1 Long Lane

I walk down the lane stomping my feet but I make no noise. At this late hour, Attention is the last thing I want but still, I can see eyes hawking me but they don't know what I'm capable of.

I walk in a quicker pace just to get to my destination real quick but I trip on my shoelaces and was about to land like a laughing stock but I caught the nearest pole only to be hurt by the other pole just inches behind ... I fell and did some weird move with my feet just to steady myself. I just rub the back of the neck a few times and start walking. I just can't be late.

I get into the cafe almost half an hour late and quickly peek inside to check if the person I'm looking for has arrived but seems like only one idiot out of two has made it until now. I catch a glimpse of the mirror, Black abaya and just a normal brown scarf ... cant look any fancier ... I cover my left hand in my pocket and slump down in the opposite seat on the table where my brother Cairo sits. He frowns at me as though I ate 1kg of raw chicken ... "what?" I throw my hands dramatically mid-air.

"How sweet of you to arrive this early" he seethed, his voice was almost not heard.

" look I had work to cover up" I defended myself.

"Oh please" he is literally tired

" Have you any clue how much he waited for you; both of us looked like oafs, you know me I can't make people feel comfortable around me." He states

"Hah! How long did he wait .. half an hour too long eh? " I clap my hands

"YOU LITTLE JERK HE WAS HERE FOR TWO HOURS" He screams.

My mouth hung open for a split second but I gotta play it cool "so?"

"I didn't ask him to wait that long did I?" I ask as though I don't care.

He just stood up and walked out of the cafe.

Crap!

I must have pissed him. Yum but he ordered some coffee and croissants, I grab both of them in either of my hands and rush behind him.

"Okay sorry. But something important came up"

He didn't reply and just kept walking taking extra-large strides so that I wouldn't match his pace. I just sprint to the nearest bench and sit taking a bite in a croissant and sip the coffee. Now he decides to wake slowly contemplating whether or not to take a seat next to me and talk it over. Finally, he sighs and sits, bringing his long fingers to his temples and gently presses it.

"You asked for this, why wouldn't you comply ? " he throws a question at me.

"Honestly speaking I don't know" I shrug my shoulders.

"But.why?" He questions again.

"Arghh! I just don't know a'right " I look at him frustrated.

"you stopped chasing demons now you are running away from an angel" He scoffs.

I look at him bemused taking in his features he looks young around his twenties when he is actually nearing his thirties and has dad's thick black hair cascading his eyes a little bit. His dimples deepen when he smirks like a jerk. I shook my head I'm nowhere close to his appearance.

"What did you guys talk about?". Now it was my time to interrogate him.

"You. Of course" He smirks.

He loves teasing me. Doesn't he?

" I really need to know what he told you," I ask him firmly.

"We apparently only talked about you"

He says with a serious expression. Goddamit I ain't falling for this.

"Oh pleassse.." I drag.

" Seems like he knows you quite well. No wonder he decided to approach our father. I actually like him and I was glad you didn't show up because I was about to collect a lot of information. I can threaten you for months." He says a bit too seriously...

"Oh okay, what exactly did he say ? ... something, like I'm well reserved, knows how to deal with adversities and looks calm and cool .. yah pretty much everyone knows that." I say in an obvious tone.

He shook his head a little too much that his hair starts to bounce.

" He knows you're a markswoman" he air quotes "The best"

There is no way in the world that's possible.

I shake my head "you're impossible" I tell him smiling.

He laughs, a bitter laugh.

"I'm serious Zee" He says in between.

Other than Cairo and my parents nobody knows I'm a markswoman and dad doesn't know about the competitions and I usually wear a veil so nobody has a clue of who I am. I wear a serious grim expression and raise my left eyebrow.

"Your secret is safe with him, in fact, he just needs some protection he is feeling a bit unsafe in this town he wants you to watch over his back for a week and you're free to go and he promises a payment which would be enough for you for a year the least. "

I look at him baffled. Cairo is definitely not a person who would trust someone as soon as he meets. I just don't get how he is speaking about it so casually, this cant be true.

" What kind of protection does he need? " I blurt out amidst all the chaos in my head.

" If he is some kind of rich business tycoon he could have hired some skillful bodyguard instead of me" I point out.

" He simply doesn't trust anyone and he wants a Muslim too which is a bit more convincing or maybe he is a feminist, who knows " he shrugs at it as if it's no big deal.

I really don't understand how Cairo has got so careless, he is not someone who trusts a person that easily or he doesn't even get to make acquaintances that quickly. His introverted personality has locked him away as long as I remember.

"Okay" I just smile playing along because that was the only thing I could do.

This Hairum guy can't be trusted at all, I think to myself. I turn to Cairo with my last question

" What's his name again ?"

"Oh Armaan"

My eyes widened and I left paralyzed for a few moments, there is no possible way that could be possible.