Enamor

5. Enamor II

The Fifth chapter
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Two souls wander, a shared space.
A glance, a smile, subtly disarm, In this dance, they find a charm.
Amidst the crowd, a silent roar, Their laughter a key to an unseen door. A bond unspoken, yet clear to see, Enamor takes root,
wild and free.
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         She sat motionless on the couch, her gaze fixed on the distant skyline of Dubai, a city that mirrored her own facade of strength and resilience. The pastel pink of her office walls, once a chosen hue of ambition, now seemed to mock her with its softness. The mahogany table, a silent witness to her many triumphs, now bore the burden of her deepest fears.

She couldn't shake off the conversation with her mother, the one that had ended with the chilling reminder that her father would be returning tomorrow from Philippines. The thought of facing him, especially now, sent shivers down her spine.

As she sat there, lost in thought, her mind wandered to Haider. She couldn't deny the comfort she had felt in his presence, the ease of their conversations, the shared passion for their work. But she was engaged to Edan, a commitment made not just in heart but in the presence of families and tradition. Her feelings for Haider, whatever they might be, had to remain unacknowledged, buried deep within.

The guilt was overwhelming. She blamed herself for the rumors, for the fainting spell, for staying at Haider's home. It was her vulnerability that had given rise to speculation, her moment of weakness that had sparked the wildfire of gossip.

The tears that she had held back now came freely, not just for the scandal that threatened her professional life, but for the personal turmoil that lay beneath. She was trapped in a web of expectations, commitments, and unspoken emotions, each strand pulling her in a different direction.

Saadia's phone vibrated, breaking the silence of the room. It was a message from Haider, his words appearing on the screen with an urgency that matched the pounding of her heart.

"Any news on the test results? How are you holding up?" Haider's message read, his concern palpable even through the digital text.

She read and reread the message, each word amplifying the gravity of their situation. With a steadying breath, she replied, "The labs are running tests on the batch; results will be out soon."

Sending the message felt like releasing a bird into the vast sky—hopeful yet uncertain. She placed the phone back on the table, its glow fading as the screen dimmed.

The product issue, daunting as it was, was a problem she knew how to solve. It was a matter of science, of testing and formulas and clear-cut answers. But the whispers of her heart, the fear of her father's wrath, the tangled mess of her engagement—these were puzzles without clear solutions.

Her phone buzzed again breaking through the stillness of the room once more.

But she chose silence.

With a deliberate motion, she turned the phone face down, its light extinguished, its call unanswered. In that moment, she granted herself a reprieve from the incessant demands of her life. The buzz was now just a faint echo, a distant drumbeat that she refused to let dictate her rhythm.