🔥 The first time Hijab met Bilal, she didn't flinch. But something about his smile told her she probably should have. 🔥
Hijab adjusted her dupatta in the mirror, smoothing out every crease as if the day would fall apart without it. Downstairs, her parents were already waiting for her.
"Ah, there she is," he said warmly as she entered. "My daughter, always calm as the morning breeze."
Hijab smiled faintly. "Sorry, Baba. I'm a little late today."
He waved it off. "No rush. But listen, I might not be able to drop you off at university. Shan's son is returning from America this morning. Your mother and I will visit to welcome him."
"Shan Uncle's son?" Hijab paused.
"Bilal," her father said. "Back after years. You should come. It's been ages since you've seen them."
Hijab hesitated. "I don't want to intrude…"
Her father smiled. "You're family, beta. Don't think like that."
At Mr. Shan's home, the air was thick with excitement. Servants rushed about with trays of chai and sweets, laughter rippled from the drawing room, and the scent of fresh kebabs clung to the curtains.
Then he walked in.Bilal.Like he owned the air he breathed—and expected everyone else to inhale it too.
Tall, broad-shouldered, his hair styled to careless perfection. His designer clothes fit like they'd been tailored yesterday. A pair of expensive sunglasses stayed perched on his nose even as he entered the house.
He smiled at the elders, but something about the smile felt… rehearsed.
"Beta!" Mr. Shan greeted his son warmly, hugging him tight. "You've become a man!"
Bilal smiled triumphantly. "Finally, Baba. Now I can take care of your business for you."
Then he met his mother and sank onto the sofa without offering anyone a particularly warm greeting. His sharp eyes swept the room, measuring each face in silence, until they landed on Hijab.
She was sitting quietly near her father, her hands folded neatly in her lap, every line of her posture serene.
"So… you're Hijab."Bilal's voice was smooth, the faintest hint of amusement curling around the words.
"Yes," she answered evenly, her tone polite but distant.
His gaze lingered, slow and deliberate. "I've heard," he began, a smirk tugging at his lips, "you have quite the reputation for… high standards."
There it was—the bait. But she wasn't the type to bite just because someone dangled a challenge.
Hijab's brows lifted ever so slightly. "And I've heard you're not exactly famous for thinking things through."
A ripple of soft laughter passed among a few cousins nearby. Bilal's chuckle was low, brief, but his eyes didn't leave hers—sharp and assessing, like he was turning a puzzle piece over in his mind.
"Bold," he murmured, stepping just close enough for her to notice. "That boldness… I wonder how long it will last."
She met his eyes, unflinching. "Perhaps as long as your arrogance does."
That earned a sharper grin from him, as if her calm defiance only intrigued him more."Ah. She's spirited too," he murmured, almost to himself.
Before the moment grew heavier, Mr. Shan's voice cut in warmly. "Beta, why don't you let Hijab show you around later? She knows this place better than anyone."
Bilal nodded slowly, his smirk softening into something unreadable. "I'd like that."
He wasn't the type to step lightly. He liked to push, to pull, to see how far people would bend for him.But Hijab didn't bend.
And instead of fueling the urge to crush her, it made him want to study her—slowly, carefully, like a puzzle he wasn't ready to solve too quickly.
Hijab glanced at her father, who gave her a slight nod. She forced a polite smile… but deep down, she knew: something dangerous had just stepped into her world.
End of Chapter 1