True Purpose

c h a p t e r 24

"No way!" Zaynab gasped.

"Yes way. Now that I think about it, Arden once mentioned that his teacher's name is Mr. Zaydan, but I never put two and two together to figure out that he'd be related to your husband," Arwa replied.

"Why didn't it occur to me that Yasir is a year five teacher in an all boys' school? I could've easily told you if it'd have struck me!" Zaynab mused.

"Well," Arwa shrugged. "We know now."

Zaynab looked at Arwa closely. "You know, I observed you pretty well at that time, and your reaction wasn't one of plain recognition when you saw him. There's more to it, Arwa," Zaynab said.

"For someone so naïve, you do observe a lot, Zaynab!" Arwa commented.

"Don't try to escape from my question, Arwa. Answer me, what is going on?" Zaynab demanded.

Arwa sighed, twirling with the corner of her new headscarf around her finger. Zaynab observed how she did so, and she recalled how Arwa used to always twist a lock of her hair around her finger before she became Muslim and started wearing hijaab.

"I'm waiting, Avarielle - I mean, Arwa," Zaynab said, tapping her fingers impatiently against Arwa's car.

"Don't call me Avarielle!" Came Arwa's automatic response before she rolled her eyes at her mistake.

Zaynab giggled at her friend. "C'mon, Arwa! Just come out with it!"

Arwa sighed again. "Alright, alright. I missed out an important detail when I was telling you about him. I didn't mention to you that I just happen to really like him!" She said, then immediately looked down at her feet.

Zaynab stared at Arwa. She had a feeling about something like that, but she wasn't sure. But now that it came from Arwa's mouth, it sounded so strange.

"What? When did you start liking him? Haven't you known him for about two weeks?" Zaynab asked.

"It's going to be three weeks on Monday, and it's Saturday today," Arwa muttered, regretting saying anything.

"Whatever. But tell me, when?" Zaynab asked, turning slightly to lean against Arwa's car.

"Alright," Arwa huffed. "The parent-teacher meeting was last Saturday, and that was when I spoke to him. Zaynab, the way he'd look directly at Arden but not at me, the way he spoke so softly and respectfully, the way he was just so nice, and not to mention, so good-looking and smart, I just couldn't help but get attracted to him. And then, he was Muslim and I knew that he was. My mind immediately went to how nice Hassan was to you and I got a feeling that this guy might also be the same - of course, I didn't know Hassan was his brother then," she narrated.

"Whoa, Arwa! And what about him?" Zaynab asked.

"What, are you asking if he likes me?" Arwa asked.

Zaynab nodded.

"I don't think so. I mean, he'd only look at me once then look down right away," Arwa said.

"Honey, that's just him lowering his gaze. You know right, Islam requires you to lower your gaze?" Zaynab asked.

"Yeah, that's one of the other things that makes Islam great!" Arwa said.

"But that doesn't mean he doesn't like you," Zaynab said.

"I don't think so, Zaynab," Arwa insisted. "Because I wasn't even a Muslim then. What on earth makes you think your brother-in-law would like some ordinary European chic wearing a short-sleeved dress reaching her knees with her hair open?"