Scene: A High-End Jewelry Store — Afternoon
Noor sat quietly near the service counter, dressed in her usual green abaya with a black hijab and niqab, her hands lightly clutching a small pouch. Inside it was Ayesha's old watch, the strap loose, the dial cracked.
She had come here quickly between chores — just to get the strap fixed. Her eyes scanned the space nervously. Everything here screamed wealth.
There were a few women trying on bangles and sets near the main showcase, and as Noor waited for her turn, she noticed the store getting busier.
Just then, the door slid open with a soft ding, and a woman walked in wearing subtle yet expensive-looking designer clothes flanked by two guards in black suits. It was Mujtaba's mother.
Noor saw her but she had no idea who she was still she stood up, adjusted her dupatta, and softly said:
"You can sit here, Aunty. You must be tired. I was just waiting for the watch guy, I'll stand."
Mujtaba's mother paused for a second, a little surprised. She looked at Noor, not just at her clothes, but her tone, her adab, the sincerity in her voice. She smiled gently.
"That's very sweet of you, beta. Thank you."
She sat down with a graceful nod, while her guards stood behind quietly. Noor stepped aside and stood near the corner, her head slightly lowered, hands folded in front of her.
After a moment, Mujtaba's mother looked at her again and asked softly:
"What do you do, dear?"
Noor, caught off guard, replied politely:
"I'm a university student, Aunty. I've completed one semester so far."
There was pride in her voice, but also a tint of sadness.
Mujtaba's mother nodded thoughtfully."Are you continuing further?"
Noor hesitated for a moment. Her gaze dropped for a second, and she said, choosing her words carefully:
"No… not for now. Some… family issues came up, so I had to pause everything."
Mujtaba's mother studied her silently - the calm, the humility, the dignity.
There was something about this girl. Something... rare.
After a while Noor's watch was returned—fixed and ticking again. The shopkeeper placed it in a small square velvet box and coincidentally, the box used for Mujtaba's mother's jewelry looked exactly the same.
As they both left the shop around the same time, the two boxes got accidentally swapped—Noor's watch ended up with Mujtaba's mother, and Noor unknowingly walked away with her jewelry.
Mujtaba's mother got into her luxury car and drove off, unaware of the mistake.
Meanwhile, Noor reached a few steps outside the shop when she decided to double-check if the watch had been properly repaired. She opened the box…
Her breath caught in her throat.
Jewelry.
Not her watch.
Not Ayesha's watch.
Her fingers trembled as she touched the gold.
"Ya Allah... What did I do?"Her heart dropped to her stomach."Did I just... steal? Did I just walk away with someone else's belongings? Astaghfirullah."
Without wasting another second, she hailed a taxi. "Please follow that white car, the one that just left from here!" she told the driver urgently.
The man blinked but nodded, starting the engine. Noor sat in the back, her heart hammering in her chest.
They followed the luxury car for several streets until it finally turned into a massive driveway—the kind of gate that screamed wealth. The gate slowly opened for the car, recognizing it. Noor's taxi couldn't go past it. She got out hurriedly.
As the taxi drove away, Noor walked to the giant gate and nervously addressed the guards standing there."Please... There's a lady who just went inside. She came from the jewelry shop. I have her jewellery. We got our boxes switched by mistake... and she has my watch. Please let me return it."
The guards didn't move. One of them gave her a suspicious look."No one gets in without permission."
"No, please—just give her this, she'll understand," she pleaded, her voice cracking.
"Madam, step back. We can't do anything."
Just as one of the guards was about to wave her off, a black Mercedes pulled up behind her and stopped at the gate. The door opened smoothly.
Mujtaba stepped out.
Noor froze as she recognized him.
Mujtaba recognized her immediately because of he eyes.
Mujtaba stared at her, confusion flickering in his usually unreadable face. He took slow, measured steps toward her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low, cautious but firm.
Noor turned to face him fully. Her eyes wide with surprise. Her lips parted slightly behind the veil.Oh no... It's that same scary guy.
"I... I came to return something," she stammered, holding out the small box. "There was a mistake. I think your.... your aunt? Mother? I don't know... she bought jewelry from the shop where I went to fix my watch. Our boxes got switched.
Mujtaba looked at the box. Then at her. His brows furrowed slightly as he took the box from her hands.
He opened it. Gold shimmered under the dim light.
The guards stayed silent.
"She came from the shop?" Mujtaba asked one of them.
They nodded. "Yes, sir. She said she followed the car to return this."
Mujtaba turned to her again. "You followed the car?"
She lowered her eyes. "Yes. I didn't want to... I mean, I couldn't just keep it. It didn't belong to me.
Mujtaba looked at her for a moment longer. Then he stepped back slightly and said, voice calm but firm,"Come inside."
"I... no, it's okay. I just came to return it," she said quietly, stepping back a little.
But Mujtaba's voice immediately sharpened—just enough to slice through the evening air.
"I said, come inside."
The guards instantly shifted into attention. Noor froze on the spot. Her breath hitched. It was a command.
He didn't glance back.
The grand gates opened again, this time for her. She walked behind him, her sandals tapping softly against the marble tiles of the long driveway.
As they entered the enormous main hall, Noor's breath caught.
Chandeliers. Marble floors. Stained glass windows. A staircase that looked like it belonged in a palace.
It wasn't just a house—it was another world.
Mujtaba handed the box to a butler and said,"Give this to Ammi and tell her the girl who gave it is here."
The butler nodded and disappeared upstairs.
His eyes scanned her, but not in a disrespectful way—more like he was still trying to figure her out.
"Why'd you really come back?" he asked.
Noor blinked, confused. "I… told you. To return what wasn't mine."
"No one would've known. You could've kept it."
Her gaze didn't falter."I would've known. And Allah."
That answer hit something deep in him. Something old. Something buried.
Before he could respond, footsteps echoed from the upper floor.
His mother appeared, holding the box now properly returned to her hands. Her eyes landed on Noor—and they lit up.
"You?" she said, surprised but clearly pleased.
Noor quickly lowered her head. "I'm so sorry, aunty. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
Mujtaba's mother walked up with a warm smile. "No, no, you didn't. In fact, you did the opposite. Thank you, beta. This could've been lost forever. You're a very honest girl."
Noor could only nod, awkwardly fumbling with the edge of her sleeve.
Mujtaba's mother turned to the maids. "Get her some water at least. She must've come far."
Mujtaba didn't say anything, just gave a small nod and gestured toward the nearby lounge.
"Come. Sit."
Noor hesitated again.
But this time, she obeyed quietly.
She followed him into the lounge, each step making her heartbeat throb in her ears.
Mujtaba's mother handed her the watch...Ayesha's watch.
"Jazakallah khair, Aunty," she whispered.
Meanwhile, Mujtaba sat quietly, his eyes fixed on her.
Noor, sensing the silence, kept her eyes low. But Mujtaba's unwavering gaze didn't go unnoticed.
His mother noticed it too and smiled.
Then came the call. Mujtaba's mom stepped aside to answer, leaving the two alone.
Noor slowly looked up when she felt his stare but Mujtaba immediately lowered his gaze.
Noor rolled her eyes, the gesture subtle but deadly. It said "Grow up, you expensive statue. Dinosaur hmph"
"Huda,"he said softly.
Her gaze snapped toward him.
He met her eyes now.
"Hmm. Noor ul Huda," he added, repeating her name.
Noor's brows furrowed, her head tilting slightly as if to say, "Excuse me? You on drugs?"
Mujtaba smirked a little, sensing her reaction.
"By the way I'm Mujtaba."
She blinked once. Then twice and then narrowed her eyes "No one asked."
Mujtaba was caught off guard. No one literally no one had talked to him like that. He smirked.