a big girl and too big to handle these issues by myself. I quickly typed,

"Hell with your threats. Try some more and you will see." I sent it.

After texting him, I let out an evil laugh and then headed to the dining room.

When I didn't receive any notification saying 'delivery failed' then I realized it was not a blocked number.

While sitting on the chair, a fresh and yummy smell of food came to my nostrils.

"Mommy what did you cook?" I asked mommy while jumping on my chair like a little kid.

"Broast dear with salad, ketchup and pickles." Mommy said from the kitchen.

"Wow! Mommy, I love you!" I said and started jumping up and down, up and down repeatedly.

Mommy laughed while entering into the dining room and at the sight in front of her.

"Sweety, you are still my baby daughter." I smiled genuinely and saw Ghannu who was now giving different expressions but all weird, I smirked and stuck my tongue out at her. Then she was about to say something when Pop came in the room and we all sat silently. I saw that Hamza was not on the table nor he came, then I asked mom.

"Mommy where is Hamza? Don't he have to eat?" I asked while placing a leg piece of chicken in my plate.

"No sweety, he was saying that he is too tired and will eat tomorrow." Mommy said while giving my pop a jar filled with red pickle.

I frowned knowing that mommy cooked broast and he didn't even come for it. It is his favourite dish, right? Or it was. Don't know, I have to talk to him. I left my food there and ran to his room. I saw him lying on bed with his chest. He was not sleeping, I saw, he felt that someone came into his room. His shoulders budge a little.

"What's wrong bro?" I asked him while shaking his shoulder.

"Tani, I am sleeping, leave me alone."

"Yeah I can see that, how much you are sleeping." Sarcasm was dancing in my tone.

"What do you mean by that, I am actually sleeping you dumbo. Get out of my room."

"Ohh really? how come people started answering someone's questions while sleeping." I smirked.

"Shutup and let's go, mommy is not eating because of you." I lied although mommy thought that he is just tired and sleepy so she didn't bother 'not to eat' for her son, well, I know something is surely wrong with him.

"What? But I have spoken to mommy that I am tired, I will eat tomorrow."

"Yeah, but she is saying that it's one of your favorite dishes and when you are not eating my baby then how can we eat it." I said rolling my eyes. He chuckled.

"You are actually jealous that mommy is not eating for me only." I smirked while giving him 'you-will-see-baby' expression and said,

"Yeah, whatever. Now you are coming or not?" I asked looking in his deep brown eyes and he shrugged.

"Should I take it as a yes?"

"Yes, my mother."

"Good." I chuckled while going out of his room.

After two minutes now he was also on the table and he get shocked when he actually saw mommy eating. Then he started glowering at me and I just rolled my eyes.

After dinner, mommy asked me to get ready, although it was still an hour left in a walk with Sami, I said,

"Mommy for god sake it's a simple walk, not like that some people are coming to see your daughter for their boy/son."

"But still your outfit—", I cut her off.

"My outfit is fit, nothing's wrong with my outfit, mommy he won't gonna judge me due to my dressing, I know him. He's not that type and also I don't wanna get ready for just a walk, mom please." I started caressing her hand to reassure her that nothing was wrong with my outfit also it was looking best on me. What was my outfit? The same cartoon t-shirt with pajama, yeah that's more like a sleeping suit, but who's gonna judge me in this dark night, yeah? So I just thought that actually I am looking great, the self confidence is important, right? She nodded and I sighed in relief, then I started washing dishes and cleaning the counters of kitchen. My phone beeped behind me at the oven,

It was Rezay's message.

"Done with your dinner?"

I smiled then typed,

"Yeah just doing some cleaning stuff in the kitchen then will talk to you."

He replied,

"Okay, come soon. ;)"

I quickly finished cleaning then I picked my phone from the oven and headed to mommy's room. I saw mommy and pop were sitting on the bed talking about something,

"Mommy I am going to my room, if or whenever you want me for any work, then just give me miscall on my phone."

"Okay hon, but be ready at 10." Mommy said facing me.

"Yeah mommy." I rolled my eyes saying that.

Then I quickly went to my room and texted him,

"Hey sweety, I am back :D" I typed having a big smile on my face. But my smile vanished when I saw my phone ringing and the caller ID.

Rezay Ali.

He is calling me, means he wanna talk to me, I got excited and without thinking more I quickly picked up his call.

"Assalam-o-Alaikum." I said smiling.

"Walaikum Assalam." He said almost singing.

"Ohh, so someone called me? How can I help you Mr. Rezay?" I said formally, acting like his secretary. I heard him chuckled. My God, his voice even when he laughs, it just makes me feel hot. I don't know why I get so much attracted to him but I felt attraction towards his—his everything, even his voice, his cute face, his body, his words, his songs, his eyes, his lips and his way of talking. What's wrong with me? Huh.

"Ohh! So, Miss Fatima, just let me know what you are doing right now." His voice sounds like he was holding his laugh.

"I am just talking to you." I said smirking.

"Ohh, yeah so what's the plan after talking me Miss Fatima?" I bet, he'd be surely winking.

"Nothing, just then I'd have to go for a walk with Sami." I said frowning. I am already feeling tired, don't take me wrong, it's not like that I don't wanna spend some time with him, yeah he made me laugh but sometimes he act like a complete jerk. Also, it's just that I wanna sit at home and work on a project.

"Sami?" He asked and I literally hit the back of my head.

"Ohh sorry I forgot to tell you, Sami, my school friend, my best friend besides somy."

"Ohh, the guy whom with you are hanging out now a days."

"Yeah, but how do you know that? Cause I didn't tell you before." I asked confused.

"Just a guess." He said carelessly.

"ohh, so are you feeling jealous?" I smirked.

"Huh? Jealous and me? No, not at all, I am just feeling relief."

"Feeling relief? Why?" I got confused.

"Cause now, you would no more irritate me, now there is someone to irritate you." I frowned.

"Heyii, he don't irritate me, and wait! I also don't---irritate you, but if you feels that I irritate you then I will no longer irritate you. Ok bye." Yeah he hurts me again, he really think that I irritate him? I was about to hung up when he said,

"Wait Fatima, Listen!"

"Hm?"

"You don't irritate me, I was kidding."

"Seriously Rezay?"

"Yeah, I am serious."

"Hmm."

"Okay, so? What about the walk?"

"What? What are you trying to say?"

"I am saying that... yeah, why walk? At this time?" He sounded lost I felt him sighing and then I answered him,

"Don't know, just a way of him, spending some time with me, I guess..." Yeah I really don't know, what Sami is up to now.

While talking to him, I moved from my bed towards the window of my room and started looking outside, at sky, at street, at my lawn and at homes located near my home but when my gaze paused to the house in front of my home, I felt weird, I saw someone standing in the window, behind the curtains but I felt uncomfortable when I felt his front is facing me like he was looking at me or at my window, But who is that creep? And why he is looking here? Hah! Whatever.

I heard Rezay was saying something but I was not focusing,

"I was about to ask you for meeting me at some place, but I see that you have other plans. Now when you are going to arrange some time for me?" 

"Fatima?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I was ju---I didn't get you, what were you saying?" While saying this, I left window and again sat on my bed.

"I was asking you to meet me at some place but you are so busy with your friends that you have no time for me." I chuckled, he wants to meet me but wait! What is this all? What he is saying? I started,

"You sounds like my possessive boyfriend and by the way aren't you my friend?"

"Yeah, I am, but you don't give me time." He said.

"Huh? Really? Last time I asked you to come but you didn't, why? I don't know, but now you are complaining that I have no time for you?" That was more of a question.

"Ohh, wait, are you jealous? Yes, you are." I said affirmed.

"No, I am not, actually you think so much, I was just asking you for a hang out."

"But also you complained me about all this 'not-giving-you-time' thing. Isn't it jealousy?"

"No."

"Yes Rezay. You are jealous. Accept it."

"No, I am not." I chuckled.

"Yes, you are... honey."

"Ohh shutup. It's only me who can flirt with you, but you can't flirt with me and not even anyone can." I laughed.

"Really? Seriously? Think about it more." I smirked,

"ohh I am so sure about it."

"But I can flirt with you and even you cannot stop me." I winked then I realized he couldn't see me through phone.

"Ahawn? Is that so?"

"Yesss." I said emphasizing 'S'.

He laughed then I again moved towards window, and looked outside, but thank god now no one was there. I heard honk, I looked down and I saw Sami's car parked in front of my gate and he was continuously honking it. I shouted from there.

"Coming, coming wait." Then I quickly asked Rezay,

"Sami is here now, I have to go."

"Okay, but take best care and don't fall for his looks." I felt sarcasm.

"Rezay? He is my friend and shut up!" He chuckled.

"Allah Hafiz, see you then." He said,

"Allah Hafiz." I was about to hung up when he spoke.

"Hey listen?"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing, just---come back soon. I just can't live without your—your voice, your words, they give me comfort. Right?" He paused two times while saying that, like he was fighting with himself or managing to speak. I also felt sadness in his voice and he pleaded and questioned like he was confirming that if I would come back to him or not, but still I can't help myself and I started blushing thinking about that he can't live without me, but then I felt sad, why he sometimes act like he don't care about me or he don't get jealous thinking about me with someone else and why he felt that I won't come back to him. How can I say to him that I love him and I also can't live without him, I won't ever even think about leaving him alone, I won't leave you alone, ever. It's my promise to you Rezay. It's more than a promise. Promise to you, promise to myself. I love you, more than myself.

"I will Rezay, I will." I said in a light and comforting voice to assure him that I won't go anywhere, I am with him, and I will be with him forever till my death and after that. I hung up but felt like I am losing myself, like I have left any part of my body somewhere. I don't know why he has so many fears but how can I tell him that I am with him, I will be there with him whenever he needs me. How can I tell him? Oh Dear God! I love him, I really love this guy, and I wanna erase all his fears from his life, completely. I wanna be his light in his dark world. I won't left him alone, no matter what.

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I was now walking on the street with Sami. While looking at my phone, I was continuously thinking about Rezay, embracing myself, I was walking silently.

Cold breeze was hugging me, light rain drops were falling on the street and I looked at sky, it was having same dark clouds but now there was no light on the sky, but still I had some hope that might it could be hidden behind clouds. Or maybe clouds would have covered it. I shook my head thinking about 'hope'. How is that a little hope gives person a reason to live, a reason to still believe in God, a reason to hope more and without hope our life is nothing, if we don't have hope then we have nothing, hope waters our lives. Hope gives our lives a meaning, a reason. Our all hopes should be with Allah(God), because he is one and only one who can fulfill our hopes and no one can do that like HIM. He knows how to fulfill the hopes of His people, His creatures. He knows how to give food even to a little bird, a little insect, He knows well and He is the one from whom our hopes are and should be. But if we lose hope in Him, we would lose Him. He has promised to fulfill our hopes but he also ask us not to lose hope in Him. Just have faith, hope, patience and everything is yours.

  "Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them." ~Vincent McNabb  

Now I again looked at sky and I found the same light coming from behind the clouds and I smiled, that's 'HOPE'. But Rezay, he left his hope. I have to find his hope.

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I 'hope' you all would enjoy my new chapters. :)

Read but don't forget to vote and comments.

-Fatima.