Click.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTX4GEuPso
A lone white bulb shone dimly on the ceiling of the bathroom, its weak light accentuating Bayan's eyebags and the jagged white scar crossing her cheek. Her eyes were half-open as she went through the motions, splashing cold water onto her face with familiarity. Quietly, she made sure the door closed without a sound. Her footsteps were soft, cat-like, as she padded toward her room and locked the door with the same cautious precision.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFd4Gqyf13
"Assalamualaikum wa rahmatu Allah."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rPf0X8eKR
Her back slouched inward, head bowed close to her chest as her lips moved continuously, reciting the after-prayer dhikr. The bedroom would have been pitch-black were it not for the small light coming from the window. Her back thanked her as she lay her head on the prayer mat, too tired to return to bed.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnftO0JrF3
Suddenly, the door creaked. Bayan's breath hitched. Panic snapped her upright-
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUe13wjz0S
- but it was only her calico cat, Mshmsh, padding toward her sprawled form and sniffing her face. Her lips curved into a smile as she reached out to pat him.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB7Cq6kBxL
"Mshmoosha, you scared me," she whisper-yelled.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeqNp0JwqG
She stroked Mshmsh's soft, multicolored fur while finishing her morning adhkar.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9W6PJSpyKo
"Subhanallah wa bi hamdih," she whispered, the words landed softer than she felt, and for a moment the world narrowed to her breath and the warm, comforting weight of Mshmsh curling against her palm. When, suddenly, he bit her, causing her to squeek. "Oh you menace!"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9xjyOPaa5
Then she stood, opened the curtains, and began getting ready for college.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyQeJEx2Qr
..
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrOtiveluS
Behind her door, Bayan stood with one ear pressed to the grain of the wood, one hand flat against her chest as if it could steady the drumming of her heartbeat. Footsteps resounding in the house was a pattern she'd learned years ago: the careful tempo of his shoes down the hall meant he was leaving and the slow drag meant he was awake and pacing. Even the smallest creak sounded like thunder.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5ohRUSaix
In their home, silence ruled. Avoidance was common occurrence. Arguments were one-sided, and shouts were close friends.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWn98gZJ38d
She let her shoulder rest against the door and closed her eyes. The digits on her clock blinked 7:00 a.m. like a mild accusation. A sharp breath escaped her.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhYPXcHaBH
Her mind wandered to the reason her thoughts were so jumbled today.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfJm461gNKn
A month ago, Bayan had bought a niqab. On the outside, one might think it was an impulsive decision, but it had been a product of years of yearning. If her father ever saw it, everything would be exposed. Not just the fabric, but the way she had begun choosing God over his image of a "Perfect Ordinary Family." POF for short. She inwardly rolled her eyes.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAMwADQSf8
Bayan pressed her lips together, eyes wandering, thinking of the hundreds of ways this could go wrong. Mshmsh, who had been waiting at the window, padded over quietly and brushed her foot. The sound of the cat's purr filled her uneasy heart with comfort. Bayan crouched to stroke him, whispering Allahu Akbar under her breath and pulling the fragile rope of her courage taut.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXj3HiMlgnP
Allahu Akbar. A reminder that God is greater than fear, greater than fathers, greater than masks-seen or unseen. And He, Al-Latif, The Subtle, would make it easier.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ptgYEyxO4
Down the hall was the clinking of cutlery - her father downstairs, moving through the morning with his usual precision. The man who built a company had also built a family that looked flawless from the outside. Appearances first, feelings later. His hands were calm when greeting clients, quick and cold when correcting "undignified" behavior at home.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYNJhMsA7c
Holding her breath, she cracked her closet open and tucked the niqab into the sleeve of her sweater. Her hands trembled as she folded the black cloth. Before she could finish dressing, the front door slammed below, and his voice , low, clipped, the one he used when he meant business, cut through the air.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHah5CZALBm
"Bayan."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8kUyIkMyP
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdOBwHP7G6
Her feet took her to the stairs, despite the grimace that formed on her face. "Yes, Baba?" She decided on a mildly cheery lilt for today, trying to clear the air after the last time she was lectured for 'looking sad'.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3ObSLv3Dl
He was waiting for her at the stairwell, making her feel like she was late for some important meeting: suit jacket thrown on, tie loosened, the after-smell of cologne. His eyes skimmed her the way people check a room before guests arrive.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJ1L9mArcs
"Your uncle is coming this afternoon," he said. "He's bringing his son. You'll be downstairs. Presentable. Understood?"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOHuSn7qib
Bayan nodded. She could've asked why. She could've said she didn't want to, but the niqab in her sleeve reminded her of consequences.
"Yes, Baba."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EyTvsH1CY
His gaze paused on her long black skirt that she'd swapped with her usual pants. Her throat dried. He stepped closer, his hand gripping her shoulder.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWh7AtzX0V
"College?" he asked.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQa3azdAGo6
"College," she echoed.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4DT9mZVTH
"Don't be late."
He turned and left, the front door clicking shut with a thud.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOK7Jb03Bw
When the house stilled again, she joined Mshmsh by the mirror. She smoothed her hijab until her heartbeat steadied, a nervous ritual she never outgrew. Then, at the last possible moment, she lifted the niqab and tied it across her face with practiced precision.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiz5jtfqZp
Outside, the street hummed awake. Bayan inhaled the morning air and tasted relief. She had made a choice her father didn't know about. Protecting that choice would be another form of struggle.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXzXMGVGy8
With Mshmsh trailing behind her, she locked her door, checked it twice, and stepped into the day.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHXpJWsMGh
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKUrtGT11n
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qPzxTmJYo
BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!!
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOfmoDwNZT
Omar's hand flailed in the dark like a dying fish.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eT7sqVlgF
"Aughhhhh..."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7cCRjTqiY
BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!!
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSm2tBuBGLr
"Shhhhhh!"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5g9UPAEy18
His palm hit something plastic. Then -
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPjD6YYq8V
CRASH—CLANG—BANG.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb1re7Znwy
Silence.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTmWNvxFlu
A beat later, hurried footsteps slapped against the tile. The smell of boiling eggs drifted in, along with the unmistakable sound of a mother on the brink.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggyvusZMrI
"Omar!" Mrs. Noury burst in like a thunderstorm, galabeya bundled up in one hand, wooden spoon cocked in the other like a weapon of mass maternal destruction. "This is the third alarm clock this month, you lazy bum!"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPvGh3Vbu6
She didn't wait for permission, she kicked the door fully open and marched in.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKlGDjSD6H
"Get up! GET UP!"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnhFtM1kiJ
Smack.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcDe0fwEmEy
Smack.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsxMYDJURi
"Ow, Mama! Five minutes. Just five!"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNVa7uD4xD
Omar curled around his blanket as if it were the last warm thing on Earth. His voice was gravelly with sleep, breath sour, hair sticking up like an electrocuted hedge.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rkvmusXtf
"Ya Allah, Omar, you are my biggest test," she snapped, ripping the blanket from his fingers. "Did you even pray fajr? Or do I have to wake you up even when I don't have to pray?!"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzEofmG1FL
He grunted, rubbing his eyes with both hands as if trying to erase the entire morning.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTti97dVyFG
"Mama, for the love of God, let one day - ONE DAY - pass without a lecture."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEivkRuJNrE
He half-stood, half-slid off the bed, stumbling toward the bathroom. His slippers slapped weakly against the floor - slip, slap, drag - like even they were disappointed in him.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabB6cXAyBG
Mrs. Noury stood amidst the carnage of his room: socks that may or may not still be alive, piles of papers he swore he'd study "tomorrow," and three broken alarm carcasses in the trash.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHR7mAVNrwY
She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpSSOpZEnk
"Ya Allah... guide my son... and give me the patience not to strangle him."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDyNUZeeYKa
Then her eyes widened.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqT3OFfRP1
"The eggs!"
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2Br5eF1GQ
She bolted back to the kitchen in a panic.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwhoVA4gM6
Inside the bathroom, Omar splashed cold water on his face and stared at his reflection. Droplets clung to his jaw, dripping into the collar of the shirt he'd slept in. He looked tired. Not physically - emotionally.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyKHg9Qp8J
He frowned at his own eyes and muttered to the mirror, barely audible:
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEF6hkxl23n
"...I didn't pray fajr."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PPi6LS3hT
Guilt tugged at his ribs. It always did, every morning, right after he overslept and right before he convinced himself he'd "try harder tomorrow." Except, he doesn't try harder, he doesn't even try. His eyes burned...
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqAFSZwRttr
"Whatever," he muttered, turning off the tap. "Later. I'll... fix it later."
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJk8ivixszx
He stepped out to find his mother glaring at the pot of water now foaming aggressively over the stove. She didn't look at him, but he felt the disappointment radiating from her back like heat. Another day begun in chaos. Another day he'd probably waste. Another day he promised, not out loud, but deeply, secretly - that he'd do better.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQnaaMgtJh
Just... not this morning.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDk19cF1WR
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGnmldaypPa
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2Sq89skxG
With her niqab gently flowing in the morning breeze, Bayan stood on the pavement, waiting for her Uber. The sky was pale and soft, still waking up. Under the thin fabric, her lips moved quietly with dhikr, swiftly and unevenly, like beads falling from a necklace. But no matter how much she tried to anchor herself in remembrance, her mind kept circling back to her father's expression. The way his eyes paused on her skirt, sharp and assessing.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiDMSXdOEI
He saw it.
He never misses anything.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2J0q0b9LWk
Her thumb pressed lightly into her palm. Would he really forbid her from wearing a skirt? From being more modest? Would he go that far?
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRZw3UTfDt
A car rolled up to the curb, humming to a stop. The suddenness of it jolted her thoughts into stillness.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCOROsixlI
Bayan opened the door and murmured, "Assalamualaikum," before settling into the back seat. The door clicked shut, sealing her in with the lingering scent of cheap citrus air freshener and the quiet hum of the AC.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDmZBwWI3U
She laid her head against the window, exhaling.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPi1iNfA6E
Then she noticed it. The driver's gaze flicking to her in the rearview mirror.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWO4sF4xR2
Again.
And again.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUAeXqjDTY
Her stomach folded in on itself.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZdqbGfFWAp
Astaghfirullah, she scolded herself, tearing her gaze away from the mirror. Don't assume the worst. Maybe he's just thinking. Maybe he's not even looking at you.
But the unease and annoyance stayed. A familiar, unwelcome companion.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgRFyR74nQb
The streets slipped by outside, a smear of color and motion. Downtown Cairo's old buildings pulled at her attention. Ornate balconies, carved shutters, chipped stone buildings - they looked alive, lived-in, altered by generations. She always admired them from inside cars, her eyes catching every small detail.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8VNiZd9kS
A bump in the road made her blink out of her thoughts.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyv16sSkAub
Then the car jerked to a stop.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF1o1zUZ0g
"Ya Hajjah*," the driver snapped, thrusting his phone over his shoulder with the fare glaring back at her.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FjYSGsgUG
*Hajjah - old lady
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3ie52Ifl5
Heat rushed to her face. She bit her lip, brows furrowed while fumbling with her bag.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkMLF9Q1m0
"Oh. Sorry, sorry. Here you go. Salam," she murmured, far too quickly, and slipped out of the car in a flustered blur.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHRWK9zapcD
The door shut behind her with a hollow thud, leaving her alone on the bustling sidewalk, breath catching slightly under her niqab.
66Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHya7xTCQnN
Bayan lowered her gaze, steadied her breath, and stepped toward the campus gates. Another day, another struggle.
ns216.73.216.204da2
and then Add to home screen.