Shirk in Disguise

Chapter 24

What do you think will happen on the visiting day? Try guessing and leave inline comments here before reading the chap. Don't peek😉

On the following Saturday, Bilqees took extra care of her looks in anticipation of Faysal's visit. She even practised how she'd behave in his presence and what her first reaction would be when he pops 'The Big Question'. However, she didn't even let Azeema know of his impending visit, preferring to surprise her with her newest catch.

Azeema, on the other hand, didn't make any special preparations for she didn't expect anybody, and never had. She'd long since resigned herself to her fate and even though she sometimes envied the other girls who had visitors, she calmly kept her feelings quite hidden. Instead, she always pasted a smile on her face as Bilqees introduced her to her numerous visitors – relatives and boyfriends alike.

The two girls were sitting and chatting on Azeema's bed when one of their roommates came in quite dazed. "Girls, I just saw an angel!" she exclaimed, starry-eyed.

"What?!"

"When?"

"How??"

The questions kept pouring in but she just shook her eyes vehemently. "I mean a human sort of angel," she stated as if she was in some kind of trance. "OMG he was soooooooooo handsome!"

The girl's utterances amused Azeema. She turned to joke about it with her friend but Bilqees was no longer beside her. She became puzzled. Where had the Queen Bee suddenly disappeared to?

Meanwhile, Bilqees, on hearing the girl's ramblings, had sat up quickly as something clicked in her head. The 'Human Angel' must have been Faysal! She therefore hurried out of the dormitory before Azeema could even notice her. She prayed to God that no other girl had succeeded in placing her sticky paws on him. He was hers!

As she neared the place where the visitors had converged in their numbers, she slowed her pace and switched to a catwalk. She didn't look long before she spotted him. He was simply too conspicuous and by far the most handsome person in the crowd.

Surprisingly, Faysal hadn't even spotted her; her catwalk had been quite a waste. With his sunshades still on, he was stretching his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of something, or somebody.

Noticing that he hadn't seen her yet, Bilqees cleared her throat. As soon as he turned in her direction, she flashed him a killer smile and batted her eyelids. "Hey, handsome!" she cooed.

"Ooh Heyyyyy," he managed to smile as he removed the sunshades.

Bilqees somehow had the nagging feeling that he wasn't as pleased to see her as she was to see him. She quickly pushed the disturbing thought away. "It's so nice to see you."

Faysal patted his afro. "Yeah...what of your friend?"

Bilqees experienced a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Umm...she's in the dormitory," she managed to stutter.

"I'd really like to see her. Actually, I came because of her."

Bilqees felt as if a number of knives were stabbing her repeatedly. So all her daydreams had been in vain! What's more, he clearly didn't give a damn about her judging from the way he bluntly dashed her hopes without batting an eyelid. She felt her eyes stinging but refused to allow the tears flow. "I'll...I'll get her for you..."

"Thank you so much! You've made my day," he replied, flashing his charming smile for the first time that day.

She turned abruptly, her heart burning in her chest. As she walked blindly to the dormitory, she resolved not to tell Azeema the message to get back at Faysal for dashing her hopes. Envy, Jealousy and Selfishness were obviously at work within her but she didn't give a damn. She was a pampered only daughter of rich parents anyway, used to having all her heart's desires fulfilled.

With quick, determined steps, she continued on her way, not looking back even though she had the urge to do so. She returned to the room to meet an anxious Azeema.

"Where've you been?" Azeema asked with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, I was just..."

"I've looked everywhere for you!"

"Even the lavatory?" Bilqees asked, attempting a joke to cover up her unease.

"Well, except that particular place..." and the two girls burst into laughter.

They chatted animatedly to while away the time before Bilqees's visitors, including her parents, arrive the school. Bilqees, on her own part, prayed that Faysal would just give up on seeing Azeema before the arrival of her parents, when she and Azeema would have to go out to meet them, risking another encounter with him.

To Bilqees's chagrin, barely twenty minutes later, one of their roommates announced that a visitor was waiting for Azeema Yusuf. Her heart sank to her shoes. She thought of discouraging her friend from going but Azeema was already up, surprised and thrilled at the thought of a visitor waiting for her.

"A visitor for me?" she muttered incredulously. Without wasting time, she quickly made for the door in great anticipation.

As Bilqees watched her friend's retreating back, she almost cried out loud. Why on earth did it have to be her? She knew Azeema was more naturally beautiful than her but she was far classier and more graceful.

She suddenly sat up as a thought hit her. What would Azeema say on realizing that she'd tried double-crossing her? She dreaded a violent reaction from the usually gentle and soft-spoken friend of hers, whose personality usually morphed into something else whenever pushed to the wall.

They'd never had a serious fight yet, just the normal tiffs between friends. Whatever Azeema's reaction would be, she hoped they could patch it up before her parents came, especially her Mum.

"Agh!" she groaned as she fell back on the bed with tears running down her face.  

A/N
Jealousy - the green-eyed monster, is a vicious vice indeed. It turns friends to foes and allies to strangers. What do you think of the turn of events? Tell me in the comments box!

I'd appreciate your votes and shares too👏