Destined Strangers

Chapter 22

"Sometimes, the heart sees what is invisible to the eye."

- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

🌙

This is the same cafe where the story began. The soft hum of conversation fills the air, just as it had on that fateful day when Sania received Nour's call. But no one could have predicted how much would change in such a short time.

Nour sits across the table from Sania, the sunlight filtering through the large windows. She looks calm, her expression peaceful and composed, a stark contrast to the day when Hassan had broken the news. She lifts her cup to her lips, sipping slowly, as if carefully choosing her words.

"I always thought if something bothered you, you'd tell me." Her voice is soft, tinged with concern.

Sania takes a deep breath, her fingers tracing the edge of her cup, eyes downcast.

"Everything happened so fast that I couldn't make sense of it... Even now, I still don't fully understand what's going on."

Nour leans forward slightly, her gaze steady, placing her hand gently on Sania's. The touch is comforting, but it also seems to seek answers. Sania forces a faint smile, though her eyes betray a deeper uncertainty.

"What happened that made you marry Hassan? I know you - how could you make such a big decision so suddenly, without even telling your family?"

Sania's smile falters. Her expression darkens as memories flood back, and for a moment, something fragile and broken flickers across her face.

Nour watches her intently, patiently waiting for her to find the words. After a few moments, Sania's soft voice finally breaks the silence.

"A little while before Hassan came, I started getting notes. At first, I ignored them, but then it became a routine..."

She pauses, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of her cup.

"When Hassan arrived, I ran into him a couple of times, and I told him everything. I had no one else to trust... He seemed reliable."

She falls silent again, her eyes still avoiding Nour's. Her shoulders tense. Nour, sensing her hesitation, gently squeezes her hand, her touch offering quiet encouragement.

"And then, one night, someone took me from my home..." Sania's voice grows quieter.

"It was the same man who had been sending the notes. I stayed with him for a day. He wanted to marry me. But, Hassan, with the police, found me."

Nour freezes, her expression clouded with disbelief as Sania tells her the story. Her brows knit together, trying to grasp how something so terrifying could have stayed hidden.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asks, her voice soft but laced with concern.

"I didn't want to worry anyone," She speaks, as if she's lost in her own words. Nour watches her closely, and as soon as she grasps the unease hidden in Sania's silence, she is taken aback.

"Sania, you didn't involve us in such a huge problem?"

Sania stays silent, unsure of how to respond... What can she even say to that? Nour, speaks again, her voice a little softer this time.

"And then? What happened next?"

"I was so scared... I couldn't tell my family, and I didn't want to be alone. I couldn't make sense of anything."

Her gaze drops to her hands, twisting nervously in her lap, as if the simple act of speaking about it is forcing her to relive those moments of fear and confusion.