HER CRUSH

Chapter26

Zarah....
Ama and Farida were still going on and on about my "soon-to-be glamorous married life."

"Are you serious? You're telling me he wants to send his proposal? What exciting news!" Ama squealed, clapping her hands like someone had just announced free shawarma.

Farida leaned across the cafeteria table, eyes wide. "Holy cow, I can't wait for the wedding! I'm already imagining how grand it'll be. Zarah, you better prepare us....I'm not wearing cheap lace."

I nearly choked on my Fanta. "Lace? Asoebi? Have you two gone mad?"

But they were unstoppable. Farida's voice took on a dreamy note. "In a few months, you'll be Amaryan Abdul. And then after nine months, you'll be a mom! Oh my God, I can't believe my best friend is getting married. I'm so happy!" She pouted dramatically.
"But I'm going to miss us. Please tell him to save us a room in the house, just in case."

Ama smirked. "Yes o, like a 'best friends suite.' With 24/7 food service. And AC. And maybe a flat screen."

I sighed loudly and set my bottle down with a clink. "Are you guys done? Because if you're planning my entire life, at least let me choose my own curtains."

They burst into laughter. "Not yet, we still need to discuss the asoebi!" they chorused, as if rehearsed.

"You two are insane." I muttered, standing up and fishing out cash to pay the shopkeeper. Of course, I covered their drinks and snacks because, apparently, I was not just the bride-to-be but also the sponsor of their sugar cravings.

As I pulled out my phone to check the time, Abdul's message popped up on my screen:
"Hey, I love you ❤️"

That was all. Three words, one heart, and just like that my stomach flipped. My lips curved into a smile before I quickly locked the screen...because God forbid Ama and Farida snatch the phone and start screaming.

Later that afternoon, I finally caught a keke home. The wind rushed against my face, tangling my scarf, and I whispered, "Alhamdulillah," for finding one so quickly.

But peace didn't last. The moment I stepped into the compound, a little voice screeched:

"Ammi, please, can I have the chocolates?"

I froze, my hand on the door, then groaned. Chuchu.
Inside, I found him bouncing around, face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Sallama alaikum, Ammi!" I called, ignoring him.

"Wa'alaikumu salam," Ammi replied absentmindedly, her eyes still glued to her phone.

I turned to Chuchu, narrowing my eyes. "Hey, you little rat. When did you get back?"

He puffed up immediately. "Stop calling me a rat, or I'll tell Ya Hafiz!"

I bent low and mimicked him, squeaky voice and all: "Stop calling me a rat, or I'll tell Ya Hafix!"

"Ammi! She's bullying me!" he wailed.

Ammi ignored both of us. I noticed a shopping bag perched on the couch and raised a brow. "Ammi, what's this? Is it mine?"

She didn't look up. "It's yours. Pack them and leave."

I blinked, suspicious. "Wait... who sent it? Ammi, please, didn't he tell you his name?"

Her eyes stayed glued to her phone. "Pack your things to your room before I throw them out."

That was all I needed to hear. My heart did a backflip. Abdul. Of course, it was Abdul. My lips twitched into a grin, and I darted into my room like a thief.

The veil slid off my head as soon as the door clicked shut. I tossed my bag on the floor and pounced on the bed like a five-year-old on Eid morning. The shopping bag sat there, innocent and tempting.

"Holy cow..." I whispered dramatically, tearing through the wrapping paper like a maniac.

First, a box of exquisite chocolates. The aroma alone made me want to abandon dignity and eat one on the spot. Next, a bottle of perfume...the exact one I'd casually mentioned liking weeks ago. My chest tightened. He had been listening.

And then... the pièce de résistance.

A sleek, silver box. My jaw dropped as I pulled out an Apple Watch Series 6. "La ilaha illallah," I whispered, half laughing, half gasping. "This man wants to finish me."

I reached back into the bag and found a folded note. His handwriting leapt at me...bold, expressive, a little cocky, just like him.

I read it once, twice, three times, my smile growing with each line:

"To the love of my life, Zarah... I got you chocolates because you're a sweet tooth and I'm addicted to your sweetness.

The perfume is because you smell like heaven (and yes, I'm biased). And the Apple Watch? Well, that's because I want to be the one tracking your time, not just your fitness goals..."

By the time I got to "Don't think this means you're getting out of cooking dinner for me tonight when we are married"

I was giggling into my pillow.

With all my love,
AbdulM"

"pressing the letter to my lips. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number immediately. Four rings...rejected. Then his call came in right after. I smiled. He just didn't want me hanging up first.

I answered with fake calm. "How's the office?"

There was a pause, then his voice...tired but warm. "Very stressful. I'm low-key dying here without Sufyan. Work is hella crazy."

I leaned back on the bed, grinning. "Don't worry, baby. I'll save you from the corporate grind. Big plate of coffee and a side of Netflix...your rescue package is on the way."

He chuckled, and I could hear the stress melting from his tone. "You're the only one who can save me, Zarah."

"Of course. I'm basically your personal therapist-slash-stand-up comedian

He chuckled on the other end of the line, and I can  almost hear the tension melting away. "You're the best stress-reliever I know.So, how's my favorite patient doing?"

I giggled at the nickname,"I'm doing great, thanks for asking," I replied, "Just enjoying the gifts you got me and thinking about how I'm going to repay you.

He laughed, and I could picture him shaking his head, a smile on his face. "You don't have to repay me, Zarah," just being with you is payment enough." My heart skipped a beat at his words, I loved the way he made me feel, like I am  the only person in the world By the way, I just got the cutest new scrunchie, and I'm obsessing over it."

He laughed. "Send me a pic, I wanna see it."

I smiled,"Okay, lemme take a selfie real quick."

I snapped a quick photo and sent it to him. A minute later, my phone buzzed with a text from him. "You're goals, Zarah. That scrunchie is fire 😍🔥," he wrote, accompanied by a heart eyes emoji.

Thanks, baby 😊," I replied, "You're always making me feel like a queen.

We chatted for a bit longer, talking about our day, our plans, and our dreams. It was  moments like these that I cherished, moments that made me feel grateful for our relationship. he mentioned that he would be meeting his father tomorrow to discuss our marriage plans. I hoped everything would go well...

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