Chapter 18: Small things matter. 

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"You got me

I breathe while looking at you

I got you

Inside those pitch black nights"

-BTS - 소우주 (Mikrokosmos)-

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Aanabia felt uncomfortable over the idea of watching a movie with Zaiha and her family. Particularly, because Yazdan happened to be her son. Of course, Zaiha knew that she liked him and it was her great pleasure and appreciation that she trust her enough to let her be around her son.

But the idea of actually watching a movie with them was something she knew she could not conjure the courage to do. So she opted out. Even if she said yes to Zaiha, she decided she didn't want to go anyway.

Facing Yazdan is not something I am up for today. Maybe some other day. 

"What? Why not? It is Main Hoon Nah! SRK! You never miss Main Hoon Nah!" exclaimed Nahal and Aanabia let out a frustrated sigh.

"Go, Nahal. I am fine alone. I need sleep anyway"

"Get changed. You are coming with me" she said and Aanabia glared at her before walking back into her room. She slammed the door shut and set on her bed. She was still dressed in her kurti and she desperately wanted to change into sweats and tees. So she did. She showered and wore gray sweats and a white t-shirt that was twice her size and landed just above her knees. She wore her woolen socks and jumped onto her bed, pulling her phone out of the charger in the process.

"AAPA!" she heard Nahal, but plugged in her headphones and began reading anyway. The soft music of Halsey flowed through her ears and she let out a satisfied sigh. She began reading Orsini Bride from where she left it.

"AAPA!" Her headphone was pulled out of her ear and she glared at her sister. Nahal looked fuming. She set up on her bed.

"What is it?"

"I have been calling you for the past five minutes and you gave no response" said Nahal and Aanabia rolled her eyes. It was not five minutes!

"What is it?"

"Why aren't you ready? We leave now" she said and Aanabia rolled her eyes. Take the hint, my girl. 

"I am sleepy. Bye" she lay on her bed and pulled over the covers. She waited for Nahal to walk out of her room so that she could go back to reading. 

"Why are you doing this?" whispered Nahal and Aanabia felt her heart clench. I hurt her.

"I am calling Aunt to let her know we can't make it. Allah Hafiz, Aapa" before Aanabia could tell her to just go by herself, Nahal was out of the room. She realized Nahal also had switched off the light.

She heaved a sigh and closed her eyes. Please let tomorrow be good, Allah.

-

"As salaam alaikum" Ruqayyah hugged the life out of Aanabia who simply let her. The two met at Aanabia's favorite coffee shop, Michelle's. It was where she met Yazdan a few times.

"Wa alaikum mus salaam!" grinned Aanabia. The two walked into the coffee shop, followed by Ruqayyah's bodyguard, Max.

"Max, we are right here. Do leave us alone" she told the bodyguard who shook his head.

"Mr. Ibrahim said-"

"I know what he said. Just take a seat there or something. Don't draw attention to yourself, child" she told him and Aanabia let out a small laugh at the word child. It was clear Max was no child. He could take down an entire army if he had to. Well he looked like it anyway.

The bodyguard finally adhered to Ruqayyah's request and took a seat on the other table. Ruqayyah and Aanabia set on the other table and ordered. Ruqayyah went with a strawberry ade while Aanabia went with the usual Lemonade and donuts.

Ruqayyah leaned onto the table with her hands folded in front of her. Aanabia watched the woman in fascination. She wore a Niqab and covered herself from top to bottom, even her hands were gloved in black. But even if she was wearing a long dress with a hijab and niqab, the woman was breathtakingly beautiful. And that did not make sense to Aanabia for she had not seen Ruqayyah without the niqab at all.

"So? What had occurred last night?" questioned Ruqayyah, eyeing Aanabia inquisitively. The latter felt a little uncomfortable with the gaze for she felt as though the older woman was able to see right through her soul.

"Well?" this time, Aanabia opened her mouth to speak.

"I don't know. I just felt sad at home and when I came here, I realized that maybe I am not........ Enough" the latter word was more of a whisper. Aanabia felt scared at the confession. She didn't realize she felt it that way until now.

"Enough in what sense?" questioned Ruqayyah, still looking at her. Aanabia shrugged.

"I don't know. I have always been a straight on point person whether people like it or not. It never....... Bothered me. I never bothered me what people thought" she explained, more to herself than to Ruqayyah. Ruqayyah smiled at her slightly. She understood this. For her, it was the opposite. She always felt the need to explain herself before. Until Iqraam that is.

"What changed?" Ruqayyah's voice was soft and Aanabia immediately felt relieved. This woman understood me. Finally. Someone.

"I don't know. I guess after I started to........ like him?"

Ruqayyah let out a small smile to herself. She was glad for her Niqab today. So this was what was bothering this beautiful girl.

"Like who?"

"Yazdan" the name was slightly above a whisper and if Ruqayyah did not strain her ears to hear it, she would have missed it.

"So you like the guy with long hair?" said Ruqayyah, teasing the girl. She watched Aanabia blush a shade of pink. She knew who Yazdan Zaeef was. Who didn't. She grinned.

"Aanabia?" the said girl looked up from her table. Just then, the waiter served them with their orders. Aanabia smiled at the teen waiter who happened to be one of her students. He smiled back before walking away.

Well, this is embarrassing.

Aanabia watched Ruqayyah stare at the drink.

"I have a question, if you don't mind" she said and Ruqayyah nodded, picking up her ade.

"How do you eat and drink wearing a Niqab?" questioned Aanabia and Ruqayyah stared at her for a moment before letting out a series of laughs. She finally sobered up but her eyes were still glinting with laughter.

"Here, let me show you" she said, slowly picking up her niqab and sipping onto the drink. Aanabia never really saw that because the glass of ade was under her niqab. She made a confused face and Ruqayyah rolled her eyes with a small laugh as she settled the glass on the table.

"Slightly pick up the niqab, take the glass of ade under it and sip it. The sides don't let your face expose and you eat and drink. I mean food is a basic necessity" she explained and Aanabia found that it made so much sense. "Anyway, back to you"

"Hmm?"

"Why do you like him?" it was a simple question, yet Aanabia found a lot of answers to it. She didn't know how to narrow it down.

"Tough question?" said Ruqayyah and Aanabia shook her head.

"No. It is more of.... How to narrow down the reasons to the basics" she said and Ruqayyah's eyes widened.

"You have how many reasons to like him anyway?" she questioned and Aanabia let out as small smile.

"A lot actually"

"Ah I would love to hear that"

"His eyes. They are amazing! I pray I don't cast an evil eye on his eyes!"she said and Ruqayyah let out a small smile.

"The way he speaks, there is something. He speaks too less actually. But when he does, it is always...... poised. Collected. He knows when to stay silent and his silence is........ not his pride" Aanabia spoke with pause fillers as she collected her thoughts.

"He has this fascination with art. And he likes to read thriller books, else why would he take Sidney Sheldon from the library anyway."

"He has an uncanny habit of rubbing his neck when he anxious or nervous or plain embarrassed. Even when he has no idea how to respond to the other person"

She remembered the time she met him in the morning, and had said scowling makes you look adorable. He was too confused and embarrassed to even answer her.

"I think he doesn't like mass gathering. He likes...... minimum people around him. And even when he tries to be rude, you could see in his expression that his conscious is feeling guilty over it"

The time he said he didn't want the donuts and that it was nothing people should know about, when she asked why. She saw the guilty conscious of his right through his act.

"He cares for people around him. He loves and cherishes them" she said, remembering the time with Zaiha, Zul and Yahyah. "As if he would lose them soon"

"Even if he doesn't know people, he would help them in times of dismay" the image of him giving her the umbrella the other day still lingered in her mind vividly.

"And the best part about him is his personality. The man works as an architect yet never flaunts it. He is calm and collected. I have never seen him angry in the past weeks I've known him. He doesn't mix pride and arrogance. He has a classy poise and.........." She looked up to see Ruqayyah staring at her with glinting eyes.

"No, no go ahead" Urged Ruqayyah and Aanabia felt her cheeks turn bright pink, causing Ruqayyah to let out a laugh.

"It is okay. I have seen this before so it is really amusing" she said and Aanabia looked away. Ruqayyah took her hand in hers and smiled at her.

"It is okay to admit that you are in love with him" she said and Aanabia's head snapped up to her. I never really thought about..... love.

"What is his age by the way?" questioned Ruqayyah and Aanabia shrugged.

"Does it matter?"

"Not really. That is until he decides to pull the age gap card" she said and Aanabia let out a small laugh.

"It wouldn't"

"Have you told him?"

"Told him what?"

"That you lov- I mean like him" Aanabia shook her head, no.

Not like I have the courage for that anyway.

"Its raining again" said Ruqayyah, looking outside the window from their seat. The drops of rain splattered against the glass windows with a pit and pat. The girls let out content smile.

Maybe in the middle of chaos, the littlest things matter the most. 

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Heyyy! Sorry to the Yahal shippers, I have nothing in store today. But I promise I will whip up something soon. Hahha. :) 

Thank you so much for the comments on the previous chapters. The reads and the Votes. I appreciate it all. 

Yelp. Thanks  again! ❤

| R - C - V |

xx, 

-aalihha-