Beneath Loves's Veil

17. Shifting Sands

When we arrived at my house, it was raining cats and dogs. Cars lined the entire length of our street, and even more were parked in our front yard. My father and a few of my uncles came out with umbrellas to greet us, ensuring that Khalid had a space to park right next to the house. They quickly ushered us inside, shielding us from the downpour with umbrellas.

"How are you, mahal?" my father asked, his eyes shining with warmth.

"Alhamdulillah, I am good, Dada," I replied.

Inside, the house was bright and warm, filled with the chatter and laughter of many people. The atmosphere was lively, with family and friends gathered together, creating a cozy and welcoming environment despite the storm raging outside.

My mother was there in the front living room, positively beaming. My sister barged down the stairs with a grin on her face, excited to see me. I smiled, realizing I had truly missed her, even though it hadn't even been a full twenty four hours.

My mother told me I could go and join my cousin sisters and my sister upstairs, and I agreed gratefully. I had been dreading the possibility of sitting with the aunties and making small talk. Before she could change her mind, I hurried up the stairs with my sister. Prior to going into her room, I peeked into mine and smiled. It was just the way I had left it.

I then followed my sister to her room and was greeted with shouts of joy by Asia, Marha, and Hafsa.

We exchanged greetings, and they immediately dove into questioning me about the last few hours with Khalid. I told them about the house and how it was crazy that somebody could be so rich.

"Hafsa," I said, turning to her. "Is he truly a gem merchant?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, laughing.

"Well, I just find it shocking that somebody could be so rich from buying and selling jewelry," I said.

"Well, he isn't exactly only buying and selling them," she said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Didn't you ask him?" she said.

"Umm, I didn't get around to asking him," I lied.

She smiled understandingly. "Well," she began, "they buy high-quality gems and make them into jewelry or art pieces and then sell them. Typically, the price goes up significantly. Mind you, the gems they use are high-quality and rare. Some of them are old pieces passed down through generations."

"Oh, okay," I said, feeling a bit more enlightened.

After a pause, she added, "Oh, I also remember Adil telling me that Khalid is a big partner in a real estate company called Brookfield or something. It's a Canadian company," she said. "Maybe you know it."

"No, I don't," I said, shaking my head.

While we were talking, I got a message on my phone. Taking it out, I realized it was from an unknown number. Curious, I opened the message, which read, "I miss you, my love."

Who is this, I wondered.

"This is Khalid, by the way," came the next message, followed quickly by, "Got your number from Waseem."

Finally, a last message appeared: "I Want to see you."

Blushing, I got up and excused myself.

I peeped down the stairs, feeling overwhelmed by the crowd. I texted Khalid, "There are so many people downstairs. Where are you?"

A few seconds later, Khalid appeared at the bottom of the stairs. I hurried down, taking his outstretched arm.