Heaven From Here

twenty five

Hanna: Lala, I still haven't told him! I'm scared!!

Lala: You need to tell him like right now, we're 5 mins away!!

Hanna: Can't you do it? Pretty please??

Lala: He's your man, not mine!!

Lala: Get your shit together, we're almost there.

Lala: Tell him NOW!

Hanna bit her lip as she looked up from her phone. Her heart was racing, she was nervous and flustered. She walked out her room slowly, and gingerly walked down the steps. She knew Saif was probably in the living room after as he had camped out in front of the TV with his laptop since breakfast with a reruns of old football matches.

The doorbell rang and Hanna jumped. Shit, I still haven't told Saif yet, she thought as she rushed to the door. "I'll get it," she said as she passed the living room.

Saif paused as he went through the previous month's finance report. It felt like Hanna already knew who was at the door. He heard the front door open and girlish squeals and greeting before they were shushed. Saif frowned and slowly put down his MacBook and walked over to the door. Leaning against the door, he caught the end tail of Hanna's conversation, "- I haven't told him yet you guys..."

"And what is it specifically that you haven't told me?" he asked as he cocked his head smiling charmingly at his guests. "Asslamlaikum ladies," he said nodding at Layla, Sana, and Fatima. "Was there a sleepover that I wasn't invited too?" he asked teasingly.

"Actually, we were invited to my cousin's 21st birthday tonight. And Hanna had RSVP-ed yes yonks ago. Hanna's always the one we need to watch out for, when it comes to bailin' on us. So, we're all here to get ready together like the old times since it's the closest place to the club...," Sana trailed as she looked at Hanna's stricken face in bafflement.

"I'm really sorry, Saif. I had RSVP-ed before...and I totally forgot about it....I -," Hanna stopped as she saw the flickers of emotions that danced in Saif's eyes.

"Ladies, can I just borrow Hanna for just a sec?" Saif asked with a charming smile. The three young women looked at each other and nodded.

"You can get ready in my room, the first door on the left," Hanna said softly. She watched her friends trudge up the stairs reluctantly. She took a deep breath and turned to face Saif. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" he asked carefully as he tried to read Hanna's expression.

"For not telling you. For not asking your permission...," she trailed softly. "That's the kind of thing that's expected right, from a good desi wife?" she continued as she lowered her gaze.

"Hanna, come here," he said. She looked up at him and blinked in confusion. "Pari, come here," he said again in a gentler tone.

She walked slowly towards him and faced him as she leaned against the doorframe. "I'm sorry," she said quietly with her eyes downcast. Saif studied Hanna as she stood in from of him, fidgeting with the sleeves of her oversized white knitted jumper. She had her red hair in a neat ponytail down her back with streaks of pink on that traveled from the collar of her jumper to the tips of her ears.

The thought came unbidden into his mind as he wondered how her hair wrapped up in his fist would feel. As quickly as it came, he squashed it without a second thought. Clearing his throat, he started, "Hanna, can you look at me?"