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10. Embracing New Beginnings

With those words, he turned and walked away, leaving Mashal standing alone beneath the stars, her heart in her throat and her thoughts swirling in a thousand directions. She knew this was only the beginning—the beginning of something that neither of them could control. Something that was already too deep to walk away from.

Mashal took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Hassan," she called softly, causing him to pause mid-step. "Maybe... maybe we should just pray Istikhara and leave it to Allah. He will decide what's best for us."

For a moment, there was only silence. Hassan didn't turn around, but the tension in his shoulders told her that he had heard her. Then, without another word, he disappeared into the night, leaving Mashal beneath the sky, her heart heavy with the weight of unspoken prayers and unanswered questions.

 Mashal stood rooted to the spot, the cool night air wrapping around her like a comforting blanket, yet her heart raced as if it were trying to escape.

 Hassan's words echoed in her mind, each syllable a haunting reminder of the tension that hung between them. She could still see the way his expression had shifted when he spoke about safety and distance.

 What was it that he feared? The uncertainty loomed over her like a shadow, and the curiosity gnawed at her. As she finally turned to rejoin her family, her thoughts remained tangled in the emotions of their encounter. 

The laughter and chatter from the courtyard felt distant now, as if she were watching a scene play out behind a foggy glass. 

She tried to focus, to engage with her family, but her mind kept drifting back to Hassan's eyes—so intense, so full of secrets. 

 "Where were you?" Danish asked as she approached, his brow furrowed in concern. 

"You disappeared for a while." "I just needed some air," Mashal replied, forcing a smile. "It's a lovely evening." 

 "Looks like you were deep in thought," he teased lightly, but she could sense the underlying worry in his voice.

 She shrugged, not wanting to reveal the storm brewing inside her. "Just thinking about things." As the night wore on, the family settled into a rhythm of stories and laughter, but Mashal felt a growing sense of unease. 

She stole glances at Hassan, who sat across the courtyard with his siblings, a silent observer to the joyful chaos. His presence was magnetic, drawing her gaze against her will.

 Finally, as the evening came to a close and the stars twinkled brightly above, the family began to disperse, everyone retreating to their rooms, filled with the warmth of the evening's shared moments.

 Mashal found herself lingering at the door, glancing back at Hassan, who was now standing alone, deep in thought once again.

 "Mashal," Dadi called softly from behind her, interrupting her reverie. "Come on, it's late. You should get some rest." 

 Reluctantly, she turned to follow her Dadi inside but couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had shifted between her and Hassan. A part of her wanted to reach out, to bridge the gap that seemed to widen every time they spoke. 

 Later that night, she decided to pray Istikhara, knowing that her Lord knows best and would surely guide her. In her heart, she whispered her hopes and fears, asking for clarity about the feelings that had begun to bloom between her and Hassan. 

 Meanwhile, Hassan too took a moment in the solitude of his room to seek guidance. He knelt in prayer, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on him. "O Allah, grant me clarity," he implored. "Guide me toward what is best for me and Mashal, and grant me a sign to show me the way."