HER CRUSH

Chapter40

Zarah
I jolted awake in the middle of the night to find Abdul sitting upright, breathing heavily like he had run a marathon. His forehead glistened with sweat, his chest heaving. I reached out, fumbling for the switch, and the room lit up. My heart squeezed when I saw the tears in his eyes. Abdul...my strong, stoic, unshakeable Abdul....was crying.

"Ya Allah, Abdul," I whispered, quickly handing him a glass of water. "Are you okay? Talk to me, please."
He shook his head, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"You had a bad dream?" I asked softly.

He gave a small nod, beard still damp with tears.

"And I'm scared," he admitted, his voice cracking.

I sat closer, my hand covering his. "Scared? Abdul, you? The man who drives like he owns the whole highway? The same man who thinks pepper soup can cure malaria?" I tried to lighten the moment.

He chuckled weakly, then sighed.

"A dream about what?" I pressed, but he shook his head stubbornly.

"Personal," he muttered.

"Fine," I said, pulling him into a hug. "Don't tell me. But you better tell Allah in your dua, because I'm telling you....nothing bad will happen."

He leaned back against the pillow, smirking through damp lashes. "How sure are you?"

"I just know," I said confidently, kissing his forehead. "Now sleep. Before I start reciting Suratul Fatiha out loud like an imam."

That finally earned me a proper laugh.

The Next Morning

I woke to my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Rubbing my eyes, I reached for it. Ummi flashed boldly across the screen.

"Asalamu alaikum, Ummi," I greeted, trying to sound fully awake.

"Wa alaikum salam, my daughter. How are you and Abdul?"

"We're fine, Alhamdulillah," I answered, glancing at his side of the bed....empty. My brows furrowed. "Ummi, one second."

I quickly cut the call and went searching through the house. Living room? Empty. Kitchen? Empty. Yard? Empty. My heart began to race. "Ya Allah, where is this man?"

The phone rang again. I picked it, half-distracted. "Ummi, I can't find him. I just woke up...

Her voice dropped, urgent. "Zarah... don't tell Abdul. But Sufyan has been in an accident. He's in the hospital."

The phone nearly slipped from my hand. "Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un!"

And right then, Abdul appeared at the doorway.

"Zarah, what's wrong?" His eyes narrowed instantly, flicking to the phone in my hand. He stepped forward to take it, but I quickly hid it behind me.

"Where have you been?" I asked too quickly, my voice shaking.

"Answer me first," he said firmly, scanning my face.

"Nothing," I lied, forcing a smile. "Ammi just said Chuchu is under the weather."

His gaze burned into me, like he could peel back the lie.

"Did you cry again?" I asked suddenly, noticing his red eyes.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I was just... worried. Sufyan isn't picking up my calls. And I need to talk to him."

My throat tightened. "Maybe he's busy. Stop worrying." I grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently.

"Zarah..

"No but!" I cut in quickly. "Let's just eat, please."

He studied me for a long moment, then exhaled. "Fine. But you're hiding something."

We ate breakfast in silence, the clinking of cutlery louder than usual. I forced a smile. "Stop staring at me. You're making my food nervous."

He chuckled faintly, dimples flashing. "What's wrong today, babe?"

"Nothing's wrong. And aren't you supposed to be at work?" I teased, pointing my fork at him.

"Work can wait. I want to visit Ummi first." He tilted his head, eyes softening. "

And you? You're staying with me today."

"No school?" he added, suspicious.

I twisted my lips. "We don't have any lectures."

"Hmmm." He hummed.

"What hmmm? Wallahi, I'm serious!"

His laughter filled the room, warm and familiar.

Later that Day
After breakfast, we lazed around telling silly stories. He laughed so much, his dimples practically had a workout. Later, he pulled on ripped denim jeans and a red shirt, looking so effortlessly fine I rolled my eyes at him.

"Who are you trying to impress?" I teased, arms crossed.

"You," he said simply, smirking.

We went for a stroll, hand in hand. He showed me his friend's house.

"Really? I don't know him. Did he come to our wedding?" I asked.

"No, he traveled to London then."

"London? Hmmm. Should I be jealous? Did he send you dollars as gift?"

"Zarah!" He groaned, laughing.

By the time we returned home around 1:30 am, we were exhausted. He collapsed on the bed, dragging me with him.

"I love you," he whispered into my ear.

I smirked. "Say something I don't know."

He grinned, brushing my hair back. His lips grazed my neck, sending shivers down my spine. My breath hitched as he trailed kisses to my ear, nibbling my earlobe.

"Abdul," I whispered, clutching the sheets. His hands moved to my waist, his touch both gentle and electric.

And then....ring ring ring! His phone screamed loudly.

We both groaned. He reached for it, answering. I watched his expression shift in seconds....from calm to horrified. His phone slipped from his hand as he staggered back.

"Nooooooo!" His anguished cry pierced the air.

"Abdul?" My heart dropped.

Before I could reach him, his body crumpled to the ground.

"ABDUL!" I screamed, rushing to his side. My voice cracked with terror, shaking him, praying desperately that he'd open his eyes...