After passing the solicitors' exams with distinction and landing this new job, Aleena felt a new stage of her life was beginning. Her aunt Farah Naz told her: "Soon, Zara, you are going to be a formidable force."
On the evening of 26 June 2022, Aleena met a friend at a local pub, the Great Spoon of Ilford. They had dinner and a drink there before moving on to a bar, where Aleena drank water. Around 2am, they left. The friend got in a cab, but Aleena walked; she was close to home and it was a warm evening. When her other aunt, Smaira Naz, imagines her walking that night, she thinks of how Aleena always had a spring in her step. "She had this bounce when she walked - it was lovely, so much energy," she says. "Walking made her feel free."
This story is from the January 20, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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This story is from the January 20, 2023 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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