Nuranize

Chapter 23: Distance II

Her POV.

It was a long night. Anxiety did wonders to my emotional and physical beings. I was anxious about so many things. The funny thing about that night was the regret-delight cycle that tormented me throughout the night; I was low then high then low then high, it felt unending.

But the anxiety I felt was not funny. I became conscious of my breathing and my heartbeat. I laid on my bed and the two sounds that were most obvious was the drumming of my heart that kept resonating through the air trapped in the mattress and the hoarse rhythmic sounds my lungs had engineered. Ocassionally, I'd blink, but it didn't make any difference because I was in the dark.

I kept praying he'd call me and inform me that he had landed even though I knew that that would be unlikely. I wasn't sure how to feel about my confession, thus I kept praying for whatever was best.

I was in that uncomfortable state for hours until my alarm tune began to ring, it was after five in the morning and not a wink of sleep. I couldn't even pray.
After reading my morning azkar, I looked at the bed and for the first time ever, it looked unappealing. Thus I picked up a hijab and rushed downstairs with a flashlight, headed straight into the kitchen without thinking twice.

I just needed to get my hands dirty, hopefully in the process, clear my mind. Thus, I began chopping, dicing, slicing, mashing, peeling whatever food item I found in the fridge. Even after my entire palms were covered in tomato purée however, my mind was still a disaster.

"Nura? Is that you?" Baba shouted from the parlor.
I peeped into the parlor and saw him by the front door, he had just came back from the masjid.

I entered into the parlor and greeted him, of course he had questions.
"What were you doing in the kitchen? I just came back and I heard loud noises."
"Just cooking." I said calmly.
"Cooking? By this time? The sun hasn't even risen yet!" He asked, baffled.
I giggled.
He hissed and shook his head.
He mumbled as he walked away:
"You women! You do the strangest things when you are tensed. Don't worry, ISA the chap is ok."

'Ahhhh! What did Baba just say? Oh my God! Let me just crawl into the carpet! Why did he have to say that? Baba why!' I thought, distressed.

I actually grimaced and shut my eyes real tight after he said that. Baba saw me and guffawed.

"Well let me head back to my room and let you worry in peace." He said cheerfully and walked away.

The moment he left, I rushed into the kitchen and began my earlier activity.

"Takbeer! Allahu Akbar! I smell food." Nasir peered his head into the kitchen.
"Nasir go away!" I ordered.
"Nah! I'd rather stay." The stupid boy replied.
I hadn't the time or mental well being to handle him so I just ignored him.
"Ya Nur our prayer got answered! She's peeling potatoes." Nasir shouted.
"She is? Alhamdulillah." Ya Nur replied relieved. "Najib you are welcome to join us."
"You guys are in luck. I bought this ketchup that has olives in it. Let me go fetch it." Ya Najib said.
I stopped what I was doing and looked at the crowd that had formed. They were already seated in the dining area.

'What the hell?!'

"I am not cooking!" I shouted, pointing the flashlight threateningly at them.
"You are done already?" Nasir asked excitedly.
"I am not cooking anything!" I shouted once more.
They went quiet, they all looked at me, puzzled.
"What are you doing then??" Nasir asked uncertainly.
"I am just.. I am.. Uhm.. I am just making things!" I stuttered.

The moment I said that, they bursted into laughter, just as Ya Najib came back with his special ketchup.

"What happened? Why are you laughing?" He asked them.
"Nura is being... I don't even know what she is being! Nura what are you being?" Ya Nur said, amused.
While I tried containing my anger, Ya Najib looked the two, puzzled.