Chapter 39: Eid.

*

"'What is more disheartening?

Being in love with someone taken

or 

Being in love with someone 

who has no chances 

of loving you back?' 

He asked."

-2am-

*

The final week of Ramadhan was here and Aanabia grew excited for Eid. She always was. She was on leave from work this week to prepare for Eid itself. And as usual, the preparation were almost done. Of course there were a few sweets left, but she agreed with Nahal that they would do it the night before Eid.

"We are sighting the moon today!" yelled Nahal, running outside the house with a choc ball in her hand. Aanabia rolled her eyes at her sister before turning to the work at hand. She was clearing out the gardens and setting up the tables. The weather was beginning to clear out and the forecast said no rain for at least a few days so Hifzah suggested they set up the tables and chairs outside. Aanabia suggested otherwise since this is Manchester and weather here is never predictable but Hifzah said they do both.

"Can I help?" Nahal questioned, sitting on the freshly cut grass cross-legged. She munched onto her choc balls and grinned at Aanabia. Ah perks of periods in Ramadhan.

"Go away peasant. I got this" she muttered and Nahal shrugged, taking out her phone. She took pictures of Aanabia and sent it to their mother who was at work.

"Mom said clean the weeds well" laughed Nahal and Aanabia chunked a few at her while laughing before going back to her flower bed. It was the rose bed from which she gave Yazdan flowers. She smiled at the memory as her fingers grazed the rose petals gently.

"HEY GUYS!" the sound of the voice startled her, causing her fingers to slip right into a thorn. Ah snap. She turned to her hand and placed it on the dress she wore. The blood dried off and she let out a sigh. Small cuts. She then turned to the fence to see the twins walking inside.

"As salaam alaikum!" the taller one spoke. Sahl?

"Wa alaikum mus salaam. How come you guys are here?" Aanabia stood up and dusted her hands before walking over to the boys. The two of them grinned at her.

"Oh mom. She wanted to spend Eid here, this year" said Safwah. I hope its Safwah.

"Oh" Aanabia peered over their large shoulders in hopes to see a certain human. Safwah coughed and she stood straight, smiling at him.

"Uh............ is- is Yahyah with you guys?" she figured if she could not ask about Yazdan, might as well ask about Yahyah and inform her sister. Speaking of which, where did the human go?

"Yup! Yahyah Bhai and Yazdan Bhaiyu are at his office. They will be late" said Safwah with a certain hint of teasing in his voice. Aanabia caught on but brushed it off. They do not know anything. Right? RIGHT?

"Ah. I could offer you guys food but I know you must be fasting........" Aanabia said and the boys nodded.

"It is alright! Why don't you come meet our mother and grandmother? They are here" said Safwah, bouncing from one feet to the other. Aanabia watched him with a small smile. He reminds me of Tiger from Winnie The Pooh.

"So you coming?" it was the other, quiet one who asked.

"Uh...... not now. Probably when mom is back from work. As you see, I have so much to do" she told them, gesturing to the mess of a garden. The boys looked over the place and nodded at her before saying their goodbyes and walking away.

She sighed and turned to the bed of roses she was working on. A smile made its way to her face. He was back. HE WAS HERE! Okay Aanabia. Keep calm. Keep calm. Keep- oh hell. She let out a squeal and laughed before turning towards the house and walking inside.

What she did not realize was that three woman stood by the fence, watching her with amused expressions.

"Okay. It is official. I love this girl"

"I know! That was so cute"

"That was immature"

"Mom!"

"But adorable so we'll take it" laughed Qaidah Zaeef and Amyrah and Kulthum grinned at her.

-

Yazdan was a nervous wreck. The day after his talk with the siblings, his mother and grandmother called him to the living room. They then asked him to call all his siblings save for Karmaan, and tell them that they must be here on Friday, the last Jumah of Ramadhan. He did what he was told and soon enough, his siblings were there. Safwah was late though because he was lord knows what part of the world that time.

On Friday however, his mother and grandmother broke the biggest news there was. They found Yazdan a perfect wife. The siblings had exchanged looks of confusion and Amyrah had shaken her head saying she knew nothing about it. Grandmother and Mother had questioned him if he had someone in mind and his mind had immediately gone blank. It was Amyrah who had spoke up saying she might have someone in mind. When she tried to explain who that someone was, grandmother and mother Zaeef shook their heads in disappointment.

"I am disappointed in you Amyrah. I expected you to be the sensible one" they had said and Amyrah was scolded for covering up for Yazdan. That was when the siblings started taking blame causing Yazdan to get frustrated. He blurted out everything to them and asked for forgiveness because he did not know how to tell them.

Long story short, it was all grandmother and mother Zaeef's scheme to make the siblings talk. They knew that if they did not, they would take forever to speak up. And they did not want to risk Yazdan for that long. And then it was decided that they would meet Aanabia during Eid and see for themselves, why Yazdan liked her.

And today happened to be the day they officially meet. Of course Aanabia did not know that his family knew but Yazdan knew. This fact was making him sweat bullets. Karmaan was flying in on the day of Eid, Kulthum and the twins were here with them. Kayan was out of country and would come later while Amyrah was here with the children. Grandmother and grandfather Zaeef were flying in with Kayan so Qaidah and Aahil had come with the children. And since Yazdan was going to be sacrificed that day, Yahyah had to come. He needed to see the expressions his best friend portrays throughout the meeting.

With that being explained, Yazdan now set on the couch beside Yahyah who was talking to Sahl about something. Yazdan could not at all, concentrate. Oh Allah. Please, Please, Please let my family like Aanabia. Please? Pretty Please!!!!

"Ouch" he yelped when Kulthum yanked his hair. He frowned up at his little and only sister who grinned back at him.

"Let me tie your hair!" she said, her eyes glinting in mirth.

"No" Yazdan replied immediately. Kulthum pouted sadly. She did not have any sister to do hairstyles on so she used her brothers since childhood.

"Oh come on! Just a braid and high bun! I promise" she said, looking at him with doe like eyes. Yazdan sighed and nodded at her. His hair was a mess anyway. I am not cutting it though. The two walked to the dining hall where he set on the steps and Kulthum set on the chair with combs and hair ties. She pulled his hair open and parted it into two before combing it. Yazdan took out his phone and busied himself with random dog videos.

"Ouch!" Yazdan's hair was pulled in many directions and he felt lightheaded soon after.

"God! You have to braid it, not pull it out of the follicles, Kulthum" he muttered and she let out a laugh.

"Oh! As salaam alaikum" his sister called out and he wanted to look up to see who it was but his sister pushed his head down muttering a 'stay' as more torture began. He then heard familiar laughter and prayed it was not her.

Of course fate is cruel.

"Salaam" he looked up slightly to see familiar onyx eyes staring at him. They were not in speaking distance, since she was in the living room while he was at the dining hall. But her salaam was heard by him and he could see mirth in those beautiful eyes of hers.

"Ahem" Kulthum cleared her throat and Yazdan blushed a shade of red. Oh Allah. Save me. "Good to go" Kulthum said, pushing his shoulders lightly. He looked up to his sister with a frown.

"I don't know what it looks like" he replied and she rolled her eyes before handing him her phone. There were pictures of his hair. He liked it. She had braided the top part in a French braid while the sides were also braided. The bottom one was also braided. The place the braids ended was near the top of his head where she did a man bun with a few lose stands. Nice.

"Thank you" he told her handing her the phone. She grinned at him before standing up and walking towards Aanabia. He watched her walk to Aanabia and talk to her. The two hit it off instantly. Amyrah soon joined them and they were talking and laughing about something. Yazdan set there, watching her.

She looks beautiful. In a Hijab, like my dream. Masha Allah. She has a crooked smile. Why did I not see this before? Because you were busy avoiding her, his mind replied and he shrugged. It is true though. Oh how I am glad I met her.

"Guys, we are leaving for Iftaari now" called out Qaidah's voice and Yazdan stood up, dusting his jeans. He looked down at himself before letting out a small sigh. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and washed out jeans. He was sure he had his denim jacket somewhere here. So thus began the search. He walked to the couch he was seated on to check for it but it was not there. Soon after, he headed upstairs to Yahyah's room. Without knocking, he entered and walked straight to the closet. Opening it, he pulled out a maroon cardigan that said Fila in bold in front of it. He pulled it on while walking out of the room and rushing towards the door where everyone had gone.

"You are coming with me" Yahyah pulled him by the hoodie and they headed to his Mercedes. Safwah and Sahl climbed in with Kulthum at the back seat, the three of them fighting for the window. Finally Sahl gave up and set in the middle muttering something about being the bigger person. Yazdan laughed at him.

Iftaari rolled by and no one spoke about Aanabia. The boys were enjoying the silent time and Yazdan met the Islamic crew from before along with Yahyah. Yazdan watched Yahyah silently stare at the red rug in front of him. He stood up and Yahyah looked up to him.

"Let's go out to sight the moon" he told him and Yahyah nodded, standing up. Unlike him, Yahyah wore a white thobe with jeans. The two boys walked outside where mass people were gathered to look for the moon. The weather was calm and the skies were clear. Yazdan turned to his best friend.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah" Yahyah answered all too quickly, without looking at Yazdan. He found it odd but chose not to question it. But that was until his curious side on. I should ask him as his best friend! What if he has something going on?

"No you are not. That was a trick question. Tell me what is going on?" Yahyah turned to him slowly with a small smile. He shoved his hands in the pocket of his jeans while shuffling on his feet. He is hesitant, nervous. Why is he hesitant and nervous?

"What is wrong?" he asked, more gently this time. He watched Yahyah's bright brown eyes glisten with tears. Oh Allah. Please don't cry, please don't cry!

"Nahal." The one word was enough for him to understand what was going on. He had refused to talk for a while now.

"Nahal? What did she do?" Yahyah gulped down saliva and shrugged off. He blinked his eyes rapidly so that tears do not fall. Yahyah felt his fists clench. What did that woman do? How dare she do anything that can hurt my brother? HOW DARE?

"She rejected me" A moment of silence followed the statement. What? Why? How? When?

"When did this happen?"

"The night you and Aanabia talked at the hospital" Yazdan felt betrayed. His best friend has been hurting since then, weeks ago and he was not there for him! Even worse, it happened right by him and he did not notice!

"Why didn't you tell me?" Yazdan looked at Yahyah with a pained expression. It was not about him, it was about Yahyah and he wanted his best friend to confide into him like he does to him. I am such a bad friend.

"I did not want anyone to know"

"Why?! She hurt you, Yaha! You could have-"

"I was too embarrassed to say so." Yazdan stood dumbfounded. Embarrassed? Since when did emotions like that come in between our friendship?

"How many nights?" Did you cry and not tell me?

"Every night since then" Yazdan did not need more as he pulled his best friend in a hug. His arms tightened around Yahyah and he felt Yahyah's body shake. This is not how I envisioned my last iftaari, he thought as the people shouted "EID MUBARAK" in a distance. 

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Hey My lovely Panda's. 🐼

Hahha. Update. I know I am late and irregular, but I have school and other things going on. :) 

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xox, 

-aalihha.