Chapter 6

Liyana wouldn’t budge. She kept on rejecting Ayaan’s calls. She locked herself in her room, crying sadly. When her mother tried to find out what the problem was, Liyana said nothing, claiming she was okay. The worried mother reported Liyana’s moody state to her father and he promised to be home soonest. But before Liyana’s father arrived home, Liyana wore a new look. She freshened up, changed her clothes, and took out one of her books to read.

“Where is she?” the father asked his wife once he was home.

“She is in her room,” the mother replied and the parents both headed to Liyana’s room. The father creaked the door open and halted. Liyana was cheerfully reading her book. The father and mother exchanged confused glances. They looked back at Liyana. She seems not to even notice them as she was engrossed in her reading.

“Liyana?” the father called. Liyana looked at them.

“Salaam alaikum, Father,” Liyana saluted, putting down her book on the bed and stepping down. “You are home so early today. How is work?” Liyana asked, walking toward her parents. She hugged her father.

“Uh, work was…work was fine,” the father replied and Liyana disengaged the hug. He cupped her face in his hands. “I heard you were crying. What happened to you?” the father queried. Liyana looked at her mother and chuckled.

“Oh, God! Mother worries a lot, father. I told her I was fine,” Liyana said. “You know I had long wished to be an actor. Right?” Liyana asked and her parents nodded. She took two steps back. “Though I have changed course to the English Language already, then, I decided to imitate how some actors manage to create such realistic outbursts we normally see in movies, and bam, it worked. Nothing to worry about, Father,” she assured and walked back to the bed, sitting down.

“If you say so, dear,” the father commented.

“But you were…”

“Let her be, Jasveen. Let’s go,” the father interrupted the mother and they both went out.

Liyana heaved a sigh of relief. “Astaghfirullah!” she sought forgiveness. “I’m sorry, Lord. I never wish to lie to my parents. I just don’t want them to worry about me by pouring out my ordeal to them. Please, forgive me. Aameen,” Liyana prayed silently.

The next day, Liyana’s mother was in the living room, watching a movie when a knock came at the door. The mother stood up to go get the door. She opened the door and saw Ayaan. She looked confused at him.

“Greetings, Aunt,” Ayaan saluted.

“Hello. Who are you?” the mother queried.

“Uh, my name is Ayaan. I am Liyana’s college mate,” Ayaan introduced. “Is she home, please?”

“Oh, yes, come in,” she permitted him. They both walked back to the living room. “Have a seat, I will go call her,” the mother offered. Ayaan nodded with a smile and sat down on one of the couches.

The mother went into Liyana’s room. She met her twirling across the room playfully.

“Ballerina, someone is here to see you,” the mother announced cheerfully and Liyana stopped. Panting.

“I am not a ballerina, Mother,” she argued, moving toward the mother.

“What are you then? Do normal people stay in their room spinning for nothing?” the mother queried and Liyana chuckled. “Come and go to see your visitor, childish daughter of mine,” the mother stated and Liyana laughed, following her to the living room.

“Ayaan?” Liyana called out. The mother excused herself as Ayaan stood up. Liyana folded her arms across her chest as she changed her look into a bitter scowl.

“Why are you here?” she questioned, though calmly, but teed off.

“Can we talk, please?” Ayaan said, taking a few steps toward her.

“No, we are done talking the very moment you prioritize your cover letter over me,” she declared, glaring at him. “Now if you don’t mind, use the freaking door and never come back,” she snapped out and turned to go back to her room.

“Hold on, Liya,” he said and she halted. “Why are you so mad at me? Is it because I couldn’t accompany you to Mr Smith’s office or something else?” he queried. She looked at him.

“Did you ever stop to ponder why I sought your company that day?” she asked. “Like you care. Besides, you men are born of similar traits,” she declared and entered her room, locking the door. Ayaan stood there, staring at her door without a word. He was indeed wondering.

On campus the following day, Sofia was seated on a long bench, scrolling through her phone when Ayaan came along.

“Salaam alaikum, Sofia,” Ayaan saluted, sitting beside her and dropping his backpack by his side.

“Walaikum salaam. What’s up?” Sofia responded with a smile.

“I need your help,” Ayaan said.

“What’s the problem?” Sofia asked, listening.

“You are Liyana’s friend, Sofia. I know she must have told you something about me. What went wrong?” he asked.

“I was told to say nothing to you, Ayaan,” she set forth.

“Please, Sofia, I need you to tell me what I did. Come on, please,” he begged. She was mute for a while. She looked at him and took pity on him. She sighed.

“If you insist,” she accepted. “Liyana is in dilemma. Mr Smith is going to fail her in his subject,” Sofia stated.

“Why?” Ayaan interjected.

“Men and their lustful desires. Hmm. Mr Smith wants to have a one-night stand with Liyana else, she fails his subject. You know what that means.”

“Wait, hold on, is he nuts?”

“The same question I asked. That English lecturer is a callous man. He knows what his subject means in Liyana’s course, that’s why he is using it to take advantage of her.”

“…now I know why Liyana wanted me to accompany her to his office. I never thought of such,” Ayaan expressed.

“Who would have? The main reason Liyana is angry with you is that he had attempted to force himself on her in his office.”

“What?”

“She believed that if you had followed her down to his office, he wouldn’t have attempted such with her because she was certain you will defend her,” Sofia propounded.

“Hmm…if he had succeeded, I would have been responsible. I never knew. Is Liyana coming to college today?” Ayaan asked.

“Didn’t you see her? She has been in college since morning,” Sofia responded.

“She must be stuck in the library then,” Ayaan said, standing up. “I will just go see her,” he said, taking his backpack.

“I will be waiting.”

Ayaan headed to the library. On his way, he came across Mr Smith. He stared at him with despair as they slowly walked past each other. Mr Smith didn’t even notice. The plump average-height man was certainly having fun in using his powers as the lecturer of one of the most concrete subjects to defile his students. Ayaan headed on after Mr Smith passed him completely. He saw Liyana at the entrance to the library. As she noticed him, she decided to walk past him. As she tried, throwing her face to the other side, Ayaan grabbed her hand. She halted, staying mute for a few seconds before turning to face him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. She couldn’t help it. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She took a few steps closer to him.

“What should I do, Ayaan?” she sobbed sadly. “I can’t fail his subject, I have been working hard not to.”

Ayaan pulled her into his arms in a warm, comforting hug. “Don’t cry, Liya, he won’t fail you, trust me,” he soothed. Liyana disengaged the hug.

“Can you help me?” she queried curiously, staring into his eyes.

“I will try my best. Okay?” he said. She smiled and threw herself into his arms again while he stroked her hair.

At Faizan’s apartment, Faizan warmly welcomed Ayaan inside. Ayaan flopped on the couch, looking disturbed.

“Is anything the matter?” Faizan asked, going to the refrigerator. He returned with glasses of non-alcoholic wine. He stretched one of the glasses to Ayaan, collected it, and put it down on the coffee table.

“Talk to me, man, what’s bothering you?” Faizan asked again.

“Hmm!” Ayaan sighed, sitting up. “Liya is facing a challenge recently. I want to help her, she believes I can and I don’t know what step to take,” Ayaan related. Faizan sipped his drink and put it down on the coffee table too.

“That’s why you have me, don’t underestimate the power of philosophy in me,” Faizan praised, squaring his shoulders like a newly crowned king. Ayaan smiled. “Tell me, what is the challenge?”

“It’s Mr Smith,” Ayaan began. “He lustfully desires Liya and wishes to make out with her. If she doesn’t, he will fail her in his subject,” Ayaan explained, sighed, and relaxed back on the couch.

“What? Liyana is next in line?” Faizan said with a small laugh, taking his drink from the coffee table.

“What do you mean?” Ayaan asked, sitting up again.

“Well, she’s not the first victim,” Faizan shrugged his shoulders and sipped his drink. “I’m certain, she won’t be the last if Mr Smith is not taught a lesson.”

“I can’t let him have her. No.”

“Nobody will want that either,” Faizan declared. “You know what, man? To get a monkey, use bananas, to get a dog, use bones. Now to get a Casanova, use what he loves the most.”

“What could that be?” Ayaan asked, wearing confusion all over his face.

“What do animals like Mr Smith love?--- Women. We are going to use a woman to get Mr Smith trapped in his own cobweb.

“I’m not getting this,” Ayaan declared, still wearing the I-am-confused look. He rested his back against the couch.

“You are always the gentle and holy one. You get nothing in the world of people like us. But don’t worry, I will take care of this,” Faizan guaranteed.

“How are you going to do it?”

“Just trust me,” Faizan smiled and chug down his remaining drink.

Author’s note 🥰🥰🥰

Ta-da! I hope you guys are enjoying the story…I pray so 😟. What are your thoughts so far on the story? I want to hear from my readers. It will help me in knowing what you expect from my future stories. Leave your expectations in the comment section, I will read it and try my best to work toward it. See you in the next chapter 🏃