A Trial On Love

08

He pointed at the chair opposite him with the remains of the smile on his face. "Come on, sit down, let's talk," he said and watched the way she stared warily between him and the chair before she took tentative steps toward the chair and sat, clinging more to herself as though he was there to harm her.

But he didn't point that she should be comfortable, because he knew a few words into their conversation, she might ease up and that was okay. She looked up at him and he chuckled at the words she chose to throw at him. "Is that how you always laugh? And where did you learn my name? I've never told you."

Well, Nameer thought, he was caught. Finally, maybe it had gotten to her notice that she didn't tell him and he called the name as if he owned it. As if it was something of his possession. He tried to smile off the look in her eyes. Looked like he had done something that had her heart in a bit of an extreme rush. She still was dazed. Either by the way he laughed as she asked or what he said about her dearest betrothed.

"Does it sound ugly, my laughter? And your name? Your principal told me your name and it kind of stick to my brain. Should I forget it?" He asked and she quickly shook her head.

"I want you to remember me, forever, if possible." She chuckled, probably at the ridiculousness she thought her words must've provoked. "Funny me to think a whole you will remember me forever, right?" She smiled and palmed herself. As though she wanted to summon enough courage to tell him all that she had been intending to.

"But I will remember you forever. That shouldn't even be in question." She probably didn't know what she made him feel in his heart. He couldn't say it was love or like or anything related to the romance of the heart, far from that. But it was a strong feeling that he was working upon slowly until he figured what it actually was.

She shared him a look of surprise and then disbelief. "How can you remember a mere girl you've met a few times in this crumpling village of Daura and have helped beyond anybody ever has in her life? You'll leave a mark in my life with which I'll remember you forever with, but certainly, that wouldn't be the same with you."

Sometimes, Nameer wished he was more vocal with his feelings and all. He knew he oozed confidence and that strong aura of self knowing, but nobody could tell of his inner battles of self doubts sometimes or the fact that he tend to lose the ability to vocalize his emotions often. And in Rayhan's case, he didn't even know what he was feeling about her lest he said it out. It was just there. He knew he was feeling something and damn, didn't even know what it was that he was feeling.

"And who told you I won't be in your life long enough to remember you forever?" He said instead and watched the way she took the words. He didn't even know why he was having a 'forever' conversation with a fifteen years old girl. Even though in this part of the world, this fifteen years old girl was old enough to be a bride, a wife and a mother.

"Back to your husband to be," he said, trying to deviate the conversation back to what it should be and watched when she frowned a little, probably at the way he had referred to Musa. "I met with him today after meeting with your grandmother and we both came to an amicable solution and agreed. So, you're now free to study and shouldn't let anything stop you from acing all your exams so you can proceed to the university later on, okay?"

"And one day I'll be a corper too like yourself?" She asked, smiling widely at the prospect of wearing that outfit she had clung so close to her chest even though a part of her told her that she might never be able to wear it in her entire life.

"Exactly. So, promise me that you'll study well and enjoy your life a bit. Don't be a boring nerd, okay?"

She chuckled while nodding her head. "We're going there along with my friend, so I guess it never will be boring." He nodded his head, relieved that she wasn't going to feel obliged to isolate herself and live a lonesome life at school just because she wanted to pass all her exams. "And I want to thank you, Dr Kurfi," she said.