The Things We Never Said

"I'm telling you, if I become a lawyer, my first case will be against my own father.”

Hoor nearly choked on her drink.

“You can't sue your father because he told you to come home before ten.”

“I can if I'm a lawyer.”

“That is not how the legal system works.”

Meher didn't even look up from her phone.

Hoor pointed at her.

“Thank you.”

Meher finally looked up.

“I wasn't defending your father. I was correcting Inaya.”

Inaya stared at both of them.

“You two are supposed to be my friends.”

“We are,” Hoor said. “That's why we're correcting you for free.”

Rida laughed.

Sana shook her head.

“You've been sitting here for fifteen minutes and you've already started arguing.”

“We're not arguing,” Hoor said.

She looked at Inaya.

“We're preparing her for her future career.”

Inaya smiled.

“You're all ridiculous.”

“Yet you invited us.”

“Biggest mistake of my life.”

“Too late,” Rida said. “We're permanent.”

They all laughed.

Five girls.

Five completely different personalities.

And somehow, it worked.

---

Inaya looked at her phone.

6:42 PM.

Her father's message was still sitting at the top.

Where are you?

She sighed.

Hoor leaned across the table.

“Your warden?”

“My father.”

“Ah.”

Hoor immediately sat straight.

“Inspector uncle.”

Inaya rolled her eyes.

“He's not going to arrest you.”

“He's a police officer. He has the equipment.”

“He's my father.”

“Exactly. That's worse.”

Rida laughed.

Inaya typed a reply.

I'm with the girls. I'll be home soon.

The reply came almost immediately.

How soon?

She stared at the screen.

Then typed:

Soon.

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

Finally:

That word has never meant anything good when you use it.

Inaya smiled despite herself.

Her father was impossible.

Protective.

Strict when he needed to be.

And somehow the person she trusted most in the world.

She put her phone down.

“I have to go.”

Hoor gasped dramatically.

“Betrayal.”

“My father is waiting.”

“Fine,” Hoor said. “But if you become a famous lawyer, remember that we supported you before you were famous.”

Meher added, “We didn't.”

“Meher!”

“I support facts.”

Rida stood.

“I'll walk with you.”

“No, stay. It's getting dark.”

Rida raised an eyebrow.

“I know.”

“Then why are you coming?”

“Because I'm your friend.”

Inaya smiled.

That was Rida.

No speeches.

No questions.

Just there.

Always.

---

They walked out together.

The street outside was quieter than usual.

Inaya noticed it immediately.

“Where is everyone?”

Rida looked around.

“Maybe the world finally got tired of Hoor.”

“Very funny.”

They laughed.

Then Meher stopped.

“Wait.”

Everyone turned.

She was staring across the road.

“What?”

Meher pointed toward a small shop.

“Do you know that car?”

A dark sedan was parked near the corner.

Inaya looked at it.

“No.”

“Neither do I.”

Hoor shrugged.

“Congratulations. We've discovered a car.”

Meher ignored her.

“The same car was outside college this morning.”

Inaya looked at her.

“You're sure?”

“Same number plate.”

The joking stopped.

Rida looked toward the car.

“Can you read the plate from here?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Because unlike Hoor, I have functioning eyes.”

“Excuse me?”

Sana stepped between them.

“Guys.”

The car suddenly started moving.

Slowly.

It passed them.

Nobody spoke.

Inaya watched it disappear around the corner.

Something about it bothered her.

She didn't know why.

“Maybe it's nothing,” Sana said quietly.

“Probably,” Inaya replied.

Rida nodded.

“Probably.”

Hoor smiled.

“So... are we still going for ice cream?”

Everyone stared at her.

“What?” she said. “Fear makes me hungry.”

They burst out laughing.

And just like that, the tension disappeared.

Or at least they thought it had.

---

That night, Inaya sat at her desk.

Her law books were open in front of her.

She wasn't studying.

She was staring at an old photograph.

Her father was standing beside her in it.

She was twelve.

He was still in uniform.

She remembered that day perfectly.

She had told him:

“I'll become a lawyer.”

He had smiled.

“Then become a good one.”

“Not just good.”

She had lifted her chin.

“The best.”

He had laughed.

“Then you'll have to work for it.”

She smiled at the memory.

A knock came at the door.

Her father entered.

“You're still awake?”

“Studying.”

He looked at the untouched book.

“Of course.”

She smiled.

He sat on the edge of the bed.

“You're serious about law?”

“Very.”

“I know.”

He looked at her for a moment.

“Then don't just learn how to win arguments.”

She frowned.

“Why?”

“Learn when to speak.”

He paused.

“And when to stay silent.”

Inaya didn't understand what he meant.

Not yet.

Her father stood.

“Sleep.”

“Goodnight, Dad.”

He reached the door.

“Goodnight, lawyer.”

She smiled.

The door closed.

Inaya looked back at her books.

She had no idea that within a few weeks, she would have to use everything her father had ever taught her.

Not inside a courtroom.

But in a situation where the truth would be far more dangerous than she could imagine.

And when that happened—

She wouldn't be standing alone.

She would have four girls beside her.

Five against the world.

And none of them knew yet what they were about to become.