Leilah Usman awaits an acceptance from a university abroad so she can leave the country she never loved when she stumbles upon an ancient diary. Through the eyes of Mahrosh Irfan, she finds herself in a world so completely different from hers.
One w...
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The others returned from Androon Lahore to a broken window; but the shards were cleared up, and a small bandage on Mahrosh' forehead was the only sign that something had occurred while they were gone.
Ammi and Dadi asked questions, expressing their concerns repeatedly, while Abbu offered to get the window fixed but Walid told him that he would take care of it.
Aleena was not as easily fooled, but when Walid and Mahorsh's demeanor remained calm, even she laughed it off with the others as a simple accident as everyone engrossed themselves in the tales from Androon Lahore. To Walid and Mahrosh, it was a good distraction, no matter how brief. It took their minds off the note.
The note remained hidden; first in Walid's clenched fists and then, in his drawer, but the eyes that had read it saw it flash before themselves repeatedly.
"Did Walid bandage your forehead? He must have done a lousy job," Aleena teased. Her face glowed even long after Ammi, Dadi and Abbu left. "Should I bandage it for you again?"
Mahrosh tried to smile, fighting the heaviness that weighed in her heart. "No, it's okay. It was only a small cut."
Aleena insisted, and Mahrosh was grateful that Aleena was talkative that day, telling her all about the embroidery hoops and canvases she had bought. It kept Mahrosh distracted — but when she returned to the silence of her room at night, the heaviness returned to her and her fists clenched under the bed covers.
Walid was just as silent and withdrawn. He skimmed through his books, not looking her way till Mahrosh spoke up. "Walid?"
"Mhmm?"
She waited for his gaze to turn towards her. As Their eyes met it, was difficult for Mahrosh to compose herself. "Is it just the halaqas?" The message flashed in front of her eyes. Stop what you are doing. "Or is there something else you are doing too?"
Walid looked away briefly, and in his silence, Mahrosh found her answer.
"What?" She whispered.
"I wrote a few letters. To politicians." Walid closed his books, meeting her gaze. "I wanted to tell you after I got a response..." he pulled up a smile, "I didn't imagine the response would be like this."
Mahrosh couldn't mirror his smile. Her heart pounded against her ribs- Take this as your last warning- "Wasn't it Muslim politicians you wrote to? Why do they want to stop you?"
Walid observed her briefly, before he left his study table. "I don't know whowants to stop me, Mahrosh. Perhaps my letter reached the wrong hands, perhaps the message was not taken well," he sat by her side on the bed, "There are forces working very strongly against the deen of Allah, in this country. Sooner or later, something like this would have happened."
