Loving a Princess

32. What do you suggest?

5 days earlier

Farshad's P.O.V

This chapter is set 5 days back, when Aliyah and Umniyah spoke on the phone, and Aliyah told Umniyah about her engagement with Talal breaking. It's in Farshad's point of view.

Farshad heard a knock on his room door. It was his two week mid-semester break, and although only had seven months to go before he finished his PhD, he was glad to finally get a break and go back to his town, to see his mother and Ruqaiyah. So he was sitting in his own bedroom at home, flipping through a thick textbook as he studied, when the knock interrupted him.

"Come in," he called.

The door opened and he turned around to see who had entered, expecting his mother or Ruqaiyah. But the person he saw there took him by surprise.

"Umniyah?!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, bro!" Umniyah said, enthusiastically. "I took a bus and I just arrived here right now. I took a couple days leave from the hospital."

"How can you do that, Umni? You left this town just yesterday after your engagement and you're back already? You're impossible!" Farshad said, disapprovingly.

"Oh, come on, Farsh! It's just a four-hour journey from that town to this one. Besides,  Dr. Jane agreed to take over my calls since I had done that for her two weeks back. You don't worry about me," Umniyah answered.

Farshad just nodded his head. He wasn't really in the mood for talking. For over a month, Farshad couldn't help but sulk and feel down. He had his trust in Allah, but he still couldn't help it. It was all because of Aliyah's engagement to some other guy, and that was what made him realise that he liked her.

"Farsh!" Umniyah said, snapping him out of those depressing thoughts. "I'm here for you, and I've some great news. Just hear me out, okay?"

"What great news can there be now, Umni?" Farshad mumbled, dejectedly.

"I called up Aliyah this morning to inform her about my engagement with Usaym," Umniyah started.

Farshad lifted his palm up to stop her. "Umni, I don't want to discuss Aliyah. At. All," he said.

"I told you to hear me out, didn't I? I did not waste four hours of my life to come back here today when I was here yesterday only, only for you to interrupt me. My patients are also important, but for your sake only, I've come back here!" Umniyah said.

"Fine, but this better be good," Farshad said, with a sigh.

"Oh, trust me, it is. Or I wouldn't have come all the way till here again when I just left yesterday," Umniyah replied.

Farshad went and sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard and he beckoned Umniyah over to come and sit next to him, which she did.

"Now speak," Farshad said.

"Well, so when I called her, she told me her engagement broke two days ago, during Eid, because apparently the guy had a girlfriend while he was engaged to Aliyah and she and her family overheard him telling his girlfriend that he was only marrying her because his parents thought it would be good for their family's reputation. And he also told his girlfriend that he would continue seeing her even after he got married," Umniyah explained.