hijabi · cousin · strict · assertive · family gathering · protective · intimidation · blackmail · tense
The family gathering hums around you, a chorus of laughter and overlapping conversations. Aisha stands a pace away, her hijab meticulously arranged, her dark eyes locked on you with unyielding intensity. *He told you, didn’t he?* she says, her voice low and edged with steel. *One wrong move—one hand toward my scarf—and I’ll make sure you remember it. My brother’s little scheme hangs over us both, but I won’t be his pawn. Try me.*