LOVE TRIALS

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My darling,
you will never be unloved by me.
You are too well tangled in my soul.

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It was ten minutes, later that the recipient of his ire arrived and he straightened in his seat, the thing in his chest lurched.

"How are you?"Sabeeha asked him as she sat before him. She clasped her hands in her lap. She didn't meet his eyes, she wouldn't look at him, seemingly the checkered napkins on the table interested her far more than he did.

You aren't Zain, his conscience reminded him.

He grated out, "Cut the small talk, Sabeeha. Why did you call me here?" He sat before her, a leg thrown over the other, dressed in a white shirt and dark slacks. Sabeeha suspected he'd come directly from work. Nothing out of ordinary since the last time they met. Despite the anger conveyed in the hard set of his jaw, his eyes beheld her with warmth and affection but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Later, "He dismissed the waiter with a rude wave of his hand, he didn't even bother to look and apologise, so unlike Zain and for the umpteenth time, Sabeeha found herself considering her options, again.

Not him. Not him. Not him.

Hamza Hassan Omer almost beckoned the waiter to apologise when he found himself the victim of her silent reprimand, she had doe eyes so unlike- Expressive. He bit his tongue and sat back, urging her to continue.

"I want you to marry me," Hamza Hassan Omer pulled his lips into a straight line as she slid a small, navy box on the table towards him.

Ironic.

"You bought it for him?" He asked, eyeing the damned box. His heartbeat was erratic.

"I am giving it to you," Her voice cracked as did the organ beneath his chest. Of course. He didn't reach out to take it, he had wanted to marry her.

"What changed, Sabeeha?" Hamza inquired, resting his elbows on the armrest, he pinned her with his intense eyes. "Why now? Zain isn't marrying you?"

Sabeeha took a deep breath, he saw as her eyes glazed, "No. Will you marry me?" Her voice came out soft, timid as she opened the box, a platinum band glistened in the golden light of the overhead lamp and he had wanted to wrap his arms around her, pull her into his chest, close to his heart.

Sophia Rizwan interrupted, looking between the couple as she approached their table, all eyes on her, "What's going on?" Her grip tightened on the bag of her strap as she willed herself to remain calm.

"Sophia, what are you doing here?"Sabeeha breathed, cursing her luck. She had wanted it to between the two of them.

Hamza hissed under his breath as he rose from his seat. He warned,"Don't make a scene, Sophia."

"I asked, what's going on?" Sophia held her ground, she barely flinched from the harsh glare he directed at her when she didn't move. Hamza conveniently ignored Sophia, turning to look at the woman who held his heart in his hands, he left his platinum card on the table.