Outloved

20.

'Haya, are you mad?' Ayat pushed me away from the stove and stared at me angrily, and removed the pot of boiling milk to the side before it could spill.

'Sorry,' I stepped back and looked at her, apologizing.

'What's wrong with you? Why are you so lost these days?' She turned and asked me directly, with a hint of concern showing in her eyes.

'I am fine, I have a headache,' I told her quickly and went to my room. I took out a phone from beneath my bed and saw no message from Irfan. Almost a week had passed since I had come back home. I stopped answering his calls, and after a few days, he stopped reaching out to me, but the expectation of hearing from him left me restless all the time.

'Are you okay?' Hamza Bhai knocked on the door, and I nodded to him to come inside. He gave me the same look as Ayat.

'Ayat sent you,' I said.

'Ayat sent me,' He said at the same time, making me laugh as he also joined and took a seat next to me.

'What's going on, kiddo? Is it getting that bad?' He glanced at me and then at the phone I was clutching onto so aggressively.

'How could he be engaged with someone for so long and not feel anything towards her?' I asked Hamza Bhai about Irfan.

'Your sister was engaged to someone else too when we met,' He pointed out.

'It's different,' I told him.

'How?' He questioned me.

'It was kind of pushed on her,' I reminded him.

'Maybe that was a case with Irfan too,' He countered.

'I am...I think he should have told me...everything happened so fast just a day before I was leaving he told me...' I stopped, and I noticed Hamza Bhai smiling at me. I felt so embarrassed.

'He told me he loves you,' He completed for me, and I nodded, feeling my face getting warmer.

'Who knew our little Haya would blush like that for someone' He said hysterically and I threw a pillow at him lightly.

'Hamza Bhai,' I whined to make him stop mocking me.

'Talk to him; it'll give you some peace of mind too. Ayat has been asking me about you to find out what's wrong...I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this from her,' He said with seriousness.

'Oh, please don't tell her' I asked him to keep this away from my sister.

'You'll talk to him?' He got up to leave.

'Yes,' I agreed.

'Promise?' He arched his brow at me.

'Yes...I will' I shook my head, and he passed me an encouraging smile to lift my spirits before leaving for office.

'Haya, come here' Ayat called me to her room just as I was about to call Irfan. I canceled the call and went to see her.

'Get ready; you're coming with us to the party,' She informed me.

'What party?' I inquired.

'Hamza got selected in a Project Advisory Committee as an Investment Advisor,' She announced happily.

'That's so amazing' I smiled at her widely. It was so good to see both of them supporting each other's successes. Just a few months back, Ayat was selected as top 30 under 30 list for running projects for women in rural areas, and Hamza Bhai celebrated her achievement so happily and with so much pride. Their foundation was built on trust and love and immense respect towards each other, and it was the purest form of affection for me.