A/N:
       Hi everyone, Don't be mad at me for not writing her Present as I got to know some of you are eager to know her present than her past. But this is the chapter I personally love to write about her Past. May be you also like to read her past from now on, Give a try...
And We are at the last chapter of the Part 1 of this story. In sha Allah, I ll start writing for the Part 2...
Happy Reading:-)

28th April, 2020
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Ridha's Past starts:

'Stupid he, he doesn't know how stubborn this Ridha is!!!
You will regret for this, Ah'med'

Her thoughts gave a internal fear why she allowed her heart to worry this much for a man whom she didn't seen in her life a year before. It has been more than a year when Shabana told her class mate is in love with her. And she added that He wanted to meet Ridha for the first time backside of her school street.

Ridha thought she was brave enough to handle him as she hear the word 'love' for the third time. She didn't realise that day he stood infront of her and got the very first word as "Brother". She was way too confident that day to easily say him as 'brother' as she tagged every other senior boys as a brother.

'Where is your brave words, Ridhu???
Is your brave heart melted when hearing him go sick,
He sticked to the point from first,
But you???,
You didn't realise that you have grown feelings for him and it was standing like a tree,
And you don't have inner strength to uproot the tree just because you know your parents won't accept this kind of words called 'Love'
Build up your strength again,
Even he did prank play to know that you actually got feelings for him,
He won his prank play by giving his Real Love,
He acknowledged that you too have feelings for him,
You gave him courage for the decision he took in life,
You thought to teach him your intentions why you denied his proposal from the very start,
But you failed to prove your intentions...
Hats off to your confidence,
Your feelings for him beats it finally'

Ridha fed up in answering the questions her conscience posted her. She went to pray and ask Allah for guidance. She sobbed in prayer to ease her aching heart and she doesn't want to hurt her parents in the future. She asks Allah to take a good and correct decision for her future in sha Allah. She has to stick up to her words even if she approves for her feelings towards Ahmed.

Ridha thought to avoid texting messages or calling him anymore. It's not because of helping Ahmed in getting rid of feelings for her, It's because of helping her in getting rid of feelings for Ahmed. Sounds new right...

The next day, when she entered her school with full of thoughts, not wanted to see anyone except him. But her fate encourages to miss him more by hiding his great figure in the large campus. She couldn't get off her search in the second floor corridor when she came out for her three breaks: morning, lunch and evening. It resulted in missing him even more.

Though she was mentally absent in her classes, her PT class woke her in the middle by giving her the academic year sports wear. And they added a new announcement like , the respective house captains will be elected from the Grade XII students, not like usual year elections. Everyone got shocked and found injustice for the new rules that had been announced.

'Then there is another chance for Ahmed to be elected again for this year,
But do you think that fate will be make him as your house captain,
Now way, because this year I jumped from Sapphire to Ruby
Will he also jump along with me???'

She debated with her mind till she reached her house and got curious to know the answer for her thoughts. She has to wait for the House Captains announcement in few days during their morning assembly. Her heart wants him to be his house captain so that a month will just pass by secretly looking at him in the ground.

---*---

"Do you really know, you got missed a good chance in being the Ruby house vice-captain?", Vani disturbed her thought whether she actually missed to be a Ahmed's pair.

"No way, Vani", Ridha put a angry face.

"Leave her alone", Burhan took her side.

"You will look great in Red saree", Hamza, who sat before her bench and listened to the girls conversation, interrupted.

"Yoouuu, Ranguski", Ridha deadpanned.

"I just told by imagining you as a vice captain for Ruby house, You got greater influence nowadays", Hamza teased but rightly pointed.

Last year, the school rules seemed too strict but this year, even school is favouring her super senior's batch. May be because they are only good in sports and not in academics. Ahmed was given the house captain batch and this fate once again proved by making him as her house captain. To be exact, he is the house captain for Ruby house where Ridha also belong to.

"Exactly, but do you think Red saree suits me", Ridha picked Hamza's previous comment on her.

"Yeah, I think so", Hamza nodded.

"But I don't think so, I always be pretty good in Emerald green saree", Ridha winked and Hamza put a weird expression on seeing her too girly.

When Ridha heard that Ahmed was her captain from Shabana, her face blushed. But soon after her blush vanished when she found the house vice captain is Aafia. The previous day, Shabana suddenly came to her with Aafia and both told to accept the Ruby house's vice captain position instead of Aafia.

She find confused why she has the choice to pick the vice captain when PT master and Principal has to decide who should be and who should not be. When Ridha enquired the details, she got to know that it was her super senior's gang who bewitched the PT master's job. She also got the answer for why Grade XII was elected again instead of Grade XI students.

"Actually, Ahmed gave idea to Ramshath in order to make Aafia as Topaz house vice captain, You can fill her place as Aafia is selected as your house vice captain, we can get excuse like, there is less number of girls who are willing to participate from our class, so we selected one girl from super junior batch", Shabana reasoned and Ridha didn't react to Aafia much.

When Ahmed told about his past life, he also added few things about Aafia.  Ridha already heard about Ahmed's little crush for Aafia from Shabana and her other friends. He also stated why he liked her is only because he was compared and teased with her in his class by his idiotic friends.

And his little crush vanished when Aafia started loving Ahmed's close friend, Ramshath. When Shabana shared Ahmed's past once, she said,
"Don't misjudge Ahmed on this matter. Actually our class boys used to tease with her and Ahmed started noticing her from then, but when he came to know the arising love between Aafia and Ramshath, Ahmed went to her to apologize for sighing her when his friends were encouraging him. He will be honest to everyone, Ridha. It may be his little crush for someone but his love is real for you, I didn't see any guy waiting for a girl's reply this much desparately"

Ridha also came to know that they look a little similar when her friend Suha beat Aafia's back by mistake by assuming it's Ridha for fun. Later Suha apologized Aafia and Ridha laughed  badly at seeing her annoyed friend, Suha. Many find similarities between Ridha and Aafia. But Ridha doesn't find any such similarities in Aafia as like others, except having pretty fair skin, lengthy hair and of same height and weight in common.

When hearing Aafia was his Ruby house vice captain, her heart felt a new kind of feeling. She got angered at first and felt possessive for the one for the first time. She wanted to ignore that bad thought. And the funny part is there is another boiling heart in rage will be Ahmed's friend, Ramshath. He was also announced as house captain, but not for Ruby house, he is for Topaz house.

---*---

It's been two weeks from being not contacting Ahmed. She used to receive his messages last week, but Ridha hurted him even more by telling him very clearly that her parents won't accept and it's good for both to not in contacts anymore. She also cautioned like if he messaged her further, she'll get caught by her parents one day.

She even discussed with her friends Sadhia and Afeera that her heart aches more for him nowadays. They couldn't speak anything when she mentioned about her parents and Islam was the reason of denying him. She even got convinced in the perspective of Islam in one way, i.e Islam gives right to woman to choose her husband with the willingness of the girl's father. But taking it into haram relationship is prohibited in Islam.

She cried most of the times in her prayer. From Ahmed, she got a new habit of praying thahajut(a voluntary Salah in the midnight) three weeks before. He said that he got to wake by his dhadha during the third part of night and both will go masjid to pray the namaz. And he also mentioned that he is going to do it for forty days continuously to make his one wish to come true in sha Allah.

She missed him again that though she taught him many new things about Islam. But Ahmed taught her many unknown and hidden things of life like one should not worry to express one's feelings. Even if you're sorry for the mistake you did, you first accept it and apologise straight away. On every word he uttered in the last one month, she felt his words are real and true.

She missed his friendship or there is even more to it. When he used to tease her and later appreciate her for what she does, it showed that he is not flirting her. He shared his past how he grow up all these 17 years of his life. He discussed about his mother and the things he wanted to do for her in future. Those little things earned him a respect from her. She slowly adored his respect, and him too.

'Adorable Ah'med...'

After giving nickname to him, Ridha wanted to take break from her thoughts. She took her biology book and tiptoed by reaching her balcony in order not to disturb her sleeping family. It's 4:30 in the morning where she usually reads till fajr for her board exam to score good marks. After fajr, she'll take short nap till 7 in the morning sometimes.

When she come across the microbiology chapter, it was interesting to culture a bacteria. Her biology miss shared her PhD experience where she went for culturing a sea water organism at Rameshwaram. She added like she went in a boat with fisherman and collected some algae little deep after reaching few meters distance from the shore into the sea.

Day by Day, he got interest in doing Bio tech course after her schooling. She dreamt herself to do some research that benefits people in some way. For that, she needs to score good marks both in X and XII Grade. She said to her heart only to concentrate hard to get her dreams come true.

After she folded her prayer mat in fajr, she wanted to stand in her balcony and inhale a fresh air and admire the Sun rise. She felt energetic whenever she quits her usual morning nap after fajr. If she sleeps the morning after fajr, she feel very lazy and found her activeness goes down throughout the day.

She recited few morning duas and admired the empty roads without any pollution and felt happy inhaling a cool fresh breeze. It's been a monsoon season. It happens to rain most of the times and many wished that it should not disturb their sports day practise and the final day to cherish the talents.

Later in her class, she somehow managed her maths class with her class teacher, Mrs Geeta. Her class students couldn't understand what Mrs Geeta drinks in the morning to voice out her strictness and loudness throughout the forty minutes. She keep on putting problems on board and ensure that every eyes are on the board. When Burhan slowly caressed her shoulder with her headscarf and finally went to sleep in  few seconds,

"Bhurhaan", Ridha alerted.

"Whaa-aattt?", She jumped from sleep noticing who entered the class for the next hour.

"I did simply, Why do you always sleep in math class? Usually I get sleep when there is more theory in any subject, especially during Social class alone.  Only maths seems more practical, isn't it???", Ridha curious to ask her view on subjects.

"Maths is the only problem in my life that I couldn't solveeeeee", she again fall for her shoulder to lean on...

When Ridha found boring, she happened to look at her window. Her face blushed and her eyes longed for the one she expects to come in her life for now. She felt blessed on seeing the water pouring from the clouds. "Masha Allah!!!", She uttered.

The class begins to shouts and rejoice since there is a delay for the next teacher to come for the class. When Ridha kept her chin on the rail of the window and felt the sounds of the rain hitting the ground and she craves for the mud smell due to the pouring rain.

"Mitti Di kushboo", she remembered the song playing in the background of her mind where she noticed Ahmed in the gang of boys coming towards her class, no it's staircase near her class.

Ridha forget to hide her face and stared his gaze where he finds her dark brown orbs. Both fighting to know about each other. She found him go wet and his uniform shirt even fits him gave a massive look, his hair went spike, and his eyebrows holded the water drops to fell, she felt his eyes go Real.

"Oh, then they returned from the inter-school competition without playing the Volley ball match, So sad", Anand's voice reached her from the front bench.

"Then they will postpone the volley ball match to other day, it seems", Hamza replied to Anand.

And Ridha found answer why he is returning to his school from volley ball match and it's due to Rain. He saw him few times playing volleyball and may be he is good in sports. So alone he is participating in interschool competition, she thought. She secretly wished that all the success to be bestowed on him, that time.

'He may not get a chance to participate in his favourite match that day

But he got a chance to play with her beautiful gaze that glued to his, for a long time

There was only one thing exist in between their long stare, was the pouring Rain

And Ahmed found again that she got feelings for him even after his prank play...'

---*---

"I got sick in seeing our juniors enjoying the last period and we are having every classes , even the special classes for both morning and evening", Sadhia whinned.

"This is not fair, injustice to Grade X students", Afeera protested.

"We can't do anything than complaining our worries to ourselves", Ridha stated.

Ridha expected she will be freed from the last period classes due to sports day practise. But the principal told our class teachers not to send Grade X students outside the class from the last period to the time when the whole school got dispersed. They even caged the students for the whole two hours inside the classroom by even locking the doors and windows.

"They chased our freedom in this three weeks, Atleast they left us for the evening break", Sadhia put a angry face.

The three friends stepped inside the classes, one to the class B and other two to the class A. When she is entering, she happened to notice Nazeema leaving from her best friends to class A, just like Ridha.

"Ridha", Burhan called secretly pointing to come soon to their desk.

"Do you know we have a chance to escape tomorrow, the whole day???", Burhan excitedly said and Vani's face light up just like as Burhan's.

"How???", Ridha asked.

"When vani went to submit our class works for verification to the vice principal, he asked us a favor to do for him. He needs ten plus skilled girls to do some stuff for sports day. He needs girls because the work will be like writing slogans, doing some craft works and so on", Burhan reasoned and Ridha wanted to join her class A friends too.

"Can we join Afeera and Sadhia too?", Ridha curiously asked.

"Even we don't want to miss fun without Nazeema.", Vani and Burhan said together and it shows how they missed their friend.

"Okay done", Ridha dumps up and the two girls joined Ridha.

The next day, they passed the news to their neighbour class and the twelve girls excused to their respective class teachers. Initially Mrs Geetha doesn't allow and when it was from Vice Principal; Who has the right to raise the voice against VP? So she left them freely. They later went to VP room that was the on the third floor of next building.

On reaching the opened door of his small room, he welcomed all the girls inside with a smile. He told the craft materials are all there in the shelves by pointing to it. And he excused to the gents staff room by leaving privacy for the girls. 'Very understanding Man', the girls commented behind his back.

They encircled themselves in two gangs and separated the work among them. What's the funny part is, the art work is for only Ruby house as the VP also belong to that house. Even they have clashes like 'Why I need to make for Ruby house when I belong to other houses' from some girls, they rejoiced to enjoy the whole day liberty that came this way.

"Ridha, you have to help me for my Sapphire house", Sindhu asked and Ummul followed.

"Even for my Topaz house", Afeera acknowledged her house.

"And you should do for mine too", Sadhia said and Suha followed as they belong to same Emerald house.

"Okay fine, let's do this now", she took a glittering red balls and started making a handle for her house drill students.

As it should be made for twenty students for holding it in both hands, they have to make forty pieces. The two teams split into twenty-twenty each. It was nice by repeatedly doing the same thing by chatting and playing with friends side by side.

"S-Girls make a stick for the handle, the rest of us stitch the glittering balls with the sticks they make", Ridha instructed her friends.

"What is S-Girls???", Ummul asked at her definition.

"Sadhia, Suha and Sindhu", Sadhia finished it soon when Ridha opened her mouth to explain Ummul.

"Smart Saadh", Ridha winked at her.

By the lunch, they made 25 pieces altogether and excused to their class rooms for having lunch break followed by Duhr Salah. When they reached their class, every other students managed to ask excuses for getting free time after lunch. The teachers also accepted their proposal as they had work for the sports day that falls the next day.

"Ridha, just count it , 20 handles are there inside this box", Burhan extended the big box by finishing their day's target even before the alloted time.

"Even we finished it", Afeera stitched the last pieces so hastily to beat his cousin and kept inside the box near them.

"Superb Girls, now it's time to roam outside", Sadhia stretched her both hands upwards as if she did so much work throughout the day. Yes she is.

"And we have rewards for our good team work", Vani interrupted as few junior boys step inside the room with the box full of hot puffs and two litre Miranda and Pepsi bottles. The VP entered the room and thanked the girls for the craft works by giving a small treat.

They filled their stomach with the snacks given by their VP. They internally thanked him by commenting internally,
"What a great man, he gave us liberty to get escaped from our caged class room for a whole day,
And in the end, he filled our stomachs with his rejoicing treat as he filled our hearts with his kind gesture"

"I wish every day should go just like this day", Afeera said by munching her last hot puffs.

"One of the girls just assemble these boxes inside the shelves", He instructs them when the three girls didn't step outside of the room waiting for her friend to finish eating her snack.

"And is there anyone good in drawing here", Her VP asked.

"Ridha is good in drawing, Sir", Sadhia added without consulting her friend whether she is ready to draw or not.

"Can you help with the board that our house vice captain will be carrying during March past", the VP asked with a concern.

"Ok, Sir", she nodded.

"Go to the third class room, you find some of your seniors doing the masterpiece for the board", He instructed by leaving his room's lock and key to them.

"Let me go to that class where he instructed, you and Afeera just check once whether both the box has exactly forty pieces and check for any damages too", Ridha told her friends and bid them salam and left.

On entering the class he instructed, she found him drawing the sketch for the masterpiece. She thought that it was being prepared for Aafia. So she'll be there doing the work but Ridha found him alone there drawing so quietly.

'Then he is good in Drawing also', Ridha thought of knowing his one by one skills that she has to know even more.

When he looked at the one, who is standing at the entrance blocking the light rays to enter the room. It was empty class room where the desks was nowhere to be found. He was seated on a mat and rested a white chart in from of him, on a large piece of thermacol attached to thick cardboard. There was large hollow iron rod to hold to masterpiece while marching.

This is the first time for Ridha to find what stationary materials are required to make the masterpiece for their Ruby house. He drew the outline of a sword on the full sized chart so neatly as if it was printed.

"Nice", Ridha let out her words without knowing what she uttered just a second before.

Ahmed acted as if he didn't hear those words from her.

"Where are the others?", Ridha asked formally.

"They went for evening break", He just answered for what she asked. He was not curious to ask why she was here.

"Oh, you are here", a another girl probably from Ahmed's class stepped in.

"We asked for someone to help Ahmed to draw, to our VP, And surprisingly he sent you here", the girl reasoned and she wanted to see what Ahmed expression is on seeing her. But she find none.

"Just we need to add red glitter in the gap", Ahmed pointed the white area inside the sword shape cut out.

The team symbolised 'Sword' for their 'Ruby' house and they choose a amazing Color combo as Red outlined with Black. 'Some thing is missing to the masterpiece' was her inner thought.

"It will be good to see if we include Golden glitter lining to the black outline.", Ridha gave her thoughts.

"Yeah, it will look awesome", the girl cheered her idea.

And Ahmed just behaved silent as before. He took a fevicol and Red glitter on the side. He instructed that he'll apply the fevicol in the gaps and some one need to splash the red glitter on it to prevent the quick drying of the gum.

"Let me splash the glitter", Ridha volunteered by seeing the girl nodded in hesitation. Ridha liked such kind of work and she found it new when she is going to do with Ahmed.

Ahmed is applying the fevicol and Ridha is following his applying hand by splashing the red glitter dust. Half the image got filled with red glitter leaving the half empty. She took another packet of red glitter and started splashing when Ahmed paused his hands from applying for a second. Her fingers rubbed his glued finger in a fraction of moment and it caused the sticky of glitter and glue in both their fingers.

"Sorry", Ridha suddenly took her hand away and rubbed the glued finger with the waste cloth. After clearing her glued fingers, she extended the cloth to him to clear the glitter from his fingers.

Some feelings exchanged their heart,
It shared ,
It longed ,
And It waited for one to break the chain and enter the longing heart
But the other one started acting stubborn and remained speechless...

Later when most of the work was completed except for the idea that Ridha suggested. Because they didn't buy gold glitter as it was not planned, she added that she'll come early in the morning and finish the work soon.

Meanwhile , her sister Sana passed by her and Ridha called her to buy her golden glitter gel instead of golden glitter dust in the nearby shop. When she asked for money to Ridha, Ahmed extended thirty rupees to her little sister Sana. She quickly got from him and went downstairs to buy the thing her sister asked for.

Both kept the masterpiece carefully inside the VP room, Sana entered with glitter dust and said,
"There was no golden glitter jel available in that shop, only this was there" she extended the three packets and the balance amount to Ahmed.

"You keep the balance and have some snacks", Ahmed told for the effort she did.

Before Ridha word to tell her 'No', she quickly added by saying,

"Thank you Bhaiyaa", she smiled cutely and went.

"Your sister seems too grateful than you", Ahmed said out of nowhere.

She left the room by leaving Ahmed without bidding salam or even a formal bye. He felt avoided by her even though he knows that he pointed her behaviour towards him.

Later when Sadhia and other class girls packed their bag to leave their house, Ridha went inside her class and asked what she did with the handles they made the whole day.

"Did you checked whether it has 40 pieces in those boxes", Ridha asked .

"When I m checking, Afeera left by seeing she wanted to go home soon. And 40 were there but three were damaged, it needed stitches again", Saadhia said.

"You could have stitched it know", Ridha asked.

"I tried but it didn't come the correct way, I thought to wait for you, Ridhu", She felt sorry in her tone.

"Okay, let's go and do that, then leave home", Sadhia added to erase her guiltiness.

"I ll take my bag and come", Ridha said and went to her class to collect her bag. All of her class girls left and only few boys were started their decoration work on the ground. Every houses are giving their best to get the over all Rolling trophy. Most of the year, the competition will be between 'Sapphire' and 'Emerald' houses. But this is first time, Ridha got to be in 'Ruby' house and she never had 'Topaz' as she doesn't like to be a part of it because of yellow color.

When they thought the Vice Principal will be inside his room, they found a boy sitting in his chair and lying on his desk with the song played in the background , probably from his mobile, that laid on the desk besides his lying head.

"Ahmed Bhaiyya, What are you doing here", Sadhia asked after recognising his figure.

"Just feel disturbed and end up lying here and listening to my fav song, ma. Do you have any work??", He woke to see the owner of the voice and got up with his mobile from the desk on seeing Ridha.

"No you rest bhaiyya, we just finish up the small work", Sadhia said and he just kept his mobile on the original position and just seated to stare Ridha's hand doing some magic on the  glitter balls.

She admired when her favourite line came and little surprised at the coincidence that Ahmed played her fav song correctly. She got the damaged handle from Sadhia. And she inserted the thread into the needle. She begin stitching the handle with the glittering ball.

"Do you like this song, bhaiyya", Sadhia asked knowingly.

"Yeah", Ahmed nodded.

"Ridha's fav song too", Sadhia revealed her secret all of a sudden. Ridha's eyes furiating for not consulting her even for the second time. First to the VP and now to him.

"Is it true, Ridhu?", She didn't expect that he will speak to her finally. She thought he was angry on her from observing his silence. But she was happy one side that he spoke and sad the other side whether she have to reply him now or not. So she just nodded avoiding his gaze.

When Ridha finished stitching the three damaged pieces, she called Sadhia to get leaving from the room. Ridha paused when she heard him calling,

"Don't forget to draw the outline with golden glitter jel in the morning,
Your idea will make it even more attractive", he commented finally and she blushed at his comment. Sadhia couldn't find the last words that Ahmed let out. Once she stepped out, Sadhia asked her the details of what happened in her absence. When she found , she got shocked at their coincidence that happened twice on the single day.

When she arrived the next morning so early, she went first to VP room without removing her black Abhaya. She forgot to get VP room key from him last evening. She thought of other possibilities where the spare key will be. It's seven now and March past will be commenced by nine in the morning. It will take Ridha to draw outline by some five to ten minutes but it has to try for about thirty to forty minutes.

She descended to the downstairs and waited on the entrance of the staircase for Ahmed to enter the school for the first time. In her ten minutes of waiting, she admired the decorations across the whole ground. It was awesome to know that all the things were done by the school students.

When she looked at the stage decorations and noticed the Mike arrangements is going on, she happened to see his handsome figure infront of her all of a sudden. He wore a black coat that is unbuttoned revealing his light yellow color shirt, with a black pant fitting his legs perfectly and black polished shoes. He looks like a groom in that attire.

"Enough of admiring, Sorry for making you wait, Ridhu", Ahmed bring back her from her admiration of him.

"What??? Who said I'm admiring you, Just give me the key to VP room", Ridha asked him changing the hot topic.

"Let's go to 'our' room", his tongue purposely slipped and she glared angrily. And he again corrected 'our' with 'his'.

When he opened the lock with the keys, Ridha was wearing his black Abhaya still on and holding some stationaries she bought for the final touch. Ridha switched on the light and Ahmed took the masterpiece and kept on the table.

Ridha begun to draw outline with the golden glitter jel and Ahmed silently observed the every moves of her hand made. She didn't deviate the outline he drew yesterday. She made it stunning look in the end when the VP enters the room.

Seeing Ahmed and Ridha in his room, he got shocked initially and Ahmed managed the situation very nicely by telling what happened from yesterday till the shortage of golden glitter dust.

Ridha noticed that Ahmed spoke a bit close to him, probably he'll be his any of the subjects teacher. She thought to collect her stationaries and excused herself to go to her class. The VP paused her from moving and said,

"Take this laddoo(sweet) and both of them share together", he gave to Ahmed and gone outside before Ridha.

When she took a next step, Ahmed paused from moving further again,
"Get your share and leave"

Ridha showed her hands that were glued with gum and she can't have it by touching as there was no waste cloth also. He suddenly extended the half laddoo towards her mouth and wait for her mouth to give entrance to the tasty sweet. Ridha surprised at his sudden move, she hesitated to get it first but she felt not to upset this handsome man early in the morning. So she get from him even a very little amount from her share and left the room hastily without bidding salam.

Ahmed took the remaining share of her laddoo to his mouth to enjoy the sweetness of it even more. Later the march past went well but he found tired of doing all chores at school. All of her class boys along with junior boys stayed at school all night in doing the decorations in a shift basis. So he went to one class room behind the stage and lied on a desk to rest for some time.

Ridha on the other side, enjoyed all the events with her friends and keenly waited for the news to which house the rolling trophy is. She happened to collide with the girl whom she accompanied her yesterday when Ahmed drew their house symbol.

"Hi Ridha, do you know where Ahmed is", She asked worriedly.

"I don't know but why are you this much worried", Ridha asked all so cool.

"Our house teacher called the captain and vice captain of our house when our students receive prizes and I think Ahmed also have few more prizes to receive for volleyball and so on, the teacher told to get him now, Can you help me in getting him?", She requested.

Ridha nodded but thought why all are coming to ask for him as if she is his girlfriend. 'You don't need to search for him', her mind debated when her eyes is already looking for him in the crowd.

When she went for her class room behind the stage for some reason, he found him lying on the bench. He looks too tired from the work he did for their house. But she need to wake him up to receive his gifts when his name is being called on the stage.

Ridha went near him and whispered his name slowly in order to wake him. But her words won't reach his sleeping ears. Instead of waking him directly, she found one of her class boys entering the room. She asked the boy to wake Ahmed saying he was being called by a teacher.

He wakes up and saw Ridha standing infront of him. He smiled at her posture and he wanted her to stand like that every morning when he gets up from the bed.  His imagination interrupted by her sudden words. Later he acknowledged for how long he slept on the bench there.

Before getting to approach the teacher who called him, her voice stopped him,
"Are you going to receive prize in wearing this yellow shirt, where is the one that you wore during March past"

"Oh the red shirt, It's Ramshath's, we just exchanged for doing march past as I m Ruby and he is Topaz", he reasoned.

"And no problem, our house won't win this time, So I don't want to be presented to every one as Ruby house captain", he winked at her.

"You can go now", Ridha said at his long explanation. Instead of stepping forward towards the door, he took step backwards to her. When he find none in the class room, he went near her and asked her to close her eyes.

"Whaa-aattt?", Ridha glared angrily.

"Just close once", He requested and she denied.

"Okay fine, stop blushing around me coz your blushing cheeks are disturbing me more, I wanted it to pinch it so badly", he reasoned and he left the room in the blink of her eye.

'Why he makes me feel special when he is around me,
And he could have washed his face before receiving his prize for sports,
Anyway his face looks cute after waking from his sleep'

---*---

T

he days went and one whole week passed without seeing him or contacting him through texts or call. Ridha felt most of the pain on realising his acceptance towards her final goodbye in that sports day.

"You hurt me because you fear for your parents right whether they'll accept me or not,
Let me wait for the day till I hear the lovely words from you,
Good bye Ridhu", he said and left with heavy heart.

Ridha couldn't judge him when he acts so cool infront of her and sometimes his words are too understanding for her. Only thing Ridha can do is to wish for his goodness to happen in his life even she couldn't stay throughout his life.

When she thought to get some food in the afternoon near the kitchen, she happened to see her neighbour Asma talking with her mother in a serious tone.

"Do you know sister, my brother who was a doctor recently did love marriage with the woman who is also a doctor?", She said in a worried tone.

"Is she a Muslim???", Nisa asked curiously and Asma nodded.

"Then it's okay. And they may understand each other well in the future because they know them already", Nisa consoled the worrying heart.

Ridha got shocked and surprised to see such words from her mother even though she knows her mother prefers Islam to all other things. As soon as hearing their serious convo, Ridha's mind processed with many circling thoughts,

'If her mother is speaking for real,
There is chance that she ll accept Ahmed for Islam and his trustworthiness,
When I, myself got convinced and fell in love with Ahmed, her family also will get convinced by knowing him well one day,
Then why are you delaying...
Run Ridha,
Run to chase him from his worries,
Run to chase him before he got dejected by you,
He got hurted by you all this time by your avoidance,
May be he is still waiting,
Or May be he give up on you already'

She got diplomatic thoughts and fear whether he'll refuse her hand when she is ready to accept his, his everything in sha Allah.

On the other hand, Ahmed finally finished praying thahajut for forty nights, he begged to his Rabbu to give Ridha in his life as a Islamic wife, it's his wish or request from the slave to His Rabb. He feared every night after hearing her final words on the sports day repeatedly flowing in his ears.

"I was being happy when I m around you, I m fearing whether I m giving false hope by appreciating your sweet talks and actions towards me. But the reality is even though you came to ask for my hand to my parents one day, they'll eventually refuse and leave you with empty hands, So concentrate in your studies, Build a good career and Take care of your mother as you wished to do so, Assalamu alaikum, Fee amanullah, Ah'med"

His every tries gets wasted, his real words doesn't reach her ears, he couldn't forget her because she is the one who gave brightness to his life, the one who showed the right path in his life, the one who teaches what is belief; she is his everything; she is his only woman he loves the most after his mother; she is his girl, his shine, his every mean of life, his Ridhu...

She is full of confusion and guiltiness when his unhappy face flashes in her mind every seconds; She didn't expect such words from the one whom she feared for, the one whom she respected most, the one whom she refused every other happiness that came in her life, the one whom she considered as her well-wisher, the one whom she can't survive in this cruel world in her absence, it's none but her mother, Nisa.

Even Ridha got confused and feared whether Ahmed will deny her hand, she wanted to give a try once by calling him. She doesn't want to wait for the next day to come and tell him the happiness she felt after hearing the green signal from her mother indirectly. May be she'll miss opportunity if she delayed the passing seconds.

After hearing such words from her mother, she ran to the place where she gets peace of mind, where she gets relaxed, and her companion at her darkest hour. When she reached her terrace, she dialled his number with the fear whether he'll lose all his hopes; she feared whether he'll give up on her; she feared whether he'll erase her thoughts from his heart; how will she tell him that she got a big space on her heart after her mother. Each and every ring matched her heart beats that says 'I like you', 'I like you' 'I like you, Ah'med'....

Ahmed picks the call at the third ring and he didn't speak any to let her voice cherish his ears.

"Assalamu alaikum, Ah'med"

"Wa alaikum salam, Ridha", he pronounced the every Arabic word with full satisfaction.

"How are you?", She asked him all of sudden.

"Did you call me to ask about how I'm doing or you wanted to say something", Ahmed asked to hear that she also missed him the whole week.

"Actually I just wanted to tell one thing", she started.

He kept his last try, his last hope in his Almighty; he secretly prayed every night when everyone falls in their deep sleep, he cried in prostration to his Lord to grant her in his life. His last hope came true that day when he picked her call and heard her sweet words,
"If our two families whole heartedly accept us at the age of marriage, I'll marry you,
Ah'med"

Without uttering those three words,
Is it love?
Is this love for real??
Is this way to accept the proposal???

Ridha's Past ends...
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