10. Aaryan

Mary's question was what made Aaryan anxious. It hit him so hard that even when he entered his room, he was still thinking about it.

Aaryan lied to Mary when he said there was only one book in the room. He had shelves filled with books on science because Aaryan was interested in how crazy science was. He would just read the same books over and over again just to find something new. But there was one book that he had never touched. It was lying on the top shelf and was all covered with dust as no one had even laid a finger on it in years.

It was the Quran. Aaryan looked at the Quran and then at himself in the mirror, and then Mary's question entered his brain again "Are you a Muslim?"

Aaryan was a Muslim. He was born Muslim and had been living in a Muslim household, but he was never religious. The only time he offered prayer was when his father would nag- shout at him for an entire week and then in the end he would just pray in like two minutes just to satisfy him. Aaryan didn't recite the Quran either because to him, science was more interesting and he was a little afraid of it. Aaryan had a concept.

He knew that he would be forgiven and enter heaven just because he was a Muslim. He had a feeling that if he read the Quran this concept might turn out to be wrong so he never took the risk. But why did Mary's question make it all feel wrong? And it made him think about his religion again and again. Muslim meant summation to the will of God but had he done it? The answer was no and he was well aware of it.

Ignoring everything that was causing that feeling of discomfort he jumped on his bed for a nap. He had been tired from the day and it didn't take him long to fall asleep.

Aaryan was sleeping but he wasn't sleeping.

He recalled the last week when it all started and it was happening again. He was awake yet he couldn't say anything. He tried so hard to move but it was all in vain. There was someone in his room, something so powerful, and this time, this attack was stronger. Something was putting pressure on him, his body was aching. He felt like moving but he was not moving. It was all so crazy and he was unable not speak. After minutes of struggling for breathes Aaryan woke up.

He sat up in the bed and looked around the room, and there was no one. "Wha-what the hell was that?" He said gasping so hard for air. There was no explanation to it but Aaryan felt afraid of whatever this person or thing was. He was successfully manipulating himself by saying that it was a dream since last week but now it felt real. His body was hurting, there was someone haunting him. At first, he thought it was Amara pulling some sort of prank, but Amara was tiny, and there was no way of her being this strong.

Aaryan was afraid of his room, and every passing night, this craziness was feeling real. He could not go to his family and tell them, he thinks that there is a ghost in my room and act like a scaredy cat. So he decided to keep this thing a secret and not to even think about it ever again

Aaryan needed a break from everything. He decided to visit Raheel, so after giving him a five-second call, he went to his home. "So, any updates about Mary, Adrian?" Raheel asked the moment he stepped into his room, and he did not appear to be in a cool mood. "Will give you an update soon." Avoiding eye contact, he sat on the couch, but he could feel Raheel's burning gaze at him. "What the hell have you done, Adrian?" Raheel snapped and Aaryan appeared puzzled. "What do you mean?" He asked, his voice was the same as his face. "What's the deal with those dating rumors?" Aaryan figured out what Raheel was saying yet he played dumb "Ray, What do you mean—"

"Mary is my shot, Bro. You know I like her so please stay away. I am going to get her soon." Raheel was barking nonsense because whatever he just said could not be true, and Aaryan did not agree with him. "There is nothing between us" only in his mind. Raheel's expression changed in an instant, and he was laughing now. "That's what I thought, you won't betray me," He said, pouring him a glass of wine. Aaryan did not have any plans of betraying his friend and neither was he going to give Mary to him "Take it, we got a long day today" Raheel passed the glass of wine to him "Damn, I just needed it today"

"Got ya, Akhi." Raheel winked, and Aaryan took the first sip. As the alcohol passed down his throat, he felt it burning with pleasure. His muscles relaxed, and the sensation of euphoria engulfed him. He needed it, it was the only thing to put him jn peace and in a minute, Aaryan drank the entire glass. "Need a refill, Sir" Aaryan said, bowing his head as he moved the glass towards Raheel. "Drop the glass and take the bottle, Ya Zalami," Raheel ordered. Aaryan was already feeling pleased, and over his words, his hands set the glass free from grip, and it dropped to the floor, causing the glass to shatter all over it.

Aaryan snatched the bottle from the table and kissed it. Shifting it to his mouth, he gulped. The alcohol passed through beating the veins against his neck. He never breathed until the bottom was empty. By the time he finished it, he was feeling dizzy. "Tha-nk you, Bro," Aaryan said, half unconscious, moving the bottle up for a cheer. "Thank you, Brrro," Raheel said, moving his bottle to make a crack with him. Both of them were soaked in alcohol and lost in confusion

"Wewe aa practice sess-ssion today" Said Aaryan stumbling over his feet, as he stood up "Let'ss gogo" Raheel stepped forward, his feet continued to cross over each other. Taking the aid of the wall he opened the door to a phenomenal music room. The room was bathed with soft light, curtains moving with the gentle air with no viable source. A table placed in a corner surrounded by three chairs, it had a deck and cards to play poker. But all of that vanished in the background of the majestic set of musical instruments presented in the room. A sleek microphone was waiting for someone to come and hug it. On the left there was a guitar on a stand, and at the back, a drum kit was placed with a light from the ceiling falling over it

The boys moved to their positions. "Where the heel- Taha!" Raheel yelled in irritation, and Aaryan's face got filled with fury "We don't-don't need thisis- asshole more. I sing today" Aaryan announced, Raheel bounced his head up and down and yelled, "Let's go!" Aaryan adjusted the strap of the guitar, hardly pressing it against his body. The music started to play, and Aaryan was just mumbling words, "What you doing, Adria, Why you not sin singing?" Raheel asked in a scream, barely sitting on his spot "Start" he replied and then he smoothly played a string 'I-I wantt to tell-ll you some that- I was never-never–'

"Fuck, why ca-can I singg?" Aaryan roared, and Raheel agreed while bouncing his head, "'Ant ahmaq, ya akhi- ana dhahib lilnawm" Raheel started to sing or speak, but Aaryan didn't get the difference as his words and tone were unclear, and then, in an instant, he fell from the chair. Aaryan hardly moved back to check on him. He was sleeping "What you do?" He asked, barely asking and Raheel was unable to reply so after looking at him he dropped to the floor and went to sleep as well

Aaryan was in trouble. It was so crazy that how he always had to be afraid of this madness. He stayed the night out of the house without informing his parents, and he was angry now. Can't his parents just make it normal? He was thinking about it while standing at the door of his house. Aaryan raised his hand, but before he could knock, the door fell open, and it was Amara who opened it for him. "Am I safe?" He asked her, but his sister said nothing in reply. Instead, she gestured towards their parents, who were visually burning, making him scared. "Where were you, Aaryan?" Asked his father, walking towards him with a stick in his hand, "I was at Raheel's." he answered, "Have you asked for our permission?" No, he hasn't. "I am telling it to you now," Aaryan twitched his shoulders as if he did not care at all. Yusuf closed his eyes and inhaled his anger. "Aaryan, when would you stop being like this?" The fear was gone and now Aaryan started to feel angry himself because the thing Aaryan did was never wrong, and his parents were unable to understand it. "Why do you always have to act like this, Baba? Do you want to make this house a prison and make me dance on your commands?" He asked in a loud voice "How are you talking to your Baba, Ryan?" His mother stepped forward. "Come on, Mama, you are going to take his side, too? I have my own life. Let me live!" His voice thrashed the entire house, and his parents stopped talking for an instant. Aaryan was glaring at his parents with wide eyes. He knew they never care about him. They were all quite now and Aaryan was still boiling from rage.

A moment later, Yusuf took a step towards him and his expressions were full of fear. Aaryan didn't get it at first but then his father sniffed the air and asked in a horrified voice, "Did you drink alcohol?" He didn't sound angry this time. Yusuf looked terrified. Aaryan didn't reply "I am asking you something!" His father yelled at him and he decided to answer him in the same way "Yes, I did!" Aaryan yelled back, looking dead into the eyes of his father. He was ready to fight them all now if he shout at him again. But Yusuf didn't say anything to him, neither did Amina. His father looked at the sky and said one word before going back into his room "Astaghfirullah" his parents were gone now

Amara didn't move, she was staring at her brother in pure anger "Now what the hell do you want, Amy?" he asked, annoyed at her now

"Did you touch alcohol, Aaryan?" It was rare to hear his full name by his sister and he thought she was just messing. So he replied in an excited voice "Well, I drank an entire bottle in like two minutes—"

He felt a sting over his cheek and suddenly he stopped talking. Aaryan was slapped by his younger sister. "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" He shouted, raising a hand at her face. "Don't you know alcohol is Haram?" Amara shouted back, looking directly into his eyes and she did not seemed to get afraid of the hand, ready to hit her "Don't teach me this stuff, I know enough" he dropped his hand and rolled his eyes at her

"I wish" was all his sister said before leaving too and Aaryan was left alone