The card slipped from Jadwa's trembling hands. Her vision blurred as tears welled up, not from sadness but from overwhelming happiness. A happiness so immense it pressed against her chest, constricting, making it hard to breathe. Yet, what truly made her hunch over was the sensation deep in her stomach— heavy, tumbling, restless butterflies, not the soft kind that tickled but the kind that made her hunch down and feel almost sick. She clutched her stomach, drawing in a sharp, audible breath as the words echoed in her mind.

"I love you."

So clear, so certain, as if he had just said them out loud. Her heart pounded, and she swallowed hard, trying to steady herself. This wasn't just excitement—it was something deeper, something that shook her to the core.

When the feeling finally subsided, she picked up the card again. She read the words over and over, as if trying to make sure they were real. Her lips parted, and the words slipped out in a whisper.

"Alhamdulillah." She said it again. And again. Because what else could she say?
Then, it hit her.

He noticed.

Even after everything, after all the distance and the silence, he had noticed. The change in her hair—something so small, yet he had seen it. And she had been too caught up in her own emotions to realise it before. His words from earlier played in her mind, looping again and again.

Had he been showing her this whole time, in ways she hadn't understood? Had she been waiting for something big while missing all the little ways he had been telling her all along?

He had told her the truth. That he had always been drawn to her, that from the very beginning, something about her had pulled him in. Her beauty had caught his eye, yes, but it was never just that. And yet, it wasn't until now that she truly understood. It hit her like a slow wave, seeping into every corner of her mind. His love had never been about admiration or fleeting desire. It had always been deeper. The kind that stayed even when she faltered, even when she failed to see him clearly.

How could someone love the way Muhammad Imran did? With patience, with quiet devotion, with a strength that never demanded, only gave? It made her chest tighten. She had spent so much time looking for love in the grand gestures, in the words spoken at just the right time. But now, she saw it for what it was.

Jadwa exhaled shakily, her heart clenching as the memory of her own bitter words resurfaced. She had been so wrapped up in herself, in her own perception, that she had failed to see him—really see him. The weight he carried. The silent ways he gave himself to her. It had always been there in the way he noticed the smallest details about her, in the way he chose her, every single time, without hesitation.

And it struck her how the only time he had ever voiced his pain was when he accused her of making something so deep, so intimate, feel meaningless.

Regret swelled in her chest, so heavy. It would be so easy to let it drown her. To sit in the guilt of all she had missed. But she wouldn't. Not now.

Instead, she turned the key in the ignition, her hands gripping the wheel as she pulled onto the road. She drove fast, her pulse racing, her heart set on one thing.

There was a life with Muhammad—a love worth holding onto, fighting for. And she would not let it slip through her fingers. Not now. Not ever. Because losing him was not an option. Because a life without him wasn't a life at all.

By the time she got home, her heart was pounding. She barely remembered locking the car before rushing inside, her only thought on finding him.

"Albiiii?" she called out.

Silence.

Her stomach twisted as she moved quickly through the house, checking his room first. Empty.

Disappointment settled deep in her chest, and she exhaled softly, pressing her lips together as she tried to shake it off. She thought he would wait for her to come back? Maybe she had misunderstood. Maybe he had stepped out for something important. Maybe she had just been too hopeful.

She retreated to her room and slipped off her laffaya, then stepped into the bathroom, letting the warm water cascade over her. It was the longest shower she had taken in a while. She soaked in the warmth, the stillness, the moment.

It had been too long.

Too long since she had dressed up for him. Too long since she had cooked for him. Too long since she had wrapped herself in the helpless feeling of her femininity whenever he was around. Too long, and there was nothing she craved like that mutual submission.

His compliments were the kind that made her weak in the knees. But hearing him speak about his feelings today—about the depth of his love—stirred something inside her.

As she towel-dried her skin, she instinctively reached for her perfume collection, scanning for his favourites. But then, her hands paused. Instead, she found herself oiling and perfuming her body with her favourite scents, letting the rich bakhoor wrap around her like silk as she got ready.

And in that moment, a quiet realisation bloomed in her chest.

Everything she loved—the scents, the fabrics, the way she carried herself, her softness, shyness, walk, voice, femininity, and the little things she herself couldn't grasp—were the things that drove Muhammad crazy. Those were the things he loved. She was what he loved.

She didn't need to do anything else. All she had to do was be herself.

After finishing her body care, she lit more coals, letting the fragrant smoke fill the air. She slipped into delicate underwear and a halter-neck sundress, brushing her hair until it cascaded smoothly down her back. The housesmeltd of calming bakhoor, soft and inviting.

She moved through the living room, placing the first burner there, then walked into Muhammad's room to set down another. Just as she was about to leave, the sudden chime of a notification made her jump. Her gaze flickered toward the couch, where his phone and laptop rested.

He's in the house?

Her heartbeat quickened. But where? The room was empty, and when she checked the bathroom, it was vacant too. She hurried downstairs, scanning the study. Still no sign of him.

Just then, she heard movement in the kitchen.

Jessica was closing for the day when she peeked inside. She smiled brightly upon seeing Jadwa.

"You look very beautiful," Jessica said with a wide grin.

Jadwa returned the smile, warmth spreading across her face. "Thank you, Jessica. How have you been?"

"I've been well, Ma'am."

Jadwa nodded. "Did you see Alhaji go out?"

Jessica tilted her head slightly in thought. "I think he's in the garden. I saw him heading towards the backyard earlier."

Jadwa's lips parted slightly. "Oh."

She felt something shift in her chest—anticipation, excitement, something else.

"Alright, thank you. Why are you closing early?"

"It's another public holiday," Jessica explained. "Everyone that checked in today has left, so I just had to do some cleaning."

Jadwa nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Enjoy your break. Thank you."

Jessica gave her a polite nod before stepping out.

Jadwa wore a pair of slippers, walking into the garden. Her eyes searched the beauty of the pathway that led to it. She wasn't a fan of animals, but clearly, her husband was. The peacocks were roaming about, and one had its feathers opened in display. Bunnies played on the corners of the pathway, and the birds chirped and drank from the garden bowls hanging low, alongside food bowls.

Muhammad's back was turned to her, and her steps halted for a second as she looked at him simply. His eyes were focused on the large tortoise on the grass moving around and a smaller one that was grabbing onto the sole of his shoe. A natural smile graced her face, and quietly, or so she thought, she walked slowly on the grass and wrapped her hands around him. But before she could relish her win, she heard his low chuckle.

"Did I surprise you?" She smiled into his back.

"Your perfume gave you away before you even got into the garden, but nice try."

Jadwa deepened her face into the muscles of his spine, her smile fading a bit.

"You should have said something," her voice muffled by his sweatshirt.

"Were you not admiring me?" he murmured, his fingers idly brushing over hers where they rested against his torso. "Wondering how you ended up with such a fine man like me?" His touch was light, almost absentminded, but it sent a slow, unmistakable warmth through her, settling deep in her bones.

Jadwa scoffed playfully, tightening her arms around him. "Oh, absolutely. I was just trying to figure out if it's your charm or sheer luck that got you me as well."

Muhammad let out a soft chuckle, his fingers still tracing lazy patterns over hers. "Sheer luck?" he repeated, feigning offence. "Jadwa, please. If anything, I'd say it's fate rewarding me for my beautiful patience and undeniable greatness."

She laughed, the sound vibrating against his back. "Fate must have a twisted sense of humour, then."

He turned slightly, just enough to glance at her over his shoulder, his gaze warm and amused. "Yet here you are, holding onto me like you never want to let go."

Jadwa rolled her eyes but didn't loosen her grip. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm just making sure you don't float away with all that ego."

Muhammad let out a deep laugh, turning fully to face her. "You really do humble me, actually."

Jadwa only hummed, melting further into the warmth of his embrace. They stood there, wrapped in a stillness that spoke louder than words, the rise and fall of his breath grounding her in a way she hadn't realised she needed. For a moment, nothing else existed; the world beyond the garden blurred into irrelevance. It was just the two of them. Just this.

Then, gently, Imran uncurled her fingers from around him and turned.

His gaze found her, taking in every detail as if committing her to memory—the way the late afternoon sun kissed her skin, giving it a luminous glow, the way her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves. She was breathtaking, but he didn't miss the unease.

She wasn't looking at him.

Her eyes were fixed on the ground, fingers lightly gripping the sides of her dress. He watched as she subtly wiped her palms against the fabric, a telltale sign of nerves. It was just like her. Switching whenever she wished and now, Jadwa, who always met him with fire and wit, now stood before him hesitant and vulnerable.

He exhaled softly, lifting a single finger to tilt her chin up.

The moment her eyes met his, he felt her breath hitch, her body stilling as if caught in a delicate thread of time. A quiet war waged in the depths of her gaze.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice low, barely above a whisper. He reached up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger there.

She hesitated, then tilted her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "I'm scared that what if you don't see it too... like I didn't."

There had always been one undeniable truth in Muhammad's eyes—something she had once refused to accept, something she had forcefully blinded herself to. But it had always been there.

Love.
Yearning.
Adoration.
Truth.

Even now, as she stood before him, stripped of all pretence, she saw it more clearly than ever. Yet, a whisper of doubt still clung to her; what if he didn't see the same things in hers? What if he couldn't see the quiet desperation, the silent plea for him to understand?

But the moment was too heavy for fear to linger. It folded into the air between them, dissolving into the space where their gazes locked, their hearts recognising something too profound to stay on the surface.

And then, she knew.

She saw it.

The love his eyes always carried had found its reflection in hers.

Jadwa let herself be seen, letting him look at her in that way only he ever had, in a way that words could never do justice. She had never felt so bare, so completely unravelled, yet so at peace.

She felt lightheaded as the realisation settled deep within her; the weight of the love she harboured was almost crushing, almost destructive. Because at that moment, nothing else existed. The world outside this garden, beyond this man, blurred into nothingness.

She barely registered moving, only that she found herself on her tiptoes, reaching for him, fingers brushing against the nape of his neck. His Adam's apple bobbed, his breath faltering as he instinctively leaned down, meeting her halfway.

And then she wrapped her arms around him.

He held her immediately, like he had been waiting for this exact moment all along.

Jadwa wasn't sure how long they stood like that, wrapped in each other, existing only in the warmth they shared, but the truth she had spent so long fearing lay between them now, unspoken yet clearer than the sun overhead.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. "Albi," she whispered.

His arms tightened around her, his hands tracing slow, soothing circles along her back. He exhaled, and when their eyes met again, his voice came soft, reverent.

"Jadwa."

She swallowed, her chest rising and falling with the intensity of it all. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed her forehead against his chest. "I think I need to say something. There's a lot I have to explain."

Muhammad pulled back slightly, just enough to take her in, to let his gaze sweep over her face, searching, knowing. Her breath caught as his fingers brushed the curve of her cheek, lingering as if memorising her warmth.

A small, knowing smile touched his lips before he lifted a single finger and gently placed it over hers.

"I'm not dismissing you," he murmured, his voice low and soothing, "but I don't want you to ruin this little moment of ours."

Jadwa swallowed, her heart thudding against her ribcage.

Muhammad's thumb traced the curve of her jaw, his touch featherlight. "You always overthink," he mused, tilting his head as if studying her. "Even now, you're still thinking too much."

Jadwa let out a soft, breathy laugh, but she couldn't deny it.

She lifted her gaze to his, intending to tease him, to brush off his words with something light-hearted. But the moment their eyes met, the air shifted.

The depth of his gaze, the quiet way he looked at her, like she was something worth holding onto, something worth waiting for—it was overwhelming. It was terrifying.

And before she could stop herself, before she could overthink or analyse or run, the words slipped out.

"I love you, Albi."

The second they left her lips, the world seemed to still.

She didn't even hear her own breath anymore, didn't feel the weight of the air around her. Only the way Muhammad's expression changed, how his eyes widened just a fraction, how his lips parted slightly in something close to shock.

Her own heartbeat pounded in her ears, the realisation of what she had just said crashing into her like a storm.

Oh.

Oh.

She hadn't meant to say it. Not yet. Not like this.

Muhammad blinked once, then twice, as if trying to process it.

Her lips parted, an instinctual urge to laugh about his reaction, but his hand moved before she could, lifting slowly, deliberately, until his fingers brushed against her cheek, silencing whatever excuse she was about to make.

"Say it again." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it held a quiet urgency, a plea she hadn't expected.

"I love you," she looked into his eyes. Jadwa spoke, the fear melted away, replaced with a freer feeling.

"I love you so, so much," she grinned, and Imran looked down at her with a look that seemed so serious, almost rigid, as though his face was frozen. But Jadwa knew that the rush of emotions she felt was exactly what he felt, or close to it.

He was left speechless, and the only thing he did was caress her face and look at her until a smile graced his lips.

"I think this is the moment you should kiss me," she said playfully, looking around, and he laughed, throwing his head back.

"We are getting bold, huhhh?" He asked mid-laughter, and she huffed.

"I've always been bold," she shyly looked away, finding herself laughing with him until he grabbed the back of her back, bringing her closer.

"I love you more, my angel. May I kiss you now?" He asked, and instinctively, Jadwa bit her lip with a smile, her heart fluttering.

"Of course," her fingers curled on the sweatshirt he wore, and he leaned down fully, capturing her lips in a kiss—a slow, passionate kiss she returned, holding him closer. Then it turned into a long and slow kiss, one that got them both breathless but didn't stop them anyway.

"Oh God, I missed you," he spoke into her mouth, holding her still, and she smiled into the kiss.

"Did you miss me orrr?," she began teasing, pulling away to breathe when she felt something against her feet.

Jadwa let out a squeal and jumped onto Imran, making him burst out laughing.

"What kind of person is scared of tortoises as little as this one?" He asked, carrying it up, and Jadwa gasped.

"Drop it," she pouted, still clinging to his sides, brushing her hair away from her face as she looked around on the grass to see a couple more from a distance.

Muhammad grinned, bringing the tortoise slightly close to her. "Look at it! It's harmless."

Jadwa made a face. "I don't care. Just put it down! Ewwww! Let's go insideee!" She whined.

He chuckled, clearly enjoying her distress far too much. "You do realise it's probably more scared of you than you are of it, right?"

Jadwa clung to him tighter, lifting her feet higher as if the tortoise would somehow lunge at her. "Albiiii, carry me."

He arched a brow, clearly amused. "You want me to carry you... because of a tortoise?"

She nodded frantically, her hands gripping his sweatshirt. "Yes! And stop acting like this is a ridiculous request; just do it!"

"Albiiiiii!" She was on the verge of tears now.

That did it. With an exasperated sigh, he swept her into his arms with ease, throwing her on his shoulder holding her securely. "There. Happy now?"

Jadwa exhaled dramatically, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Much better. Now, take me inside before I dieee."

Muhammad laughed, shaking his head as he carried her towards the house. "I can't believe this is my life."

"Believe it," she muttered, hiding her face in his neck.

There's so much more to Jadwa's confession! 👀 Hit 1,500 comments across this chapter and the last, and I'll drop the next one on Saturday. It's a long one and the last update before Eid! ❤️