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Chapter 1 : Please read here

~~~~~~ Chapter 2 ~~~~~~

That was yesterday.

When she needed him the most, he was not there for her. She knew she was being irrational. It was not his fault that he was not there when her parents had broken her dreams. It was not his fault that he was leaving when they had promised to study in the same university. It was not her parents’ fault that they were poor. It was not her parents fault too that she was the first born. It was not her parents faults that she had to sacrifice her dreams for her other siblings.

She understood all those things, but she could not stop her tears from flowing. Last night she was too numb to feel anything. She did not shed a single tear though her heart was shredded into tiny pieces. After listening to her parents, she just laid on the bed that she had to share with her two sisters, stared at the ceiling, numbed to the world. She did not sleep, not even a wink

His voice reminded her of the heartache. She knew that she had to tell him somewhat, but not now. Without consciously thinking where she was going, Lina found herself at the river bank. Her secret place whenever she wanted to get away from the rumbustious noise of her siblings. The special place where she would spend countless hours reading her books and dreaming of a better future. No one knew this place. Not even Hakim, well maybe she did told him once. But she never share it with him. This place was hers.

"Lina, what is wrong?" Suddenly she heard Hakim's voice. 

"How do know you this place?" Instead of answering him, she diverted the question with a question of her own. She tried to sound piss off instead of teary.

"You told me about it. Remember." Hakim said.

"Yes .....  but I never tell you exactly where it is". She pretended to tidy up the small space and avoided looking at Hakim.

"I followed you once, just out of curiosity and to make sure that you are safe". That was Hakim. He never intruded.

"Lina, I am sorry I did not tell you about my parents' decision to send me to UK. I know we made a promise to study together. But, they insisted that I study there with my brothers. You know how it is with Dad. Nothing can move him once he made a decision. It would be much easier to move a mountain than trying to change Dad's mind." Hakim's voice was a bit distance, like he was not there with her. He kept on shuffling his feet back and forth.

Lina did not say anything. What could she say? Both of them were paying for their parents' decisions.

"You know, five years are not that long. We can always send mails to each other" Hakim tried to reassure her. But there was a tremble in his voice.

After a pregnant silence, "I need to go Lina. I wish I can spend some more time with you and talk to you. But, there are a lot of things need to be done and packed. Mom insisted to have a sending off party this week at Grandma's house. So we are going to travel back to our hometown tomorrow. I will see you again before I fly off to the UK." Hakim waited for a few minutes for Lina to say something, but when she did not say anything, he left.

After she was sure that she was alone again, the tears trickled down her cheeks. Her body was wrecked with her silent sobs. She had a good cry. When there was no more tears, she made a vow to herself that no matter what, she would go a university one day. With that silent vow, she harden her heart and accepted her fate. After looking at this special place for one last time, because she knew deep in her heart, this would be the last time that she would be here, she left. She needed this place when she was a child with idyllic dream, and she left it as a grown up with heavy burdens on her shoulders.

She met Hakim one last time before he left for his study. It was just a brief meeting to say goodbye. He promised to write to her, she mumbled something. However, Hakim seemed too preoccupied with many things that he seemed to take her words as a promise too. 

On the day Hakim left for UK, she had gone to the City to attend a walk-in interview to work in a factory. That day their life changed irrevocably. 

------------------To be continued in Chapter 3 -----------------