Just the two of us (EDITING)✔️

Chapter Twenty~one

After praying, I sat quietly on the mat, whispering prayers for patience, and more... a lot more, because only Allah knows how much I would need it to tolerate Ya Afaan.

"Adda Khadija, lunch is ready!" Zara called out.

"Zara, stop calling me "Adda," it's so weird "ginnado" I groaned.

"Better get used to it!" She stuck out her tongue at me, and I rolled my eyes.

I grabbed my veil, and we headed downstairs, with the girls trailing behind me. As I stepped into the living room, I noticed Ya Afaan sitting with that weird girl—was her name Furry or something? She was gazing at him like he was some sort of prince while he was buried in his phone.

I almost tripped when he suddenly glanced up and caught my eye. I quickly averted my gaze and kept walking, feeling a sudden rush of heat.

"Come on, come on, let's eat," Ammi said, appearing from the hallway, with Abul following close behind.

We all made our way to the dining table. Coincidence or not, guess who I ended up sitting next to? Yes, the monster himself. Lunch was delicious, but I found myself just picking at the food, barely eating. My mind was elsewhere, worrying about how I was going to survive life with this man, who, as always, looked completely intolerable.

I let out a frustrated grunt, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him glance at me. Whatever.

After lunch, we sat in the living room, recalling old school memories with Zara. Every time I looked up, I could feel Ya Afaan's eyes on me, glaring. I couldn't help but laugh at Zara's stories.

"You are so annoying, Zara!" I said, shaking my head. "It's getting late, I should probably be going."

"No, you're not driving, Afrah", Ammi's voice called from the other living room. "Leave your car here, the driver will return it tomorrow. Naseeru will drive you home."

My face instantly warmed, and I was sure I was blushing, but thankfully no one could see it.

Ya Afaan, without saying a word, got up and walked out. I followed reluctantly. The girls came out with me to say goodbye, and he was already in the car waiting. I turned and hugged Zara, then gave a quick group hug to the others to avoid keeping him waiting. I wouldn't put it past him to leave me here.

"Toh sai munzo, "amarya!" Zara shouted mischievously, giving me a playful smack on the butt.

"Zaraaa!" I yelled, rolling my eyes. Acchu monnugo am ne!" The girls all burst into laughter as I settled into the car.

He sat there, as calm as ever, in the driver's seat. I eyed him suspiciously as I buckled my seatbelt, remembering the last time he drove me home after Adda Ummi's dinner. Bipolar monster.

Without warning, he pulled out of the driveway with such speed I almost hit my head against the window. I bit my tongue, determined not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. I took out my phone, trying to distract myself. Maybe I'd look up some new recipes, I'm a cooking freak, after all.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the disbelief that I was married to this man, the same guy who had never shown even a hint of affection toward me. The same guy who bullied me since the very first day we met.

I sighed, glancing over at him. His face was illuminated by the streetlights, his features sharp and radiant under the glow. The trimmed beard, the serious look on his face, he was as handsome as ever. I caught myself staring and mentally slapped myself.

Khadija Afrah, stop ogling. Stop drooling over him. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.
My inner voice, the one I've named "Inner Afrah," finally pulled me back to reality. Focus!

Just then, his phone rang, breaking the silence. I glanced at the screen and saw a picture of that same girl from Adda Ummi's wedding, the one who was all over him. Her name was saved as *Loml💕👑*. He looked at the phone, then at me, and ignored the call.

I smiled slightly and decided to call someone myself. I dialed Adda Ummi, but her phone was off. Frustrated, I scrolled through my contacts until I found Adda Scarlet's number. I hadn't spoken to her in ages. She picked up on the third ring.

"Adda Scarlet!" I giggled, feeling a rush of joy. I missed her and the kids so much.

"Kai, Afrah, you never change! Mad girl," she teased, laughing.

"I didn't even call to talk to you. Where are my babies?"

"Hayna is here. Hayna, come say hi to mummy!"

I heard a small voice on the other end. "Hewwoo!"

My heart melted. "Hi, Hayna! How are you? Do you miss me?"

"Mhmm! I miss you! Do you miss me?" she replied in the cutest voice, and I felt tears well up in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away, but I noticed Ya Afaan was watching me.
Great. Now he thinks I'm emotional.

I ignored him and kept talking to my babies. Their laughter was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits. Apparently, Haydah had run into the living room, still wrapped in her pink towel, just to say hi to me. I laughed, feeling a little better.

We finally reached the gate, and I noticed a petite girl standing there, pacing back and forth with a pink travel bag. She looked oddly familiar.

Wait... isn't that the girl who just called him?

"Aneesa?" Ya Afaan said, once he recognized her through the dim light.

I couldn't help but groan inwardly. Could this day get any worse?

Our eyes met, and for a moment, neither of us said a word.

Hoodies are one of the most powerful and under appreciated articles of clothing. Cold? Put on a hoodie, nothing to wear? Hoodie. Cripplingly low self esteem? You know. So versatile. So multifaceted.
A girls bestfriend 💕😩