"Can people who hate you, ever love you?"
"People who hate you might specifically be the ones who love you."
Sequel of the book 'Under That Niqab' with a complete different story, but there will be few references.
-
The echoes are hidden,
Am I in a...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
๑ 🥀 ๑
Don't look back, someone's following us.
He glances at his screen and then back at Yusra, trying to decipher the cryptic message. Was it a prank she was playing? If not, he didn't want to tip off the person tailing them.
"It's all good." He turns left, sneakily checking his peripheral vision for any signs of someone following. To his surprise, he glimpses a shadow silently trailing behind them, sending shivers down his spine.
"Candid shot!" She cheers, creating sucking noises from her straw and typing something on her phone, now blocked from his view.
Turn left.
She texted him, though their route home required a right turn. Without plans to outsmart the intruder, he decides to let her take the lead, and they make the left turn.
And as they did so, a weird feeling crept up on Shazal. She was acting like it was just another stroll but lingered a bit behind him, her eyes were subtly scanning their surroundings. When he dares a glance back, he catches her gaze, and it is as if she has a secret plan. She tosses the used tumbler into a dustbin nearly.
As they approach a poorly lit stretch of the street, she smoothly sidesteps, blending into the shadows. He keeps walking, pretending he is unaware of the presence behind them.
Out of nowhere, she reappears, brandishing a makeshift weapon, which is a sturdy stick. With a surprising finesse that contradicted her usual laid-back vibe, she swings the stick at the lurking figure.
The blow landed square on the back of the man's head, and he crumpled to the ground, out cold.
Turning at the abrupt noise, he was met with the scene of Yusra standing victorious over the fallen pursuer. He was very much shocked by her swift and bold move.
"What just happened?" He asked, wide-eyed.
"Looks like our shadow won't be tailing us anymore." She replies with a grin stretched on her face, wielding the stick like a triumphant warrior
This is not a joke!" Shazal seethes, bending down to inspect. "How did you know-how did you do- No, first, is he dead?" He was visibly worried. "And who is he?"
Her grin softens as she lowers the stick and her face gives way to a more serious expression. "He's not dead, just out cold. I noticed him a while back, and when your mom called, I had a feeling something wasn't right. That's when I decided to take the candid shot, just in case."
He was still processing the situation, staring at the unconscious figure. "But who is he? Why was he following us?"
Yusra shrugs, "No idea. Maybe it's a random thing, or maybe he mistook us for someone else. Either way, he won't be bothering us anymore." She uses her boot to turn the man upright and clicks a few pictures, just in case-
