Collision of hearts

Chapter Eight

Nadia's pov

The warm sunlight peeked through the gazebo, casting a serene glow on the garden. I sat comfortably, cradling my tea in my hands, and listened to the melodic chirping of the birds. It was 7:00 in the morning, and I felt refreshed, being a morning person.

As I sipped my tea, my mind wandered back to yesterday's events. After Zaid left, Ya Muhammad had approached me with a curious expression. "Nadia, is something going on between you and Zaid?" he asked, his voice laced with annoyance.

I laughed, "What? No, why would you even ask me that?" I replied,.

Ya Muhammad chuckled. "Because Zaid spent half of his time asking about you and the other half looking at you. I've never seen him like that before."

I laughed again, this time like a maniac, trying to brush off the idea. "You can't be serious! Zaid is just being his usual self."

But now, as I sat in the garden, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Ya Muhammad had seen something I hadn't. I pushed the thought aside and finished my tea. The peacefulness of the garden was too lovely to be ruined by unnecessary speculations. I went back to my room, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin, and drifted off to sleep again.

"Nadiaaaaa, NADIAAAA, yahh sleepyhead wake up!" I heard someone yelling, piercing through my peaceful slumber. I woke up with a frown, ready to curse at the person who dared to disturb my sleep. But as I opened my eyes, I saw Zarah's mischievous grin staring back at me.

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was still dreaming. "Mtswww, you are dumb wallahi," Zarah hissed, laughing at my disheveled state.

I sat up, trying to shake off the sleep. "What do you want, Zarah?" I grumbled.

Zarah's expression turned concerned. "How are you doing? I was so worried yesterday, and I wanted to call you, but Ya Zaid said I should let you be."

I raised an eyebrow, curious about Zaid's involvement.

Zarah continued, "And since Ammi is coming to discuss something with Mami, then I should tag along with her. So, here I am!"

"Ohh, Ammi came," I said in a sleepy voice, still trying to shake off the slumber.

Zarah turned to leave, saying, "Yeah, we came together, and now you should go freshen up and meet me downstairs."

I nodded, heading to the bathroom to shower and dress.

As I went downstairs, I saw Ammi and Mami sitting in the living room, looking like they were in the middle of a serious conversation. I kneeled to greet them, showing respect.

They answered sweetly, "How are you?," and I replied, "I'm fine."

Mami added, "Your breakfast is in the kitchen, Zarah is waiting for you there."

I nodded, smiling, and headed to the kitchen. As I entered the kitchen, I found Zarah blushing profusely while talking to Ya Muhammad, who had an amused smirk on his face.

"What am I missing here?" I asked in a teasing tone, raising an eyebrow.

Zarah's face turned an even deeper shade of red, like a tomato, while Ya Muhammad chuckled and said, "It's none of your business, Nadia."

He left the kitchen, leaving Zarah looking shy and flustered. I couldn't resist teasing her further.

"Hmmm, so what's going on between you and my brother?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows mischievously.

Zarah giggled, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Nothing," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

I laughed, knowing that Zarah was hiding something. "Come on, Zarah, spill the beans!" I said, leaning in closer.

But Zarah just shook her head, still giggling, and refused to say anything more. I smiled, intrigued by the mystery, and decided to let it go... for now.

After finishing our breakfast, Zarah and I headed to the living room to join the others. As we entered, I was startled to see Zaid already looking at me, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me feel uncomfortable.

"Ina yini," I greeted awkwardly, trying to break the gaze.

"Lafiya," he replied curtly, his tone dripping with attitude, before turning his attention back to his phone.

I couldn't help but think, "This guy and his mood swings, 5&6, I'm not getting him ever again". But to my horror, I realized I had said it out loud.

Mami's face fell, looking disappointed, while Zarah burst out laughing. Ya Muhammad and Zaid glared at me, their faces stern. Ammi's expression was unreadable, but I could sense a hint of amusement.

Mortified, I wished the ground would swallow me whole. "Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud," I muttered, as I quickly retreated to my room, trying to escape the awkwardness.

Zarah's laughter was contagious, and I couldn't help but laugh too, despite my embarrassment. "Shut up, Zarah! It wasn't funny!" I said, trying to sound stern but failing miserably.

Zarah wiped tears from her eyes, still chuckling. "Oh, it was hilarious! Your face turned beet red!"

I threw a pillow at her, which she dodged, laughing even harder. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Zarah nodded, holding her stomach. "Yes, I am! This is the best entertainment I've had all week!"

I shook my head, laughing along with her. "You're a terrible friend, Zarah."

After some time, Labiba knocked on the door, saying Ammi was asking for us. "Ammi is calling you girls," Labiba said, her voice gentle.

Zarah got up from the bed, still grinning mischievously from our earlier laughter. "Let's go" she said, heading downstairs.

I followed behind. As we reached the living room, Ammi stood up, her smile warm and inviting. "We're leaving now." she said, her eyes sparkling with kindness.

I was surprised when Ammi pulled me in for a hug, smiling at me. "Take care, Nadia," she whispered.

I looked around, expecting to see Zaid, but he was nowhere to be found. I felt a pang of disappointment.

"He left with Muhammad," Ammi said, still smiling, as if reading my thoughts.

My face burned with embarrassment as I realized I had embarrassed myself in front of everyone... again! I couldn't bear to face them, so I turned on my heels and quickly walked away, trying to escape the laughter and teasing.

I could hear their chuckles and giggles behind me, but I didn't look back. I just kept walking, my face burning with embarrassment.