NINE MONTHS AGO

"32?"

"Present, ma'am!"

"33?"

"Present."

"34?" It's been a few seconds that no response came so I again called. "34?"

Getting no response again I finally looked up to check what he was doing. I know he is here. That little bastard is busy doing something in his notebook so lost that he can't hear me calling him.

"Fucking teenager," Cursing him under my breath I again called him in high tone. "Farhan?" My voice echoes in the room making him jump at his place out of fear.

"Pre- Present Naaz ma'am." Farhan replied nervously, getting up from his seat in hurry. He got up in so much of a rush that his notebook fell on the floor under his bench.

He became more nervous after my eyes fell on it. That little guy literally started to sweat like shit, when I got up from my place and walked towards his bench. I stand beside his bench crossing arms over my chest and looking at him in anger.

"What special kept you so busy that you couldn't hear me calling out your roll number? Huh?" My voice is deadly, making him more nervous.

He didn't utter a word just stood still, drawing others attention to him and making me more angry at him. I might be a sweet teacher most of the time but when some kid acts like a brat, I know how to tame them by giving them the right amount of punishment.

I bend down to get the notebook but he dares to kick it off and here I lost my mind. "Get out froym your bench and stand there." I point out the empty place beside my table. "Now."

He reluctantly came out from his bench and stood where I asked him to. "Ma'am I'm sorry."

"Shut up. And hold your ears and do sit ups." I look to others. "Count till he completes 50."

Farhan started to do his punishment and others count the numbers in high tone. They know the drill. I quickly grab the notebook and open it to check.

"Please don't." Farhan begged me.

"You don't stop. You guys count." I scream at them.

They continued their work. I can hear him crying. He is a crying mess.

I inspected his notebook till the end, there I saw a cartoon me. Only the upper body. The cartoon me was in a red bra. Just a bra with open hair. The breast looked bigger than mine. And a "I love you Naaz ma'am." was written in a corner.

Fucking asshole

I quickly tear it off and make it a ball. I can hear him begging for mercy and he is a mess. When others are looking at him and I, in confusion. I closed his notebook and slammed it on his bench and walked towards him.

He is gone today

"Naaz ma'am, sorry." He cried begging for mercy. Because he knows if I speak up he will be in trouble.

"What kind of behaviour is this?" I asked with pure disgust.

"Sorry ma'am." His head was low out of shame. "You shouldn't have seen it. It was personal."

The audacity

"Tell me, what was it?" A few students asked him, but he ignored them and I gave them a glare making them quiet and eyes low.

"Forward your hands." I ordered.

He followed my order. The next moment I gave ten hits with a thin wooden stick on each hand of his making him cry and winch in pain. His hands must be almost numb. Those hits were hard.

Those hits made his pale palm, red. There was a cut too. But he didn't dare to say a word to me. He knows he deserved it.

"Don't repeat this mistake again, Farhan. Or else, I'll throw you out from here." I warned him.

"Yes, ma'am." He mumbled softly

"Respect woman Farhan. You have 2 elder sisters and a mother at home. Would you like it? If someone will do it with them? What did you do to me?" My question made him feel more guilty and ashamed of his work. I can see that in his eyes and on his face.

"No ma'am. I'll kill him." He replied immediately

"Hmm! Then respect everyone. Even if that woman or girl is not your sister, mother, girlfriend or wife. Understand?" I said in a calm tone.

"Yes ma'am. I'll follow what you said. I promise this won't happen again." He assured me of making me smile a little.

He is not a bad guy. It's his friends who are bad and had a bad influence on him. Plus his age. He is a teenager, which means his blood is always hot.

"Farhan you're not a bad boy like them. I would suggest you, to stay away from them." I eyed his friends who are giving me a dirty look. I will teach them a good lesson after him.

"Okay."

"I'm glad you realized your mistake. Now you can go back to your seat." I ordered

"Again sorry. But what I wrote there was true." He blushed then went back to his seat.

"God!" I couldn't help but roll my eyes in annoyance. I sat back at my place and continued taking their attendance.

"40?" It was last. "40?" I called for the second time then I looked up to check but she wasn't present today. So I quickly marked her as absent.

Suddenly I heard his voice.

"Hello! Sadiqi alsaghir." His damn deep voice called me in Arabic, surprising me.

I quickly looked towards the door, only to see him standing there with crossed arms over his chest leaning against the wall with a smirk. He looked like some dark romance book hero. Clad in all black looking devilishly handsome.

He always looks handsome to me. But I never dare to voice it out. What if he takes my words wrong and thinks I'm in love with him bullshit?

I don't want any kind of complication between us. I am happy the way we are. Friends. Best friends. That's it.

"Class is dismissed." I announced, when I noticed a few girls were drooling over him shamelessly. As if they never saw a man before. A tall and handsome man. I don't know what got into me I snapped at them. "Get out, all of you." Mostly eyeing those girls.

"Fuck!" Now some students are giving us a teasing smile. I rolled my eyes again. "Get out!" I again scream at them.

This time Siddique gave me a disappointed look. He didn't like the way I was behaving so rudely with everyone, especially those girls. As if I care.

I am not a jealous type of a person but what's mine is fucking mine. He is mine. Not in a love-shove way. In a friendly way. He is my one and only friend and I don't want to lose him at any cost. To anyone and for anyone.

Our partners have to adjust with this condition only then they can have us. Otherwise, fuck off! Go to hell. Burn is hell.

"Stop cursing them." He said almost reading my mind.

"I wasn't cursing them." I half lied. I not only cursed them I cursed everyone who will dare to come in between us.

"Don't be so rude."

His all time favorite job is to give lectures and advice to people. Even to strangers. It's irritating but I am adjusting with it like a good fucking sadiqi alsaghir. I doubt his future wife can do it.

Sadiqi alsaghir means 'my little friend'. He called me by this name from our childhood. Honestly, English sounds easy and good. But damn, when he say it in Arabic in his deep voice, fuck me bitch. It's hot.

I'm not gonna say it to him again, otherwise he will take it the wrong way. Then he will tease me until I get pissed enough to kill him. I know him. I know him better than anyone.

"I wasn't rude."

Liar, my mind mocked.

"Yeah, right."

Huh! Taunt master.

If he comes to know what Farhan did with me then it will be the last day of his small life.

"What are you doing here Siddique?" I finally asked.

"Siddique? From when you started to call me Siddique, Naaz? Wasn't I always your Siddy?" He asked raising an eyebrow with a mischievous smile.

He is so evil, still so perfect. How? I always wonder

"Maybe you didn't notice their look. Siddy." I told him. Well they were still looking at us.

Fucking bitches and assholes. Fuck off!

He looked towards the direction I was pointing at. He gave them his famous glare and all ran out from the coaching center in a hurry to save their life. His glare is dangerous. I get it on a daily basis.

The reason why I work here is silly. I want to earn some extra pocket money until I do my masters degree and get a job. Plus, I love to teach small kids. But here, there's no small kid. This coaching is for class 7 to 10.

"Btw, what kind of look was that?" He asked looking back at me, acting innocent.

"Don't act innocent Siddy. As if you don't know. They think we are a thing." I said been a little pissed.

"Whatever!" He laughed seeing me irritated. "Let's get out of here."

I nod. We walked outside only to realize he didn't get any of his vehicles.

"Where is your fucking car? Or bike?" I asked in irritation.

"Language." I ignored it. "I forgot to take one."

"What a lame excuse?" Who forgets to take their car or bike while leaving for work?

Until someone wants to irritate you, my mind replied.

"You did it on purpose. Didn't you?"

"What? No." He snapped. "Come, we will take a ride. Happy now?" His words made me smile.

Finally. I don't want to walk after this pathetic day. That Farhan and his so-called friends.

Should I tell him about those guys?

Not now. Later, my mind replied.

"I booked a car on Uber." He informed.

"Cool"

Our car arrived after ten minutes. We quickly got in the back seat and the car started to move picking up speed.

"Why did you come to my coaching? And where are we going?" I asked.

"I came here to meet you. It's been a long time since we hung out. So, yeah." He replied not bothering to look at me.

"Are you sure? Because, we just met around four days ago. It's not that long." I am doubting he is either lying to me or hiding something from me. But my gut feeling is telling me, it's both.

"Don't act like a police officer Naaz. I'm not a criminal, who you're interrogating here." He replied, a little annoyed.

"Fine. I trust you." I lied. I do trust him but not on this topic.

"Thank you Naaz for trusting me blindly. Your trust means a lot to me." His words were making my doubts clear and I got worried for him knowing he is upset or in trouble with something.

"Are you fine?" I kept my voice soothing to let him know I'm getting worried for him. But he didn't say a word which means he is not fine. "Are you missing Razzaq uncle?"

"Naaz!" He sounds surprised to me.

So it's Razzaq uncle. He must be missing him and that's why he is upset and wants to spend some fun time with me to make himself happy mostly to divert his mind from him. I feel really bad for him. Why does Allah SWT give good people so much pain? I always wonder about it by looking at him.

He is a good man.

I grabbed his hand and locked it with mine. He didn't care to look at me or our interlocked hands. It's natural for us. We always hold hands to comfort each other when we are upset.

"Siddy, we can visit him if you wa-want." My voice broke and my vision got blurry. I got tears in my eyes seeing him so upset.

It always happens to me, not because I'm an emotional or sensitive person, but because I know what pain he went through. How did he suffer without his father? I know everything about him. At least, as much as he tells me or I can see through his eyes.

He has beautiful hazelnut eyes. Which speaks more than his mouth does. He has expressive eyes which I love a lot. And envy a lot. I want my eyes to be that pretty.

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