Dare To Love

Chapter 3

(Flashbacks are in bold)

"Assalamualikum, Baba. Assalamualikum, Auntie," Abrish called out to both of them as she entered her house after her shift at the clinic.

"Walikumusalam," the reply came together.

"Farzana Auntie can you please make me a cup of tea and sandwich I am really hungry today."

"Sure dear."

"Baba! How are you now?"

"I am fine, beta. You knew that you were not well and you still went to hospital and instead made me stay in house with nothing to do."

"I did it for your well being and you know it."

"Yeah! But don't treat me like I am your child," Baba said with a small laugh.

Abrish laughed at it, "Wait a minute. What is Farzana Auntie cooking? It smells so good. It's not our birthday today. Is anyone coming over?"

"Yeah! Rayyan is coming over."

Abrish, who was listening to her father with a smile etched on her face, that smile was gone in minutes listening to the name. Years back, he was the real reason for her smile and now.... things do change with course of time, whether due to circumstances or people, and sometimes due to both of them.

"Abrish? What's wrong? I thought you would be happy with the fact of Rayyan coming over but look at you. What's wrong? Don't you like his coming at our house?"

"Baba! It's not like that. But you see he is a complete stranger and you are really making friends with him already. You just met him two days before."

"He is a very nice boy. He saved my life. He seems so soft and polite. It seems like he has never hurt anyone. His upbringing shows that he belongs to a very decent and educated family."

Abrish sighed, "Anyways, I am going to take a shower than and will eat upstairs. Inform me when he is here."

While walking to her room she recalled what her father said. If it was the thing few years back, maybe she would have believed it but how could she tell her father that this nice boy was the person who broke his daughter's heart, this soft and polite person made her not to believe on love, this boy who has not hurt anyone, according to her father, was actually the person who hurt her? But she was Abrish Fatima, a girl who never told her father about her love and it's failure, a girl who hid her emotions, her hurt deep inside her heart,who never let her father knew that a person she loved so much was actually the one who betrayed her. She remained quite years back, she will still remain quite.

"Hey, Abrish!" Rayyan sat beside her in library.

"Oh hi!" Abrish's head shot up listening to the voice beside her. She now no longer avoided talks with Rayyan. After he gave her a ride home, they have actually started to talk a little now. Hadia had started teasing her a lot and often shipped both of their names and surprisingly, Abrish had stopped minding them instead she often blushes at all this. Hadia had a feeling that Rayyan has feelings for Abrish and she loved this fact that her best and favorite cousin actually liked her best friend.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Just studying for exams."

"I always see you studying. Don't you get tired?"

"I actually like studying. It keeps me involved and occupied."

"Yeah I can see that. After all you are one of the brightest student of our class but your friend is a complete zero. Right Hadia?" he said one sentence to Abrish and the last to Hadia who was busy scribbling Abrish's notes.

"No! My friend is not a zero, Rayyan. She is also a good student, a little hard work can make her the brightest student too. Don't underestimate her," Abrish said with a small laugh, siding Hadia.

"Fine, if Abrish is saying this I will accept this."

Rayyan said this sentence, looking straight in Abrish's eyes. She blushed and her heart did a faint flutter which didn't go unnoticed by her. Hadia cleared her throat which brought both of them back to real world. At that moment, Abrish's research paper fall down. She bent down to pick it up and Rayyan also bent down to pick it up. Their hands brushed against each other, sending electric impulses up in Abrish. She slowly drew her hand away and straightened up. Rayyan also straightened, trying to hide his wide grin. Abrish didn't dared to look at him as she feared that something would happen, which shouldn't otherwise.

Those were the days when she didn't disliked the fact that Rayyan's hand occasionally brushed with hers because she had really fallen for him. And that's what love exactly does. The moment it happens, it happens without warning and then everything which happens afterwards seems right, though it is wrong but love is love, nobody can control it. Nobody, not even Abrish, who thought that if she would ever fall in love it would be after marriage and that too with the person who is her life partner chosen by her father but she did fall, making her blind.

The door knocked and she came back from her thoughts.

"Yes?" she called out.

"Dear, Rayyan is here. Come down," Farzana Auntie called her.

"Yeah, I am coming."

Abrish sighed, took her dupatta and covered her head, took few steps towards the door, took few deep, long breaths and then unlocked the door, stepping outside. She has to behave normally, for the sake of her father and she can do anything for him. She has to hide her hatred for Rayyan. Hatred. It's a very strong word with millions of emotions but can someone really hate the person to whom you loved before with all your heart and soul. Did she really hated Rayyan? This question she asked everyday but never got the answer. No one knew the answer. Not even Abrish.

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XoXo,

Pash:)