Bismillaah hir Rahman nir Raheem. 

Ringgg Ringgg 

The school bell rang announcing that the time for leaving the school premises has finally arrived after an awful day at school. The children in front of Shabna jumped up and down and started packing their bags as if they are going out on a vacation. Their faces were painted with big smiles and laughter. Shabna shook her head at their nonchalance, but alas, smiled. 

"Don't forget to do your homework," she announced loudly and some of them nodded their heads as they exited the class.  

She started putting her stuff from the table into her handbag and suddenly someone grabbed her by her abaya, so she turned her attention towards the one who sought it.  

It was a small girl from her class named Suzanne with two cute ponytails on her head. "Maam!" She called.  

"Yes, my dear?" Shabna beamed because she loved this one a bit extra from others, she was so sweet.  

Suzanne kissed Shabna's cheek and said bye. Shabna grinned and waved her hand back as the small girl exited the class.  

After packing her stuff she stood straight and looked at the twins who were ready to exit the class.  

"Asad, Samad, don't leave the class until your ride comes, okay?" She said, her voice full of authority.  

"Okay Maam," Samad replied and Asad pouted as they both begrudgingly went back to their seats.  

She hung her handbag and held two extra notebooks which she had to check, in her other hand, and walked out of the class.  

Every evening when she thinks she won't see him, she eventually crosses paths with him. Today before he could see her, her eyes searched the parking lot for any signs of him to control her racing heart, which was without her permission rages at his sight and she withdrew a surprised yelp at the sight of him.  

Memories from the past came flooding through her brain, for he was seated sleeping on one of those benches and she had to cross him, to reach the main gate.  

She closed her eyes and sighed. He has come early today and he might have slept waiting for the school to get over. No matter how much she would mock away, the act was simply cute.  

Her steps didn't falter as she walked and her foot came to a halt near the bench. The journey with him on the train years back, and he was sleeping then and he was sleeping now.  

But everything changed, she wasn't the person she was on the train.  

Slowly her vision perceived the sight of him, the same person she liked before and he was here finally, but the irony of the situation was, he did not deserve her nor she was worthy of him. He was so close to her reach but too far away to claim. He did not change, his style didn't vary, the same buttoned-up shirt with that black undershirt. His beard was a little more prominent than before but it did not try to hide his Adam's apple. It was so much more visible and it wobbled up and down when he talked.  

Shabna stop! 

And that was the cue to her stop, she scurried away without even glancing back. She didn't know why, but her heart fluttered each time he was near.  

......  

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.  

The alarm went off, and he woke up from his small nap sitting on the school's bench. He stretched his hands back and eyed side by side and his eyes landed on the figure clad in modest black clothing with grey hijab leave the school's campus.  

He didn't know why but his heart gnawed. She had seen him but s ignored and that means only one thing. She had no interest in him. He was like every passerby on the road to her. But she was not a passerby to him, for she stood unique among them. She was the first girl he has ever noticed. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.  

Perhaps, his heart longed for the one who didn't know anything about it.  

He stopped the car at their driveway and rushed to his room. He needed time to sort out everything that has been running through his mind. The feeling was new and strange in its way. No matter how much he stopped, his heart leaped a bit and fell even more on the pit of attraction. The more she ignored, the more he was pulled towards her.  

He gazed at the mirror and looked at his appearance.  

Was he not handsome?  

This was the first time he was feeling insecure about himself. He had never felt low about any of his facial features particularly but she made him doubt otherwise.  

Running a hand through his hair and making them fall straight onto his forehead was a habit since long ago. Once he counted how many times he did the task in an hour and found that it was more than ten times. Apart from his hair, he did not give importance to others.  

What would make her look up to him?  

He asked and thought otherwise. He paced through the room not knowing what to do in this situation. He wouldn't for his life force her. If she likes him, and when he was sure, he would take the step.  

But, all the encounters with her ended up jumbled, and given notice to her behavior around him, shouted only one thing to him.  

She did not like you so back away!!  

And that's it, he walks away before taking the step.  

"What's up with you?" came a voice and he looked up to see Ali seated on his bed.  

"Uh! What's up with me?" Maahi pointed his finger towards himself and nodded, "Nothing."  

"Liar! I have been watching you pace back and forth for more than five minutes now and you are not even aware of my presence."  

"Ya Allah! When did you enter my room?" he scoffed.  

"It doesn't matter. So tell me who's the girl giving you a hard time?"  

"There's no such girl." Maahi plopped down beside him and suddenly he felt nervous and anxious both at the same time.  

What is she doing with him now? He asked himself.  

"Lying for the second time in a row. Maahi! I thought lying is haraam in Islam."  

"Man! For Allah's sake, I am not lying OKAY?  Maybe ignoring reality and running away?" he wondered.  

"Do you know? ignorance is the first step to falling in love" Ali asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.  

"Stop talking like Old Alan! It doesn't suit you." Maahi hit Ali's shoulder playfully.  

"Hey! How did you know..?" before he could finish Maahi beat him, "I came to his funeral. Remember?"  

Old Alan died a few months back and it was the time when Maahi came to the US.  

"Fathima told so much about him too," Maahi added.  

"Sometimes like this, I miss him," Ali confronted.  

"I understand."  

"You know he will always live in my heart, right?" Ali asked, his eyes filling with moisture at the mention of his father-like figure.  

"He will Ali." Maahi smiled.  

"Okay! Back to the topic," Ali wiped them instantly, "Who's the lucky girl?" 

"I am saying na! There's no such girl."  

"Ignore all the way you want but I am sure that you already took the leap," Ali said getting up and when he reached the door, he turned towards a confused Maahi.  

"If you are still unsure. Give some time, in shaa Allah, Allah will make you meet her if she is meant to be yours," saying that he closed the door behind him.  

That was it. Instead of confusing himself more, he should leave everything in Allah's hand. If she was meant to be his other half, the door into his life will eventually open up for her.  

....  

A month passed by, and still, there was no slight chance. Maahi has finally given up hope. When he goes near she backs off and when he walks away from her, she smiles. From all those incidents, he confirmed one thing for sure, she did not like him the way he liked her.  

She had no interest in him.  

Her behavior shows it all away.  

So, instead of walking the same road as her, and make her regret walking on the road with him, even though how much it pained him, he ignored her as well.  

He would march the car forward when picking up the kids and whenever they see each other somewhere, he wouldn't go near her. That made her happy, he thought and he would do anything to make her happy.  

"Maahi! Assalamu alaikum," Fathima squealed as she hugged him and once in, "I missed you guys," she said looking up at her mother.  

She and Ali have finally moved out to a small new apartment.  

"The same here," Maahi pulled her hand and dragged her into the living room.  

"What's with the occasion? What's the reason behind your visit?" Hafila, her mother asked, sitting on the couch. Her leg was Alhamdulillah healing but it still needed more time to fully heal and for her to start walking without the cane.  

"Uh!" Fathima pulled her Hijab sheepishly for she was so busy with the new life that she seldom spare time for her family. It doesn't mean she was avoiding them, she missed them so much but her life kept her busy. "I was out shopping and Ali had some errands to run on his own, so instead of going alone, I thought of taking Maahi with me. That way, I would get more time to spend with him too, I rarely see him these days." 

"Yeah! He doesn't have any time to spare. He goes to the office and on the break time, he goes to pick up the twins, and after leaving, he again goes back to his office." Hafila sighed.  

"That sounds good Fathima, I will be down in a few minutes." Maahi got up and climbed the stairs.  

"Till then! I will massage your legs, Mamma," Fathima said sitting beside her Mom.  

"What do you prefer, pancakes or cereal? " asked Fathima, moving the cart through the rack.  

"Cereal as long as it is chocolatey," Maahi chimed.  

"Same here," Fathima looked up at him, "Some things never change right? No matter how far we have come."  

"Our preferences don't change with time, Fathima. They remain the same," he replied remembering a particular someone, who does not reciprocate what he felt for them.  

"That's so true. We both should have been real twins too like Asad and Samad, given with our same choice on literally, every single thing and sometimes we even look alike."  

"Even if we are not, you are and you will be my sweet little sister," Maahi pinched her cheeks like she was just a year old.  

Those are big brother goals and moments like this, made him feel cherished.  

Fathima hugged him by the side again that day and she didn't know why but apart from everything she went through these days, she had on the corner of her heart missed her dear ones a little too much to be appropriate about.  

Maahi smiled as he hugged her back and kissed the top of her hijab, and when he pulled away, someone forcefully turned him around with all her might and slapped him hard.  

His hand went to his cheek in shock and when he saw the person who dared to slap him, and who was standing in front of him with blurred eyes, did he feel his breathing completely stop.