A Trial On Love

20

Her mind and heart were never in sync, she had realized. Because at the moment her mind was telling her something, her heart was telling her something entirely different. It felt as though she two person in the body of one. They were constantly in war with each other. One thought with logics and better conscience, while one thought with only what it felt and wanted. And more often than not, Rayhan let her heart lead the way. Just like it did now.

She had never, even in her wildest dreams thought that she'd feel the surge of agony she had felt when she saw that girl clinging to him and he looked somewhat relaxed. She didn't even know what that meant. Because for the life of her, Rayhan knew it wasn't like they were a thing. Maybe she liked him, crushed on him, just like Amirah crushed on Walid, but then...she wasn't just ready to sort through her feelings and the memories that kept on haunting her.

She watched the girls in the house, they all were the said Ya Nimra's cousins. The ones they met were from her mother's side of the family and they seemed to be freer in the house than Amirah was. Even though it seemed to Rayhan that Amirah was free as well, there was just something holding her back.

"Ah, Nameer?" Nimra that was seated in one of the sofas as one of the girls showed her how the wedding videos and pictures were trending looked up to him with a brisk smile on her lips.

She didn't miss the way Nameer flinched softly before Yasmeen, yes, that's what she heard one of the girls called her- guided him to one of the sofas in the humungous living room.

"I thought you weren't going to come, it didn't even occur to me that I haven't seen you at all the events of the wedding until now." He was probably her cousin too, Rayhan thought and watched the way he seemed to be compiling his thoughts in a place.

He flashed her a smile, but Rayhan didn't have to ask him for her to know that it was a fake one and he was battling with something in his heart. "I've been there all along, maybe you just didn't notice. Was only absent for the kamu, and it's just because there seemed to be more women than men, and I watched everything from my balcony."

Nimra shrugged her shoulders and went back to the phone, "Mom was angry because some of her friends had never seen you, and you were nowhere to be found."

"I was there, if she had really wanted to find me, she would have."

That seemed to be the end of the conversation as he brought his phone out, obviously to act as though he was deep into something important but Rayhan knew when he was faking it. She didn't even know how she knew, but she did. There was a vein that kept bubbling in his throat and with just a single stolen glance, she knew she wanted to be anywhere but this place.

Yasmeen walked back into the living room with a beautiful smile on her lips. She was holding a try that had some snacks and a drink on it. "Ya Nameer, we've just finished the lunch but I think this will do, right?" She placed it on the table beside his sofa and he looked up at her with an appreciative glance. What was going on? Wasn't the woman of the house the one that was supposed to be entertaining her guest? And for a man like Nameer to visit you, you ought to at least show him he's important even if he's not, right?

Before any of them made a move or someone spoke again, a man walked into the living room with a smile dangling on his lips. He stopped when he noticed Nameer and brightened his smile. "Ah, who do we have here? Another cousin I have no idea about?" He asked, walking toward him while he stretched his hand out for a shake.

Nameer shook his head and smiled at him either. "Wait, I definitely saw you at the mosque after the wedding Fatiha, but we didn't get to talk because of the crowd."

"Hi, my name is Nameer, I heard yours is Faruk at the mosque. I'm her twin brother." Rayhan nearly screamed at the shock that chilled her bones. But it was as if it was just her and Faruk in the room that seemed to be shocked, because they all seem to be aware of that fact.