He looks down at the deep water in front of him as he stands on the bridge. He knows how deep the water is since he did come here after knowing that once a man goes in he never comes out alive.

He wanted to die.

It is as simple as it seems. Him wanting to take his life at the age of mere 18 makes more sense to him than anyone else.

He had lived enough.

There is no reason he can see that he needs to be alive for. There was never a reason he should actually have lived this much it was just he wasn't brave enough to do this.

He took a deep breath bending forward-thinking about all the pain that is hidden inside him and will be gone with him without anyone knowing or caring.

Just as he is about to leave his hands he feels someone touching his hand making him shriek because of the weird feeling as he looks down at a small young girl standing in front of her smiling.

"What are you doing?". She asked curiously, "Is that water so good that you are looking like this?".

He frowns.

He looks at her how her innocence is showing on her face. She leans forward almost falling making his heart stopped as he holds her back making her stand at a distance.

"It is good. But you shouldn't be doing that you can fall down". He said softly

"Then why were you not doing the same?. You can hurt yourself and Appi (sister) says we shouldn't hurt ourselves (intentionally) because our Lord will be angry at us". She said pouting as she thinks hard

He couldn't help but chuckle at her innocent yet deep words, "I am sorry. I will not do it again".

"You have to promise and Appi (sister) said we should never ever break promises". She said trying to look tough

He hides his smile as he bends down in front of her, "Your Appi seems interesting".

"Promise?". She asked again

"You are a stubborn, bean. I promise". He said smiling

She squeals happily when she hears her name being called. She said her goodbye to him then running off towards the direction. He looks at where she runs off to find another young woman his age standing with two boys beside her as she waits for the little one to join her. He sees how worried she looks and how she holds the young girl in her protective hold even the boys beside her seems to be worried.

He looks closely and for some reasons all four of them excites him. He cannot put it into words but there is this aura coming from them that is calling him to them. Before he knows it he is actually walking towards them as they speak among themselves stopping in front of the girl his age.

"I am sorry. She was with me a while ago". He said gaining her attention

The child in her hand grins looking at him, "There he is".

"Oh, it's fine. We will leave now". The girl said turning around

"I can know your name?". He asked curiously

"No". She replied walking away

He has to agree that even when the lights were dim at the seaside she shines in a different way. There was something and he has never been this curious about anyone before.

He has to find out.

*****

He sits in his class bored out of his mind. There is no need he has to study it's not like anyone even cares if he has good or bad grades.

The freezing weather of this country is already making his mood worse. He has no idea why his mother decided it's the best idea to move away from their homeland to a foreign country but he is not complaining. He has more freedom to do whatever he likes without care.

He looks around to find few girls looking his way and he just looks at the other side to find other boys and girl gossiping. He uses to have friends then he just realise they are of no use if anything they make him worse.

Like them, he wasn't addicted to anything or he never falls into anything bad because it never felt right. But, his parents are sure he had done everything.

And why wouldn't they because unfortunately, he has his younger brother in the same school along with his sister who is their personal spies. Beside, him moving to another country cause him to be a year behind.

He sighs.

He is sure if the teacher speaks a minute more he is walking out of this class. Just as he starts to pack his things he heard the door opening. At first, he didn't really care but when he heard the whispering his curiosity made him look ahead of him.

His heart stopped.

He blinks a couple of time to be sure that it is her standing in front of the class. The same girl he met that day on the beach. He waits for her to speak and he can swear her voice is sweet as honey. He looks around and it wasn't just him who was obliged to her shamelessly it was everyone.

Some in envy, other in lust.

He clenches his hand not liking the feeling that builds in him. She starts to walk and he cannot thank his lord enough that the seat right next to him is the only empty seat in the class. She quietly sits beside him making him conscious of himself.

That's the last thing he ever is.

He didn't care how he looks at all. In the morning all he does is clean himself and wear whatever he can find first and he never does his hair either.

Now, he regrets it.

Which makes him mad as he tries his best to not be conscious.

Act normal. Act normal.

He chants the mantra in his head fidgeting with his fingers.

What is wrong with you?.

"Aashir, is my class boring?". The teachers whose name he had no idea asked

He can see everyone eyes turning to him beside the ones he actually wants to look at him.

"Is it?". The teacher insisted

"What if it is?". He asked hearing gasps around him, "Will you make it interesting?".

He can see the smoke leaving the teacher ears, "After school detention".

He heard her sighs probably disappointed by his behaviour making him sigh too.

Why can't he be normal?

******

He walks outside of the class trying to walk with her but she didn't even stop for him.

"Hi". He said walking beside her

"Is there something you want?". She asked stiffly

"Umm...no?". He said unsure, "We can only talk when we have reasons?".

She nodded, "Yes, only when we have solid reasons".

He stops in his track as he heard her words.

He was never rejected.

He might have stopped being a friend with others but that doesn't mean that anyone rejected him. He always gets what he wants.

Why did she do it?.

More than how dare she he is more interested in why she did what she did.

*****

So, he lists down everything he has seen about her.

1- She leaves last class early every day.

2- She doesn't speak to boys (anyone).

3- She has one friend (Alisha)

4- She keeps to herself and does not participate in class.

5- She is always worried and checking her phone every now and then.

6- Her name is Dunya

He sighs.

These points are of no use because it doesn't mean a thing. The best part is that she doesn't talk to boys which are also bad because she is not talking to him either.

"Ugh". He said groaning

He feels her sitting beside him making him groan more because now she comes right when he is not prepared. He hides the paper away quickly not wanting her to see his observations (what he likes to call his stalking).

"Hey". He said showing his charming smile

She sighs tiredly, "What?".

He frowns looking at the bags under her eyes. He hasn't seen her this terrible.

She looks beat.

Her face is pale and her eyes look tired.

"What's wrong?". He asked

She turns to look at him and his eyes widen when he saw her looking directly at him for the first time. Since she is sitting beside him she is near to him and he can see her beautiful green eyes with a hint of black in them clearly.

His heart skipped a beat.

"W-What's wrong?". He asked again

"Nothing". She replied, "And please stop talking to me it's not right".

"How is it not right?". He asked

"You don't know?". She asked challenging him

He frowns unsure but before he can ask her phone rings and he sees the horror on her face. She quickly picks her bag running outside of the class and the teacher didn't even say a word.

Somehow, the remaining day he cannot stop himself from worrying. The way she takes off like that wasn't something normal and his mind would not stop reminding him.

"I heard you are not good in grades". He heard his mother say coming in his room

"You care". He said sarcastically

His mother narrows her eyes, "Of course, I do".

"Sure". He said turning to the other side

He feels her walking towards him sitting beside him on the bed.

"You seem upset. Something happened?". His mother asked

"Nothing". He replied monotonously still thinking hard

"There is something, beta (son), tell me". His mother insisted

At these rare moments he finds his mother to maybe actually caring but who is going to fill the emptiness for the years he actually wanted attention?.

"I have a question". He said sitting on the bed with the most serious he had ever been shocking his mother too, "What does it mean that a girl cannot talk to a boy?".

"What girl?. Muslim?". His mother asked and he nodded curiously listening, "Well, in our religion it is forbidden to talk to another gender unless they are your mahram for various reasons. Why do you ask?".

He waves his hand at his mother question, "I didn't understand something so someone who is not related they cannot talk to them no matter what?". She nodded, "So how can she talk to them?".

His mother looks at him curiously since he clearly mentioning a 'she', "She can talk to him if she is married to him".

His eyes widen, "WHAT?".

"Yes, there is no way she will talk to a male". His mother said pressing the word

He looks down at his hands thoughtfully for the longest time then he looks back at his mother, "You have to promise me something".

"What it is?". She asked

"I never asked for anything but you have to grant me a wish and no matter what you have to fulfil it". He said

"Promise". His mother said walking away

*******

He didn't see her for a week and only he knows how he managed that whole week.

He was distracted.

He just sits in the class numbly looking at the door anticipating that she can walk in any moment the whole week but she didn't. Not even once.

He walks down the steps about to walk out of the class when he heard the teacher calling him.

"I am pretty sure you didn't pay attention to my words so your partner is Dunya for this whole year". The teacher said

He nodded hiding his smile as the teacher continued, "Also if you like the girl you should focus more in class and help that poor soul catch on the work she is missing".

That was like a punch in his gut, "I don't like her".

The teacher chuckle shaking his head, "We will see. But her life is already hard if you are after her for bad reasons stay away, Aashir".

He watches the teacher leave leaving him shocked to have a million more questions now in his head. He had been already going over all the situations day and night that could have happened now he is thinking even worse ones.

He walks towards the gym dressing room to change his clothes. He asked one of his classmates to hand him their books for the week work over the weekend so he can copy all the notes to give them to Dunya.

He starts to change his clothes when he heard the conversation in a few of his teammates.

"Those f*****g Muslims". Dylan yelled angrily

His friend Mark chuckle, "Why?. What happened now?".

"You know that Muslim girl Dunya?". Dylan said

Just as he heard her name from this player mouth his hand turn into a fist.

"She is trying to play hard to get. I tried starting a conversation and she said that she is not allowed to speak to men. What the f*** is that?". Dylan explained angrily

Mark chuckled, "I can't believe we are living in the 21st century and she is living in 19 century still. So, wanna bet?".

"What bet?". Dylan said angrily

"If you can have her in your bed by the end of this month you are a winner and I will do anything for you". Mark said

Dylan smirk, "Deal".

"But, that b**** is actually trying to show that she is eminent of innocence when all she actually is a dumb-". Mark started but a punch stopped his words

He walks around looking at the bloody fight that is happening in front of him. As someone smaller in size than Mark punches him repeatedly. He looks at the scene satisfied because he was going to kill them anyway too even if it means he would be in deep trouble later.

"How dare you talk about her like that?". His junior shouted

He watches as Dylan walks to him punching him and he decided to step in now. He walks closer hitting both Dylan and Mark hard enough to knock them down.

"Don't even think about touching the kid again". He warned as his eyes turned even colder, "And if you think about touching Dunya at all or I see you around her I will personally kill you".

******

He sits with Azhar who is tending to the wound on his face as he prepares for the game.

"Can you pass me the green gloves?". He asked

He sees him passing him the white gloves, "These are white. I need green".

"Oh". Azhar said as he passes again only to pass blue this time

"These are -". He started when someone throws a pair of green gloves at him sitting beside Azhar

"Here". He said looking back at Azhar, "What exactly happened?. I came to know they said something?. What did they say?".

"Dunya". Azhar said sighing

He sees the new guy face turning red. He sees that the two are similar to one another but while Azhar is a timid small figure guy the other one is opposite to him.

"I am going to kill them". The guy said standing but Azhar hold his hand

"Asim, I already did that part now we have to think of an excuse". Azhar said making him sit back

"What excuse?. Are you two related?". Aashir asked

Azhar and Asim turned to him looking at him.

"Oh, this is the guy who saved me. This is Aashir and this is my twin brother, Asim". Azhar explained

Aashir nodded and Asim did the same as Azhar continued, "We have to think of an excuse as to why my face looks like this".

"Good luck with that". He said sarcastically because he had failed many times before

*******

He walks to school next week pretty bored because she isn't coming and he has nothing to pass his time in class with.

He stops in front of the school building watching as his stepfather leaves his siblings kissing their forehead while he walks to school by himself.

He sighs.

"Appi (sister), look look". He heard the sweet sound which sounds familiar

He turns around looking at her coming his way with her hands filled with things as she walks quickly. He looks behind her to the small girl he met that night on the beach with Asim and Azhar walking with her.

"Appi (sister)". Asim whined

Azhar looks at him glaring at him about something. He realised a second later that she is indeed their sister.

She stops when the little girl hold her shirt she bends down in front of her caressing her cheek lovingly, "Jee, Nour?".

"My lunch box". Nour said smiling

"Here". She said handing her then she proceeds to give instructions and things to the twin brothers

Azhar looks at Aashir smiling as he takes steps to him, "Hey, dude, how are you?".

"She is your sister?". He asked shocked