Lahat ng Kabanata ng If I Take a Chance: Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

It is our choices that show who we truly are far more than our abilities.~Professor Dumbledore, The chamber of secrets.  ••Warning: This chapter contains words/paragraphs that may be triggering to some readers. Read discretion as adviced.  This chapter will reveal most of the why's in the book. •• Noor stared at her Baba from across the dining table, taking notice of the stiffness of his jaw.It was one of the many saturday breakfasts they had together but his wife was absent today, making it almost bearable for her. If only her Baba wasn't intent on making conversations today, all would be w

We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the path we choose to act on. That's who we really are.~Sirius Black, Order of the phoenix •• Marwan was tired, like fall-down-on-the-bed-and-never-wake-up-till-the-next-week kinda tired. After an all-nighter at the office, all he wanted to do was sleep off his exhaustion. And he had gotten his wish right until Noor had called him. He had set up a custom ringtone for her like a cheesy teenager so even through the haze of sleep, he knew it was her.Scrambling to a sitting position, groaning when his head hit the headboard, he swiped the answer key and pressed the phone to his ear."Hey beautiful," he greeted through a yawn. "How are you today?""I

What is life without a little risk?~Sirius Black, The order of the phoenix •• His jaw clenched tightly, a muscle on his eye twitching involuntarily. Arms folded across his broad chest, Bashir Belko stared at his only daughter with such anger, Nadia was suprised he hadn't blown up.  His eyes had been focused on the ornate table which held his phone and reading glasses but when he raised his cold, calculative eyes on her, Nadia had wished he had kept his gaze on the table.  It had been long since she'd seen him that angry and if there was anything that terrified her, it was seeing her father angry even though most days, he was always angry.

There is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it. ~Lord Voldemort, The sorcerer's stone •• January, 2009South Africa Al'amir Belko woke up with a start, wiping a hand over his face as he tried to gain his bearings. Despite the Aircon on full blast, he was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, his body shaking–from what, he couldn't remember.  Each breath of his was released with great difficulty he wondered if he was about to suffer a stroke. But it couldn't be possible, he was at peak health, despite the condition he was still in after the

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.~Professor Dumbledore •• The picturesque view of the vast blue sea towering over the promenade had her breath catching in her throat. There was something about the sea that always called to her wherever she was. There was something familiar and homey about being amidst people wearing the same Abaya like her. Even though some have rebelled from the usual black color and adopted different pastel, beige or other fashionable colors.  It was fascinating seeing so many different Abaya-cladded women, each lavishly and outrageously decorated with faux fur, swarovski crystals, pearls, emb

After all this time?~Albus Dumbledore, The deathly hallows •• Noor sat a café, gaze on her necklace as she tried hard to decipher her feels. She had felt disoriented when she remembered everything from that year at Ecuador and she still had no idea how to feel about the boy–man–who had given her the bracelet. What would she do if they were to meet now? Would he expect her to keep her promise to him? What if he has forgotten about her just as she had forgotten about him? What if he doesn't remember asking her to make that promise to him? Eeek, she shuddered. Who even asks an eight year old to keep her firsts for him? What was he

It matters not what someone is born but what they grow to be.~Professor Dumbledore, The goblet of fire. •• Noor dragged her feet, her gait ridiculously slow as she headed towards her Jaddah's suite. As much as she wanted to have alone time with her Jaddah, she dreaded what she wanted to talk to her about this late in the evening.She lifted her head high, ignoring the looks and mutterings that followed her as she walked deeper into the Dar. It was nothing new to her, and she had grown a thick skin to it.When she made it to a set of doors that led to her Jaddah's suite, Doha appeared out of nowhere to direct her towards the back of the rooms, where her Jaddah was already seated inside a tent, overlooking a pool.With the sun so hot,

It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies. But just as much to stand up to your friends.~Albus Dumbledore, The sorcerer's stone. •• Nadia was bone tired and weary of their dance. It had worn her out and now, she was just done.  From the balcony of their living room, she could hear her father rage and rant to their grandparents for her decision to call off another engagement while Khaleed stood like a stone, flinching at the vitriol her father spoke with as if every word was a lashing to his skin.  She nearly scoffed at his reaction when all that was happening was his fault to begin with. 

Oh dear, we are in trouble.~Argus Filch, The chamber of secrets. •• Marwan sighed as he slowed his car in front of their gate, leaning his head on the steering wheel. It was one of those days–the work until you're about to drop dead kinda day. Between meetings with the board, helping women seek for their rights, and taking on new cases, Marwan was sure he was about to explode. It was a wonder that he hadn't taken adderall to help him focus. And the fact that he had a meeting with Al'amir Belko this evening, didn't help matters. It worried him that the man has requested a meeting after office hours, specifically requesting that Marwan was the one he met with. What was it about? Also, how could he look

When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love. ~Albus Dumbledore, The half-blood prince. •• Noor sat besides her father, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest, the steady beeping of the monitors, a background noise that seemed to dull the white noise within her head. She hadn't moved from her position, ever since she had been brought to the hospital, afraid that if she moved or blinked, he would stop breathing. And so, there she sat, sentry besides his hospital bed, hoping that the angel of death wouldn't come for him now. They still had a lot to do, words to say and a lot of patching up to do. They hadn't been father and daughter for a long time and now, all she wanted, all she