The Nearest Heaven ✔️

Part 17 - Team

Part 17 – Team

After Jacob and Waqqaar gave both Faraaz and Fadiyah food and made certain that Fadiyah had some mild painkillers, did they pull up chairs for themselves. The atmosphere was tense in the room, and Faraaz hated it. Ilham had always made life difficult for him because of how spoiled she was. He was certain that once again, she was going to cause a mess in his life and with the family he has.

With a defeated sigh, he asked Waqqaar what she said. Waqqaar's grim look said all. Faraaz knew that she would have made sure that she had the last word. It was not the first time that he cursed the way his parents indulged her and her selfish ways. Once again, her bad habits were creating disasters in his life and for him to smoothen things out. "Unfortunately, she is intent on getting your business. She wants the money, and only money." Waqqaar's eyes went to Fadiyah, and Faraaz knew that what Waqqaar was about to say would affect Fadiyah. "And she said that Fadiyah is," Waqqaar gave Fadiyah an apologetic look as he paused uneasily. She was truly like a sister to him, and he hated knowing that what Ilham said was going to hurt her, it was going to cause her stress and make things difficult for her. How could he freely continue talking when he knew it could cause Fadiyah to relapse? It could trigger her depression and anxiety? How could he willingly hurt her?

"Say what you have to, Waqqaar," Fadiyah assured him. "I know I made matters worse." She looked at all three men. Her little almond shaped eyes held the emotional range of the ocean's depths in them. Her eyes were glassy, almost as if she were holding herself back from crying. "I'm sorry."

Waqqaar quickly interjected. "It's not your fault that Faraaz's sister is deranged and mentally unstable and has a desire for murder to get her way." He smiled at Fadiyah's surprised look, but nonetheless carried on with what he was saying originally. "So, as I was saying. She said that Fadiyah is using you because you are 'cripple' and she is taking advantage of that fact and that you are too stupid to see it because you're just thankful that you could even get a woman to look at you twice since you've gone and destroyed your life by being cripple."

There was an oppressive silence in the room, with the only audible sound being that their breathing. Fadiyah felt uneasy, and despite what they all said, she felt guilty still for being part of the reason that Ilham was going out of her way to make life more miserable for everyone. "Gone and destroyed his life by being cripple?" Fadiyah scoffed, exasperated that someone could be so stupid. "How can someone be so stupid to even think that anyone would purposefully choose to be disabled?"

She pressed her palms flat against her eyes, annoyed that Ilham could think so lowly of her own brother, that she could be so heartlessly to her own flesh and blood. Angered that Faraaz had allowed her to berate him and control him by continuing to let her push her demands, to let her make her demands and give into those silly demands. Fadiyah was furious that she hadn't hit Ilham hard enough, because if she had hit her hard enough and knocked her out, then Ilham would not have had such an easy time to pass along threats.

Faraaz chuckled, finding Fadiyah's unease and anger amusing. Looking at her defending him with such passion made him want to hold her and hug her tightly and let her know jus how thankful he was that she was standing up for him. No one had truly ever stood up for him. Everyone expected him to 'be a man' and do things for himself. To stand on his won two feet, to make decisions and to fight his own battles. No one had taken his side, even when he was right, and he had done nothing wrong. He was always left to be his own speakerphone for his rights and wants and needs. It angered him that he couldn't even hug her or hold her to show his gratitude. In part, he was embarrassed that he could not stand up to his sister, but that his little wife would fearlessly stand up to his giant of a sister and punch her in the face. How could one small body be so full of life and love, and yet people wish ill on her? "No one claimed that Ilham was given brains, love," he said through a smile. Even if he could not hug her, he would support her and show that he was right behind her.