Endurance

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Layla sat in Mansoor's car with Aina at the back as they drove to drop her off at home. A neighbor of theirs had volunteered to stay with both Hafsa and Yasir when the transplant is completed so that Aina could go home and take care of her mother. Turned out that Yasir had been planning on getting a new home that was more conducive for his mother's health and closer to his sister's school, where the neighbors had been helping them pack. And now that he was at the hospital, their plans had been halted. Aina waved at them and walked up the single boardwalk to her home where Mansoor remained till she disappeared from their sight before driving off.

The intimacy that settled between them stretched thin after the girl's departure, having never been this close to each other with clear heads. Layla stared ahead, trying to think of anything but how pleasant he smelled and how perfectly masculine he looked, but it was so difficult to act unaware of his dominating presence. Grabbing at the thought of Hafsa like her life depended on it, she silently prayed that the transplant would be successful.

"Did Aina say anything to you about the girl?." Mansoor broke the awkward silence, his deep voice resonating through her making her breath momentarily hitch in her throat.

"Just a bit of almost nothing." She nervously said, her fingers absentmindedly picking on the book cover that sat on her laps.

"If only we could find any of her family members." He spoke taking a turn.

"How did you know she doesn't have a family here?." Layla turned and looked at him. He turned when he felt her eyes on him and she quickly looked away.

Why am I always feeling like a pool of jelly in this man's presence?. Allah!

"Aina. She gave me an account of how they got to know her." He replied after a moment. "And even how they took her in." He added.

"I have no idea who her family are. I don't even know her surname. She wasn't even using the name Hafsa when we she worked at home." Mansoor momentarily glanced at her with a raised eyebrow before turning his attention to the road.

"Now we don't even know which one is her real name." He sighed. Both of them fell silent after that, lost in thoughts.

"Um.. can you please help take me to Cedarfalls hospital to check on my friend?." She asked with a bite of her lip, feeling like she was asking too much.

"Sure thing." He replied and followed the overpass road leading to the hospital.

Surayya was discharged that same day when Layla dropped by to check on her and they were already packed up to leave the hospital so she helped with a few more stuff to make herself useful at the same time not waste Mansoor's time.

"Thank you for coming. I hope Mariam gets better." Ray spoke as her friend pushed her on the wheelchair.

"You're the best Ray. Such a superwoman." Layla teased but meant it and they both smiled. "Her name's Hafsa. I'll tell you the details when you get better In shaa Allah."

"Seriously?." Ray twisted a little to stare up at her friend but winced at the sharp pain that struck her side before turning to sit properly.

"Be careful Ray."

"You mean she's not who you thought she was?."Layla hummed as they exited the hospital with her friend's sisters behind them when Ray's cousin parked the car on a short distance. They carefully helped her in and folded the chair to be returned to the hospital right when Surayya's cousin gasped and spoke.

"Ain't that Dr Mansoor? What might he be doing here?." She asked chewing on a gum. Ray's eyes found Layla's and she looked away.

"How could you tell it's him?. His car is usually tinted. He had been here days ago when his sister put to bed. And I heard he's getting married right?" One of Ray's sisters commented in one breath while loading a bag in the car trunk. Layla's heart thudded disappointingly in her chest at the question, wishing with everything in her that it was not true.