Chapter 50: Amendments. 

*

"When we fall, 

We get hurt. 

We learn. 

We understand. 

We sympathize. 

We grow"

-2am-

*

"Why are you so quiet?" Nahal looked up from her slice of pizza to see Yahyah raising an eyebrow at her. She heaved a deep sigh and took a bite off the pizza. What do I tell you now? Period? Missing my sister? Contemplating what we are?

"Nothing" she muttered, dipping another piece of pizza in the hot and spicy sauce. Yahyah eyed her with a confused expression. The two were having lunch at Pizza Hut, before they rushed back to work. This had been their tradition lately, to have lunch together and simply talk. It felt easier for them to communicate outside of work. It had been a few days since Yazdan and Aanabia's return to Australia and Nahal was already missing her sister. 

Yahyah placed the fork and knife on the place and looked at Nahal with a scrutinizing glare.

"Tell me" Nahal wanted to stab him with the knife she was using. Leave me alone. Argh Periods.

"Nothing. I just miss Aapa" she muttered and Yahyah let out a small smile, picking up his fork and knife.

"I have a solution to it though" he told her, cutting a piece of his slice of pizza. Nahal eyed him wearily. Something weird, I swear. I don't get why I fell in love with him in the first place.

"Which is?"

"Marry me"

Nahal was stunned to silence. She did not have the capacity to speak. What? Is he serious?

"What- are you serious?" she nothing but spluttered at him and he nodded at her with a small smile.

"I am serious, Nahal. Marry me. I literally live next to Yazdan" he told her and she frowned at him. This is not how one proposes.

"Are you seriously proposing that right now? While we eat pizza?" she questioned him incredulously. Yahyah nodded at her, chewing slowly. He is losing it. The few brain cells he had have all committed suicide from his over-thinking.

"No Nahal. My brain cells have not committed suicide. I am damn serious" he told her, rolling his eyes and she frowned at him.

"How did you know what I was thinking?" she questioned him and suddenly, he felt really close. Maybe because he was. He leaned towards her, until there was about an inch or so space between their faces.

"I know you" he whispered before sitting back down and grinning wolfishly at her. She, on the other hand, was good as having a heart attack. Her heart was on a marathon and her blood vessels were dilated, making her red all over. Yahyah let out a small laugh when he saw how red she was. She frowned at him, before taking a bite of the pizza.

"Calm down. But my offer still stands. You have to fly to Adelaide for the duo's wedding anyway, so why not stay over at mine?" he grinned at her at the end of the sentence and she rolled her eyes.

"Right. As if I would do that. Those two have not even decided on the dates! Mom is already stressed out over her wedding, I cannot make her more stressed out with mine" Nahal explained and Yahyah nodded thoughtfully.

"Let's elope"

Whatever lemonade that was in Nahal's mouth, spluttered out of it on the table infront of her. Tears filled her eyes and she sniffed slightly before glaring at Yahyah. Elope? ELOPE? To where? NARNIA? Even there, they would find us, Yahyah.

"Funny, Mr. Rashad" she commented, wiping her mouth and cheeks with a tissue before using another one to dab dry the plate of hers as well as the wooden table. Yahyah eyed her with a small smile. To him, she was absolutely adorable.

"Alright" he said finally, checking his watch. "We need to leave if we want to be at work on time" Nahal nodded, pushing away the lose strands of her hair. She picked up her phone and wallet before standing up. Yahyah had paid for their meal so the two simply walked out, after thanking the main counter staff for their meal.

The car ride to work was silent until Nahal's phone blared with an incoming call from Aanabia. She grinned, picking it up.

"As salaam, Aapa" she said. Aanabia's voice felt unfamiliar yet familiar. Nahal knew her sister was happy, just from the cheerful voice of hers.

"Was salaam, Naha. How are you? And mom?" she asked and Nahal let out a small laugh.

"Everyone is good. How are you?" Nahal questioned, crossing her legs over each other. Yahyah eyed her movements with envy. He could never do that in a car because of having long legs. Ah the perks of being short.

"Alhamdulillah good. Ah. I wanted to discuss my reception with you. Are you free now?" she asked and Nahal looked over at Yahyah who shrugged. They still had 15 or so minutes before they reach work in this traffic.

"Yeah. I have around fifteen minutes. What's up?"

"Yazdan and I were talking the other day, with Bhabhi and Ammi. Yazdan and I just wanted a reception, in Adelaide while Ammi and Bhabhi said we should have at least a henna night for me. What say?"

Nahal thought hard over it. A reception is actually good. No hassle and cost effective.

"I like it"

"Great. One problem though" Aanabia muttered and Nahal frowned.

"What is it?"

"It is all going to be here, in Sawarah, Adelaide" Aanabia told her and she rolled her eyes.

"It is all good. We can make an exception. When are you guys planning for it?"

"A month from now"

"That sounds okay I guess. Will it be a big wedding?"

"No. Probably people of Sawarah and our families. Nothing more" Aanabia said and Nahal nodded thoughtfully.

"And where are you guys planning it to be? I mean the venue?"

"Which is why you need to come! Help me out please? Please?" Aanabia was literally begging Nahal at this point and she let out a small laugh.

"I wish. I have work, you know that"

"Right. Yahyah is returning two days from now. Why don't you come with him?" Yahyah is returning? Nahal immediately turned to Yahyah who was busy drumming his fingers on the steering wheel, on the beats of some random song playing. He didn't tell me. Nahal turned back to the roads ahead slowly.

"Ah. I didn't know. I will see, Aapa. I have to go. We are almost at work. I'll call you when I decide, okay? Allah Hafiz"

"Alright. Allah Hafiz" Once Aanabia hung up, Nahal turned to Yahyah again.

"You didn't tell me you are leaving on Thursday" Yahyah glanced at her with a small smile.

"I was going to tell you on Wednesday"

"Why? You are going to come back, right?" she asked him and he caught the fear in her tone. He shook his head. No. He is not returning.

"Why?"

"My work here is done. The managing director of this branch is ready to take over so I can return peacefully. My work in Australia is waiting for me." He told her and she felt tears build up. Curse you periods. Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she wiped them hastily.

"Nahal. Please stop crying. Nahal?" Yahyah said, pulling onto the nearest bus bay with his hazard on. He turned to her with a frown.

"Nahal. Calm down. I am leaving UK, not you. There is a difference" Nahal sniffed and turned to him.

"What is the difference? You will be there and soon....... We'll not talk and become busy and-" Nahal voiced out and Yahyah let out a small smile.

"Exactly why I said marry me. Do it, Nahal. You can return with me"

"No"

"No?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow. Nahal nodded at him, trying to stop crying.

"No. You have to ask my mom officially." She told him and he grinned.

"That's the easy part. You want to go to Australia with me on Thursday?"

"No. I will have to fly in eventually for Aapa's wedding" she told him and he nodded.

"Then I will see you there?"

"As if"

"Nahal"

"Yahyah"

"Stop it"

"Stop what?"

"Stop thinking I will leave you. I told you I won't"

"Promise me?"

"I promised you exactly that weeks ago" Yahyah told her, pulling out of the sidewalk. Nahal inhaled a deep breath and tried to calm down. Yahyah handed her Fiji Water and she gladly drank it. Calm down Nahal. We got this. I think we do.

The two arrived at work and soon were separated to their respective stations. The day donned on and on, leaving Nahal too busy to think about the recent news of Yahyah leaving. By the time it was evening, Nahal was tired and sleepy. So as soon as she was home, she fell asleep. When she woke up, it was around 4am and her phone was blaring. She picked up the call and got off the bed, taking a seat by the window. Aanabia's bright face popped up on the screen and Nahal let out a small laugh.

"You look radiant" she complimented her and Aanabia grinned. I am glad she is happy.

"And you look like a zombie. Seriously, haven't you showered yet?" she asked her and Nahal rolled her eyes. No need to remind me.

"I came back from work and slept" she muttered and this time, Aanabia rolled her eyes.

"How was work?"

"Okay okay"

"How is Yahyah?" Aanabia asked her, with a sly grin. Before she left Manchester, she had managed to coax the truth out of Nahal about Yahyah. And she was happy that her sister was finally getting her life on tracks.

"Good, Alhamdulillah. Now, why did you call me at 4am in the morning?" she asked her and Aanabia shrugged.

"I didn't realize it was 4am there, sorry!" she stated but she was far from being sorry. She needed to talk to her sister and Nahal knew just that.

"What is it?"

"We want you here, Nahal. Please? Apply for a leave or something. Just come to me" Aanabia told her and Nahal let out a small laugh, hiding away any tears that might fall. This was one of the very few times she and Aanabia were away from each other and they felt it. Nahal fidgeted in her seat. Should I tell her?

"Aapa?"

"Hmm?"

"Yahyah asked me to marry him" Silence ensued on the other side of the skype call. Nahal watched Aanabia's expression change from one that is confused to shock to happy, until she was squealing.

"That is so amazing! What did you say?"

"No. I said no. Not until he talks to mom officially anyway" Nahal muttered, looking out of the window. Much to her dismay, the said person was standing outside in the cold air sipping something off his large mug and holding his phone high in his hand. Nahal wanted to glare lasers at him but she also wanted to scream I love you in every language she knew to him. Woah calm down Nahal.

"Right. Want me to talk to mom?" Aanabia suggested and Nahal turned back to her phone screen.

"No Aapa." Nahal replied and Aanabia nodded in understanding.

"At least you both are happy"

"We are." Nahal smiled to herself. She was. She might have let him go once but she was not going to do it again. My heart cannot take it again.

"Awh. So in love" Aanabia cooed from the other side of the call causing Nahal to blush slightly.

"Right. Don't you have work to do?" she asked her and Aanabia grinned.

"I do but my husband is too good of a person to let me work." She told her and Nahal rolled her eyes.

"He doesn't know what he married. Just wait until a few years and he'll come crying to us" Nahal teased her while Aanabia showed her tongue to her. The sisters laughed in unison before chatting a little more. Nahal was content with it. Oh how much I missed this. They talked until morning came about and Nahal showered, changed and set off to another day at work. 

Two days flew by exactly like that and before she knew it, Yahyah was returning. His flight was in the morning so Hifzah had invited the entire family over for dinner the day before. Yahyah was late but he made it. The chatter at the dinner table was to the minimum with only Zaiha and Hifzah taking. Zul minded his own business while eating slowly and Yahyah and Nahal were lost in their own world, trying really hard not to stare at each other.

It was after dinner when the bomb was dropped on the duo. They all were seated in the living room waiting for Nahal to get ice creams. Yahyah opted to help her along with Zul who grinned mischievously at the duo. Yahyah rolled his eyes at him while Nahal looked away.

"Get the tray from that shelf and the dishes from that one" Nahal pointed to two different cupboards and Yahyah obeyed her commands, walking towards them. Zul took out the spoons from the smaller drawers and Nahal smiled at him, thanking him. Yahyah on the other hand was not thanked at all.

Nahal filled the dishes with Orange and chocolate chip ice cream before placing the large bucket in the fridge. She then picked up the tray and asked the boys to follow her. By the time she entered the living room, both mothers were smiling suspiciously brightly at her and the boys. Yahyah raised an eyebrow at them while Nahal chose to ignore them. She handed out the dishes of dessert before taking a seat on the large couch. Yahyah took the other end of the couch.

"So Nahal" Zaiha said, causing Nahal to turn all her attention to Zaiha. What is it? Why is she so dramatic?

"Yes?" Oh great Nahal. You forgot the honorifics. Just great. Also.... With this amount of silence, I can take a whole board exam!

"When are you planning to get married?" Nahal stared at her with a worn out expression. The question has been asked to her so many times after Aanabia's Nikah that she had grown tired of it. And it hasn't been a month since their Nikah!

"Well?" Zaiha asked her with a smile. When your dearest son asks my mother. That's when. But of course, she had to tone down the sass. Don't roll your eyes Nahal. Blame it all on the period.

"Uh........ I don't know" she replied, before stuffing her mouth with a spoonful of ice cream so Zaiha would not ask her any more questions. Zaiha clapped her hands in delight and turned to Hifzah.

"Great then. How does Nahal getting married to Yahyah sound?"

Nahal choked on the ice cream. 

*******

With that ladies and gentlemen, I official open the POLL of: 

1: GET MARRIED?

2. DON'T GET MARRIED? (Marry me instead)

Comment and let me know. :) 

Their story has officially taken over. Don't worry, I'll try to get Yabia in some places too; In Sha Allah. :) 

 | R - C - V |

xx, 

-Aalihha. 

P.S: WATCH 'Put Your Head on My Shoulder' Guys. Its a Chinese drama which is AMAZING. Credits to my Yeabo aka Bestfriend for the recommendation. ❤