HUSNA

Chapter 63

"When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable." — The Intern

*************

The curtains hanging by the window swayed gently, dancing to the rhythm of the cool night breeze. They seemed to be having the time of their lives, fluttering as though they were the most beautiful things in the world.

She  slid out of bed, her gaze drawn to the window. The district looked different at this hour   the streets empty, save for the occasional passerby. The silence was rare, almost sacred. She stood there, watching the curtains move in the breeze, her eyes blank, her expression unreadable. Only Allah knew whether she was truly admiring the view or just staring through it.

The moonlight cast a gracious glow on her pale face, highlighting the faint redness on her cheeks  a trace of the tears she had cried. Her lips were dry, her eyes swollen.

"Marriage life," she thought bitterly, her mind tangled in emotions. She missed him  but hated herself for it.

She thought she had cried herself dry, but the truth was her tears never really stopped. They came silently, trickling down her cheeks whenever she blinked, without her even realizing it.

The emptiness in her mind was deliberate. Thinking would only awaken the storm she was trying to hold back. She didn't want to remember  not the words, not the hurt, not the guilt that sat like a stone in her chest.

She noticed it  a faint light flickering outside. Odd. The lights usually went off after midnight, but this one stayed on.

She slipped into her slippers, wrapped a scarf loosely around her shoulders, and walked out. She wasn't supposed to be outside alone this late, but she didn't care.

The cold wind bit softly at her skin as she rounded the corner, the trees whispering above her. Then she saw him.

He stood alone, hands shoved deep into his sweatpant pockets, his face lifted toward the night sky. Lost. Completely lost in thought.

She watched him quietly for a while before turning to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"What happened?" he asked, not even looking her way.

She froze. "Do you have eyes at the back of your head?"

When she tried to walk away, he turned and gently caught her wrist.

"You seem to have lost weight," he said softly. "You've been standing there for a while. Something's bothering you, isn't it? Tell me   on a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?"

She glared at him. "Let go of my hand."

"I won't," he replied. "Please, babe, stop being stubborn. Why are you awake at this hour? You should be sleeping. Have you taken your medicine?"

She scoffed. "Do you really care about my health?"

"What's that supposed to mean, Asma?" he said, his brows furrowing. "Of course I care about your health. He caresses her cheeks I care about you  more than anything in this world."