The next morning, Jadwa woke up alone. She rubbed her eyes, trying to make sense of the previous night's events, before heading to her room. She freshened up and went downstairs to see Ammi talking to the maids with Zara by her side.

Zara jumped on her before she could greet Ammi, enveloping her in a tight hug. Jadwa pushed her away playfully. "I know you missed me, but you don't have to break my bones," she said, smiling for the first time in days.

Ammi turned to them. "How are you today?" she asked, her eyes searching Jadwa's face for signs of distress.

"I'm okay," Jadwa smiled, a hint of relief in her voice.

They sat down to breakfast together. Zara chatted animatedly about all the fun things happening in her life and her recent shopping spree, momentarily distracting Jadwa from her troubles. The room was filled with laughter and light, a stark contrast to the heaviness in Jadwa's heart.

"Jadwa, how is Abdulhakeem?" Ammi asked suddenly, making Jadwa look at her questioningly.

She chuckled and adjusted her seat before speaking. "We don't talk anymore."

Zara's eyes bulged in shock. "What happened? Did you two fight?" she asked, her voice rising.

"We broke up," she shrugged, taking a sip of her tea, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Just like that?" Ammi pressed, leaning forward.

"I guess he found someone better, or he had someone better all along," she answered honestly. "He said I betrayed him and refused to believe I was being threatened because I didn't open up to him."

Zara kept quiet, absorbing the revelation Hearing the details now left her speechless.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"The way he spoke to me, the tone, as if I were some cheap, worthless person, still replays in my head. No matter how hard I try to justify him leaving me, he had already told me the real reason," she let out, her voice heavy with pain. "There was another woman" She took a deep breath "I don't know if I'm okay completely but I've made peace with it, maybe not completely over it but I am done" she took a long sip of tea.

"It's his loss,"Zara said softly, and Ammi nodded in agreement. "You dodged a bullet! If he cared enough, he would have tried to understand. All you needed was support, but he added to your pain. Let him go. Allah will replace him with someone much better," she reassured Jadwa, who simply smiled weakly.

They continued discussing the issue at hand before Ammi told Jadwa what had happened after she left last night.

"Your father gave you until Eid to bring a man of your choice," she said. Jadwa looked surprised but felt a hint of relief.

"If you're talking to anyone, I advise you to send them to father now because nothing will stop him from marrying you off to Adam once they start pressuring him," Ammi said.

"I don't have anyone, Ammi," she said honestly, her voice steady.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and Jadwa nodded.

Since her relationship with Abdulhakeem began, she had pushed away every man who showed interest in her.

****

Two weeks passed, and life became a little more bearable for Jadwa. The pressure to present a suitor was still there, and Ammi had already introduced two men for Jadwa to consider, but she was completely uninterested and honestly told Ammi, who appreciated her honesty.

She still had no phone, Ammi gave her back her phone but she didn't consider taking it, thinking it was best for her healing. She was on her laptop, going through her notes, trying to figure out how to make up her midterm percentage since most of her lecturers refused to give her a makeup test.

Zara burst into the room, her energy filling the space. "Jadu!"

She leaped onto the bed, causing the mattress to bounce slightly.

"Zara, I'm studying. Can you let me be?" Jadwa scoffed, looking up from her textbook.

"Yeah, yeah, Ya Imran is asking for you," Zara said, rolling her eyes dramatically. "That's why I even came. Anaya is also downstairs." She shot Jadwa a look and then dashed out of the room, her footsteps echoing in the hallway.

Jadwa sighed, closing her book. She glanced down at her outfit, an old T-shirt and pajama pants. Thankfully, her hair was already braided in two long plaits, so she quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a hoodie, suitable for the light drizzle outside. She slipped on her sneakers and headed downstairs.

As soon as she saw Anaya, she broke into a smile and enveloped her in a big hug. "I didn't know you were here!"

"I came not long ago," Anaya chuckled, returning the hug warmly.

They settled into the living room, catching up on each other's lives. The room felt cozy with the soft hum of the rain outside and the faint scent of freshly brewed tea lingering in the air. After a few minutes, Jadwa looked around, wondering where Imran was.

"He's outside," Zara said, looking at her with a grin.

Jadwa nodded and made her way outside. She recognized Imran's car almost immediately, she admired the car especially since Zara had gushed about it multiple times. As she approached, Imran stepped out of the car, greeting her with a warm smile.

"Come on, get in," he said, opening the door for her.

She slid into the passenger seat, immediately enveloped by the car's cool air and his familiar, comforting scent. Imran got in and turned towards her, his eyes bright with interest.

"Ina Yini?" she greeted, her voice steady despite her racing heart.

"Lafiya lau, how are you?" he asked, his voice rich and smooth.

"Lafiya lau, Alhamdulillah," she replied with a polite smile.

He leaned back in his seat and removed his hat, placing it on the dashboard. Jadwa noticed his crisp Jallabiya and fiddled with her sleeves, feeling the chill of the car's air conditioning.

Imran noticed her discomfort and immediately switched off the AC, turning on the heater instead. "How's work?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"Work is great. How's school and everyone at home" he replied, a smile playing on his lips.

"Alhamdulillah," she said, smiling back.

"Let's go for a drive and talk?" he suggested, his eyes filled with unspoken thoughts. She nodded, feeling a mix of curiosity and nervousness.

As he drove through the gently raining streets, Jadwa couldn't help but admire the car's luxurious interior. "Your car is really nice," she blurted out, unable to contain her awe.

"Thank you. Ko na baki ne?" he teased, a with playful
glance.

She laughed, shaking her head. "I wish," she said, and he laughed along with her.

"I hope I'm not in trouble. Zara said you called for me," she said after a moment, her tone turning more serious.

"Did you do anything to be in trouble for?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, that's not—" she started, but he interrupted her gently.

"I just wanted to see you Jadwa" he said, his eyes softening as he looked at her.

"Oh," she said, looking down at her nails shyly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

He parked on a quiet, well-lit street lined with trees and small shops. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the soft glow of the streetlights reflected off the wet pavement. "I wanted to talk to you," he said, leaning back in his seat.

Jadwa turned her body slightly towards him, her curiosity piqued. "Mhmm," she nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"I don't like beating around the bush, Jadwa," he began, his tone serious.

She focused, listening carefully as he spoke "I want to get to know you and see where it goes. This might throw you off a bit, but I'm not asking for a relationship."

She took a moment to digest his words before speaking "What are you asking for?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she avoided his intense gaze.

"My intention is to marry you," he said without hesitation, his words hanging in the air between them. Jadwa's eyes widened in shock, unable to fully mask her surprise.

"What I mean is, I am sure of where I stand and my feelings," he continued, holding her gaze with a sincerity that left no room for doubt. "You can take as much time as you want or go as slowly as you need. That is if you want to give me a chance, of course."

She nodded slowly, leaning back against the seat, her mind racing. "Okay," she said softly. "I never thought about it," she admitted, biting her lip nervously, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

"Yes, you look surprised," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I am," she chuckled. "I mean, it's a little obvious, but I didn't think you were going to be this straightforward. At least not this soon"

"What's obvious?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest, his expression curious.

Jadwa looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting nervously. "The feelings you mentioned," she said slowly and softly almost as if she was scared of saying it.

"Why should it be a secret that I like you?" he asked, his tone gentle but firm.

Jadwa played with her fingers before she pulled her hood up, trying to hide her blushing face. She didn't respond, letting the momentary silence settle comfortably between them.

"We can take it slow, but I'll need more time to think about it" she said.

"Take all the time you need, but don't keep me waiting too long like our date," he added with a teasing smile, making her chuckle nervously.

"I won't," she promised, her heart warming at his patience and understanding.

"It's getting late. Let's head back," he said, starting the car.

As they drove back, the rain had completely stopped, leaving a fresh, clean scent in the air. Jadwa got out of the car, and Imran did the same, "I couldn't reach you on your phone"

"Ammi gave it back to me, but I decided to take a little break from it. I'm sorry," she said, referring to her phone.

"I understand, It's good sometimes," he said, looking down at her.

She glanced up at him, feeling a strange mix of comfort and nervousness. "Do I have something on my face?" she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not at all," he laughed. "Can't I look at you?"

"Not too much," she teased, and he still didn't take his eyes off her.

"You don't get shy at all?" she asked, clasping her hands over her face.

"Shy?" he furrowed his brows. "You're the only shy person here," he laughed helping her put back her hood that fell off

"I'm not shy," she insisted, looking down.

"Yeah, I could tell from the last time we met," he said, and Jadwa felt her cheeks burn with shame. What is this man? she wondered as his phone started ringing.

It was Ahmad. Imran picked up the call and looked up at the building. There, at the far end, her father was watching them through the window he turned away and closed the window immediately their eyes met, and Imran looked down at her.

"Alright, tell him we'll come in right now," he said, and Jadwa looked up, confused.

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