Chapter 16

• Zulqarnain's POV:
• I let out a frustrated sigh as I turn my car towards my home street. I am annoyed of Hira and exhausted because of heavy thinking and busy day. I really wanted to give Hira a piece of my mind but on the second thought, I let it slip after recalling yesterday's talk. She wants freedom and some time to herself. However, I couldn't stop worrying about her. It's not like I don't trust Ahmar and his friends, it's just that I don't think they are aware of the situation she is in. I don't want her to be a victim of their foolishness.
• My phone rang and brings me out of my thoughts.
• I shouldn't think so much while driving...
• "Hello, Assalam o Alla-" The person on the line didn't let me complete my sentence.
• "What happened to Hira??! How is she?!" I heard a frantic masculine voice.
• "What?" I frown, registering the name of Hira but couldn't make out the rest of the thing he said.
• "Where is Hira???"
• "Hassan?" I asked.
• "Yes, Hassan. Now tell me how is she?!"
• "How is who?" what is he talking about.
• "How is Hira damn it! Where is SHE?!" He almost shouted.
• "Calm down, Hassan. She is with people from her job." I don't like the idea of telling him that she is out with boys, late at night.
• "She is not with them. Something had happened to her. I was talking to her on the phone when I heard her scream. Tell me where she is. I will go to look for her." he said everything in a single breath.
• "What???... What happened to her?" I slow my car.
• "If I know, I wouldn't be calling you. She isn't picking up her phone."
• "Wait for a few minutes, I will call you back. I think I know where she would be."
• "No! You tell me where she is, I will go to her now."
• "Listen, Mister. I am her friend too and if you are needed, then I will call you. Right now you are wasting time. She might be waiting for us." Somehow I manage to convince him and the next moment after ending the call, I was calling Ahmar.
• What did you do, Ahmar...
• "Hello, Ahmar! Where is Hira?" I asked as soon as he picked the call.
• "She...she is with us. In the hospital." He answered hesitantly.
• "Which hospital?"
• "I don't know the name. It is the hospital near Sea Breeze Plaza."
• "Sea Breeze Plaza??? I am not going to forgive you for this, Ahmar." I said with my jaws clenched. 
• When he said Sea Breeze Plaza I get the idea of where they would have been. I have known for quite some time about their little illegal party point but kept my mouth shut.
• I don't know how I managed to get to the destination in one piece. Throughout the drive, all sorts of negative thoughts kept on popping up in my mind. I had seen Hira on a hospital bed once before, her pale face is still fresh in my memory and I wish that I would never see her in such a pitiful state again, but I am about to face the same situation once more because of my brother.
• ~*~
• I was saved from the reception inquiry process by finding Faiq standing near the hospital entrance. He was surprised to see me there but I wasn't in the right mind to answer him why I have arrived here.
• I asked him to take me to Ahmar and he did. As soon as Zaid spotted me coming towards them, he got up and both Tahir and Ahmar copy his movement.
• "Assalam o Alaikum." Zaid and Tahir salam me but Ahmar remain silent. It's been a while since I saw him being nervous.
• "Wallaikum Assalam. How is Hira?" I directly went straight to the point. All of their heads snapped towards me, except for Ahmar's.
• "Doctor said she will be fine after some rest. She collapsed because of fatigue." Tahir answered me.
• "Hm... Where can I find the doctor who checked on Hira?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Ahmar and he was looking everywhere except me.
• "I will take you to him." Tahir starts to lead the way.
• "She is going to be fine." I heard Ahmar's voice when I was about to pass him.
• I give him a glance and walked by.
• ~*~
• Ahmar's POV:
• I know he will be mad but never thought that he would come running to the hospital. But I don't get it. Who told him?
• "How did he know Miss Hira?" Faiq asked.
• "He is her friend." I mumbled.
• "And you knew it?" Zaid asked with his all-knowing expression.
• "Yar, I will tell you guys everything later okay." I said to them and end this topic.
• What worries me now is how he would react and what if he would tell Ami and Dad everything and what if she tells the whole story to them? I bet Dad would kill me after finding out. Not only him but my friends too. There is no way that Dad wouldn't tell their families that we caused our teacher to be sent to the hospital. Especially when it involves a young female teacher.
• We all sat in complete silence. The three of us is busy with our own thoughts. I guess they also don't want to argue about anything right now as we know we're guilty of putting something in her drink. Minutes later, Tahir showed up with a worried looking expression, but he was alone. My brother didn't come with him.
• "Why are you alone? Where is my brother?" I frowned and get up.
• Don't tell me he left him alone with her.
• "You didn't tell us that her father died a few weeks ago and she has no family." Instead of answering me, he threw this question at me.
• "Huh?" This really caught me off guard.
• "How could you hide this from us, yar? We were toying with a person who deserves sympathy and support right now." he said with an emotion of mixed anger and regret.
• "Wait, what are you talking about?"
• "I am talking about Miss Hira, you idiot." He answered.
• "What about her?" I heard Zaid's voice from my left.
• "Her father died a few weeks ago, she has no siblings and her mother died long ago. She collapsed not because of fatigue. It is because of anxiety and all we've done is caused it to increase."
• "What? But... Ahmar, did you know this from the beginning?" Tahir inquired.
• "Nahi (no) yar." I answered.
• "Okay Ahmar! I think it would be better if you tell us the whole story." Zaid said, sliding his hands into his pockets.
• "Yar, there isn't any story. She is my brother's friend who showed up one day out of nowhere and starts living with us. Ami is okay with her and so is Dad, so I didn't bothe......wait" I licked my dry lips and ran a hand through my hair.
• "I heard from Ami that a friend of my brother lost her father and she is being forced to marry against her will as she doesn't have any family left."I said out loud and the guys didn't interfere. "Then, we left for a trip, remember? And when I came back, she was already at my house."
• "Means the girl your mother was talking about was Miss Hira." Said Zaid.
• "I guess." I starched my head. Now the situation is starting to make sense.
• "So, she was staying with your family and you didn't tell us." Tahir said.
• "Yar!... I thought she... she and my brother are... you know." I shrugged and continued, "So, I didn't know how to tell you guys."
• "So... she really is...?" Tahir didn't complete the sentence.
• "NO! Not at all." I abruptly denied.
• "How do you know?" Zaid raised his brow.
• "Yar, you have seen her na, and besides, she is our paid guest. So she practically doesn't live with us, our upper empty floor is given to her. She doesn't eat with us and I don't see her much on our floor." I explained.
• Tahir sighed and said, "Still yar, it would've been better if you told us before. At least things wouldn't come to this." He looked around the hospital. I followed his gaze and stopped on a retrieving figure of my brother.
• "Give me her phone." He said in a serious tone and stretched out his hand to me.
• "Her phone?... Where is her phone?" I looked at the guys and they also started looking at each other.
• "Don't tell me you lost her phone?" he asked, looking at the four of us.
• "Sorry, we were so panicked that we totally forgot about the phone." Answered Faiq.
• He glared at me for a while before saying, "You know, doing pranks, teasing teachers, skipping classes, starting fights, are fine but sometimes it's wise to know the circumstances of the person you are about to pull a prank on."
• "We didn't know about her tragedy." I tried to clear ourselves.
• "It doesn't make you less responsible." He retorted and inhales a sharp breath.
• "Her father's last picture was in that mobile. The last memory of him and you guys lost it." a pang of sudden guilt emerges in me and I lower my gaze, feeling a little ashamed.
• My head snapped towards him when I hear his voice saying, "There is an illegal night club underground the Crown Building. Make a police report against it and try to make it banned for sure."
• "Zee Bhai, this is too much. Ahmar already told you everything and we are sorry about what happened." Zaid said.
• "I think you should be more worried about what is going to happen if your families got to know about everything." He said.
• "Meaning you're going to tell them?" I clenched my jaws.
• "No, I am not. But I won't stop Hira if she says anything to her friends who are about to come here in a few minutes. Besides, if they kept quiet, what surety will you guys have that the college administration will not find out about this?" My eyes widened when the realization hit me and I turn to the boys. They all have the same facial expression as me.
• "You guys didn't think about it?" he narrowed his eyes on us and continues, "I can't believe how stupid you could be and you know what? Even if somehow you guys get to remain in the college, Hira will surely be kicked out or forced to resign. So congratulations, you four really did a permanent job." He didn't stay after saying it.
• We really messed up things for her...
• ~*~
• Hira's POV:
• I woke up sometime at night as the window beside me was showing the moon shining brightly in the sky. I slowly turn around and found myself in an unfamiliar room.
• Ya Allah! Where am I....?
• I quickly sit up and curse myself for being hasty. I head spin like a wheel just now, I hold the back of the bed to steady myself and look around the room. It is a simple room with light grey walls matched with dark grey furniture. The door of the room was half-closed, I bent to the left to peek outside and find a woman coming towards this room.
• I abruptly move back and sat straight. When the door opens, a breath of relief escaped my mouth. It was the housemaid, Samreen.
• "You are awake." She shrieked and ran outside.
• Huh????
• Within a minute, Auntie came inside and hugged me, "Ya Allah! Tera shukar (thank you). You kept her safe. I was starting to get worried about you." She kept saying to herself, patting my back.
• "Ami, you are going to suffocate her." From somewhere behind Auntie, I heard Zulqarnain's voice and my shoulder stiffened.
• "Oh! Han. Sorry." Auntie backed away and sits beside me, clearing the view and enabling me to see Zulqarnain now who is standing at the entrance wearing a white Shalwar Kameez. Unconsciously, I squirm on my own and settle my dupatta.
• "How are you feeling?" He asked, still standing there.
• "Alhamdulillah." I give him a small smile and he returns his usual big bright one.
• "Are you sure you are feeling better? Should we call a doctor?" Aunite asks.
• "Thanks, Auntie, but I am really fine."
• "Hm! Good. I made soup for you, will bring it after Namaz. Don't sleep till then." She patted my head and leaves while Zulqarnain stayed still at his place.
• His gaze followed Auntie and as soon as she left, he turns his face to me with a quite irritated expression.
• Oh! This doesn't look good...
• _________