𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 | A Halal Love Story

Chapter 10

"When the Almighty pushes you to the edge, trust him fully, as only two things can happen: either he will catch you or teach you to fly."

The day had started like any other, but quickly turned into one of those moments Zaina would never forget She didn't feel quite like herself—her throat was sore from the seawater she had swallowed, her body cold despite the warm cabin. Zaina had been adamant that she was fine Nafi and Aliza had stayed by her side, teasing her with jokes to lighten the mood. But there was one person who hadn't said much since the whole incident.

Armaan.

It wasn't that he didn't care, but he had this strange way of keeping his distance, as though trying to act detached about the whole thing, as if showing too much concern was a weakness. It was irritating; in a way, Zaina didn't like being coddled, but

Zaina was lying back against the pillows when there was a soft knock at the door. Her heart skipped—not because she was excited, but because she already knew who it was.

"Come in," she called out, her voice hoarse.

The door creaked open, and Armaan stepped in, his usual serious expression on his face. Arsh followed behind him, a smirk already playing on his lips, as though he knew something was up.

"Soup," Armaan muttered, holding out a bowl of something steaming. "You said you needed something warm."

Zaina eyed the bowl skeptically. "Warm, huh?" She reached out to take it, but as soon as she lifted the spoon to her lips, the scent of something a little too pungent hit her. "Uh... did you put half the pepper factory in here, Armaan?"

Armaan raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a slight smirk. "You like it spicy, don't you? Thought you could handle it."

Zaina's face instantly scrunched up as the heat hit her tongue. "I can handle spice. But this... this is more like a spicy disaster. What is this? The entire spice rack?"

Armaan didn't even flinch, his tone dry as ever. "Guess you're not as tough as you think."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think you were trying to give me a second* drowning," she shot back, though the teasing was playful. It wasn't the first time Armaan had gotten under her skin with his casual indifference.

Arsh snickered from the corner. "Dude, I think you've killed her taste buds. I'd suggest milk, but she's probably better off with a fire extinguisher."

Nafi, who was lounging on the couch beside Zaina, raised an eyebrow. "Or just... not putting that much pepper in."

Zaina, now reaching for the water on the table, shot a glare at her friends, her cheeks flushing with the ridiculousness of the situation."It's fine. I'm fine. I'll just... go find some actual food to drown out this inferno in my mouth."

Armaan barely reacted. He just shrugged, turning to Arsh with a cold smirk. "She'll survive. I'm sure she's had worse."

"Worse?" Zaina scoffed, still coughing lightly. "You're lucky I'm already half-dead from the ocean."