Durre:

' Did you see Diljah anywhere? '

I asked Maarij .

It was friday. We were working late in school hours at the library for upcoming chemistry project. Hunain bhai had asked her to collect the essential facts and data from our school library and then he had agreed to help us with our idea.

' How can she be absent today just like that? Oh God! '

" Hey wait. There's a text from her. "

Maarij informed me taking out her cellphone.

' You bring your phone to school? '

I raised a brow at her and inquired. The  class representative girl in me got alive, which was mostly on sleep mode all the time.

" Yes I do. Now you'll keep your mouth shut orelse I'll .. "

' What happened ?  Huh! See you dont have guts to face me and speak in your defense , aww baby. '

" Look at her msg Durre. Di.
Diljah.. is. "

' What Diljah? '

I snatched her phone and read the message that was displayed at the screen.

Diljah was found unconscious last night so we have brought her to the hospital. She has got 4 stitches on her forehead and thus she wont be able to come to school for next few days. She has gained back her consciousness but is not willing to speak to anyone and is in stress.Pls write an application to the principal on her behalf.

Diljah's mom

" What... what might've happened to her Durre? "

' I also cant find that out, but something does seem fishy. Since her engagement I never saw her smiling lively. It was as if she is forcing to plaster it on her face. We are her friends. Why couldnt we figure that out? '

I felt sad. Diljah was our friend since when we joined school and in every best and worst times of our life we had each others back. But now? Did my and Maarijs closeness went her back off from us?

' Maarij, lets go and see her to hospital. We should be there with her. This project can be handled later as well. '

I was at unease, thinking about her was making me go crazy.

' Can you call your brother so that he may drop us there,pls? '

I thought this would be better.

She seemed bolted on this request and after a while nodded her head.

Hunain:

I couldnt quite process the fact that the girl whom I had started... no... i mean.. It was hard for me to struggle between not getting her a place in my heart and of my famous motto which I always had a banner of on my forehead whenever my parents approached me for a girl that ' Allah has decided for me someone , and He will Himself send her ' and here I was ... I was feeling attracted towards that girl whose name was still unknown to me, I just came to knew that she was Maarij's friend and they studied together.

I kept thinking that she might also be coming this weekend at my home... I felt enigmatic,too happy to be real... I wanted to ask her name from my sister but I just couldnt.

After dropping Maarij to her school, I even stayed for a while outside her school that maybe she would reach the school by her van or some other transport, so that I could have just one glance at her.

Love is magical, I had heard from Maarij. Perks of having a sister. You have some girlish thoughts lingering in your mind in once a while and maybe some girlish feelings too. Am I mad? Feelings have no gender Hunain!! I mentally facepalmed my genuis mind.

I waited and then sighed, realizing I had to go to work. I remembered that Ghalib's verse which said that,

Ishq ne krdya nikamma hmen
Wrna admi hm bhi kaam ke thay

Love made me useless
I was popular until before

I smiled to myself at my stupidity and then reached my garage. I started with finishing the pending works and some new stuff was piled up for me to do.

Meanwhile I was tucked under a car, working on brakes and that typical black grease on my face I got a call. Argh.

Astaghfirullah.

' Assalam.o.Alaikum. whos this? '

It was an unknowm number but I prefered amswering it as I had already wiped my very clean hands on my very clean shirt.

" wassalam bhai bhai... its an emergency.. pls can you pick us? From school. We've to go to hospital. One of our friends... "

I couldnt make out her voice properly but had understood that it was Maarij and heard that it was emergency. I told my helper there to ask Dad to come soon to garage as I was going to pick Maarij from school.

I took out my car and speedily drove off to her school. Maarij was standing outside alongwith her other friend who was our neighbour as well. So i had no time in recognisimg her. My eyes searched for that another girl for whom I had been in anticipation just to look at her again.

" Bhai. Diljah. Diljah is in hospital. Something is not right with her. Pls can you take us to her?? "

It was as if someone had snatched the land from beneath my feet. Although we had no emotional attachments but I had developed a liking for her.So the another girl was Diljah, who was not present at that moment. So she is Diljah. What a unique name, I knew she is different.

When we reached the hospital, I got a chance to see her ... a chance, as if granted miraculously... or maybe, this was the beginning of my journey which Allah wanted for me?

Maarij asked me to buy her a flower bouqet of pink roses and I did without thinking twice, it felt special... as if in a trance, I was doing it on my own.

I reached out my hand with flowers towards her, which I bought from the boy outside, and her eyes traveled to mine and it stayed like that for a while until when Maarij took the flowers from my hand and then kept it beside her on the hospital bed.

" How are you feeling now? "

It was something unexpected again which came out of my mouth and later realisation hit me.

She was still looking into my eyes but I could no more hold her gaze, it was haraam for me to do so... Even how did I in the first place thought of this feeling as love or attachment?

Astaghfirullah. It was all a shaitan's trap.

I remembered our accidental encounter and then the following scenes came rushing too...

Diljah:

The last person I wanted to face was him. He was here again. As my mentor. Maybe.

I felt bile raising up in my throat and tried straightening myself but he was sudden to hold my wrist and put me back to my pillow. This did not go unnotices by Maarij as well.

' Ahem. Bhai. '

" Uhh. Haan. Maarij? Sorry I must go now, you can come back with your friend when you feel . I must go now. "

I could feel him stealing glances at me, the usual shy and restrained ones... that was what made me fall in love with him more...

I had never realised I came to love him, despite of my confessions to Nadir. I never knew love could actually hit you right in the center of your heart when you're wandering here and there, was this a soulmate connection I was getting attracted to?