The Nearest Heaven ✔️

Part 5 -Beauty and the Beast

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Part 5 –Beauty and The Beast

"Indeed, Allah does not fail in His Promise."

~Surah Al-Imran, verse 9

Fadiyah felt her throat close up as she struggled to breathe and formulate a coherent answer. The blood that should have been rushing throughout her body froze and made it difficult for her to hear anything. She blinked at him, once, twice, thrice and still his words hadn't sunk in.

"Be not afraid, Beauty, and give your true answer," he told her with a warm chuckle.

Beauty and the Beast! He was quoting -although, more accurately, paraphrasing- Beauty and the Beast to her. She simply laughed at the relief she felt. He wasn't truly asking her to marry him, he was merely joking with her. "You were joking!" she cried out in relief.

He laughed along with her. "I may look like the Beast, but I am not as silly as he is," Faraaz joked.

She rolled her eyes at him good-naturedly and sipped her hot chocolate. "How do you even know those lines?" she asked him with a teasing smile.

He blushed. "Honestly, I teased Aaban one day. He came here and he complained about he had to suffer and watch it with his sister the entire day, every day. So, he pouted and got upset. The next day he came, and he forced me to watch it, hour after hour. If I fell asleep, he would wake me and start the movie over again. After watching it for two days straight, it is safe to say that I can recognise almost any line in the movie," he said bashfully. "It was a terrible punishment, but I would do it if it made Aaban happy."

Fadiyah laughed. "I'm sorry, but at least it is better than some super cheesy love movie," she said smiling at him. She said nothing about his sweet comment about Aaban. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable or awkward around her.

He groaned. "Don't even remind me about that!"

"I feel sorry for Aaban," she said without thinking.

"Why?"

She blinked and then covered it up with a smile. She had no right to tell him what she heard about Aaban from her grandmother, and it wasn't his business. Although, she suspected that he knew every little aspect about Aaban's life. "That he had to watch it so many times."

Faraaz studied her and Fadiyah knew he was studying her, which made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't like being under scrutiny. His deep gaze felt as if he was able to penetrate through her and see all the deep, dark cracks within, the cracks she covered with a smile and a happy personality. It felt, to her, as if he might get to know the secrets within her that not even her family knew.

"What are you looking at?" she asked softly, her eyes averted.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I was just lost in thought. Sorry."

"It's okay," she said with a gentle smile.

He grinned at her mischievously. "So, you're a Disney Princess?" he teased.

"Hardly," she scoffed. "I don't talk to animals. I don't have patience and a kind heart," she pointed out obviously.

He let out a sound, some sort of dissenting grunt. "But you recognised it."

"It is my favourite Disney movie," she blushed and then shoved her hand over her mouth, embarrassed she admitted it. She didn't understand what had possessed her to admit it, to allow her to speak of her one deep secret. Fadiyah had never let anyone know about her love for that particular Disney movie. As she was about to cover the slip, Faraaz spoke.