𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

48

Airah POV:

Talbiya holds up a light blue romper, her eyes bright with excitement. "Isn't this one cute?"

"It is," Hiba agrees, smiling.

I glance over at Arsalan, who is standing beside me, his hand warm in mine. He returns my look with a gentle smile. "Which one do you like better?" I ask, showing him both the light blue and pink rompers.

He studies them for a moment before saying, "Honestly... both of them."

Tariq nods in agreement. "I think so too."

After shopping for a while, I find myself completely exhausted, even though we only visited two stores. We decide to take a break at a cozy café in the mall. Arsalan looks at me with concern. "You look tired, my love."

I let out a small sigh. "My feet hurt a lot."

Without a word, Arsalan suddenly stands up and kneels down in front of me. "Ahmed, what are you doing?" I ask, feeling embarrassed as I notice people glancing our way.

"Shh," he whispers, focused on gently removing my shoes. I try to pull my foot back, feeling self-conscious. "People are watching," I whisper.

"I don't care," he replies firmly, continuing his task. Once both shoes are off, he carefully inspects my feet. After a moment, his expression shifts to one of concern.

"Why are your ankles swollen, Airah?" he asks, his voice serious.

My heart skips a beat. I hadn't thought of this. "I-it's nothing. It happens during pregnancy," I say, trying to brush off the concern.

"Are you sure?" he asks again, his eyes not leaving mine.

I nod, trying to reassure him, but I can tell he's not convinced. Even so, he doesn't press further and instead begins to massage my feet, his touch gentle but firm.

"You don't have to do this, Ahmed," I murmur, feeling a mix of gratitude and embarrassment.

"But I want to," he says quietly, his attention fully on his task. "Everything I do for you, Airah, is not because I have to, but because I want to."

His words make my chest tighten, and I turn my head away, blinking back the tears that suddenly fill my eyes. We sit in silence for a while, his hands still working on my feet.

"Ahmed, that's enough," I say softly, noticing Tariq and the two girls approaching us from another store.

"Are you sure?" he asks, looking up at me, his grey eyes searching mine.

"Yes, I'm fine," I lie, though I can see he's still not satisfied. He rises to his feet and glances at Tariq, who is now carrying all our shopping bags. "Get the car," Arsalan says, tossing the keys to him.

Tariq sighs but heads off to get the car. I slowly stand up, still feeling the ache in my feet. "But I haven't finished my shopping yet," I protest.

"No problem. We'll do it another time," Arsalan replies calmly. "I'll ask the store owners to come to our home so you can shop comfortably."

"That's not necessary," I say, shaking my head. "I can come back."

Arsalan's expression hardens, leaving no room for argument. "You're not coming back. You're staying at home." He says, taking out his phone and typing something. I sigh, it's impossible to change Arsalan Ahmed's mind once he decided something.

A few minutes later, he puts his phone away and takes my hand, intertwining our fingers. "Wait, let me carry you," he says, turning towards me.

"Are you insane?" I whisper in disbelief. "People are already staring at us."

His expression shifts to one of indifference. "Do I look like I care?"

"You don't need to. I'm fine."

"Only if you say so," he says, and continues walking.

We exit the shopping mall and head towards the car, the sun is almost setting casting a beautiful orange glow on the sky. I look around the empty open parking area, today is peaceful, indeed.

Tariq stands near the car, loading the stuff in the trunk, while talbiya stands beside him, instructing him. They've always been close since childhood. When Talbiya's parents died she was just months year old, so therefore she doesn't remember anything. But on the other hand, there's Yasir, who was old enough to remember and he was on that scene. I still don't know the details about the accident, considering that everyone avoids to talk about that topic in the house. So Talbiya and Tariq has always been close friends, I swear they have the most beautiful friendship I've ever seen. Most of the times, I see talbiya bossing tariq around, even though she's younger than him. But that's just so sweet.

I sit in the passenger seat of the car and Arsalan closes the door, then runs to the other side and sits inside. Checking the rare view mirror he takes the car out of parking. The whole drive is filled with me, tariq and talbiya talking non-stop. Hiba just complements here and there. And Arsalan he's silent the whole time as he drives.

Soo we arrive, and I flung to my mother's room to show her everything. Iqra was also in her room, so I showed them both at the same time. I also go to my uncle's room a.k.a my father in law, and he......... doesn't seem so well, apparently last month he was making progress but suddenly now his health is not keeping up with him.

As soon as we arrive home, I rush to my mother’s room to show her everything we bought. Iqra is there too, so I excitedly show them both at the same time. After that, I head to my uncle’s room—who is also my father-in-law. But when I see him, my excitement fades. He doesn’t look well. I remember hearing that last month he was making progress, but now it seems his health is taking a turn for the worse.

Later that evening, after dinner, I change into my night pajamas and settle down on the bed with a book. Just as I’m about to start reading, the door flies open. Arsalan stands there, looking disoriented and exhausted.

"Airah," he says, his voice tight with worry. "I’m going to the hospital. Baba’s having trouble breathing."

He grabs his wallet from the table beside the door and turns to leave. My heart races as I quickly get up and run to him. "Ahmed..." I call out, my voice trembling.

He turns around and holds up his hand, stopping me. "No, you’re not coming with me," he says firmly, almost breathless.

"But—" I begin to protest, but he steps closer and gently grips my shoulders.

"Airah, you need to rest, my love," he says softly, though his eyes are filled with concern. "Go to sleep. Everything will be fine, In sha Allah. Just rest."

His eyes plead with me, and after a moment, I nod. He leans in and kisses the top of my head before hurrying out the door and down the stairs. As he leaves, my lower lip trembles, and I feel my eyes stinging as I fight back tears.

"Airah...?" Iqra’s voice comes from the top of the stairs. I turn to see her standing there, looking worried. "How is—"

"He’s going to be fine. Don’t worry," she says gently, coming to me and taking my hand in hers. "Come, let’s go."

She leads me back to my room. We sit together, talking quietly for a while, her presence a comfort in the tense silence of the night. Eventually, she leaves, and I’m left alone with my thoughts. Somehow, despite the worry gnawing at me, I manage to find sleep.

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