LUCENT

57

6 Months Later

NADIRA

I wobbled behind Amna as we walked to Laila's house. I've grown as big as a cow. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I felt like one. "You're walking too fast," I whined. She turned around and stuck her tongue out at me but waited for me to catch up. Once I reached her, we started walking, and this time, she slowed her pace to match mine. 

We make it to the house and let ourselves in. "Laila!" Amna yells for her as we walk into the living room. We make ourselves comfortable on the couch and wait. 

 "Maybe I should call her," I suggest when minutes pass. Amna nods, and I pull out my phone. Before I can dial her number, we hear a loud bang and heavy footsteps running down the stairs. 

Amna opens her mouth to say something, but another set of heavy footsteps joins the cacophony of noise. We look at each other wearily and look back at the stairs. 

"Babe, please hear me out," we hear Yasir's voice. 

"Leave me alone," Laila screeches in response. 

Our eyes widen, and we stand to leave before they make it down the last flight of stairs. "Where are you guys going?" 

We turned around and greeted Laila with smiles. "We thought you might be occupied," I say. 

"I'm not. Let's get out of here," she says, walking towards us. 

Yasir walks in quickly and grabs her hand. "Let's finish talking, and then you can go wherever you want, please."

She snatches her hand away and throws him a glare. "There's nothing to talk about. I begged you countless times to stop putting yourself in danger. Even if you won't do it for yourself, at least do it for your kids. But you disregarded all that, went behind my back and kept riding that death trap. I do not want to talk to or see you," she yells angrily before walking past us. "Let's go, you two."

Amna and I scramble to greet Yasir before rushing out of the house. Amna zooms past me to Laila. "Are you okay?" she asks, wrapping her hand around her shoulders. 

I walk over as quickly as my body would allow. "That seemed pretty intense."

"I'm not okay. I'm furious. I should kill him before that motorcycle does," She replies. 

I rub her back. "Don't say that. It's far from what you want."

We walk back to my house and settle in my bedroom upstairs. "Why do men have to be so infuriating?" Laila questions, punching a pillow. 

"Honestly! Sa'ad has been getting on my last nerve lately because of his sleeping habits. Abdulrahim refuses to sleep in his room, and when I finally put him down and fall asleep myself, Sa'ad wakes him when he comes to the room at 3 am. And then I must suffer a whole other hour to put him back to sleep. I'm this close to punching him in the gut," Amna responds, balling her fist, and I giggle. 

"Let's go on strike," Laila perks up. 

Amna snaps her finger and points at Laila dramatically. "You're on to something."

I shake my head at their ridiculousness. "I think you two need to calm down and think rationally. 

"We are! This is the only way to make them see the error of their ways," Laila replies. 

I facepalm and reach for my bag of crisps. "Laila, I don't think Ya Yasir will touch his motorcycle again after what I just saw. And Amna, tell Ya Sa'ad to sleep in another room till he fixes his pattern."