A Love Delayed, A Dream Renewed.

29. I hate you

Fahim's car was parked in front of Dua's building. As Fahim turned around, he looked at Dua and sternly said,
"I will never let you drive my car again, you almost got us killed!"

Dua's eyes dropped in shame.
Nabiha, sensing the tension, reached out and held Fahim's hand, trying to calm him down.
"It's alright, Fahim. Dua just made a sudden brake, that's all," she reassured him.

Fahim's anger flared up as he responded, "A sudden brake? The car behind us hit us because of that! We could have all died!"

Dua's eyes filled with tears as her voice trembled, "I'm sorry bhai, I don't know what happened to me at that moment."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Dua burst into tears.

Fahim's expression softened as he gave Dua a concerned look and asked, "Why are you crying now?"

Dua replied, "Because you're scolding me."

Fahim, trying to console her, said in a softer tone, "Did I scold my little sister too much?".

Dua glanced at Fahim and then at Nabiha before saying, "I'm sorry, guys."

Fahim replied gently, "It's okay," and then added, "And don't tell Mama and Mami anything, they'll worry."

Dua nodded in agreement. Nabiha and Dua got out of the car and waved goodbye to Fahim as he drove off towards his home.

As Nabiha and Dua stepped into their house, Dua seemed quite out of sorts. "Are you okay?" Nabiha asked, noticing her friend's unease.

Dua hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Can you stay with me tonight?"

Without missing a beat, Nabiha replied, "Of course. You go home, I'll come after changing my clothes, okay?"

As Dua rang the doorbell, her mother opened the door, looking a bit concerned. "Dua, why are you so late?" she asked.

"Sorry, mom. There was a lot of traffic," Dua replied, trying to mask her worry.

But her mother wasn't convinced. "Why do you look so odd?" she asked, studying her daughter's face.

"Just a little tired," Dua replied, hoping to avoid further questioning.

"Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?" her mother asked.

"No, mom. I already had dinner with Fahim bhai and Nabiha," Dua answered. She added, "Where's dad?"

"He went to Khulna for a medical conference," Dua's mom informed her.

"Oh, when will he return?" Dua inquired.

"Insha'Allah, three days from now," her mother replied.

"Mom, Nabiha is coming over for a sleepover tonight," Dua informed her.

"Is everything alright?" Dua's mom questioned.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Dua hesitated before responding with a small fib, concealing the truth about the accident that had left her shaken.

As Dua entered her room, she couldn't help but feel exhausted after a long day. She lay down on her bed and checked her phone, but it was dead. As she plugged it in, she went to her balcony and gazed at the stunning moon. But amidst all the beauty, a tear rolled down her cheek, and she whispered to herself,

"What difference would it make if you loved me too?"

Just then, Nabiha walked in and asked,

"Hey, haven't you freshened up yet?"

Dua hastily wiped her tears and replied, "Yeah, I was just about to."

Nabiha sensed that something was wrong and asked, "Are you crying?"