Falling Innocently

Chapter 24 -Alone

Chapter 24 – Alone

"Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower."

~Surah Al-Imran, verse 8

"Do you really want to go for ice cream, now?" Waliya asked Aahil incredulously. He rolled over her and caged her underneath him as he rested his weight on his hands placed on either side of her.

Looking down at her shocked face, he nodded with a grin. "Obviously I want to go and get ice cream now. You said I can buy you ice cream tomorrow." He looked at the analogue clock on his bedside. "Technically, it is the next day already. It's two AM."

Waliya rolled her eyes at him. She missed him a lot during the last six months, but at that moment, she was seriously unhappy. She did not appreciate getting up in the middle of the night and having her sleep ruined. Nothing should be getting in the way of her sleep. "But I didn't mean in the middle of the night," she complained.

"I know," Aahil said excitedly. "But don't you see? That is the whole point! Most of everyone else will be asleep and we'll have the town to ourselves."

Waliya sighed at Aahil's enthusiasm. "It's cold," she shivered, and tried to use that as another form of a deterrent.

It didn't work.

He stared at her with pleading eyes. "Fine!" she sighed as she gave in. "But don't expect me to be happy about being out in this cold weather!"

Laughing, he placed a brief kiss to her forehead and said, "Wouldn't dream of it sweetheart."

Fifteen minutes later, Waliya pulled a pair of jeans over her pyjamas, a pair of knee high socks –her second pair of socks –over her jeans and then stuck her feet into her boots after tucking away the small length of the socks sticking over her boots. She pulled on a long pea coat over her pyjama top and buttoned it up to the top most button, but then grumbled as part of her pyjama top stuck out, even with her scarf on. Twirling around the room, she found her knitted neck scarf and then twisted it around her neck to cover the light purple top sticking out from her coat.

"Ready?" Aahil called as he leaned against the doorframe of the room. He had simply pulled a pair of jeans and a hoodie and then wore one of his dark blazers over the hoodie. Waliya angrily scoffed as she saw how easily he got ready.

"Ready," she answered as she pulled her handbag with her.

"Nope," he said and reached for her bag to toss it on their neatened bed –Waliya could not, and would not, leave the bed untidy –before he spoke again. "You won't need that."

She wanted to argue, but she could not for the life of her function normally, since she was rudely awakened to go for ice cream in the middle of the night. "Fine," she grumbled.

He laughed and then walked to her and stopped her by placing his forearms on her shoulders, as she sulked in front of him. He leaned lower and stood eye to eye with her. "I promise I won't let you feel cold, okay?" he told her with a small and sweet smile on his face.

Uncertainly, Waliya nodded. "I am trusting you to do that."

"That is all I want," he told her and then kissed her forehead again.

By the time they had reached their car and ensured that they were strapped in, Waliya had yawned since she was still sleepy. He put on a CD that had played wonderful nazms of a group placed in Durban. Adoringly, she smiled at him and leaned her head against the window and looked at him. "Why are you still up?" she asked him.