Under That Niqab

22. Puddles

Weird, that's what Haya wanted to describe the feeling as. From the time she heard the news of Shavez's marriage she felt a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe the thought of losing a close friend was not of her liking. But she couldn't help it, it was bound to happen one day anyways..

And yes, she started considering Shavez as her close friend. He was always there to comfort her with his actions and words and even silence. He just knew what to speak and how much to speak. That's what Haya liked the most.

And the news of this marriage was not getting the best of her, sure she couldn't register the fact of Zaki and Faiza being together. It took a lot of time for her to adjust to that fact and it was the same thing now or maybe much more intense.

She was very much distracted from whatever she was doing, her mind refused to work, she just wanted to sleep. That's the solution to give a break to all the thoughts, not stop, just a break. that's what she believed.

But then again, she didn't want the thoughts to pause too, so she just sat on her couch with her laptop in her lap staring at the screen on which whatever was displayed she didn't know, for God knows how many hours now.

He asked her out for a theatre play. He could have asked Maria to accompany him instead right? That would have helped them build their bond, relationship, whatever. She frowed at the thought rubbing her temples.

"Headache?" Her trance was broken by her sister.

"Yea, light though" she replied bringing her hand back to hold the laptop.

"You should sleep"

"Yeah I will" she replied gazed fixed on the laptop,she still didn't knew what was displayed on the screen.

"Is something bothering you?" Rabi asked tilting her to the side, concerned.

"Not really, I just want to sleep, which I'll do now " she said closing the laptop which was being of no use anyways, she knew, the Shavez thing was surely not bothering her, she was just taken aback? Yeah.

Rabi just nodded as she watched Haya Switch off the light and pull the comforter over her head after lying down.

°°°°

"Did I ever show any ounce of interest towards Maria, ever?" Shavez's tone was not normal it was an angry one, a very pissed off. Though he was trying his best to calm his posture.

He never disobeyed his mother once in his life, he could never think of doing that... always did as instructed and expected, he was literally the definition of The perfect son but that didn't matter now. He was agitated by the fact that his mother already spoke to Maria about his interest in her which was totally false. He didn't ever think about it even once, how could he literally marry her?

"There was no need for you to tell me using your words. I already saw how your eyes were always on her" His mother who was seated on the sofa said. "So I thought you were interested and I spoke to her on your behalf, because I know you will never"

"Ammi" He said taking both of her hands into his own sitting . He took a deep breath releasing that it was no use hiding from his mother now and if he did, there might be greater consequences, " I have someone else in my mind who is certainly not Maria"

That's it. He told her. His heart beat was increasing second by second as he waited for his mother's reaction. Her eyes were wide, lips slightly parted, and was blinking dumbly. She didn't expect this, that was for sure. "Who's she if not Maria" she asked.

"Just someone I know " He looked down feeling like he disappointed his mother because he did not want to reveal the name just yet, not before talking to Haya and for that, he felt that he was not ready yet.