"stop that thief, she robbed me" a man was running behind a girl.

She pushed her legs hard against muddy surface. Thundering of footsteps were tailing behind her were getting closer.

Her long hair were dancing on her hip. She was running like she will die if she stop. She looked behind her to see if the man was still following her but to her horror she saw a big stick in his hand. He was looking like maniac following her.

"Stop you little scoundrel"

She became more scared and ran even faster. It was tough to run in a long skirt and she was already out of breath.

Suddenly she saw a big man coming in front of her, she found herself crashed into him.

She winced in pain. "Huh".

"Hush, thank God you catched her. She robbed me in bazar" grey man said huffing like a pig.

Hamza looked at girl and then at her hands. She was holding a bread with clutching it to her chest.

She was tinier, much tinier, and so fragile. Her hazel eyes were unusually clear and steady. The long, curling eyelashes shaded her eyes. She was wrapped in a shabby old cloak. Her feet despite the hot sand were bare. She looked like a girl in her early teen. Her face was covered with dust, her hair were dirty and her skirt was torn.

"Give that girl to me, i will make her pay" man with stick extended his other empty hand to grab her wrist.

Oman grabbed his wrist and clutched it hard before he could touch her.

"What she has stolen?" Oman asked old man coldly.

Old man paused for a moment, taken aback.

"Aaa, She stole my bread and ran away" he said while trying to free his hand from him.

Oman left him with a jerk. He grabbed some gold pieces from his purse and throwed at ground.

Man looked at ground and immediately lowered himself on ground to pick up the coins. He was shocked to see gold coins on his palm. These coins were more than he needed.

He laughed.

"Waa, allah will give you double" he said in his evil laugh and walked away swaying his hand full of coins.

Oman's face was covered with scarf. He glanced at girl last time and walked away leaving her standing at the same spot.

Walking fastly he noticed, same little girl from before following him. He took long strides, so she won't follow him. He was astonish to learn she kept chasing. It was a funny sight to see her running with her small legs.

He walk passed Many shops, now houses were started to appear. He knew long hair girl was still following him.

He entered in a narrow street. Not a single soul was seen on the path. Street walls were high and hard to climb. Her footfall was the only thing that he can hear on this silent narrow street.

He stood infront of a small door. His hight was large than door frame. He had to bow down to enter in.

she wanted to go behind him

She mimicked him but found herself little scared. She came infront of the wooden door. Hesitantly, she slowly pushed the door ajar.

She noticed a house. She entered in. It was spacious and rooms were standing adjacently. She assessed everything around then her eyes set on a woman in her mid 30's who appeared in front of her.

"Who are you" she was surprised to see a teen appeared out of blue.

"Oman, who is she" fatima shouted. But she didn't receive any reply in return.

"Who are you girl. How did you get here" she took some steps towards her.

"Out of here immediately" fatima commanded pointed toward the exit door.

She went near her, in attempt to move her back. But when she tried to touch her she flinched away.

"She followed me" fatima looked behind her. Oman stood tall at the room door.

"What, how can she follow you and you let her come here"

"She was hungry. So i didn't say anything" oman was holding a plate full of food.

"Are you out of your mind. If someone came to know they will not give a single thaught before calling troops over here" she whispered yelled.

Fatima looked at the bread in her hands which the little girl was clutching to her chest.

"She already has a bread, how could you say she is hungry" fatima was angry now. How could he be so careless.

Oman said nothing and walked passed fatima and stood in front of this hazel eye girl. He extended his hand to give her plate of food.

Girl looked at oman with doodling eyes and took the plate from his hands.

Her stare was intense, void, empty, hollow inside. They held each other's gaze. Oman took a step back and gave a last look to her before he left from there and went in a room.

"Oman listen, don't ever do that again. You know you are in danger" fatima was worried because her brother was so careless.

"Don't worry it won't happen again" he said.

"Whatever, you won't listen to me"

She said folding her arms near her chest like a little girl showing her anger.

Oman smiled to himself.

!!****!!

Oman was sharpening his blade on a rock.

He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't notice fatima sitting on chair beside him.

"That child, she is mute maybe when i questioned about her family she didn't utter a word neither did I hear a sound coming out of her mouth." Fatima was deep in thaught.

"Perhaps, but i don't think so." oman said while checking his blade if it is sharp enough.

"Hmm, i wanted to give her some clothes but she was not there. Her skirt was torn. She looked like she was a teen. I don't want some dirty men to harras her sexually" she finished speaking.

"She ran away again?" he asked her but wasn't surprised.

"What you mean again"

"I saw her Many times. Everytime Whenever she saw me she used to ran after me or follow me. Today she chased me really fast." He laughed a bit.

"Really, isn't she has a family"

"I don't know. She usually roam around in streets" Oman's voice was weak.

"She was cute though and innocent too" fatima remembered her facial features. Her eyes were more attractive, It catched Fatima's attention.

"I'll give her clothes next time, if she came here again" fatima didn't knew her, but wanted to help her.

Even though oman was doing his work but his mind wanders to her. She don't talk much, however she speak with her eyes. Her gaze always Pierce through his heart with her sadness. A little girl who is fighting with people alone, it Is really scary.

He had seen her many times jumping here and there. She was like a butterfly.

He helped her by giving something to eat, whenever they crossed paths. Maybe that's why she used to chase behind him. After taking something from oman she used to ran away. He always wonder how she survives.

He wasn't interested in her, but there was something .... weird which make her interesting.

After thinking for a while he pushed his thaughts back of his head.

!!****!!

She don't remember much but on that fateful day she got separated from her father and got lost in bazaar full of people. Her father went in crowd and never came for her. She tried to look for her dear father, right there around a bakery.

She spent two days infront of the bakery sitting side of the street. She had no guardian to provide her hood. Then days passed and weathers came and gone. She stole something to eat every day. Probably everyone think of her as a thief now.

She still roam around that bakery waiting for her father. In hope, he will come back someday and take her home. She was treated like a princess in her own home but now she is homeless.

She found a place on terrace of a big shop to sleep. The upper part of the shop is empty only few useless things were laying there. At night she could see stars and would remember her happy days with her family but her memory about her family was fading away with time as years were passing by. She had only herself to rely on.

But longing in heart to meet her family never faded away.

During days the terrace was so hot that she can't stay there. Screeching heat of sun during days burned her skin, slowly she got used it.

Rainy nights were really cruel one. Terrace was open so she can't stay there instead she used to take shelter under the shed of shops.

People looked at her weirdly as she looked like a beggar. She steal just because she want to satisfy her stomach.

When she first met oman in front of a fruit shop he gave her fruits to eat.Never once someone gave her something instead everybody shoo her away.

Oman didn't even once looked at her with disgust. Oman knew she chased him but not once he got angry. His kindness was something which attracts her toward him.

It seems like he was the one, she was waiting for this long. Her protractor is found.