Just the two of us (EDITING)✔️

Thirty~Two First plan in progress.

Afrah's POV
I ran out of the house, my vision blurred by tears streaming down my face, tears of pain and frustration. I made my way to my car and turned the ignition. The engine roared to life, and I began driving toward my father's house. After all, he had told me to come home, even if it felt more like a desperate measure than a true option.

Shit I thought, gritting my teeth as more tears fell. Just as I was about to conclude that I needed to be alone, I made a U-turn and headed for Zara's house. I dialed her number, praying she would pick up.

"Hello? Afrah! What's up?" Zara answered, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine," I replied, though the quiver in my voice betrayed me.

There was a pause on the line.

"Zara, I'm at your gate. Can you come get me?"

"At our gate? By this time of night? Lafiya dai ko? Are you with ya Afaan?" she asked, surprise lacing her voice.

"Zara, please! Just come and get me. I'll explain everything when I see you."

"Okay, okay! Ina zuwa! I'm coming!"

Ten minutes later, I heard soft knocks on my window.

"Ya Allah! Come in, let's go! Sorry I kept you waiting!" she ranted as she slid into the car.

"Thank you, Zara," I said, forcing a half-smile through my tears.

As we entered her house, the silence was loud. I glanced at her, and she immediately understood the unspoken message.

"Oh, they're not around. They all left for a wedding and won't be back until tomorrow. It's just me and Zuhra" she assured me.

"So tell me, what's wrong?" she pressed, her brows furrowing in concern.

"Zaraaaa, you don't have any chill! I haven't even sat down yet, and you're already bombarding me with questions!" I feigned a hurt expression.

"Naji, sorry! I'm just worried, ne" she replied, her voice softening.

"Okay, fine. Just let me rest for a moment. We can talk tomorrow, okay?"

"No, sit down!" she insisted, taking my hand in hers.

"Okay, but wait! Let me get us some hot chocolate first."

She stood up and soon returned with two large mugs of steaming hot chocolate topped with marshmallows, along with a plate of decadent chocolate brownies.

"Now you may begin, madamme," she said with a playful smile.

I wasted no time. I needed to unpack all my emotions and talk to someone. I poured out everything to her, my fears, my anger, the feeling of betrayal, and the chaos of my emotions. By the time I finished, we were both in tears.

"Khadija, you went through all this trouble because of us? His family? For what reason? You even let a girl into your house, haba!" she exclaimed, disbelief etched on her face.

"I had no choice, Zara," I replied, my voice trembling.

"Oh yes, you did! You should have at least told Ammi that you've never met him or—"

"Zara, please! It's your brother we're talking about here!"

She sat down beside me, holding my hand tightly. "Afrah, what kind of woman are you? You're the strongest woman I know, If YaAfaan loses you, then he might just be the real dumbass here."

I couldn't help but laugh through my tears. My initial fear had shifted to bemusement. I had expected her to be mad at me and possibly throw me out, but then I remembered—this isn't just any girl; it's Zara, my best friend.

"Now promise me, Zara. Promise you'll help me win this game," I pleaded, looking her in the eye.

She nodded earnestly. "Of course, I'm with you. What's the plan?"

"Okay, here's the first step: let's make Ya Afaan restless and make him miss me. Deal?"

"But how? Zara inquired with a smirk. "Or should we ask Google for help?"

I hit her playfully. They called me Google in school because I was always the one with answers. You could walk up to me and ask the simplest question, and I'd say, "Wait, let me ask Google."

"Ouch! Don't dislocate my back now!" she laughed.

"First plan: I'm going to call Abba," I said, smiling.

"Which of the Abba?" she asked, her brow raised in confusion.

"My dad," I clarified.

"But what for?" she asked, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.

"You'll see."

---
Afaan's POV

Since I received Hamma Shattima's message, I had been restless.

I can't wait until 2 PM, I thought, glancing at the clock—it was only 1:30, and I was already pacing. I took another shower and dressed in a black kaftan, pairing it with a white *hula* (cap).

As I walked past Anisa, she was so absorbed in her phone that she didn't even notice me. She didn't acknowledge me at all, which was a stark contrast to Afrah. Even during our most heated arguments, she always greeted me.

I reached the gate, where Afrah's younger brother Zain ushered me into the living room. "How's my stubborn sister? Has she given you a heart attack yet?" he teased, a playful grin on his face.

She has given me more than a heart attack, little bro.

I settled into the living room, barely five minutes passed before Hamma walked in.

"Afaan, I thought you were responsible enough to take care of Afrah. Ashe ba ka da kirki?. You want to spoil our relationship with your father right ? We share the same grandparents if you don't know. We just found out, so I'm like a father to you," he stated, his tone serious.

"The reason I called you is that Afrah called me last night, crying that you weren't at home until after three. When she called you, the place was very noisy. Where were you?" he questioned, concern etched on his face.

What do you think her plan is?

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."
-Helen Keller