8. Aaryan

Mary agreed to join Art. He knew he can easily make them get an A plus so the deal was done but he was not happy or even thinking about it because there was something that made him terrified.

Aaryan told himself that Mary was not his responsibility but then why was he concerned about a girl who had nothing to do with him?

Aaryan knew why Mary was wearing the hoodie today. He saw the bruise over her forehead, and he knew it was from a fresh hit. He tried to ignore it. No matter how many times Aaryan told himself that Mary wasn't his responsibility he couldn't help himself but feel worried for her.

The lectures ended early today and Mary was at the door of the university. She was just standing there, staring at the sky. At first, Aaryan thought she was waiting for someone to pick her up, but her eyes never saw the road forward or even looked at the watch.

The distance between the university and their house wasn't much, and they could just go on foot, just then, Aaryan thought Mary might be afraid of something. Was it linked to the mysterious injuries? There could be a chance of it being true so he decided to go and "Diamond, what are you doing?" He asked, running towards her. Mary looked at him. She didn't roll her eyes like any other time and those eyes were enough to make Mary his responsibility "Nothing, I was going home." She said as if she wasn't standing for half an hour at the same spot and not moving an inch "Let's go home together" he offered casually "Why would I go home with you?" even from the mask, her annoyance was evident and so was her laughter "Well we get house together plus we could discuss the presentation as we walk" those were enough reason to have a walk with her and after a while Mary agreed and nodded

Aaryan started to walk and Mary finally moved from the fixed spot. "Diamond," he just loved to call her that, it was peaceful, and when she hissed at the nickname, he felt even more calm. "Do you like the new hometown? Aaryan asked while walking, step by step with her and this question had nothing to do with the presentation yet Mary spoke "It's better than the last one" She said with a strange relief in her voice and Aaryan was not stopping soon with the questions "Why did you shift to Hawthorne from San Diego?" and again she replied "My brother is a priest and the church needed him here"

"Oh" Aaryan figured in a second that the strange man was her brother. He had many questions about their whole family, and he started with, "What about your father? Where is he?" He was always curious about him but her reaction was odd. Suddenly Mary got angry and stopped walking. Her eyes narrowed at him in a fury. "You said we would be talking about presentation, not my personal life!" She took a sharp inhale, and before Aaryan could say anything, she just moved faster while he stood at the same place.

This was even more strange. Why did a question about her father make her furious? Aaryan just felt annoyed with her. This girl was just not as simple as she looks, there was a huge mystery behind her and he was sure of it

"What was that?" Someone asked and Aaryan didn't even turn back. His sister appeared from the back of a tree along the road. He ignored her and continued to walk. He didn't get shocked because it was never odd. Even when they were in the school, Amara would hide behind something and wait for Aaryan just to scare him with a yell, but she always ended up listening to some sort of secret "Who is she?" Aaryan stopped at this question and turned his face towards his sister "You don't know her?" He asked as if she was lying. "Am I supposed to know?" Her confusion felt true and Aaryan just realized that his sister never lies "She is Mary Christopher"

"Who is Mary Christopher?" For a moment, Aaryan gave her an eye, and then suddenly, he recalled that Amara doesn't listen to music. "Ah, yeah, you probably do not know her," he said, walking forward, and his sister followed him. "So, she is a singer. Quite famous in Los Angeles specially in Hawthorne" Amara nodded her head and didn't really give him a reaction

As they stepped into their home, Amara ran to remove the hijab "Ah, it was so hot today" She said hanging it into the closet "You will get the reward In Sha Allah" Her mother said, sweatly "In Sha Allah" Amara smiled in return with her eyes closed

Aaryan was dropped on the couch and then he heard her mother calling "Ryan, would you go to the neighbor's house and give this—" he cut his mother in "Oh, Mama, I just came from the university and I am so damn tired. Let me have some rest" he said with an unneeded anger "It's not like I am resting for the whole day. I am working too. Why can't you ever listen to your mother, Ryan?" She asked in a loud voice and as forever Aaryan didn't care "I don't know, I am tired" Her mother stopped talking to him "Amy, can you–" Amara jumped in the kitchen in front of Amina "Okay, Mama, just let me put my hijab on" She said and rushed to the cupboard again "My Angel, Put the hijab and take this Biryani to the house" she pointed at right and Aaryan noticed that the direction just happened to be Mary's house "Okay, I will go, Mama," He said and stood up in a flash, the mother and daughter looked at him in surprise. "Why?" Amara asked. "Well, you would have to put the hijab on, it's already so hot- I will just go." Aaryan never played the good brother, and that was why Amara appeared amazed. "Why?" She asked again. Aaryan walked to the mirror, ran a comb through his hair, adjusted the shirt, and said, "I just told you the reason." Then he took the plates from her mother's hands, who was still in disbelief, and Aaryan was already at the door of her house.

Before ringing the bell, he cleared his throat, practiced a gentle voice, and finally threw his finger on the bell. Mary's house was always so quiet, maybe because it had soundproof walls. Aaryan knew it because his family was taking care of this house for more than a decade. He had planted some plants on the balcony, and it was time for them to bloom. Aaryan just wanted to go inside and see how his efforts turned out. He was thinking about it when the door opened and Mary appeared from it

His foot unwillingly moved back as he saw her face. Mary wasn't wearing a mask, and he was not pleased. Aaryan didn't imagine seeing her face, for the first time will be like this. The bruise over her face was so clear and terrifying. "Hello?" Mary said and Aaryan realized he might have been staring at her for a couple of minutes "Oh, Hey" he replied slowly and Mary just stared at him asking what "I-" he forgot why he was there just a minute ago "I?" Aaryan cleared his throat again, flashed his eyes a few times and his mind was working

"I- my Mom sent this for your family" He offered her the dishes. Mary looked at him, somehow puzzled, and didn't take it, so Aaryan went for the explanation. "Well, it's something like a tradition. Like not in here but back home in my country, where you just give food to new neighbors to build a good relationship or something. My Mom loves to keep it here as well" After some seconds of thinking Mary finally nodded "Okay" she said taking the plates from his hand "Thank you, I guess" Mary smiled and it was the very first time since Aaryan had saw her smiling bare face and it was indeed extremely beautiful

"No problem." Aaryan was just trying to behave normally even when her face and that scratch over her forehead made him want to ask for every explanation. "Then, okay," he said, taking a step back. "Thank you for this." Mary nodded the plates. "No problem," he said and she went in.

Aaryan didn't move. That house stayed mysterious to him. Why did Mary had that scratch? What was the deal with it? Why did he never see her mother out or her brother doing the normal chores and where was even her father? It was all so confusing, he was zoned out, and just then the door opened again. Aaryan adjusted his face and was about to smile while preparing himself to see Mary, but someone else came out. "I am sorry, but we cannot take this." The man with horrific eyes was there, he supposed him to be Mary's brother. "Yeah?" He really didn't hear whatever he just said. "We would not like to make any type of relations with your family, Sir, so please take this thing back," he said with a terrifying voice, moving the dishes forward to him. "Why?" Aaryan was quite afraid of him, only by the way he was glaring, yet he asked with confidence, "I just explained to you the reason" Aaryan's forehead filled with frowns and he just took it back "Okay," the man was already gone as he replied to him

For another moment, Aaryan didn't move, and now this house was even more strange.

Taking the dishes back, he went to the garden. Aaryan never wanted to take the plates back home, not because her mother would feel bad, but because he didn't want to make Mary look bad in front of her. He placed the plates over the table and sat on a bench. Aaryan knew he wasn't a good person or someone who had sympathy but this thing with Mary was making him crazy. Now it was not only about her beauty or the bet he made with Raheel, he started to care about her