God's way

Part 8

That night, as I lay on the makeshift bed of blankets in Nadiira's room, staring up at the strings of fairy lights, I felt that rare sense of peace. Being here always made me feel lighter, like my troubles were just a little farther away. But then, out of nowhere, she dropped a question that made my heart jump.

"So... what's going on with you and Sayjan?" Her voice was casual, but her eyes were sharp, watching me closely.

I froze, my mind scrambling for an answer that didn't give anything away. But I could tell by the look on her face that she already suspected something. I hesitated, feeling the weight of the promise I'd made to Sayjan pressing down on me. He'd been so clear about keeping this secret, especially from anyone connected to his family or the mosque. But this was Nadiira—my best friend, the one person I felt like I could tell anything.

"Promise me you won't say anything," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Not to anyone, okay?"

She raised her hand, solemnly crossing her heart. "Wallah, Adma. I won't say a word."

I took a deep breath, feeling my heart race.

"Okay, well... I've been seeing him. Not, like, officially or anything," I quickly added, "but we've been hanging out and talking. Just... spending time together."

Her eyes widened with surprise, but there was something else there too—concern.

"Wow. I didn't expect that... but, you do know abut his family, right?"

I blinked, not really understanding where she was going with this.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, her expression turning serious.

"They have really strict traditions, especially about mixing religions. I know you're not really thinking about marriage or anything," she added quickly, "but his family... it would be a big deal if they found out."

I shook my head, brushing it off. 

"I'm not thinking that far ahead, Nadiira. We're just talking and getting to know each other. It's not like we're planning a future together."

"But that's just it, Adma." She leaned in, her voice urgent. "If someone from his family found out—even just that he's spending time with someone from a different religion—it could be bad for him. They might pressure him or make things really hard. They don't take this kind of thing lightly."

I opened my mouth to argue, but her words were starting to sink in. I hadn't really thought about it like that before, hadn't realized the pressure he might face just for being seen with me. I bit my lip, feeling that uneasy twist in my stomach. 

"How do you know all of this?"

"I know his sister quite a bit."

I nodded slowly, a strange weight settling over me. I thought I could just keep things simple with Sayjan, that it wouldn't need to get complicated. But now, I could feel the hidden boundaries, the lines that we were already starting to cross without even knowing it.

09:26 am

Soft light crept through the thin curtains in Nadiira's room, casting gentle shadows across the walls. I felt myself slowly drifting awake, cocooned in the warmth of blankets on the floor. The quiet of the early morning surrounded us, broken only by the faint rustling of leaves outside the window and the occasional sleepy breath from Nadiira above me, sprawled across her bed.

Rolling onto my side, I checked my phone out of habit, squinting as the screen's brightness startled my eyes. My heart did a little flip when I saw his name.