HER

19

Aswad stared at his sister with tender gaze. It was him alone with her, Laila wanted everyone to be gone away from her except him. So he stayed with her and stayed awake whole night.

He watched as tears slid down his sister's closed lids late at night. He heard as she cried for help in her sleep. His heart lurched seeing his sister in such a miserable state. Yet he could do nothing but console her. Whisper sweet things to bring her back to reality.

A man's desire broke a man's sister and he was roaming free right now.

But he won't be for long.

"I always thought why are you so distant from whole Family Api." He whispered gently taking Laila's hand in his own. "Until I realized how harsh this life was being to you."

"I felt ashamed for not seeing all this before."

Laila looked at him. She wanted to smile at him and tell him it was okay. Yet it became too difficult to even move her lips, so she just stared at her brother.

"I have no right to tell you what to do." Aswad gazed outside the large window. "But I want to say one thing Api, an advice for your happiness."

She listened to her brother, the one who cared for her when no one in family did.

"Marry Faris." He took in a long breath before continuing again. "I know Baba. His reputation and honor is more important then his children's happiness."

A drop of rain fell against glass window and many more followed. Aswad and Laila loved rain, but for very different reasons.

"With baba, he will force you for another unwanted marriage. It will be hell for you here Laila."

"With Faris you have choice. You always will, even now he gave you one." Aswad's mind went back to the broken look on Faris' face when he came out of room. "I see the look in his eyes whenever he stares at you."

"He loves you Api and he can give you justice that this world cannot."

He got up from chair and pecked Laila's forehead. "Think wisely sister." He murmured in her ear before walking away from bed but stopped in his tracks when he heard a soft voice calling his name.

"Tell Baba I am marrying Faris."

Tipping his head Aswad gave her a small smile before walking out of room.

His family looked at him curiously while he, on the other hand, stared at Faris knowingly. A nod toward elevator was enough for Faris to understand his notion.

"Prepare for Laila and Faris nikkah Baba."

●●●●

Both Aswad and Faris stared ahead. Eyes on nothing in particular yet minds choas of unsaid thoughts.

"This world has been too cruel for my sister." Aswad's words were a bitter reality which stung at Faris' heart. "It stole her smile away so painfully slowly and then suddenly broke what was left of her."

"How can I forget when I first saw her smile Aswad." A wave of nostalgia hit Faris. "I remember that day like a story carved in my mind. You were too little then. "

"So was Api." Aswad whispered.

"So was Laila." Faris followed.

"I am in favour of her marrying you but I still am going to say this to you Faris."

Faris looked at him, a small smile curving his lips as his eyes turned crescent above raised cheeks.

"Marry her only if you can make her happy, if you can take her away much far away from baba and all this mess."

"If you can make her forget all this misery. Because once you do, there is no going back."

"You sound like her big brother."

"A brother nonetheless."

"With Laila, Aswad, there is never going back." Faris said after a long moment of heavy silence. "It never can."

"The world has taken too much from my sister, I hope you can be the one to give it back."

Wind passed by them, whispering sweet secrets in boys' ears. A leaf fell on Faris foot and smell of rain filled their noses. It was a beautiful day but circumstances were not.

"Only if she lets me Aswad. If she lets me and if it is ever up to me, I want the smile of that eleven year old child back."

A wave of relief seemed to flood through Aswad's heart and another vile thought made its way to his young mind. Fury boiled inside him just a mere thought of that name.

"And what about him?"

A rouge laugh bubbled at the back of Faris' throat. A cruel smile stretched his lips and a beast made itself known at the edge of his eyes.

"That guy has hell coming for him."