HIJABI ✔️

Chapter 2

Ruqayyah's POV

"SadaqAllahul Azim." I finalise and then close the Qur'an which I had been reading for about an hour.

"Should we go eat something? I'm kinda hungry." Aisha suggests when she notices that I am done with my recitation

"Sure, I'm actually hungry too."

"I know a very good halal restaurant not so far from here, where we can have dinner."

"Dinner? What time is it?" I turn to look at the clock on the bedroom wall.

"21:05 pm"

"Okay, we should get going." I say as I stand up to fix my hijab.

"We can go in my car," Aisha says walking towards her grey Mercedes, once we are out of the dorm.

"I feel like walking. If you don't mind, of course."

"Not at all. It's only a ten minutes walking distance." She asserted before leading the way.

I don't have a car yet, but I already have a driving license. I'm going to buy a car soon, In Shaa Allah, with the savings I earned from my summer job. I don't want my parents having to bring me and pick me up all the time.

"Here we are." She announces after a long silent walk.

I look up at the big letters stating "Mazzini Restaurant" and the Arabic letters next to it stating "حلال" (Halal). I guess this will be the restaurant I will be coming to from now on.

"Whoa..." I almost change my mind when I notice the many guys inside.

"This is for Brenox college students, hence it is so full. However, it's also the fact that we came too late." She explains.

"It's fine, let's go in." I shrug and walk inside.

I have absolutely nothing against men, I don't talk to them, but that does not mean I run away from them either.

Aisha takes the seats at the back, away from the crowded group of people. I join her and we both order two quarter chicken breast with chips and drink. The waiter brought us the cups first, and we could fill them up with as many drinks as we wanted. I'm already growing fond of this restaurant.

My phone beeps and it's a text message from my sister. I grab my phone to answer it.

"I'm going to get a drink, want some?" Aisha asks, gaining my attention.

"I'll go soon."

My sister was asking about my first day and my roommate. Her house is near BCH, around thirty minutes away by walk. My sister is someone I tell everything to, I could even call her my best friend. She never judged me in anything I told her.

After a long while, the waiter brings our orders and that's when I realise I should probably get off the phone.

"Is it because I'm hungry or this looks really yummy?" Aisha asks after the waiter had left.

"When you try it, it's going to be even yummier."

She never tried this dish, but I tempted her into trying it as it's my favourite.

"I'm going to get a drink." I tell her and she responds with a nod and a smile as  she devours her chicken with satisfaction.

I walk past two other tables on my way to the drinks. One of them was filled with girls only and the other one was a mix of both genders. I had a feeling that I knew one of the guys from somewhere today earlier, but that's not why I'm looking at him. He won't take his eyes off me, ever since I got up from my seat, he's been staring at me with a type of admiration look in his eyes.