"this world is a strange place, where those who lack modesty are considered beautiful, cheaters are considered clever and the loyal are considered to be fools - gabriel."

Gabriel had been counting the days since he and Hafsa had known each other for. And it amazed him to think that she could affect him so much just in a span of two weeks . So much so that , he found himself dreaming of Hafsa and her beautiful soul every single second .

It felt like his mind and heart weren't his anymore .

Over the course of the few days they spent together , Gabriel had started to know more of her . He had been learning new things about her on a daily basis , sometimes her fight with her past and other times , her aim for the best . He did not know that she had so many sides . She seemed like an experienced professional who knew how to camouflage her secrets and darker sides .

All in all , it fascinated him to hear the countless struggles she went through . When he first talked to her , the smile that radiated within her eyes never seemed forced . It was naturally glowing .

In reality though , she had been through enough that had seized her  happiness for a good amount of time . Before she started focusing more on God and allowed her inner peace to be rebuilt .

She was strong-willed , independent and courageous . A true hero who learnt from her past and structured her future in accordance .

Gabriel , on the other hand , had started to improve in learning about Islam so much that he had in fact memorised two of the small chapters of the Qur'an . When he broke it as a surprise news to Hafsa , he had not in the least been prepared to receive a reaction like hers .

She had burst into tears .

He panicked so badly that he felt his hands shiver and cold sweat covering his forehead and temples . He felt too shocked to completely perceive her reaction . Stupidly , he had not even double checked his surprise and what sort of effect it would have had on her .

Anxiously he questioned her and she kept shaking her head vigorously while accepting the napkin he had offered and dabbing it at her eyes . She replied back a moment later that his surprise melted her heart beyond the point that the tears just broke into flow .

Her words may not have been the most exquisite but her emotions displayed her feelings upto a limit . He doubted , though , that her emotions weren't completely shown through . Her tears only reflected the beauty of her magnificent heart . The heart that was only seen to him through a mirror in her eyes . All he saw till now was her reflection yet he was captivated .

He felt like he had won a war when he understood the extent to which his surprise affected her . The emotions that flew through him excited and filled his body with enthusiasm that he thought would last him forever . Apart from that , her reaction always replayed in his head everytime he thought about it . In that one precise moment , he had settled on embarking himself on a journey of memorising the Qur'an to the best of his abilities . Not just because her smile gave him a reason to live . But rather , because the Qur'an made him feel at ease . His heart felt alive . And his soul felt like it had grown stronger and sturdier , like the growing roots of a tree that get etched into a solid foundation .

No way , would he ever give up on the Qur'an .

One another thing that had almost made him feel like he would have a chance at succeeding and an easier obstacle to cross was Hafsa's mother Mariam .

She was a very wise and open minded woman . Extremely soft spoken and interesting to be around . It was no wonder that Hafsa and her sisters were logical and thoughtful girls . He had not yet met Mahreen , Hafsa's youngest sister but he was looking forward to it . Albeit she was a young girl but he was excited .

He had just seen a part of Hafsa that was hidden .

Still he was absolutely inspired by her . A girl whose voice strung the cords of his heart .

Inaya had come to visit Mariam and help out with some house chores , leaving Hafsa with Sarah and Samantha since they were too depressed on being left isolated .

Currently , Mariam had gone to take a shower while Mahreen was playing with Faaris . He was throwing her in the air and catching her with his arms that flexed everytime he applied pressure on them . He had on a pretty tight sweatshirt that emphasized his muscles .

Inaya scoffed and sneered bitterly , in response to Mahreen's giggles . He dropped Mahreen who ran across the hall to her room .

"Maybe you want to try it ?" Faaris plopped down on the sofa next to her and arched an arm over the couch's top .

Inaya scoffed . "Yeah right ! Like you can handle my fifty eight kilo weight ." She was looking straight ahead , her arms tightly crossed against her chest .

Faaris shrugged , a small smile playing across his lips ."Try me ."

Inaya chuckled , slapping her knee ."No , thank you very much ." She stressed the no , her small laugh noticed by Faaris .

Without hesitating , Faaris snaked his arm around her waist and surprised her by pulling her to his chest , her hands resting on his shoulders . Her eyes widened with surprise at his sudden action . His eyes remained shamelessly fixed on her face , making Inaya's breathing ragged . Only an arm was around her waist yet she couldn't break apart despite her hardest strugges . Faaris exhaled sharply with his nose , his eyebrows raised in question at her embarrassed face . When his face started to inch closer , so much so that she could feel his breath on her face , she quickly ducked her head . Hoping that he would take the idea and stop whatever he was trying to do because evidently , she was unable to free herself .

How pathetic !

She was the rarest girl among the population of women who knew how to defend herself pretty heroically . Never did she ever feel so weak and helpless just within the grasp of some male . But the again , this male was a soldier at a time and now a head of security . For sure , he was a professional while she was just a self tutor . While she was very proud of being self dependant and especially of the moment when she had beaten up Afra's bullies , she felt crestfallen and subdued right then .

Her eyes blurred with a few tears that had collected unwantedly . She may have felt dejected and beaten , but she certainly didn't want to show her weak side to him .

Never !

Engrossed in her mind , she didn't make out that Faaris' cheek was laying agiant her own , his breath tickling her scarf a little .

"If you think you can beat me , show it !" He hissed in her ear and for some reason , the hair on the back of her neck rose up .

Realization kicked in her nerves and she decided to give things one last try than be affected by his touch . She did not deny it , since there was no use in declining it to her own mind .

She shut her eyes tightly , inhaled sharply and collected all of her energy and determination . It took her a minute to determine the amount of pressure he held on her wrist . Before she managed to pull her wrist out of his grasp and push him away , all at the same time .

Faaris seemed taken aback , his mouth hanging open while his gaze was blankly staring at Inaya who smirked victoriously .

"The enemy always attacks unexpectedly . I'm disappointed you were not aware of that ."

<<Assalaamualaikum .

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter .

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With loads of love and Nutella ,
A.R. ❤>>