2 I lost you once but it won't happen again...

Chapter 2

~Zafar~

"What do you mean I'm going to a boarding school?!"

"Zafar if you go to a boarding school, you'll have greater opportunities when you get older."

"Father, you’re always making decisions for me, you never look at things from my perspective," I say rushing out of his office.

"Zafar…" he called out to me a few times, but his pride didn't allow him to chase after me.

All I thought about was what I would be leaving behind, my only friend, the only happiness I possessed at that time. My father had promised to reunite me with her in the future, that's why I had agreed to leave, and 9 years later he still hasn't kept his promise.

My entire life I lived according to how he wanted me to, spoke the way he wanted me to, ate what he told me to, studied what he choose for me, in hope that he would fulfill the promise he had made to me.

No one made me feel the way she did. Every single girl I had been with only made me long for her more.

***

~a year ago~

"Zainab, you can't leave. At least tell me why?"

" Zafar…” she said slipping my hand away from hers, "I know how a man looks at a woman he loves, and that's certainly not the way you look at me."

She was right, I had dated her for 2 years but not once told her that I loved her.

She looked me in the eye as tears flowed across her face… "You can't even stand me!"

"What's that supposed to mean? How can I not stand you if I've been with you for 2 years!"

"Okay then! 2 years, 2 years, awesome huh? But where are we in this relationship, we walk on eggshells around each other!" she said poking my chest, " you can't even tell me that you love me, Zafar, that's how pathetic this relationship is."

That was the 50th time someone had broken up with me for the exactly the same reason. It was the truth, I was in love with someone else, someone I haven't seen in years. I never gave my heart to anyone else, nor did I open it up, but that Nura girl managed to get little pieces of it out.

Biking was an escape from my family and love life, and now my father wanted to arrange me. I had nothing more to lose since I was already living a life according to His standards and not mine, during times like these I understood why my mother choose to walk out leaving almost everything behind.

***

"Hello, anyone there? I asked if you wanted to ride around the city at midnight?" she said snapping her fingers in front of my face, "Where the Jahannam is your mind these days?"

"Yeah a ride sounds good, let's meet at my hideout."

"Great!”

"I'm worried about you since you told me that you're getting arranged you haven't been yourself."

"Really? I hadn't noticed… I'm just worried about an application that's all."

"What application?" she asked

"Doesn't matter, don't be late tonight okay?" I say running to the sports ground

"You mean you, you're picking me up remember!"

She wasn't the who I was looking for, but she resembled her a lot. She had a similar look in her eyes, a hidden shy side that made me think about her a lot. Like she was hiding away from who she really was. Coincidentally she even had the same name, but the Nura I knew was modest and quiet, wise, and smart. Not that the Nura I know now is stupid, she's just different but the feeling is the same.

I felt like I was drowning for such a long time, with my head above water… I felt chains on my heart for years but strangely this woman managed to unlock my heart without fail or hesitation.

We would race through the night and eat through the day, her company made me heal little by little, but how long would I have to wait for my Nura to come back…

There was a night that specifically lingered in my thoughts since I met her. We were sitting on the rooftop of an abandoned building when suddenly we were attacked.

“Get behind me," she said stepping forward

"What do you mean, to get behind you, they're holding knives!" I said trying to pull her back

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

She walked towards the men and tried reasoning with them, and the next thing I saw was flying fists and missing teeth.

She scared my soul out of my body, and when she was done she grabbed my arm and ran off with me.

It was the first time I had seen her care about me, and the first time I had seen her show any emotion besides annoyance or anger.

see, even if she doesn't realize it she's a very closed-off person who hates showing concern or anything that makes her look "weak" but for some reason it just makes me want to know her better.

Being drawn to her is uncontrollable.

***

"Zafar, the race is about to start come over!" she yelled tossing my keys to me.

"I'll catch up. I hope you remember that you still owe me something."

"Can we talk about that later?" she rolled her eyes. "Or do you want to lose the title you got a few weeks back?"

She looked absolutely adorable when she was annoyed. I started the engine and followed her. My new habit was riding behind her, watching her secretly.

We arrived and ate pizza after I had won. She fist-bumped me and hanged with her old biker buddies.

"Hey Zafar, let's go grab some wings, the guys want to come with."

"Sure thing, anything for my cheerleader."

"Ha-ha, don't call me that." She said pushing my shoulder as she made her way out.

Sometimes I ask myself what the Jahannam makes me want her company so badly.