Hina looked at the person standing before her.
Her body was fully covered in black fabric, her face hidden beneath a veil, only her eyes visible. The figure waved cheerfully.
"Helloooo!" the unknown figure called. "I saw you were with Asim. Is he training you?"
"Yes," Hina replied, her voice cautious. "My mentor left me with him so he could train me."
The figure laughed softly. "Did he annoy you? Or anything? I can give him a good beating if he did."
She punched her palm lightly, trying to look intimidating—but it only came off as playful.
Hina waved dismissively. "No, he was okay…"
The figure chuckled, then slowly facepalmed. "Ah, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mera. And you?"
"Hina," she said quietly.
Mera's eyes widened behind her veil, and she jumped slightly. "Hina? Such a beautiful name!"
Before Hina could respond, Mera pulled her into a hug. Hina flinched but sighed and accepted it—she wasn't used to such cheerful people.
When Mera pulled back, Hina's gaze drifted to her clothing.
"Why are you fully covered?" she asked, curiosity evident in her tone.
Mera chuckled. "It's a niqab! Heard of it?"
Hina frowned. "A… what?"
Mera exhaled, clearly used to the question. "It's religious clothing."
Hina tilted her head. "Oh… like a monk?" A memory of monks from old cartoons flashed in her mind.
Mera laughed loudly. "Ooo, that's a new one."
Hina noticed how large Mera's eyes were behind the niqab.
"You shouldn't worry too much," Mera said gently. "The only thing you need to know is: no man is allowed to see me, unless we're related."
"Oh… alright," Hina murmured, slowly processing the information.
"And how do you know Asim?" she asked.
Mera sighed, annoyed but amused. "We're blood-related cousins. Practically his sister."
Hina raised an eyebrow. "How do you know you're blood-related?"
Mera stared at her for a long moment. "You don't want to know…"
Before Hina could press further, a voice called from afar.
"Mera?"
Asim approached, frowning. "What are you doing here?"
Mera groaned dramatically. "You went off leaving this poor girl alone. Shame on you!" She poked his chest with a mock huff.
Asim groaned, irritated. "It's none of your business."
Mera poked harder. "How dare you! Don't you feel shameful, you meanie!"
Asim looked down at her. "Don't you have training to do, Mera?"
"Ohh, when did Mister Asim start caring, huh?" she teased.
Hina stood between them, unsure what to do, caught in the middle of their banter.
A voice called Mera from afar. She sighed. "Alright, alright."
She turned to Hina. "If this big brick wall does anything that even slightly saddens you, tell me. I'll deal with him personally."
Asim rubbed his face. "Just go already."
Mera held her hand up in front of Asim, wiggled her middle finger, before leaving.
Asim groaned, but Hina couldn't help but catch a small smile on his face.
Even with the banter, they clearly cared for each other.
Training resumed.
Hina's attacks were repeatedly blocked by Asim.
"Your swings are getting better," he said, following up with a counter hit. She blocked it, breathing heavily.
"But your focus is bad," he added, disarming her again. Her katana clattered to the ground.
"Ugh… you're killing me," Hina gasped, clutching her chest, on the brink of collapse.
"Take a break," Asim said, sitting on the grass.
Hina lays down, trying to regain her breath. Slowly, she felt the burn fade and her lungs steady.
"Where did you go?" she asked quietly.
Asim glanced at the distant training field. "Go where?"
"Before Mera came and talked to me, your phone buzzed and you just left…"
He seemed thoughtful. "To pray."
Hina studied him, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Wait… you're like that thing I've seen on the news… Muslims?"
He looked at her dryly. "Yeah, Muslims."
"My dad used to tell me about Muslim people. About how people lied about their beliefs and names," she said,a glint of curiosity in her eyes.
For the first time, Asim looked at Hina, listening.
"Your father is smarter than most people," he said softly.
He paused, gazing back toward the training field. "At least you're not blinded by the news like most people, huh."
Hina nodded.
"So… Mera is your cousin, right?"
He turned to her. "Yeah, she's my older cousin."
Hina blinked. "Older?! How old are you?"
He thought for a moment. "I think I turned 19 this year."
Hina's mind reeled. No way… he looks older, like late twenties.
"Arabian genes, I'll tell you that," Asim said with a sigh, standing.
"Come on. Let's get back to training. You need to keep your focus while fighting, Hina."
He handed her the katana and summoned his curved sword once more.