The Face Behind The Veil✔

Chapter 2

     It was Tuesday and Hafsah did her morning routine. After taking her bath, she wore her hijab and niqab and decided to visit Sameerah at her hostel. They didn't have any classes in the morning, until 2:00pm - 6:00pm.

     "Good morning sisters." she greeted her roommates before stepping out. She didn't stay in the room most of the time because her roommates were all Christians and they always sang gospel songs at the top of their voices.

     She stepped out of the hostel and walked through the social centre because the route was shorter to Ribadu Hall and she wanted to get some Arabian fruit from Evolution Café. After buying the Arabian fruit —basically fruits diced into hollandia yoghurt—she turned to walk out when she bumped into Zayden.

     "What the fuck? Don't you see or is your niqab covering your eyes?" Zayden asked her, clearly irritated.

     "Normally I would say sorry but not to you, Zayden." Hafsah retorted.

     "Wait, aren't you the same girl from yesterday?" he asked suspiciously.

     "Yes I am and I won't hesitate to slap you the next time you misbehave with me or anyone." Hafsah threatened and walked off.

     Zayden stood there in amusement. That girl didn't know who she was messing with. He walked over to black seat to take a smoke. Black seat was a part of the social centre where students who didn't know what to do with their lives went to smoke.

     When Hafsah got to Sameerah's room, she gave her a hug and handed a cup of Arabian fruit to her.

     "Oh my! Thanks a lot bestie. How did you know what I was craving?" Sameerah thanked her and looked at the cup with a wide grin.

     "Oh please! I know you more than anyone." Hafsah replied. Sameerah smiled and spooned some into her mouth.

     "You won't believe what happened this morning." Hafsah said.

     "What happened?" Sameerah asked, spooning some more into her mouth with her eyes wide open and her ears perked up, waiting to hear the gist.

     "I bumped into Zayden and he insulted me without even apologizing. He was so rude that I felt like slapping him hard on the face." Hafsah narrated.

     "Oh dear! What an asshole." Sameerah said. "I know right!" Hafsah frowned.

     "So...about Farouq." Hafsah's eyes brightened at the mention of Farouq.

     "Yes yes?" she quipped. "He said he likes me." Sameerah squealed and jumped in excitement. Hafsah scrunched up her face and pulled her best friend back down.

     "How? You just met." Hafsah told her. "I know. There's something called love at first sight Hafsah." Sameerah replied, sighing dreamily.

     "Just be careful, I don't want my best friend getting hurt." Hafsah told her seriously.

     "Farouq is a nice guy Hafsah. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me." Sameerah tried to convince her.

     "It's okay but I don't trust those engineering boys to be honest." Hafsah concluded. Sameerah nodded and pulled out a novel from her bag.

     "Chasing Red? Where did you get the paper back?" Hafsah squealed.

     "Farouq got it for me. Actually, he overheard our conversation one day and decided to get the book before finally speaking to me. He had also been sort of stalking me for a month but I just didn't notice him, well, until he spoke to me."

     "Are you for real? Wow! Give that here." Hafsah said and grabbed the book from Sameerah.

     "You're a lucky girl you know?" Hafsah added. "I know right! He asked me to meet him at the dam by 4:00pm. Apparently, he has something planned for me." Sameerah replied.

     "Cool, just be careful. Wait! We have a class by 4:00pm." Hafsah reminded her. Sameerah groaned quite audibly.

     "I guess I may have to bunk class." she said. "Are you for real? Bunk class because of a guy?" Hafsah asked.

     "Yeah. Just this once." Sameerah said. "Hmmm...okay, but just this once." Hafsah replied. She wouldn't want it to look like she didn't want her friend's happiness.

     "Hafsah...I was wondering. Why do you even cover your face?" Sameerah asked her.

     "Nothing really, I just don't want those boys ogling at me. You know I've got the looks of a model." Hafsah replied, flipping her hair.

     "You should go out without a niqab at times." Sameerah told her.

     "Maybe next session." Hafsah laughed. "It's 2:30pm lovebird. Go take your bath and let me get you dolled up." Hafsah said, shooing her out of the room.

     Sameerah picked up a bucket and went downstairs to get water. After bathing, she dressed up in a beautiful chiffon top and a denim trouser. Hafsah applied light makeup to her face and she was good to go. She pulled a veil over her head and took one last glance at her reflection.

     "Oh my God Hafsah! What will I ever do without you?" Sameerah squealed and pulled her into a hug.

     "You do realize the dam is far right? You may want to take a bike or keke so let's get going. I have to get to class after all." Hafsah replied. They walked out and once they got to the entrance of the hostel, they went their separate ways. Hafsah walked to class with her earphones plugged in. Her lecturer had fixed a class at MC13, a class at the faculty of engineering.

     She walked up the tiring stairs lazily when suddenly, she felt a hand grab her and push her roughly into the toilet by the corner.

     "Subhanallah!" she gasped. Zayden smirked and pushed her against the wall, pinning her hands over her head.

     "If it isn't the oh so feisty Hafsah." He smirked.
"What do you want Zayden?" she asked through gritted teeth.

     "What will I possibly want from a boring niqabi like you?" he asked, cocking a brow. Hafsah was pissed at the fact that he called her boring. Who the hell was he to call her boring when he knew nothing about her?

     "Zayden let go of me!" Hafsah warned.

     "You have been acting smart since the first day. What did you think? That I wouldn't say anything after you insulted me and threatened to slap me? At the social centre at that? Now I will do what I want to and you will do nothing about it." Zayden spoke angrily.

     Hafsah freed her hands and pushed him back while glaring at him. "Just who do you think you are to lay your filthy hands on me? Mr popular? Mr bad boy? Mr everyone is scared of? That's what you think? Zayden, you live under a false impression. No one is afraid of you. No one respects you. Because people don't want to waste their time, they don't mess with you. You're just a coward, a coward! I am not interested in these immature acts of yours." she spat out angrily and stormed off, leaving him standing in the toilet dumbfounded.

     No one had ever stood up to Zayden and now that someone did it, it had to be a girl? Zayden was angry yet intrigued and amused by her audacity. Everything she said kept ringing in his ears.

     "You live under a false impression Zayden. You are a COWARD!" He ran his fingers roughly through his hair.

     "Who is she? Who is Hafsah? Why did her words have that effect on me?" Zayden asked himself.

     "No one has ever stood up to me. No one!" he yelled, running his fingers harshly through his hair.

     "Hafsah. Who is she? I need to know who she is. I need to know the face behind the veil."