Novel "Humnava" Writer: Arisa Rashid Episode 3

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“Why weren’t you there on time?” Hammad Sahib shouted angrily at the driver.

“Sir… the tire got punctured,” the driver replied with his head lowered.

“Then you could’ve sent another car! What if something had happened to Asif? God forbid, what if they had fired the gun? Anything could’ve happened!”

“Sir, it won’t happen again.”

“From tomorrow onward, you’ll leave half an hour earlier.”

Then he turned toward Asif, who had been silently watching everything from the side.

“And Asif… learn to wait patiently, or come back with Rehan. But don’t come alone.”

Asif nodded obediently.

“Yes, Dad.”

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“Are you okay? Did anything happen to you?” Maria Begum asked worriedly after hearing Kainat’s story, cupping her cheeks in her hands.

“I’m fine, Mom. I understood from far away that they were kidnappers,” Kainat said, raising her hand slightly.

“Dear, try to come home in the van only. I don’t want to take any risks. What if something had happened to you?” Maria Begum kissed her forehead lovingly.

“Mom… there’s a school party, and I want to go. But I don’t have any dress suitable for it.”

Kainat said this while Maria Begum sat busy doing calculations with a pen in her hand.

“When is the party?”

“On Friday… and Friday is the day after tomorrow. You’ll buy me a dress, right?”

“Yes, of course. We’ll go this evening.”

“Thank you!” Kainat said happily, clapping her hands together.

“Nano, bring the food too! I’m hungry!” she shouted loudly.

Shazia Begum came out of the kitchen carrying a tray.

“Here, dear. I warmed it up for you.”

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“You know what? I’m fully prepared already,” Mahnoor said to Kainat, who was filling ink into her pen.

“Oh really? What color are you wearing?” Kainat asked while handing her the ink bottle.

“You’ll see when I wear it,” Mahnoor said proudly, placing her hands on her cheeks.

Kainat laughed.

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“MashAllah, you look very beautiful,” the teacher said while touching Mahnoor’s cheek.

“Thank you, Miss.”

“Kainat didn’t come?”

“She said she would, but she still hasn’t arrived yet,” Mahnoor replied while looking around.

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“Wow, brother… you look amazing,” Rehan said, placing a hand on Asif’s shoulder.

Asif was wearing a black shirt with a black coat. He looked incredibly handsome.

Asif smiled.

Just then, his eyes landed on Kainat entering the hall.

She was wearing a black frock with her dupatta resting around her neck. She looked breathtaking in black.

Kainat’s eyes searched for Mahnoor. She felt strange and lonely among so many people.

While looking around, she unknowingly walked toward Asif.

She wouldn’t have noticed him if Asad hadn’t called out his name.

The moment she heard “Asif,” she turned and saw him standing with some classmates… already staring at her.

As soon as their eyes met, Asif walked toward her.

Kainat stepped back nervously as he moved closer.

She didn’t realize there was a swimming pool behind her.

She was about to fall when Asif quickly grabbed her hand.

Seeing this, Asif’s friends rushed toward him and told him to let go of her hand.

Asif’s grip loosened—

And Kainat fell straight into the swimming pool.

She splashed helplessly, trying to come back up.

Asif panicked instantly. He hadn’t meant to let go.

The students standing nearby started shouting,

“What if she drowns?!”

Without another thought, Asif jumped into the pool.

He emerged from the water, pushing his wet hair back—

Just then, from the other side, Kainat also came up from the water and brushed her wet hair back before glaring angrily at him.

The students standing around the pool burst into laughter.

Even Asif smiled.

The pool wasn’t very deep after all.

Kainat had fallen in herself…

But she had dragged Asif into it too.

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Kainat sat inside the classroom, trying to dry herself. She felt furious at herself.

“I shouldn’t have come here at all…”

“How could you have known this would happen?” Mahnoor comforted her.

“Yesterday I saved him… and today he pushed me into the swimming pool.”

“Who told you to go near that side?” Mahnoor replied.

“How was I supposed to know he’d be there?” Kainat said helplessly.

“What’s done is done. Forget it.”

“He ruined the final year party too. He’s probably enjoying himself out there.”

“I just want this year to end so I can finally get rid of him,” Kainat muttered, holding her forehead.

Asif, who had just entered the classroom, heard everything.

“Look… I didn’t do it intentionally. My hand slipped.”

He cleaned his coat sleeve with a tissue while speaking.

“But still… sorry. Your dress got ruined. Mine too.”

He made a face dramatically and walked out of the class.

“You both wore the same color, by the way,” Mahnoor pointed out.

“Unfortunately,” Kainat shrugged.

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“Asif bhai! Asif bhai!”

Asad came running into the classroom, breathing heavily.

“What happened?” Asif asked.

The whole class turned toward Asad.

“Someone has come to our school!”

Hearing this, the entire class immediately stood up and started searching for hiding places.

“Why are you all hiding?” Asad asked in confusion.

“You just said people entered our school!” Rehan replied, peeking from behind the desk.

“Oh God… they’re from another school!” Asad slapped his forehead.

Asif walked toward him.

“What do you mean?”

Before Asad could explain properly, Sir Shazeb and another teacher entered the class.

“Good morning, Sir! Good morning, Teacher!”

The students greeted them together.

“Who likes cricket?” the teacher asked.

Almost everyone raised their hands.

“Would you all like to play cricket?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” the class echoed excitedly.

“Next week, there will be a cricket match against another school. Are you all ready?”

“Yes, Ma’am!”

“Children, this is a competition between our school and another school.”

“Ma’am, can girls participate too?” Mahnoor asked.

“No, this is only for boys. But girls can watch.”

“Those who want to participate should come to my office one by one after break.”

After saying this, the teacher left along with Sir Shazeb.

Another teacher soon entered to teach the next subject.

“Will you participate?” Rehan asked Asif.

“Of course I will,” Asif replied confidently.

“Do you really think our team will win?” Rehan offered him a packet of chips.

“Yes. Our team will definitely win.”

“Then let’s join.”

Asif immediately stood up.

“Where are you going? To the graveyard? Can’t you see the teacher is still here?” Rehan whispered.

Asif instantly sat back down.

“Hide those chips first!” Asif hissed.

Rehan stuffed the packet into his bag and secretly continued eating from it.

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Asif entered the classroom quietly and sat down silently.

Kainat hadn’t come to school that day.

For eleven years, he had spent his time teasing her. It had become a habit now.

Even if he did something good for her, he still ended up bothering her afterward.

Today, he hadn’t teased her…

Because she wasn’t there.

And strangely enough, Asif felt bored.

All he wanted was for school to end quickly so he could go home and rest.

He lowered his head onto the desk.

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“The boys from our class participated,” Ayesha informed Kainat the next day while sitting beside her.

Just then, Asif and the other boys entered the classroom.

Asif looked at Kainat.

A smile appeared on his lips, though he himself didn’t know why he smiled.

Loosening his tie, he sat down.

Soon the teacher arrived, taught the lesson, and left after some time.

After thinking for a moment, Asif walked outside the class.

Standing outside, he counted slowly to five on his fingers before returning inside.

“Kainat, Sir Shazeb is calling you,” he said while standing beside her.

“Yes, let me finish writing this first,” Kainat replied while copying work from the board.

“Didn’t you hear me? Sir Shazeb is calling you. He’ll get angry if you’re late,” Asif stressed Sir Shazeb’s name and snatched the pen from her hand.

Kainat immediately stood up and left the class.

“Hurry up, or I’ll erase this,” Asif warned, tapping his hand.

The students quickly copied everything from the board before he erased it.

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“Sir, may I come in?”

“Yes.”

“Sir, you called me?”

“No, I didn’t,” Sir Shazeb replied.

“Sorry, Sir. Someone told me you called me.”

Feeling embarrassed, Kainat left the office.

Why did Asif lie to me?

she wondered while walking back slowly.

As soon as she entered the class, she glared angrily at Asif.

“You lied to me. Sir didn’t call me.”

“Oh really?” Asif pretended innocently.

Kainat sat down, opened her notebook, and picked up her pen.

But when she looked at the board—

It was completely clean.

Everything the teacher had written was gone.

“Who erased it?” she asked, standing up.

Asif raised his hand proudly.

“I did.”

He stood before her with a mischievous grin.

“What will you do about it?”

“So this was your plan…” Kainat’s face looked close to tears.

“Oh wow, you’re smart. Too bad you realized it late. I could’ve erased it in front of you, but they hadn’t finished copying yet…”

He gestured toward the other students.

“So… how did you like my plan?”

Kainat stood there silently, struggling to hold back her tears.

Asif laughed and returned to his seat.

Helplessly, Kainat sat back down too.

She knew no one in the class could help her.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she buried her face in her arms.

Rehan watched everything quietly.

He felt terrible…

But what could he do?

Asif was his best friend.

And he didn’t want to upset him.

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“Kainat—”

Kainat was about to step into the van when she heard someone call her name.

She turned around—

And saw Rehan running toward her.

To be continued… ✨

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