"Hooriya, right?"

She looked up at the tall man before her, smiling politely as she nodded her head. "And you're Mikaeel?"

"Ya." He sat down from across her, looking around at the frames covering the restaurant walls. "Are you ordering anything?"

"Just a milkshake. I'm not really very hungry." She said, glancing down at the menu on the table before she looked back up at him. "You?"

"Just water."

"Oh."

Neither knew what they were doing at that restaurant just then. And Hoori really didn't know why this... guy across from her even bothered at all. Their table had descended into complete silence until the thud of glass against wood could be heard as the waiter placed their orders on the table.

"So," Mikaeel asked somewhat grudgingly. "What do you do?"

"Uhm... I watch a lot of tv." She said, cringing at her answer. But it was the truth. She reddened even further at the condescending look on his face as he regarded her answer. "And what about you?"

"I'm a lab tech."

"Oh. And what do you do exactly?"

"I scan blood samples." He replied shortly, not in the mood to go into details just then.

"For?"

"Diseases."

"That's fascinating." Even she didn't believe her words just then. She tried to drink her milkshake as fast as possible without seeming rude as the conversation dwindled into nothing once again.

"I'm done." Mikaeel downed the last of his water before looking pointedly at her glass.

"Ya so am I." She gulped down almost a quarter of her glass praying she didn't get brain freeze from its contents as he signalled the waiter for the bill.

"Nice meeting you," he said, scoffing at his own words.

"Sure, you too." She watched him place a R50 rand note in the black leather case before he turned around and walked away.

If she had met anyone ruder than him, it would be a God damned miracle.

She opened her eyes, somewhat annoyed at the pigeons cooing right outside their window. She was almost convinced they had nest on the roof considering they could be heard going on for themselves at all hours of the night and she really, really did not want to listen to them make a noise right now. She shuffled further beneath the beneath the blankets trying hard to block out the noise before accidentally knocking Mikaeel's shoulder as she moved.

"What..." He opened his eyes blearily, blinking as bright sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains half blinding him in his sleepy state. "Those fucking birds." He mumbled moodily as he turned over to rest on his stomach before making contact with Hoori's arm.

When did she get so close?

"You'll push me off the bed just now." He could hear her voice from beneath the covers before she pulled them down to look at him. He looked behind him, confused at her words before he noticed the wide, empty space on his side of the bed.

He moved just a little backwards, giving her a little more space to sleep. "Sorry."

"It's fine." She finally opened her eyes fully, smiling slightly at him before she realised just how brightly lit their room really was. "What time do you leave for work?"

"8. Why? Aren't you tired from last night?" He teased.

"Are you?" She asked.

"No." She could feel him tracing tiny circles aver the back of her knee before she shoved him lightly away.

"It's already five past 7."

He sat up, trying hard to ignore her exposed back as he moved the covers away from him. "Shit..." He mumbled, raising the duvet back up, sliding it gently over her skin until she was hidden from his sight once again.

She looked up at him, amused at his actions before she closed her eyes once again.

Just 5 more minutes...

"It seems as if you've made an impression on that boy." Her mother said walking into her room.

"Which boy?" There could only be one boy but Hoori only asked for the sake of asking.

"The one from the restaurant."

"Oh." The rude one. "Why?"

"His mother phoned with a proposal."

"Are you serious?" Hoori asked, looking at her mother as if she was mad.

"Very serious."

"Oh." She nodded, unable to actually wrap her mind around it at all.

"Think about it."

"Okay."

What was there to think about? It wasn't going to happen.

It was almost half past by the time he stepped into the kitchen. She hadn't set the table or taken out much but she did have his coffee ready. "Sorry, there wasn't time to take out much else. You'll have to do it yourself."

"It's fine. I don't need anything else." He hardly even sat down before he gulped almost half his mug down, barely even flinching as the boiling coffee ran down his throat. He watched her walking back to the cupboard to take out her own mug before she walked over to the basin to fill it up with water. She fished out her tablets from the cupboard above the sink before swallowing them all in one go, blanching at the bitter taste. "How long before you can stop the medication?"

"I don't know. I'll have to ask Dr. Krenak when I go today."

"Is Aunty Mariam taking you?"

"Uhm hmm." She turned around, pouring milk into her cup before she opened the microwave to put it in. She heard him walking over to the basin to rinse his cup but he didn't move even after setting his cup down. "Yes?" She turned around, bumping her shoulder into his.

"Fucking finally..." He mumbled before he leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "Those fucking birds need to go die."

"What?" What the hell did birds have to do with him kissing her?

"You wouldn't have been dressed right now if we woke up earlier." He glanced down pointedly at her dressing gown, winding the sash holding it together around his fingers.

"Who says I'm dressed right now?" She quirked her lips, watching his eyes take a slow once over down her body before he tugged her towards him, slowly shrugging the gown off her shoulders as he sucked her earlobe between his lips.

"Liar." His words tickled her ears as he kissed her earlobe one last time, his fingers grazing the cotton hem of her shorts.

 Then he walked away leaving Hoori to lean her head back against the microwave.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the way the sunlight flittered over her face as she tried to catch her breath all over again...

"Has she made a decision yet?" She could hear her father's hushed voice coming from the lounge as she walked past the door.

"I don't know."

"She needs to make it soon. We need to leave in a month's time."

"I still haven't told her that we're going back. It will be easier if she married him though. You know how she gets in that house." Her mother said almost as an afterthought.

"Ya I suppose so. How's the boy though?" Her father asked. Hoori was sure he didn't even know his name.

"They used to import for us before. They're doing okay."

"Oh those... what's their surname?"

"Ebrahim."

"Ya... She could do better but I suppose it's not too bad." Hoori didn't even know how she was supposed to take that opinion. Was he or was he not good enough?

What?

"Ya. I suppose. But she's so delayed as it is."

"Hmm. Jannat had more go in her."

"Ya..."

"Mum," Hoori couldn't take it anymore. Why was she even thinking about it? Sure Mikaeel was an asshole but she couldn't go back. She couldn't go back to that house and live with these parents who just...

Did they even care that Jannat died?

They just didn't bother about it. It was as if Jannat lived and died and to them it was just another drug of theirs that simply didn't work. Jannat was the test subject and it failed... and that's all it was. They just didn't care. And why would she ever live with that?

"Yes?" Her mother turned around, regarding her daughter carefully.

"You can phone them and tell them I'll marry him."

I'd rather be miserable in my own house then be miserable in yours...

"Breathe in for me." Dr Krenak said, placing the cold metal of the stethoscope against her chest as she breathed in deeply for him. "Now breathe out." She exhaled, shivering as a cold breeze from his open window fluttered past her.

"Good good." He mumbled, scribbling down her results in the thick blue file. "So," Dr. Krenak said, sitting before her on his metal stool. "How are you feeling?" He asked, slowly examining her right leg as he moved it to stretch and relax.

"I'm doing well thanks." She smiled at him as he moved to examine her left leg.

"What about the side effects from the Warfarin? Still getting headaches?"

"Hardly."

"What about your menstrual cycle?"

"The same. It still a 9 day flow."

"Heavy or light flow?"

"Uhm... more or less the same as before. Heavy for 2 days and then it gets better."

"Okay..." He nodded to himself, almost as if he were conferencing with himself in his own mind.

"I was wondering about the medication."

"Yes?" He asked gently, bending her right arm at the elbow.

"Will I be able to stop it anytime soon?"

"I won't stop it right now but maybe I can lower the dosage." He considered her carefully. "You're walking around now, you're a little more mobile so I think we can drop it from 5 to 2mg a day."

"Okay." She smiled, pleased with her progress. It was as if finally, finally,  there was a light at the end of the tunnel. She was getting there.

"So, let me get your prescription filled while you put yourself together again then we can have a little chat okay?"

"Thanks." She smiled watching him walk out of his office before she made her way to the mirror next to his window. Her heart finally felt light again. She adjusted the collar of her shirt, moving her hair out of the...

Shit!

Did Dr. Krenak see that?

She took a closer look in the mirror, inching the v-neck just a little lower as she took in the dark red mark beneath her collar bone... 

She knew when that happened.

Mikaeel was teasing her.

He knew she wanted him to kiss her but instead he kissed her down the side of her neck, sometimes grazing his teeth against her skin as he lowered the light pink strap of her bra down her arm. She could feel his breath wash over her shoulder as his hand found its way to the base of her back. He knew exactly what he was doing to her and even as she tried to find his lips with her own he only moved further away, instead biting gently at the soft skin just beneath her collar bone.

"Relax, Hoori. I'm not going anywhere."

But she couldn't relax- not right then. She definitely couldn't relax.

"So how are things going for you? Michelle tells me you've made a lot of progress."

"Michelle told you that?" Hoori looked at him skeptically.

"She's my niece you know."

Good old fashioned nepotism.

 Figures...

"I didn't know that actually."

Dr. Krenak laughed. "Ya not many people do. But she's told me that you're able to climb the stairs now."

"Ya but it took forever. It took me almost twenty minutes just to climb down last night."

"You had help I suppose?"

"Yes, my husband helped me."

"Good." He sounded pleased with her revelation. "Anyway, what I really wanted to talk to you about was continuous exercise. It happens often that when people begin to get better they slack off on their exercise."

Hoori looked away, knowing she was definitely one of those people. She hadn't been as focused on her sessions with Michelle since she was able to walk a little on her own and she was almost certain Dr. Krenak had already figured it out.

"We sometimes do a disservice to our bodies. We think we're getting better so we can ease up on the exercising but the thing is if we stop too soon, our bodies sort of plateau at a certain level and to push past that becomes very, very hard."

Hoori didn't say anything. She only nodded politely, smiling at him as she tried to hide her guilt at his words.

"Anyway, I think we're done for today. You can just ask Mary for the prescription on your way out okay."

"Thanks Dr. Krenak."

"It was only a pleasure."

"All done?" Aunty Mariam asked as soon as Hoori walked out.

"Yup."

"Let's go home then." She smiled, wrapping her arm around Hoori's back before she guided her gently toward the giant chrome doors of the elevator.

"You're looking beautiful!" Aunty Mariam gushed as soon as she zipped up Hoori's wedding dress.

Hoori smiled, tryng hard to ignore the stifling feeling in her chest and the heavy dread that had settled in the pit of her stomach. She made a decision and she had to go through with it. It was as simple as that. She didn't know why her dress was feeling so tight or why she felt as if it was too hot in the room. It was Autumn already- it most certainly was not hot but her face seemed to light up like a firetruck with each breath she took. "Can we open the window please?"

"What?" Sabreen looked at her as if she was crazy. "No have you felt that wind outside? I don't know why you had to get married in May?"

"Please Sabreen."

"Okay..." Sabreen opened the door reluctantly before going to stand by the small fan heater in the corner of the room.

Hoori walked over to the window, enjoying the breeze as it settled over her. She tried to forget that it was her wedding day. It was just a normal day and she was dressed in a normal dress and they were only coming home to visit. They weren't coming home for a Walimah nor were they anyone of actual importance. They were just people and Mikaeel was just a guy...

But that was ridiculous.

They heard the Nikaah over the receiver.

She still coudn't believe he actually agreed to it. She could hear his soft voice reciting the words after the Imaam and that was that. She was married.

Mikaeel was her husband and he was coming for their Walimah.

She had a husband now.

And she didn't even like him.

God, she just went and landed herself in the biggest mess of her life and she had to pretend that she was perfectly okay with it.

"Hey."

She hadn't even realised he was standing right in front of her until the room descended into an odd silence that wasn't there 5 seconds ago. She looked up at the USB in his hand before she looked back at her the tiny speaker beside her, finally connecting the dots.

"You have shit taste in music. It was gnawing on my fucking ears."

"Don't be rude Mikaeel." She shook her head at him, reaching for her USB before plugging it in again.

...I've been staring at the hotel ceiling...

"Seriously Mikaeel?" She huffed, holding her hand out for her USB.

"What will you give me for it?" He closed his hand around the tiny chip before stretching his fist out of her reach.

She closed the book in her hand as she considered his words. "Nothing."

He only took another step back from the bed, forcing her to stand up to follow him. "Nothing?" He pocketed her USB in his back pocket before he took another step backwards. "Then you're not getting it back."

Her lips curled to the side as she followed him, holding onto his arm to steady herself. "Did you know Dr Krenak saw this?" She lowered the collar of her shirt to expose the little hickey before looking pointedly up at him as if it were his fault entirely.

"Now he'll stop asking about my fucking circumcision." Mikaeel grumbled, not at all guilty about it. "So you really don't want your USB back?"

"I do."

"How are you going to get it back though?"

"What am I supposed to do?" She pushed herself just a little closer to him.

"You tell me." He didn't take his eyes off her for even a split second, watching as she ran her fingers lightly down his arm to join their hands together before she brushed her lips softly against his.

"The thing is," She kissed him once again, her lips barely even touching his. "I actually have another USB so why don't you keep that one for you." She leaned back, grinning at him before she moved back to their bed.

"Aren't you supposed to shower?" She looked up at him as she rifled through the little drawer.

She felt her USB land lightly in her lap before he turned around and walked away.

"Keep your shit music. I don't want it."

She hated the way his hands ran over her waist. His hands were cold and when he held her, it was never gently. He wrapped his arm around her back, trapping her beneath him as he fingers grazed the edge of her bra. His kisses were bruising her lips and he barely gave her enough time to breathe as he deepened the kiss to an almost suffocating one.

She leaned her head back, trying to catch her breath as she looked at him. She wanted this- maybe he wasn't the best candidate but she wanted this. She wanted to forget Ihsaan and the way he looked at her. She wanted to forget his touch and the things he said and though she never imagined practically throwing herself at Mikaeel, he never went further than what she allowed.

She led him towards their bed, she pulled off his shirt first, she unbuttoned the top buttons of her own shirt and even now- his hand brushed against the button of her jeans but he couldn't do it.

"You sure you want this?"

He looked down at her, watching the way she tried to catch her breath as she thought about it. She looked indecisive for only a split second before she helped him unbutton her jeans, reaching up once again to kiss him.

She wanted it but she didn't want it. It felt... wrong.

Neither moved perfectly in sync. Neither cared about what the other wanted or liked. It was just...

That.

It was just sex.

That's all that it was...

"What did he say about the tablets?" Mikaeel asked as soon as she settled down next to him.

"He dropped the dosage to 2mg a day." She switched off her lampshade, unable to look at him as she readied herself to say the next words.

She had been thinking about it almost the entire day. Not a second went by that he wasn't at the back of her mind and nothing she did could distract her from him. She was feeling like all the girls she had ever written about but now that she had felt it she was sure she had never done it enough justice with her words.

"Mikaeel?" She turned to look at him in the darkness. She was able to make out only his outline but that was okay. She didn't really need to see him right now.

"What?"

"I like you."

"Ya?" He asked, sounding just a little too impressed with himself.

"Ya."

"Good."

That was probably as close to a confession that she'd ever get from him but as he draped his arm across her stomach, she smiled. Yes, he was still on the complete opposite side of the bed. Yes, he didn't say it back.

But as she covered his hand with her own, she knew he felt all the things she felt for him.

And maybe just a little bit more. But he would never actually confess to that.

Now would he?