What was that? I asked myself, Zain’s words echoed in my mind again. *I like you, Hana.* I needed to call Sadiq.
I turned on my phone, and almost immediately, the first call was from Mom.
"How are you? Why was your phone off?" she asked, her voice laced with concern as she sent a flurry of questions my way.
"I did a deep cleaning and binge-watched a K-drama," I replied, pouting even though she couldn’t see me.
"Don’t ever do that again! You scared us. What would we have done if not for Zain?" she scolded, her words immediately pulling my mind back to him. Zain.
"How’s the holiday?" Mom’s voice broke into my thoughts again.
"Alhamdulillah. I miss you so much, Mom. I wish I could come now, but I have to wait until March," I said, feeling the ache of homesickness wash over me.
"You seem a bit off. Are you okay? Ko ansamo mana dan Korea ne?" Mom teased, laughter in her voice.
"Mommm, they’re short. Definitely not my type," I replied with a giggle, but my thoughts once again drifted to Zain. His height, his presence… Ugh, why can’t I stop thinking about him?
"Se masu tsayi? Inye!" Mom laughed, clearly enjoying teasing me.
"Mommm!" I blushed, rolling my eyes even though she couldn’t see me.
"How’s Dad?" I asked quickly, trying to change the topic.
"He’s fine, Alhamdulillah," she replied. We chatted for another 30 minutes before finally saying goodbye.
After hanging up, I noticed three missed calls from Ya Usman. I quickly dialed his number.
"Ya Usmannn!" I sang, trying to sound cheerful. He was silent.
"Ya Usmannn!" I repeated, stressing his name.
"Sorry," I added in a baby-like voice, hoping it would soften his frustration.
"Do you have any idea how worried we were? If no one had talked to you, when were you planning to turn it on?" His voice was frustrated, the weight of his concern evident.
"I’m sorry, Ya Usman. I won’t do it again, I promise," I said earnestly.
"Fine," he sighed. "I need to head to school for lectures. Take care of yourself."
"Okay, thank you," I replied, he was no longer upset.
From there, I called Amma, then finally, Sadiq. We talked for a while, and I told him about what Zain had said earlier. Sadiq laughed.
"I knew it! There’s no way he’s cool with everyone in the family except you. Ya Usman and I always debate about this. Those fights you guys must like each other to always want fight one another. Although, let’s be real, most of the fights are your fault." He teased me, clearly enjoying himself.
"What? No way! If any of us liked the other, it must be him. Me? I don’t like anyone," I protested, but deep down, I knew I wasn’t entirely being honest with myself.
We chatted until almost Maghrib before saying goodbye. I prayed, then decided to head out and get some dinner. When I reached the cafe there he was—Zain. Waiting for his order
He smiled softly when he saw me. "Look who decided to come out of isolation," he teased, walking towards me with that familiar calmness.
I couldn’t help but smile back. "The whole life in Seoul is isolation," I replied, shrugging.
"But Seoul can be fun," he said, a playful glint in his eyes.
"It depends on one's definition of fun," I countered, raising an eyebrow. "I’ll place an order and be back."
YOU ARE READING
echoes of defiance (Rewriting)
RomanceIn their neighborhood, rumors about Zain and his father linger like shadows. Though they've lived here for over two decades, Zain remains an enigma-a silent storm with a tragic aura shaped by whispers of his mother's mysterious death. His cold, guar...
