ishq lost & found

2; Uncertainty

"My Rani? What are you doing here?" Saad teased the then 16 year old Ranya as he sat at the kitchen island, his eyes dancing mischievously as he noticed her flinch lightly at the sound of his voice echoing in the kitchen.

Ranya's cheeks tinged with pink, shot back a quick reorient, her tone feigned nonchalance. "I'm here to see your sister, obviously." She replied, reaching into the fridge to grab drinks for herself and Saad's sister, Dua.

"Obviously." Saad echoed, his voice laced with cheekiness, one side of his lip curling up into a satisfied smirk, the homework he was supposed to be working on sprawled across the counter.

"What? You think I come here just for you? Ranya, challenged, setting the drinks down as she leaned against the counter, propping herself up on the opposite side of the island with her elbows.

Saad paused, setting his pencil aside, the unfinished math equation nowhere near the forefront of his mind and quickly forgotten. He met Ranya's gaze, half-expecting her to shy away like she always did, but this time she held her ground. The unexpected confidence intrigued him, adding a playful spark between the two.

"You don't? I always figured hanging out with Dua was just your excuse to see me," he teased, a smirk tugging at his lips

Ranya's eyes widened briefly before narrowing playfully. "Pfft," she huffed out a soft laugh, grabbing both drinks and brushing past him.

"You wish"

-

Moments like that were the best part of their days, Saad always looked forward to turning into Ranya. He never spared an opportunity to tease her. That is just how their relationship always was. But somewhere throughout the years, the silly teasing turned into friendship. The line between friendship and love blurred, neither quite sure of the other's feelings, but certain of their own.

Everything was different now though, obviously, seeing as Ranya nearly wed his younger brother, Salman.

Saad and Ranya were no longer a part of each others lives. Somewhere along the line, something had changed. Saad seemed to have moved on, Ranya under the impression that all that teasing and flirting was just his way of having fun, but that he had no feelings for her. In fact, his abrupt exit from her life left her wondering if he actually felt nothing but indifference for her. She often wondered if she has imagined the entire thing, reading too much into his actions or meaningless words.

"You want me to marry Saad?" Ranya echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief as she sough confirmation. "Are you serious?"

Her mother interjected, attempting to reassure her. "Yes, Rayna, dear, you've known him your entire life. How different could it be?"

"Mama, I haven't seen him in years. We don't speak anymore. You can't possibly expect me to marry him in a month?" Ranya clarified, her incredulity apparent. The idea felt absurd to her, akin to marrying a stranger. She wasn't far off seeing as it had been nearly a decade since they last spoke.

"But you do know him. You grew up together. We've already spoken to him, and he's agreed if you have." Auntie Saima chimed in, her gaze fixed on Ranya earnestly. "Look, you don't have to make a decision right away. We just wanted to let you know. Ultimately, it's up to you." she added, brushing a comforting hand through Ranya's hair.

Overwhelmed & exhausted by the sudden proposal Ranya yearned to vanish. The situation felt embarrassing & demeaning, and she couldn't shake the shame of imagining what everyone would say when they found out. The fact that Salman, who had previously shown interest in her, had literally proposed to her, choose to abandon her seemed like public fodder, Some family friends were already aware, merely waiting for a date to save.

"Okay. I'll think about it."

And think she did. Ranya pondered all night long, her mind racing through the tangled web of emotions. Sleep eluded her as she grappled with the twisted turn her life had taken. Abandoned by other brother, then the other, and now expected to marry the first? It felt like a cruel joke.

Rolling onto her side, adjusting her head on her pillow for the umpteenth time that night, Ranya gazed out of her bedroom window. She watched the night sky, awash in deep blue with scattered glimmers of starlight. What was the right decision? Saad had been the first to break her hear- a wound she had yet to fully mend. Despite her parents good intentions, she couldn't ignore the weight of that history.

Fed up with the endless cycle of thoughts swirling in her mind, Ranya rose from her bed, seeking solace in prayer. She abandoned the time-consuming skincare routine she had indulged in hours ago & instead got ready to pray.

Gathering her favourite prayer mat, Ranya meticulously positioned the mat facing the correct direction and began her prayer. She took her time, eventually making her dua and hoping she'd have an answer by morning.