Miss Nayab walked to the front of the class again and wrote on the board:
"Pakistan is not complete without Kashmir."
She explained how the history of Kashmir was tied to Pakistan's identity, and why it remained such a sensitive issue. Her words stirred something deep in the class.
"Every Pakistani student must understand the price of freedom," she said.
"Freedom is not given. It is earned… protected… and sometimes, lost when we become careless."
The words hit Aleena like a wave. "Earned… and protected…"
She looked at the class cupboard—the same place where the creepy girl had hidden something.
Minahil, sitting beside her, followed her gaze.
"You're thinking about it again?" she whispered.
Aleena nodded slowly.
Fatima Noor leaned over. "You think… there's something behind that cupboard?"
Minahil replied, "Or… someone?"
Miss Nayab, completely unaware, continued:
"As Allama Iqbal said,
خودی کو کر بلند اتنا کہ ہر تقدیر سے پہلے
خدا بندے سے خود پوچھے، بتا تیری رضا کیا ہے؟
'Raise your self-worth so high that before destiny is written, God Himself asks what you desire.'"
A Peaceful Pause
When the period ended, the bell rang softly. But for once, it wasn't just a signal for chaos. It felt like a moment of reflection.
As the girls stood to stretch and chat…
Mehak whispered to Humna, "That was actually deep."
Hijab, Eman nodded. "Yeah… even though I didn't understand half of it."
Fizza , Noor smiled. "Let's just pretend we're emotionally intelligent."