𝐴 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝐴𝑡 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛

'You need to trust Allah's plans, for he always knows what's best for you and when or where to grant it for you'
~Q.

Rahma looked at herself in the mirror. She was exhausted, but Adda fauzee had invited them for dinner and she couldn't decline. So after she returned from work, she bathed to wash away the exhaustion which helped a fraction then dressed simply in an abaya.

She left her room and went downstairs where dawud was waiting for her. He had also changed from his uniform into something more casual, not as casual as he dresses at home but casual nevertheless.

Dawud would have asked Rahma to drive if she wasn't tired herself and she had never been to fauziya's, so even though he was tired also, he drove. The house was a long drive away and they were the last to arrive. The house was loud from both the kids and the adults.

Rahma was immediately ambushed by the little kids and then Ayman as the oldest as siyam had gone back to school. She moved to greet her sister-in-laws and fauziya's husband and fai'za's. Rasheeda's husband had traveled. Sudais was there with rukayya, and Amira too.

They didn't waste time to move to the dining room. Rahma let faruq take away her attention as he refused to join the younger ones in the living room. She didn't notice or feel the tension surrounding Dawud who was beside her. He was yet to resolve his issue with faiza and there was Amira. Sudais found the situation amusing and entertaining, dawud had pleaded with his eyes for him to take the seat beside him before Amira did, but sudais enjoyed his dilemma and chose to sit with his wife and Dawud's brother-in-law.

"Anty Rahma, I want this one". Faruq pointed to the plate in front of them.

"This?". She pointed at the salad and he nodded and as she moved to fetch it for him, he reached for water causing their hands to clash and the water and salad to spill on them.

Gasps went round and adda rash scolded faruq for acting like a baby and refusing to join his siblings. Fauziya called for a maid to come and clean the mess while Rahma took faruq with her to clean their clothes in the toilet. She stopped in the living room on her way back and the kids requested for more water which Ayman refused to get them, so went for it. She pushed the kitchen door open and stepped in only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight before her.

Dawud was backed up against the fridge with Amira too close to him, his hands held her wrist as if keeping her away from him but it didn't stop their position from looking compromising.

"Rahma...". Dawud started but she was already out of the door.

She took the water on the dining table and took it to the kids then returned to her seat, although she had lost her appetite. Rukayya asked her something and they fell into a conversation about how things were at the café. Minutes later, she felt Dawud's presence beside her but she invested her attention more in rukayya, though she couldn't make out much of what she was saying.

"Rahma,". Dawud whispered but she ignored him until he touched her arm and she turned to him.

"Let me explain,". He started but she cut him off.

"Can we not do this here". She whispered and he sighed and she turned back to rukayya.

Dawud turned looked over his shoulder at sudais who had now joined in the conversation with his wife and sister. Later after they were done with dinner, Rahma, fauziya and rukayya helped clear the dishes and the maid was to wash them so the returned to the living room where Rahma found comfort in the kids once again, allowing them to take her mind off what she saw earlier. She felt Dawud's gaze on her through out but she refused to look at him.