It was nighttime, and Anisa walked into Haidar's room to find him immersed in drawing, having just finished playing a video game with Ashraf.
"What are you drawing?" Anisa inquired. Haidar set down his pencil, replying, "You and Ashraf. It's been a while since both of you talked to me about each other."
Surprised, Anisa questioned, "You talk to Ashraf about things regarding me? You are only mine, I thought our conversations were private. I hope you didn't share things I used to say about him."
Haidar reassured her, "Relax. Whatever you discuss with me is safe, and the same goes for what I discuss with him. I've realized that both of you care for each other."
"Ewwh," Anisa reacted. "Don't 'Ehw' me. I'm your therapist, and you both didn't even know. You know I don't lie, so believe me when I say so," Haidar said in a mature tone.
She simply nods, fully aware of Haidar's honesty; lies aren't his forte. However, she's not quite ready to accept that she loves Ashraf. "Tell me a bit about what Ashraf mentioned about me," Anisa inquired, trying to be persuasive.
"I'm neither foolish enough to disclose what Ashraf said nor crazy enough to reveal what you said about him," Haidar replied maturely, consistently handling things with maturity.
"Even if I offer you a brand new video game or a hundred thousand?" she asked, a playful smile on her face, raising one of her eyebrows.
"Even if it means paying for my Umrah trip. I won't tell. You know how much I want to go there," Haidar asserted.
"Hmm, whatever," Anisa said as she exited Haidar's room and headed to Ashraf's room.
The door was slightly ajar, so she entered the room cautiously, walking slowly and quietly closing the door behind her. The last time she had been in his room was back when she visited the city when he first told her about Rahim. "Ashraf," she called out, but received no response, making her wonder if he was out.
Noticing red lipstick near the bedside drawer, she picked it up, opened it, and admired the shade. After closing and securing it, Ashraf emerged from a small room, likely his wardrobe, having just finished his bath.
"It's been a while since I've seen you in my room. I can't even recall the last time you came in," Ashraf remarked, his words causing a slight startle as she turned to face him. He was only in shorts that reached his knees.
She used her eyes to observe his slim body and flat stomach, unconsciously scratching her neck and appearing uncomfortable. "Um... yeah... I just came to, uh, check on you. I heard you were sick," Anisa stammered.
"Oh!" Ashraf exclaimed, finding her behavior amusing and endearing. Walking closer, he asked, "Why are you feeling uncomfortable?" and passed by her to sit in the chair next to the mirror.
"How's your health?" she inquired, exhaling nervously. Unsure of what brought her here, she felt shy upon seeing his body. "I'm good, feeling much better," he responded while applying perfume. "I haven't seen your boyfriend Mujaheed in two days. Hope all is well," he added.
She wondered why he suddenly asked her, aware of his dislike for Mujaheed and his tendency to get jealous.
"Why? Are you jealous of him?" Anisa inquired as she approached him. Standing in front of him, he stared at her, catching a whiff of her scent, and a desire to be close to her body arose.
"Am I not allowed to get jealous over you? You're my sister," Ashraf replied, taking her hands and pulling her closer.
Their eyes locked, and a sultry gaze, exclusive to their interactions, ensued. They stared at each other for a moment, and Ashraf's breath quickened.
YOU ARE READING
Gossip to secret
General FictionAnd you come across people who look as if they have nothing to worry about, that they have no burden inside them, that there is nothing wrong going on with them, but only Allah knows what they're suffering from in secret. It's only in closed doors t...
