Iram’s phone buzzed late in the evening. It was Alyna.

“Did you tell your mom?” Alyna asked, anxious.

“I didn't… And I don’t have an excuse for going to the hostel early. She’ll ask why and you know how she cross-checks everything.” Iram sighed. 

“Okay, okay. We’ll think of a reason together,” Alyna replied. 

But there was silence. They couldn't think of a valid reason. It starts with “How about..” and soon they find the fault. 

After ending the call, Iram dialed her younger brother. “Listen, I need your help. Something happened…”

For Iram, his brother, Tazeem was her last hope. 

“Have you gone mad?” He shot back after hearing the situation. 

“I’ll be at home for a month from next Sunday. If you tell Mom you want to go to Bhopal with me for a vacation, she’ll definitely join us. And you know we can’t lie to her, she always cross-checks. This will not work.” Tazeem couldn't help much. 

“ It's best to tell our parents.” He suggested.

“ They'll kill me…” Iram whispered, controlling her tears.

“ They won't. They are our parents, Aapi. Why would they kill you? Yeah for sure they might kill that ba****rd who stole your certificates…”

“ Tazeem! Language…”

“ Yeah… Okay…” He rolled his eyes.

“ I’ll think of something else.” Iram murmured.

Just then a notification popped on her phone.

“ Pre-university exams scheduled for 4th year students batch… Wait, it's my exams…” 

“That’s it!” Iram exclaimed. 

“ This is my first time hearing someone so excited reading their examination schedule.” Tazeem said. He was relieved too as his sister was happy now.

“I’ll tell Mom I have exams. That’s the reason.”

“ Good. All the best.” Tazeem replied on the call which was in speaker.

*****

Iram walked down the ramp slowly recalling the dream she had earlier.

“ I don't want that to happen in real life.” Iram told herself. 

As she was about to reach the end, she felt someone following her. 

Without thinking much, she walked fast and ran to reach the seating area. Her heartbeat quickened. 

She saw three men seated wearing black from head to toe, from cap, goggles, tshirt, jacket, trousers to shoes. She felt scared as they looked like a part of a gang.

“ Is something wrong, Mam?” One of them asked while giving his seat to Iram.

“ Nothing.” Iram denied as she didn't want to get involved in something bad.

“ I disagree. Something surely happened. It's all over your face.” Another one said while observing her taking deep breaths and sweats on her face.

Iram sighed and decided to take help.

“ I felt like someone was following me here.” Iram admitted.

“ Well, we will catch him for you.” Two of them who asked her earlier walked towards the railing slope.

“ But why?” Iram whispered as she felt awkward.

“ Why would a stranger help another stranger? I haven't seen that happen often in the past few years.” Iram thought. 

“ Wait, what if the man following me is a member of this gang…? Maybe they went to see their friend?” She stared at the area towards the railing slope that was visible from the seating area.

“ Don't worry. He won't be alive by now.” Iram felt goosebumps hearing a deep manly voice near her. She turned towards the third member of the gang.

“ What?” Iram was shocked to hear that. 

“ Just kidding.” He chuckled and continued,

“ You felt like living in a movie, right? I'm a crazy action movie fan. I like how they say those dialogues with expressionless faces, glaring eyes and deep manly voices. Wow…” He looked at Iram who was confused.

“ Ohh wait. Let me introduce myself, I am Kaif Amjad Khan. I'm the youngest member of this group.” Kaif smiled widely as he was waiting for Iram to shake hands with her.

“ Myself Iram Khan.” Iram shook hands nervously.

“ We found a suspicious man around. We have informed the police officers.” Said the two men who left earlier.

“ They are Omar Bhai and Huzaifa Bhai.” 

“ Thank you.” Iram smiled.

Just then she was pulled back and blood splattered over her face.

“Huh?” Iram stirred in her sleep again. But this time she saw a dream while taking a nap in the bus. 

“ Why those dreams again? I hate this.” Iram was frustrated.

But some part of her dream did come into reality.

A car stopped in front of Iram at the parking lot while she was waiting for a cab to accept.

“ Iram, it's you, right?” 

“ Izhaan Bhai. Assalamualaikum, How are you?” Iram smiled widely.

“ Walaikum assalam. I am good, Alhamdulillah. What are you doing here? Aren't you guys having a holiday? Even Qizra won't be back until the weekend.” Izhaan informed her after stepping out of the vehicle.

“ We have our PU scheduled, Bhai. It was in our group. Qizra should be back before the exams.” Iram shared her point.

“ But I heard it was a fake one.”

“ What? But there is no notice regarding that in the college group…” Iram scrolled through her WhatsApp chats to read any message regarding that.

“ It will be officially announced soon. Maybe it was in another group.”

“ Ohh. I'm not added to that group yet.” Iram replied embarrassed. 

“ No worries. Let me drop you to the hostel. It's on our way.” Izhaan requested and Iram agreed.

Izhaan opened the car door for her and saw a guy already seated.

“ He is Kaif. My cousin.” Izhaan sat in between Kaif and Iram to avoid any awkwardness.

“ He is Huzaifa and he is Omar.” Izhaan introduced his friends. Iram greeted them.

“ So, will you return home?” Izhaan asked to avoid a silent atmosphere.

“ No. I have something to do here.”

“ What is it? Maybe I can help.” 

Iram looked at him and then at her hands on her lap.

“ I have an appointment with a man here. He took my academic certificates from the annual function and called me to meet him if I wanted them back…” Iram narrated the whole situation and there was a man in the car who felt this familiar. Iram felt awkward and embarrassed to share such a situation to her friend’s husband. 

Iram feared that telling this to Qizra will make Qizra feel guilty. If she had stayed for more hours, she could have received the awards instead of Alyna. And definitely Qizra wasn't someone to be pleased easily. She wouldn't have given the certificates to Shaizaan. But Iram couldn't blame Alyna as well. They tried their best. 

Iram was again overthinking.

“ No worries. We will help you, right Omar?” Huzaifa said, placing his hand over Omar’s shoulder.

“ May I know with whom this appointment is of yours?” Omar asked, looking at Iram through the rear mirror.

“ Someone named Shaizaan. I’ll be meeting him today, that khadus. ” Iram muttered. 

“ Isn't he some famous business man in Bangalore?” Omar asked and that's when it hit to the friends and they understood. 

“ I don't know. That khadus took my reward, I don’t even know him. Why am I getting punished for not attending the annual function? And who is he to decide my manners and respect for my award? He doesn't know the reason. What kind of revenge is he planning from me when we don't even know each other?” Iram burst out in anger. The friends were stunned to speak. 

Kaif leaned toward Izhaan and whispered, “Isn’t she the Iram who’s supposed to be your sister-in-law? The one Shaizaan’s mother chose?” Izhaan’s eyes widened as he heard from Omar about this last night.

Izhaan eyed Huzaifa through the rear mirror to change the topic.

“ By the way Bhai, how come you came back and left my friend as her mother's? Didn't you guys plan to stay together there and return on the weekend?” Iram asked Izhaan. 

“ Well, my friends called me for an emergency.” Izhaan replied, looking at Huzaifa.

“ What emergency?” Iram asked.

“ Kidnapping Emaan Bhabhi…” Kaif replied.

“ What?” Iram looked at them with widened eyes.

“ Huzaifa, do you want to tell her?” Izhaan asked his friend. Huzaifa nodded and narrated the incidents between him, his wife Emaan and Emaan’s evil paternal relatives.

“ I hate such families who do that inhumanity for just a little money and property.” Iram again fueled with anger.

“ I'll join you guys.” Iram announced.

“ What? No. You cannot.” Omar and Izhaan denied her idea of helping them.

“ But why? You’ll need a female member in the group too, right? Emaan Bhabhi cannot share every feeling or pain with you guys… and besides, I’m a doctor.”

“ I'm her husband, she can share with me.” Huzaifa stated a fact.

“ I know but..” Before Iram could reason, Omar announced,

“ Let her join. She is right.”

 Iram nodded and smiled confidently.