Heaven From Here

thirty three

A/N: Guys, lockdown where I am has been extended until Dec and I am in need of your votes and comments to put a smile on my face. So that I can continue writing and hopefully finish writing this book soon. So please do vote and comment!

The jostling of the crowd brought Saif back to the present. There were a number of groups walking along the street that was illuminated with red lights. The air, even though cold felt stale with the smell of smoke from cigarettes and joints. Every few seconds a different group broke out in guffaws and it was starting to grate on Saif's nerves. He looked down at Hanna who was taking it all in with childlike wonder and suppressed the immediate urge to leave. Different kinds of love, she had said to him as he gritted his teeth silently.

"Did you have a bachelor party?" she asked Saif as both their eyes trailed a group of young men who were hollering that their best mate was getting married.

"No," Saif said shaking his head.

"Didn't you want one?" she asked looking up at him, as she turned towards Saif.

"No," Saif said gazing down at her.

"Been there, done that?" she asked her lips tilted upwards slightly, as she teased him.

"Sort of, I guess. All this...," Saif waved his arm around, "has lost its appeal to me."

Hanna cocked her and asked with a smile, "Then what does appeal to you right now?"

You, the image of Hanna in the bathtub flashed in his mind. Saif bit his lip as he recalled the soft curves of her shoulder and the top of the swells of her breasts that were visible.

"Maybe; if I was getting married much earlier on in life, I would've probably been here with my mates...," Saif said as he focused his gaze on the group of men hollering and guffawing loudly.

"Wallahi, you make yourself sound ancient! You're not that old, you know," Hanna smiled widely as she elbowed him in the torso.

"Believe me I am; I hate the crowd, the smell of sour beer is making my stomach churn, the number of drunk idiots who can potentially start a fight is making me uneasy, the women who are on display do absolutely nothing for me and honestly this much blatant nakedness is making me uncomfortable," Saif huffed irritably.

Hanna looked at Saif with wide eyes, "Then why are we here? I thought you were okay with being here?"

"You wanted to experience this Hanna, and I wanted to at least be able to give you something that you wouldn't forget," Saif said, not meeting her eyes. Something that you would remember me by.

Saif felt Hanna slip her hand into his as she gripped it tightly. With her free hand, she cupped his cheeks so that he would look at her. "Thank you," Hanna said quietly. She brought his hand to her lips and laid a feather light kiss to the back of his palm. Saif felt his heart squeeze at her action as he clenched his jaw.

Holding his hand, she pulled him to the banks of the canal away from the red-light district. She didn't release his hand as they walked along the banks under the yellowed lamps of the streetlight in silence. He tightened his hold on her hand the moment he felt her relaxing in his grasp, afraid that Hanna would suddenly slip away. Even though their walk back was punctuated with raucous laughter drifting from the bars and pubs they passed by, there was an intimacy in the silence that enfolded them. It brought them closer as Saif pulled Hanna tighter to his side as they walked back to the hotel.