Unlikely [Formerly Known as Nerd Next Door]

Chapter Thirty-Nine🌻

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful, the Thirty-Ninth chapter of the story begins, please do enjoy it.
Good luck!

Taliha's POV:
There is darkness everywhere because it's night time. My room was bright due to the light bulbs inside so it's hard to tell if it's night already. I woke up with a loud scream after remembering a terrifying past event.

Autistic? Crazy?

Those were the words stuck in my head after waking up from my dream world. My classmates used to call me crazy because of some reasons. I never attended school parties and I was always staying mute like a ghost in their midst. I also didn't know why I acted differently while I was growing up but slowly It was getting worse. One day, my classmates in my preschool were all noisy even though there was a teacher in the large room. They were playing and running around the class while making so much noises. Eventually, the teacher was able to interfer and stop the noise but she noticed that I was covering my ears...as always. She gazed at me with a confused look, indeed it was abnormal.

"Taliha, you may remove your hands from your ears."

I didn't respond, I was grunting instead. The children were looking at me, eventually I left the classroom and the teacher called my name until the door closes. I didn't hesitate to leave the room.

My high school experience was even worst. They tortured me just because I was behaving dumb but I was not dumb. Some said I wasn't like them because I did things that were unusual. Thinking about all those memories made me shiver even more with tears rolling my cheeks.

Can't my past be erased? I can't continue like this anymore...

When I was still a young child, the first thing I learned was the Quran. My mum always played audio recitations and I eventually learnt a lot about Islam before I found interest in English books to broaden my knowledge.

I grabbed a pillow near me and I held onto it tightly. With my eyes zeroed around me, I was checking if I was still in the dream or if I am in the real world again.

Ya Allah, please ease my affairs. My past is back to hunt me again... [Q17:10]

Truly, God is all I have to stay calm. I couldn't stop freaking out. The next minute, mum entered my room holding a worried look. It seems she heard my voice from downstairs. After I turned back, I saw her and I got more anxious. So I warned, with my finger pointed at mum. To me, everyone is a threat.

"Stay back! Do not come near me!"

Mum obeyed instantly and stood still so I was starting to calm down. Eventually, she embraced me after i turned away from her, I didn't see that coming. So she strokes my head while saying softly, "It's okay Taliha, dear, I am here now...so don't be scared."

After listening to her words repeatedly, I was able to calm my nerves gradually. Knowing that I was safe in her hands and for the fact that she was very important to me, my mind finally felt at peace once again.