Naura lazily stared at the dark-brown-haired girl in front of her. She leaned against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. She was sick of having to watch this little fox's drama yet again. Amanda, a girl of German descent, was also her neighbor, and they'd been friends since childhood. Still, it could hardly be called a close relationship, since Amanda was always trying to turn their friends against Naura.
Naura didn't understand why Amanda hated her so much. All this time, Naura had chosen to stay quiet because no matter what she said, everyone would believe Amanda more and end up accusing Naura of being the cruel one.
Amanda had even made the last stretch of middle school so miserable for her. All her friends avoided her, except Rafa, who was always happy to talk to her even though Naura was constantly curt with him. Naura wanted to graduate from middle school as soon as possible so she wouldn't have to attend the same school as Amanda anymore.
“What do you actually want? I don't have much time to entertain this drama,” Naura said without interest.
“I want you to stay away from Rafa.”
Amanda's words made Naura raise an eyebrow before snorting.
“You're so pathetic that you're begging me for this. How long are you going to keep acting like this, Amanda? Aren't you tired? Rafa isn't a toy you can play with however you want. He's not the doll we used to fight over.”
“How am I any different from you? You like playing with Rafa too. At least, that's what everyone knows,” Amanda shot back.
“At least I've never pretended to be an innocent, kindhearted girl.” After saying that, Naura walked away. But after taking only a few steps, she remembered something.
“Oh, one more thing. I'll never stop bothering Rafa, no matter how much time passes. To me, bothering him is like oxygen. So there's no point in begging.”
Naura had just started to walk past Amanda when, without warning, the girl slammed her own head against the wall.
Shocked by the reckless act, Naura could only stand there frozen. She had no idea what was happening. Then Amanda's soft voice broke through the confusion.
“Why are you doing this to me? What did I do wrong, Ra?”
“What are you—”
“Amanda!”
The shout successfully drew Naura's attention. The ponytailed girl could only stand silently as Rafa came running toward Amanda and helped her to her feet.
Several students behind him had also stopped to watch what happened. Now Naura felt as though every accusing eye was judging her. She curled her lips into a cynical smile, realizing once again that she had fallen into Amanda's cheap little drama.
“You've really gone too far, Ra.”
Of all the judgments she received, the accusation from Rafa's lips hurt the most. Rafa had almost never looked at her with such disappointment, even though Naura had tormented him mercilessly time and again. But for some reason, her chest ached terribly this time.
“What are you thinking about, sweetheart?”
The gentle voice pulled Naura out of her reverie.
“Dad,” Naura replied with a faint smile.
Abimanyu came closer and sat right beside his daughter.
“What is it?”
Naura gave a small shake of her head, then smiled. “I was just missing Mom,” she lied. Naura didn't want to make her dad worry about her even more.
Without waiting for permission, Abimanyu pulled his daughter into a hug. “Are you tired?”
Her dad's question made Naura fall silent. The still-beautiful woman, dressed only in her pajamas, didn't answer. Instead, she tightened her embrace around her father, seeking comfort on the shoulder of the man who meant the most to her.
Abimanyu knew Naura's habits well from childhood. Whenever she had too much on her mind, she always became like this. Abimanyu chose not to ask too many questions and let Naura sink into her thoughts.
“Would you be happy if I got married?” After a long silence, Naura finally spoke.
Abimanyu let out a heavy sigh before answering.
“I'm sorry if what I want is too much of a burden for you. Everything I'm doing is for your own good. I know I should have made this decision a long time ago. But of all the men you've introduced me to, not one of them made me believe he could be relied on to protect you. I know you've trained yourself to be strong, Naura. But I also know how lonely you've been all this time. How crushed you've been by all your work. And then there are the haters who never stop attacking you. It breaks my heart every time I see you crying in secret. Then, the next morning, you greet me with that big smile.”
Hearing those words, Naura's eyes grew hot. A bitter smile curved her lips. If she hadn't had Dad and Nadia, Naura wasn't sure she would have been able to make it this far. She had swallowed every insult and cruel remark as if they were nothing, as long as the two people who meant the most to her lacked nothing. None of it had ever been easy or as beautiful as people out there imagined.
Anyone who saw her might think her life was too perfect, and that her beautiful, striking features were a blessing from God. But few people knew that beauty was the most dangerous thing in the world. Beauty could drive men to kill one another. Husbands and wives divorced, and even siblings became enemies. That was the reality Naura had often experienced. From her teenage years until now, so many people had hated her because they thought she was a “relationship wrecker,” even though Naura knew nothing about any of it.
But no matter how much she explained, it was useless. The label of “someone who constantly switches partners” had already stuck to her.
She brought all the judgment against her only to Allah. Though Naura wasn't a righteous woman and her prayers were still inconsistent, she remembered that Allah was the one who gave her the strength to get through each difficult day. She always brought everything to Him, cried in secret, and quietly whispered her hopes. That was how she carried every burden on her shoulders.
Just as Mom had always taught her: “Always remember Allah, even if you're no saint. At least then, you'll stay strong enough to get through the hard days.”
Naura jolted slightly when Dad rubbed her hand. The man's touch pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Dad is sure Rafa can make you happy and keep you from being lonely again. Most importantly, inshallah, he'll be a good imam, someone capable of guiding you to become a better person,” Dad continued.
Naura gave a faint smile when she heard Rafa's name. Her head was still resting on her dad's shoulder.
“The problem is, Naura isn't sure she's worthy of Rafa in her current state.”
“Whether you're worthy or not isn't for you to decide.”
The deep baritone voice instantly startled Naura and Abimanyu. They both turned reflexively and found Rafa standing there with both hands in his pants pockets. Without waiting for an invitation, the man, still dressed in a neat shirt and trousers, came closer.
Naura didn't say a word. She preferred to remain silent and didn't ask why Rafa was at her house at all.
Abimanyu chose to start the conversation.
“When did you get here?” Abimanyu asked.
Rafa smiled politely and kissed his future father-in-law's hand before answering.
“I got here about fifteen minutes ago, sir.”
Abimanyu simply nodded without asking anything else, then decided to get up. “In that case, I'll leave you two alone. Talk everything through from the heart, and you, Naura, try to rein in your ego.” With that, Abimanyu left.