(One month later)

Ibrahim's POV:

Sunday evening and after noon is the only free time I get for myself. But usually we have a grand test on Monday to prepare. We just had mid terms done so we were technically free of burden. I spent my noon on a book I grabbed from the college library. Our neighbour from next door visited us, while mama chatted with her, I grabbed some fruits and nimko I could get to serve her. She was a nice lady always called me" son "but something still made her far far blow. "You remember last week when pari's mother died? Well... I know they are financially weak, but still the way they treated their guests was not right. We weren't really offered anything. Not even a proper meal! Who does that these days? Even the poor can afford as much as that you know. And rather than having a dua for her later she walked in homes telling she's holding a dua where we are supposed to recite at... HOMES? . It hurted me really. That kind woman deserved a proper funeral.. "
First of all this woman was gossiping behind her and secondly that too on a matter of death like it was nothing . How could she that? Before I could say anything mama spoke up
"  Well gul! I think she did whatever she could, she did the best she could. She's having a hard time... We should we helping her rather than making it more difficult for her. Look you are so wealthy... More than her, more than us. Dont you thi... "
"Stop bragging like that, I know you always help others with some sums ,but if she wanted money she could have asked us for it. Would we have denied? Of course not."
Thats it! I couldn't handle anymore. "look auntie, if you knew she was having a hard time then why didn't you help her despite being able to? First, you back bite behind her and then you're willing to make a great loss into a big problem for the poor?  So, now people can't even die in peace ?! and the sufferers can't even bid their loved ones bye without worrying about OTHERS meals ?! " okay, I think I spoke a little hard. But I don't regret a word. She always came and talked like that about everyone. I bet she even speaks about mom to others the exact same way. I only respected her because she was an elder. Otherwise I had already lost my care when I found she was the most literate woman around here. She was a very bad impression of an educated woman. I prefer my illiterate mama over her a million times. Mama glared at me and sighed. The woman was surely angry, "What is wrong with your boy? Is that what you taught him? Disrespecting your elders and that too a guest? Is this the way he speaks? And is this what he's learning in City? I don't think you should waste your money and time on him. Just get him to help his father already. "

I was bearing and swallowing down each word, it felt like venom. Before I could burst again, mama told me to leave and leave the matter to her. Seriously, what was wrong with her? I was studying on full scholarship and was earning my own pocket money too. And she knows all of it. It's just that she can't take the fact that her both sons were not interested in studying rather wanted to do business. So they keep roaming around the village without any concern. I just went into the room and lied down thinking about how unfair the world was. When someone one dies, it's a great time of pain and sorrow for the bearers but rather than praying for the goners they have to think about the visitors, the furniture to be arranged for a huge number, about their meals, about not leaving anyone uninformed, to gather a huge sum of money immediately or even about all the comments that they would give while they gather later. It's just so..... Wrong.

The society should be the one helping them out rather than dragging them down. WE are both the sinners, cruel souls and the bearers. We need mercy. On ourselves.

Hania's POV:

If I say that it's the weirdest and life changing day of my life, I won't be wrong.
Our session had exams this coming week so my routine was hectic. I was not the topper of my class but I was definitely a good scorer probably among top five. I had urdu language's test tomorrow which I found hardest as a subject. Every one in the family was going out for hiking and barbecue but I decided to stay back to prepare for the test and also because I wasn't feeling well due to my periods. As everyone left in the morning I locked the gate,  took my book and started preparing the test but it was easier than I thought. I was done with it within an hour. I rested a bit and then started washing the dishes. It was fine at first but then I started hearing some voices... Like..... Like whispers.

My whole body grew cold and stiff. I turned around slowly but there was no one there. I tried convincing myself that it was merely my imagination. I returned to what I was doing again. But... I heard them... AGAIN. My heart started racing as I looked at the tiles in front of me to see the reflection of my surroundings at the back. I still saw nothing. But the voices were still there. I could even hear some movements now. I wanted to scream and run but I controlled my self. I pretended to carry the large pan onto the dining table from where the voices were coming. As I neared I heard two people having a conversation something like this :

"Are you sure it's OK then? "
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I already have the permission "
"Still, I think you should have a guardian with you "
"You actually think I need one? "
"It's just that..... Look out! "

I swang the pan with all my force at the place where voices were coming from. It actually hit something! Something glitched and then a boy around my age appeared at the floor with a bleeding forehead. I pinched myself to check if I was dreaming. But it was all real. A boy just appeared out of nowhere or perhaps I had an eye sight disease? I heard a voice again :"Oh my God. Don't worry yousaf, I'll... I'll go get help" and then there was nothing. I was too scared to approach the unconscious boy. What if he was a thief too, with a weapon or a gun. Or what if he was send by those gangsters to seek revenge. Or maybe he a spy... Or... Or.... My brain was failing to understand the situation.

But one thing was for sure, he was dangerous and I couldn't let him get away, no chance. I tied him up and called baba. He told me to calm down, get someone from the neighborhood with me and wait for him to get back along the police. So, I waited next to him with a pan. I didn't want to talk to anyone so I never called anyone else from neighbourhood. But something was still unsettling, he looked a bit..... familiar. I took my time to examine him. He looked like an innocent boy but his clothes were weird, it was a very unique fabric and one piece dress with no opening from where it would have been worn. There was something it his ears too. It looked like I pods but a bit longer and modified. Ugh.... Even the thought of him being a spy made me shiver. I touched a button on his shoe when they started glowing and a field was created under it, a type of vacuum. If he was to stand like that, he wouldn't touch the ground. Ok, it was either a dream or I had gone mad. Seriously, who was this boy.

He started getting his consciousness back. He looked around a bit and as soon as realization hit him, he attempted to scream. As if! I knew he would do that, so I had already taped his mouth. He started resisting as if telling me to let him go. God! He was making ME feel guilty when clearly he was the one spying on me in an invisible mode. He tried reaching for the things in his ears but he couldn't. He finally stopped resisting. I could see his eyes welling up tears.

"Ok look. I don't know who you are but you are too young to be beaten and locked up in jail. I want to ask you some questions, if you answer them honestly I will help you. Deal?" wait... What was I doing? Ugh... I'm so going to regret it. The boy looked amused for a second but then looked away.
"Hey, do you have any idea how much someone is punished just to make them admit a crime they never did? They don't care if you are a teen, they'll beat you to a pulp. And my father? he'll probably be even more brutal. I'm sure you had a good reason. I'll let you escape. But, You'll have to promise me to leave all this nonsense and get to studies. " He thought for a second and then agreed as a nodding." Good! ". I untapped his mouth. He asked me for a glass of water.
I couldn't just leave him in the room alone. He could escape. Thankfully my school bag was in the room and there was water in my water bottle.

For some reason he looked flustered. I untied his hands after tieing up his legs to the table. He drank the water and started coughing. After his coughing stopped I finally asked him,
" Who are you ? And why were you here? I only want to hear the truth , nothing more."

"I'm...I'm an agent."

"Like an ISI agent?"

"Yes. And I was sent here to investigate the reason that your house was targeted."

"Targeted?! You don't seriously expect me to believe you. Do you? "

"Well I don't have any proof with me. But look , don't you see my equipment? How could a regular thief or a murderer have all this?"

"I never said that you are a murderer. Honestly it didn't even cross my mind. But now you are making it suspicious."

" Wait. No. I just said that beacuse I thought it was what you thought I was."

"Fine. Let's believe for a second that you are an agent . Then tell me. Why were we targeted? "

"Um...that's..."

"Thats?"

"That's secret information . I can't tell you."

"You just said that we were being targeted. And you're saying WE? THE ONES TARGETED?  Can't know it? Are you out of your mind? "

"I'm...I'm sorry."

"Fine then... If you really are an agent then I don't need to help you , your agency is capable enough. "

Saying that I tapped his mouth again. My eyes were teary. I wanted to know the reason . My mother had died! Why couldn't I know! I deserved to know!
Right then I smelt something strange and started to lose my consciousness. I felt down. It was all so dizzy. I closed my eyes. But I could still hear the voices around.

One was an adult man's voice and other was the same I heard before in the kitchen. They were talking something like this :
"Yousaf! You have no idea how much trouble you are in young man."
"Yeah. Who knows what else could have happened. Especially if they heard that you are from future."
What? Future? So that explained it. He...
He could tell me about it then... Right? I would know about...about... I was losing rest of my senses as well. With that I drifted into the dark

Yousaf's POV:

It had been two weeks already since I started observing the candidate :Hania. There wasn't strange yet and no one had interfered in her future till now. I had to observe Ibrahim too but I couldn't do both of them together so I had my friend Adam onto it. The reason I decided to do Hania first was because she had already been attacked once, though it wasn't successful. But her mother died instead. Adam texted me that he was going to come over and I agreed because I really needed to look out for her, after all Hania was home alone.

We were both sitting on the chairs in the kitchen when a gigantic pan came flying full force at my head. I don't ever remember feeling such pain in my whole life . I fell unconscious instantly.

When I opened my eyes I still felt a lot dizzy. I couldn't concentrate anywhere. I could remove my pain by the pain drainer in my pocket but my hands were tied hard together. Hania was sitting on the floor next to me with A PAN! I tried reaching for my ears but I still couldn't. After a few hopeless struggles I calmed down. I started steaming up all the things I would say to her if she asked me something. I could hardly focus but Hania kept going on and on about something like me being beaten if I don't tell her everything. I think she wanted me to say yes so I nodded.

I came up with an escape plan right then. First of all, I asked for a glass of water so that she would go to the kitchen and I would escape using my boots. I was really proud of myself at the moment. But instead of walking out she walked towards her study table and pulled out her water bottle from her bag . So, I was honestly shook. She stared at me in question then handed me the bottle. She looked at me for a moment and then finally realized so she untapped my mouth in embarassement. I tried drinking the water but it was a lot different in every way from my timeline so it gave me a cough.
She stood straight and sober and then finally my most terrifying nightmare came true. She asked :"who are you?".
Luckily I had studied this timeline quite nicely so I had my answer ready...sort of:  "I'm...I'm an agent." But I still stuttered a bit. She seemed surprised and excited,
" Like an ISI agent? ". I felt horrible for lying but I had no choice. The rules of time traveling clearly stated that I can not tell anyone anything about future , except for some abnormal situations. But she seemed like she didn't believe me . Ofcourse she wouldn't believe me, I was too young to be in a top secret agency like that.

So , I tried making up to it :
" Yes and I was sent here to investigatethe the reason your house was targeted. " She looked even more unconvinced now:
" Targeted? You don't seriously expect me to believe you ? Do you?" . God ! I had to make her believe me otherwise if I ever appeared before her again she'd see me as an enemy.
"Well I don't have any proof with me. But look , don't you see my equipment? How could a regular thief or a murderer have all this?"
She smirked and sat down on her knees now waving the pan along: "I never said that you are a murderer. Honestly it didn't even cross my mind. But now you are making it suspicious".

Omg! I was starting to panic now , I was just a student on my research,  I don't deserve to die so young. She was waiting for an answer so I said whatever I could :
" No. I just said that beacuse I thought it was what you thought I was." She stood up again and placed the pan back on the table. She walked around the bit and ran her fingers through her short black hair in frustration. She then finally turned to me again ,"Fine. Let's believe for a second that you are an agent . Then tell me. Why were we targeted? " I felt so bad . I couldn't tell her that it was HER being targeted not this house or her mother. The plan was to kill hania but thankfully it was a failure. It was too much info I couldn't risk it right now. I turned my head down I embarassement , "Um...that's..."
She repeated in question while staring right in my eyes to find an answer : "Thats?"
'I'm sorry hania . I promise I'll tell you but now is not the time . '
I still kept my head down and said ,
"That's...secret information . I can't tell you."
She stood back up and angrily started shouting :
"You just said that we were being targeted. And you're saying WE? THE ONES TARGETED?  Can't know it? Are you out of your mind? "
But I couldn't help her :
"I'm...I'm sorry."
She picked up the tape again and said :
"Fine then... If you really are an agent then I don't need to help you , your agency is capable enough. "

She tapped my mouth again and started crying. Right then I saw Adam appearing through the time gate behind her. He used the sleep spray on her to make her fall asleep . She feel down seconds later. Adam untied me up and then  I also saw Mr Daud my' time' teacher coming through the gate. And oh boy , he didn't look pleased...at all .
Mr Daud pulled my ear and said
"Yousaf! You have no idea how much trouble you are in, young man."
Adam protested as well ,"Yeah. Who knows what else could have happened. Especially if they heard that you are from future."
I groaned in pain " Well I'm still alive right? And... ouch! I have already been hit in head . Isn't that enough punishment Mr Daud? ."
Mr Daud let go in pity looking at the bandages on my head . Hania had tied up my head to stop further bleeding. I used my pain drainer and then Adam clenched my arm. I looked into Adam's eyes and he looked ...scared ...a lot.
"We have to hurry. Ibrahim is in trouble!"

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