Dawud.

Chapter 14: Protective Jealousy

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

As I made my way down the hall, I heard several male voices calling my name from behind. No one was around except us so I tried my best to change direction and head to somewhere more crowded and safe but instead walked straight into a dead-end...

Jannah's P.O.V

"Yo, Jannah! What are you running from?" One of the guys asked me.

I turned around and rolled my eyes. In front of me were five men and they all wore our school's jersey. They towered over each other, making me look like a child. "Get out of my way. I don't have time for this." I spat.

The player standing in the center chuckled. He had wavy black hair that reached the bottom of his ears and fair skin. He was the tallest of them all. "Wow, you're spunky. A girl as cute and feisty as you shouldn't be wasting her time on a square like Dawud." He told me, receiving roars of enthusiasm from his friends. They shoved him back and forth, cheering obnoxiously.

I felt a protectiveness wash over me. "A girl as cute and feisty as me shouldn't be standing here, replying to a group of five-year-old boys like you." I challenged him. They looked at me with surprised eyes. "What? You thought I couldn't speak up? I don't have the time for your petty games. Now, get out of my way." I commanded, walking towards them.

They all moved to let me through except the one with wavy hair. He grabbed my wrist harshly, stopping me from walking any further. I looked up, stunned and hurt due to his grip. He pulled his lips back to smile grimly, revealing a set of shiny white teeth. I spat in his face and tried to pull my wrist from his hold without success. He tightened his grasp even further and twisted my wrist, causing me to let out a cry. His friends told him to back off but he ordered them to be quiet. It wasn't until Dawud came rushing towards the two of us that he let go, turning away as if nothing happened.

"What's going on?" Dawud asked desperately. The man who grabbed my wrist and his friends stayed silent.

I pulled my sleeve upwards; revealing a deep red mark the size of his fingers. "He twisted my wrist and didn't let me leave." I told Dawud, holding back tears. My wrist hurt—actually it shook with pain and none of the guys here spoke up about what happened.

Dawud's soft gaze faded, being replaced by dark and stormy eyes. In a flash, he had the culprit pressed against the wall. Dawud swung his fist against the guy's temple, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Laith, I will end you if you put your hands on her again!" He roared. His voice was like thunder.

I stepped back, afraid of what might happen next. To my astonishment, Dawud left him there. Laith grabbed his head and fell to his knees, groaning in pain. I watched as Dawud turned towards his teammates. He wore a hurt expression on his face. "You guys stayed silent and watched the whole thing?" He asked them in disbelief. "You guys watched this piece of.. You guys watched him harass a woman and you didn't speak up or stop it? I don't have to lift a finger. Guilt will hurt you bad enough." He spat.

This was a side of Dawud I've never seen before. His hair was all over the place and his cheeks were flushed. He was always so composed. His demeanour was always peaceful and shy, smiling at everyone. I looked up at him, shocked. "Let's go." He ordered.

I followed closely behind him. He escorted me into the gymnasium and stopped in front of the entrance door so that everyone in the room had a perfect view. He looked at me softly. "I don't mean to cross my boundaries but I need to know.. Is that all that Laith did to you?" Dawud asked me. I glanced down at my boots and nodded. "Are you sure?" He urged.

I watched him carefully and noticed that his eyes changed with his emotions. When he confronted Laith, they were a dark green but now, as he looked at me deeply, they were emerald with hues of yellow and blue. "Yes, I'm sure. Thank you for that." I said. I could feel everyone's eyes burning into my back, making we want to cut this conversation short.

"Do you need me to walk you home? Everyone's looking at you like you're a shiny new toy and we've got people a lot worse than Laith around here." Dawud warned. His stare was intense and I knew it wasn't because of the way I looked or anything superficial like that. It was because he was genuinely concerned for my safety and in all honesty, I was too.

"No, I'll call my dad. It's fine, really."

Dawud rolled his eyes. "We both know that he's spending the night at the mosque, Jannah." He said flatly. I winced, embarrassed that he saw through my facade. Just then, his coach called his name angrily. He flung his clipboard in the air and shouted, using as much arm muscle as possible to get Dawud's attention. We both laughed. "Okay, do you think you can wait for half an hour? I'll have to get my coach's permission to leave and then we can go." Dawud asked me.

I shook my head. "No, I'm not comfortable with being alone with you. My dad needs to be there."

Dawud scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'll be in front of you by ten meters. We won't talk." He said quickly, before running over to his coach. "Half an hour!" Dawud shouted again, smiling brightly.

I sighed and climbed up the bleachers to sit next to an oblivious Muna. She munched on her popcorn absentmindedly and I decided to leave her in that state. She loved basketball.

After forty-five minutes, Dawud waved at me from the entrance doors. He was dressed in his coat and had his gym bag slung over his shoulder. Muna had left my side a while ago. Her father needed her to babysit her siblings while her parents went out for dinner. So here I was, walking down the crowded bleachers and in Dawud's direction.

Dawud's P.O.V

I'm not going to lie and say that I was totally fine. I was nervous, I was angry and I was concerned. The rumor spread around like the plague and now everybody knew Jannah as 'my wife' and not the normal student she was. Men were coming after her because they saw her as a taken woman and girls were coming after her because, well, because they're girls. I wish Akhlaaq hadn't opened his mouth to Laith in the first place. That would've saved Jannah and me from a lot of difficulties.

Jannah walked towards me slowly. I kept my gaze lowered. I wanted to take her home to her father and to keep her safe. I knew it was extremely hard for her to agree to this but I wasn't doing this to fulfill my desires. I was doing this strictly based on my morals and the sense of protectiveness I felt for her. She was so dainty and fragile. "Are you ready?" I asked her.

"Yeah, let's hurry up before the streets grow empty." She said quietly. I nodded in agreement and lead her home.

It was a very simple principle the two of us followed. In regards to making contact with the opposite gender. This principle was called: P.P.L. It stood for Purpose, Public, and Limited. If two Muslims from the opposite genders were to make contact without a guardian involved, there needs to be a purpose. I can't make up excuses to talk to Jannah alone and neither can she. After Purpose, there is the rule: Public. The importance of speaking in public is to prevent any danger. I could easily—although I'd never—take advantage of Jannah if we were to be alone and that's why she insisted that we walk home before the streets grow empty. After Public, there is the rule: Limited. Unless her father is with us, I can't prolong conversation with her because that could lead to... Allah knows what.

Her house was now a few blocks away and I couldn't help but smile. Her footsteps were so quick and light. I guess it's because she's 5'3. Nevertheless, I found it adorable.

We reached her dad's home and I watched her fiddle with her keys before finding the right one. She was wearing her usual coat but today she sported a pink beanie over her hijab. She stepped into the house and turned around with rosy cheeks. "Thank you." She mouthed before shutting the door.

Before she shut it though, I noticed the box of books that I delivered to her in the same place I left it. It was sitting right next to the door, untouched. I shook my head and laughed.

Chapter Fifteen ->