HER CRUSH

Chapter52

Zarah...
Around 2:00 pm, we were having lunch when the news came that Ummi would be returning to Abba's house and the marriage would be restored on Friday, insha Allah.

I noticed immediately....Abdul's reaction was not joy, not relief. It was something heavier. His spoon scraped against his plate without lifting anything to his mouth. He stared at the rice like it had betrayed him.

"Abdullah, come back here!" Ummi called when he stood up suddenly.

He turned slightly, eyes downcast. "Ummi, wallah, I'm full."

"Come back here," she repeated, voice sharp with motherly warning.

He looked up at her but didn't sit.

"What's the problem?" she asked, now frowning.

"Wala shay, Ummi," he said softly, pushing his plate farther away.

"Oya, start eating," Ummi encouraged, but Abdul's appetite was gone. He'd only managed four spoonfuls before leaving the table.

I excused myself and followed him. "Abdul, please wait! I'm tired of walking fast," I called, panting a little and holding my stomach.

He turned, eyes softening as he caught my arm to steady me. "What's wrong?"

"I should be asking you that. Where are you heading?"

He hesitated, then said simply, "Somewhere. And you're coming with me."

"Somewhere?" I echoed, suspicious.

"Let's go, Zarah, please. We need to hurry."

I sighed and slid into the passenger seat. Abdul got in, started the engine, and said nothing.

We drove in silence until he suddenly pulled over at a roadside stall, bought yogurt and doughnuts, and handed them to me.

"Eat this. You haven't finished your food, and you must be hungry," he said gently.

"Abdul, I'm okay. You're the one who needs this, not me."

He shook his head. "I'm okay too."

I stared at him. "Where are we going?"

He gave a vague shrug. "Somewhere."

I crossed my arms. "I don't like this your 'somewhere.' And I don't like you acting so cool."

He gave a small, humorless smile. "Just eat."

I took a bite of the doughnut anyway, muttering, "Yeah, I'm hungry."

He hummed and kept driving.

The road narrowed until we reached a quiet, almost hidden clearing. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance.

"Abdul, what are we doing here?" I asked, curiosity rising.

He cut off the engine, stepped out, and whispered, "Shhhh, no more questions, please. Let's go."

I followed him slowly. The air here was different...heavier, quieter.

He held my hands, his grip warm but tense. "You know, I used to come here whenever I felt lonely."

We walked to a wooden bench under an old tree and sat. He tilted his head up to the sky, and for the first time since lunch, his mask slipped.

"You know, Zarah..." His voice was low, rough.

"When Abba divorced Ummi, we were treated badly. They made us feel like trash. Abba abandoned us.

They tried to drive me mad. They insulted us, maltreated us..." He exhaled, eyes fixed on a point far away. "I was only nine or ten years old then."

I reached out and put my hand over his. "Abdul..."

He forced a fake smile, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. "Tell me, Zarah, why do you think they've come back now, seeing that we can stand on our own feet? They're definitely planning something to harm Ummi. Ummi won't understand; their next target is to..."

He trailed off. His jaw worked like he was swallowing glass.

I squeezed his hand. "Abdul, breathe. You don't have to carry this alone."

He chuckled dryly. "I'm not carrying it alone. You're here now." He glanced sideways at me. "Even though you're a scaredy-cat."

I rolled my eyes. "This is not the time for teasing."

He shrugged. "That's how I survive, Zarah. Teasing keeps me from breaking."

For a while we just sat there, the sound of birds and the rustle of leaves wrapping around us.

"Some years back," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper, "we were all living a good and happy life... but then everything changed."

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "Tell me when you're ready. I'm not going anywhere."

He covered my hand with his. "I know. And maybe that's why I brought you here. So you'd know my shadows before you see more of my light."

I didn't speak. I just held him tighter, and for the first time since lunch, his breathing eased.

So Abdul is ready to tell his story to zarah.
Yeah,all ears on you Abdul👂🏻😂

Shortest chapter
Manage this please😇
Ummeetarh05