In His Custody ✎ (MaNan)

✰ 4 - elusive escapes

"Some people have lives; some people have music."

— (John Green).

I want to change Diyah's name to Inaaya especially now that I am rewriting it but I'm unsure how my readers would take it :P

Rewritten: 27 February 2024

⭒

Diyah

"I just got his text, he will be here any time now!"

My best friend's head shook incessantly as she eyed the tiny trophy that I bought for him as a present for finally shaking on his first album deal, a first for the both of us and our relationship too. "Are you sure about this?" Her blonde straightened hair flicked from one side to the other, as I searched for a smoky outfit.

I turned around, cocking my head slightly to the side, a little tired of explaining my stance to her. "Nobody says no to me, Jessica, you know that!" Laying my lacy hot pink night suit on the bed, I straightened the material and kept it flat while she placed the little bouquet she bought for my boyfriend on my behalf on the vase by my dresser.

The flowers smelled like fresh meadows that dazzled with lavender blooms, probably the last of the lot that marked the onset of summer in the vibrant yet laid-back part of Manchester. Mystical.

I didn't know how to properly thank her. Friends generally are the best people to get advice from. They like to keep shit real, know every detail about the things you emotionally pour into and still see them from a more neutral perspective than the ones. No wonder they are the best resorts when dealing with crises. It's another story altogether that many don't listen to their friends for the same reasons – they're too objective. They want you to be happy but won't flinch from pointing out any red flags.

She kept an eye out for me in just the same manner. "He's not the typical man!" In her handful of interactions with Manik, she reported him to be snobby and curt in his responses with her. In the initial months of our relationship when I would shower him with unique heartfelt presents for every monthiversary, all of which would be met with a monotonous 'thank you', a small smile and a hug, she concluded that he was not fully capable of understanding emotional sentiments and did not deserve my time.

But she didn't see what I saw. The happy chats, the fun-filled evenings and several hundred dates when we were nothing but smiles, giggles, hugs and kisses around each other. Gifts were not his love language so it was wrong of my friend to jump to conclusions on him regarding it, while discrediting the physical affection he showered on me which was his way of showing me how much I meant to him.   

"Yes, but he's my everything." I promptly responded after briefly rolling my eyes.

Every teenage girl dreams of a fairytale romance, but I never thought miracles were real until I met him; like a cool breeze over a tropical island, he swished into my life and leashed me in. I couldn't get out even if I wanted to, and I... I didn't desire to.

"Which one out of these would make him want to nail me?" Jessica flicked her hair off her neck before scanning through my closet like her own.

"I approve of the pink you selected!"

I heard the doorbell ring. Shoving the little cup and anything minutely related to the surprise into hiding, I checked one more time that the rest of the room was welcoming enough to seduce him in. Just to tip the scales in my favour, I sprayed on my favourite perfume–the one he loved as well.