THE ENGAGEMENT

★★★★★

Friday, April 23rd, 

It took a while but after further consideration, my body and soul finally came to an agreement. I think I was finally buying the idea of wanting to get married and become his wife. I didn't regret my decision because I thought of the possibility of having a better future with him and according to my calculations, it was higher than average. 

He had already accepted to fulfill all my demands, having to sponsor my education while I schooled under his roof. What more did I want? Nothing he couldn't possibly provide and I had chosen to compromise and be dutiful to him in return. My heart and brain were finally working together and it made me less tense and more hopeful that this marriage would bring me the happiness that I desire. It was the biggest sacrifice I had to make in my life. And God knows, I didn't put myself first when I made my decision. I was glad that when my faith was truly tested, I didn't fail my family.

Although I still questioned Zayn's decision. I tried to give myself reasons as to why he chose me; I felt like my aunt was right, he might have seen something in me that he secretly admired. Maybe all that time I had been stubborn and attacking him with my big mouth, he saw an entirely different person. A part of me rejected this thought again. I had decided that it was just destiny that brought us together, I'd stick to that.

On the day of my engagement, I was dressed up in our traditional attire, completely covered in a red dress and matching laffaya worn over my head, like a typical shuwa arab bride. I had officially got engaged to Zayn a few minutes ago and I was sitting in our guest's room along with my friends and cousins. Some well-wishers like Khairat and Nafisah came around to congratulate me as well. It was a room full of girls and every one of them had something to say about the ceremony.

Kulthum, my right-hand girl was sitting close to me on the bed, adjusting my laffaya while Salma, my other best friend, sat in front of me, asking what was going through my mind since I was so quiet when everyone else was talking about me. I gave her a small smile and said nothing. 

While they were still making noise, we saw the door swing open and Aunty Maimunah, my mother's younger sister came in, followed by Teslim. They both came to inform us that the men's function was over and all the men were heading to the mosque to observe the customary Jumuah prayer since it was Friday. However, later in the evening, we'd be having Lefe.

I was surprised to hear that because initially, I thought the Kayan Lefe, meaning boxes of gift items, were usually brought to the bride's family on the wedding day. Aunt Maimunah said it was preferable for the female relatives from the groom's family, including his aunts, to take the gifts to the bride's house before the wedding. In my case, they chose to bring it on the engagement day.

Teslim then told me that my mother had planned to hold a dinner in our house for my in-laws, upon their arrival. It was the little she could do to welcome them. She had told me beforehand to prepare my mind for it so I wouldn't say they took me off guard again. When they left, the room returned to its initial noisy state.

The girls were discussing my forthcoming wedding being the hottest topic on the news which was true because when I checked my Instagram page that morning I noticed my followers had increased. I quickly deleted all my pictures and took down any post that had my personal information in it. I didn't want random people, stalking me for no meaningful reason. The idea of becoming popular because I was going to get married to a prince made me cringe. 

I tried to look him up to see if I could stalk him but I discovered there was no social media account attached to his name. I decided it was either he was using an alias or he was not an internet person. My mind settled on the latter, which reminded me that Zayn was the heir, not his cousin, the one who paraded himself on Instagram as Prince Khalifa. Zayn wasn't even as popular as he was, yet I wondered how they knew he was getting married soon.

"They told you or you saw it on the news?" That was Kulthum asking her friend, Khairat who was standing up. She was getting ready to take her leave.

"I don't listen to the news," Khairat laughed, the sound of which was a mixture of surprise and mockery." I heard it and I couldn't believe my ears. So I decided to drop by to satisfy my curiosity."

"I guess, I've been a hot topic in school," I said, biting my lower lip and ignoring the strange twist in my stomach. So she didn't come to greet me, she had only come to confirm if it was true. I should have known. Once a gossip, always a gossip.

"What do you expect when your name is on every news headline and blog."Nafisah tried to make fun of me. I didn't reply to her because I didn't know what to say. I had become quite popular all of a sudden. "By the way, congratulations, Sweetheart!" She crooned, draping an arm over my shoulder." May Allah bless your union and make yours among the best." She prayed for me and I thanked her. She offered to hug me and decided she didn't want to leave until after the Lefe. Nafisah had always wanted us to be close. I noticed how she usually tried to be extra friendly with me despite just being an acquaintance.

"I'm not leaving either, not until you tell us how you met him,"Khairat announced, returning to her seat.

"Try all you want, she won't spill it out," Lateefah said. She was Uncle Sulaiman's daughter, about my age. My cousin had been trying to get that information out of me as well, but she didn't succeed. I didn't know what to tell them because nothing really happened between us. I didn't even realize how quickly we reached this point without going through a normal courtship procedure.

"You heard her right? I grinned and Khairat tilted her head to the side, giving me a devilish smile.

" Is it just me or does no one else recall what happened at school the other day? " I knew where she was headed with that which made me glance at Kulthum and Nafisah. "Didn't you remember how she was defending him?" That took our memory back to that awful day.

"Oh C'mon!" I growled and rolled my eyes while the other girls giggled at my expense.

"Am I missing something here?" Zainab feigned a cough, clearing her throat.

"Nope, you are not. These girls are nuts."

"You're starting to sound suspicious." I looked at Salma who was looking left out of the conversation. She wasn't in school that day when Kulthum told us about what went down at Mr.Omar's house.  I remembered her saying something about Aylin slapping Yasmeen across the face. I didn't want Salma to hear that. How was I even sure Kulthum hadn't told her?

"I haven't seen this guy before, I have only heard his name from my father." Lateefah did us a good favour and changed the direction of the conversation.

"I have his picture, I can show you." Kulthum held her phone, smiling at me like she was waiting for me to beg her not to. Before I could tell her to lay off and give me her phone, curiosity got the best of the girls. And they all scrambled to their feet and pinned closer to Kulthum, leaving me alone at the other side of the bed.

It was not like Zainab had not seen her cousin before. I didn't know why she joined them.

"Oh my God! He's stunning!" Khairat exclaimed, scrolling through the phone while the others gushed at whatever they were staring at. 

"Hannan," Nafisah turned to me."Are all these guys his brothers?" I saw the desperation in her eyes. She wanted details about his family, maybe she wanted to throw herself at any of his siblings. If possible, a miraculous marriage could come up just like mine.

"No, he only has one younger brother. The others are his cousins." Salma informed them. I sat inches away, unable to see what they were looking at.

"Mind if I see?" I extended my hand to Khairat who was holding the phone. She turned the screen to face me. My eyes immediately catch him. He stood out among all the men in his family. The picture was taken after the engagement and everyone was there, except Imran. I took my eyes away from the picture the moment I realized that.

"Wow, Hannan! He's very good-looking." Lateefah complimented with a wide smile. "What did you do to charm him?" I rolled my eyes at her question. I wish I did anything. He himself might have cast a spell on me because I could hardly understand my feelings toward him.

"Yeah, I envy you, sister."That was Khairat, still drooling over his picture. I wonder what she'd do if she met him in person. "You are making the rest of us look insufficient." She added, making the girls laugh but I didn't join them. I might have been there physically with them but my mind had travelled. The thought of Imran not showing up at the men's ceremony made me anxious. The thought of it alone made something sink within me, something I couldn't easily put into words.

*****

5:30 PM

Back in my room, upstairs kulthum and Salma were helping me dress up for the ceremony. The other girls had dispersed from the guest room. Some were hanging around downstairs while others helped the older women to prepare the meal.

I was tired, switching from one traditional attire to another. I had been sitting for hours and I think this was the longest I had worn gaudy jewellery. I wanted to strip out of this dress which was starting to itch my skin. The makeup wasn't helping my situation either. Salma did her best to make it moderate and pleasing for the eyes but the discomfort that came with it was driving me nuts. I internally consoled myself, knowing that I had to endure because it was just for the day.

"Are you alright?" Salma asked, dabbing my face with concealer, giving it the finishing touches.

"I'm just restless." Unintentionally, I sighed because I was having a slight headache. 

"Why is that?" Salma raised an eyebrow, thinking I was afraid to meet my in-laws. Although the pressure was a little much, it was my first time doing all this ceremonial stuff.

"It's nothing. Let's just get this over with." I shook my head, prompting her to finish up with the makeup. Certainly, she wasn't positive about my reply and wanted to pry into my thoughts. 

 Kulthum managed to steal our attention; she had been standing next to the window, impatiently looking down every minute.

"How would you handle being a queen when you can't handle sitting in one place for just fifteen minutes."She said and continued staring out the window. Salma smiled at her and turned to me.

"Oh, shut up!" I grumbled as I watched Kulthum move closer to the window, the moment the sound of cars reached our ears.

"They're here, they're here," She screamed and we jerked, turning our heads toward the window. Salma got curious and sprang to her feet, hurried toward the window to see what Kulthum was referring to.

"Omg! It's the groom's family. They are actually here."Salma exclaimed, excited.

"Masha Allah, it's a big family," Kulthum commented.

I stood in the background, trying to see what they were looking at. My eyes went wide when I saw the women in their family, pouring out of their cars. I was still staring when the door burst open, and Zainab stumbled in as if she was being chased by someone.

" The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here." She announced and the girls screamed. I sat down, watching them toss around for a while before deciding to pull my laffaya over my head. 

A few minutes later, my sister came into the room."Are you girls ready? Our guests are here. The kayan lefe will be on display any minute. You girls should go down." She instructed them, making her way back to the door. She turned and smiled at me before opening it and disappearing. Salma and Zainab quickly changed into their abayas and followed each other out.

 Kulthum was still pinning very close to the window. I wondered what she was looking at. "Hey, come and see," She summoned me with a wave of her hand. I stood up, giving her a suspicious look.

"Hurry!" She said, seeing that I was hesitant to move. I raised a brow which made her groan, impatiently, just before I got to where she was standing.

"look, it's your habibiy." She suddenly pointed her index finger toward a  black Porsche and my head shot in that direction. Just before I could catch sight of him, he slipped into the front seat. I only saw his white clothes and the back of his head.

I stared into space as he pulled the car into our driveway. It felt weird that I yearned to see him. I didn't know when I became so attracted to this man that I was so eager to at least, catch a glimpse of his face. My heart thumped a bit watching as the car drove away and I pressed my right hand against the wall to support myself. I had almost forgotten that Kulthum was right beside me.

She turned to me, looking pleased."You should have seen him when he escorted his grandmother to the door. They were so adorable!"

I smiled at her speech, remembering my first visit to his house when he had been hugging Inna in front of everyone. kulthum eyes were fixed on me as I thought back to the moments after our collision. She narrowed her eyes as if to read my expression. I looked away, trying to hide my smile.

"What are you thinking, madam?" She chuckled. "Hope you haven't started dreaming of yourself in his bed doing what couples do after marriage." She said casually. My mouth fell open as I stared at her.

"Wait, has anybody ever told you that you have a dirty mouth?"I shifted back.

She shrugged her shoulders."Always remember to plug your ears, each time you are around me." She sent me an evil smile and then moved away from the window.

"You should have given me a heads up before now." I shook my head at her and she ignored me, clearly enjoying my reaction. I saw her heading toward the bed to pick up her hijab from where she left it.

 "Remind me to stay away from you and your dirty mouth from now on." I pouted and watched her walk up to the door.

"You wish," she unlatched the doorknob. "Please don't get lonely while I'm gone." She turned around before pulling it open."Don't worry, I'll put you on a video call so you can at least see the things he bought for you."

She winked at me before stepping out and then there was peace in the room. I returned to what I had been staring at, which was gone. There was nothing there to look at.

It didn't help that Kulthum was gone as well. My thoughts went back to him like I always did when I was alone. It started with little moments of encouragement from friends and family members, and now instead of looking for an excuse to hate him like I used to do, I looked forward to seeing him because, for unnatural reasons, I missed him. I didn't know why it felt strange that I did. 

 My feelings were developing faster than my brain could comprehend them. Was it because I hadn't seen him in a while? I didn't even get to see him during the engagement. My thoughts strayed to his gift. I hadn't stopped thinking about him ever since I got it. I wondered if he also thought of me as well, as much as I did him.

I went over to my dresser, picked up my bracelet, and put it around my wrist. Kulthum's video call came in right in time. I saw the wedding boxes. There were twelve of them; six set for the bride, three for my sister, and three for my mother.  I thought I heard Salma telling someone in the background that the Lefe boxes might be worth more than 10m, considering the things that were inside.

I accidentally disconnected the call when the door opened and Teslim asked me to come down because my in-laws wanted to see me. I told her that I'd be with them in a minute. I tried to stay calm, feeling a little nervous.

My lips were starting to feel dry so I smeared some lip gloss on them and then applied perfume before heading out of the room. Teslim was waiting for me when I got to the stairs. She held my hand and led me to our living room where all the guests were.

*****

My heart was in my mouth when I saw the many eyes scanning me. I broke out in a cold sweat as we came forth, feeling the weight of their eyes on me. I could almost feel their gaze boring tiny holes in my skin. Unable to tolerate it, I wanted to fade away but I decided to not let it faze me since Teslim was by my side.

She let go of my hand when she saw Zayn's mother standing up at the sight of us approaching them. The smile on her face was like an antidote to my nervousness, washing the odd feeling away and I walked forward to meet and greet her. She had been sitting next to my mother and her co-wife who was also smiling at me. My mother-in-law hugged and kissed me on the forehead, then my hand and walked me to their grandmother who was also eager to pull me into her arms. She also hugged and blessed me with kisses.

I saw my mother smiling at us as she praised me in front of everyone. Inna took my hand into hers and introduced me to an aged woman who sat next to Aliya. I was told she was her elder sister from Stockholm. Her name was Maria. Next to her was another older woman with a foreign look. She introduced herself as Umm Zayn's younger sister. She was Nadia's mother. I noticed her Turkish accent as she greeted me in English.

Imran's mother also stood up to welcome me into her arms when we approached her chair. Instead of looking at her, I faced down and broadened my smile which helped to avoid the awkward situation. I wasn't sure if she noticed me avoiding her eyes. Umm Yasmeen was the next person to her. I also greeted her, respectively. I didn't need to greet my mother and my aunts so I moved past them and greeted all the girls in their family, from Yasmeen to Nadia, Aliya, and some younger girls I didn't recognize.

A woman in her mid-thirties who was carrying an infant greeted me with a big smile. She spoke jovially to me as though we knew each other from somewhere. I heard them say she was Mr. Omar's elder sister, the former CEO of Bremin Tech, Aisha Hussein. No doubt, they looked very much alike. I moved to the last woman. She looked a bit foreign too. I was told she was his mother, the wife of the Emir. Which explains why she didn't stand up like the others did. Instead, she held me by my shoulders and gently guided me to squat before. I was curious as to what she was about to do. Everyone stared at us as well and the room fell silent.

It was at this moment that Inna let go of my hand and then went over to sit right next to the queen. She smiled down at me and then leaned forward to kiss my forehead. There was a positive energy radiating from the woman and everything about her was different. She took her time to study me as we exchanged greetings. Then she took my hands and prayed for me. After praying for a lengthy amount of time, she summoned Aliya who came to stand beside me, holding something that looked like a piece of folded clothes. 

She held it up, leaving the clothes open and falling to reveal a beautiful royal alkyabba, heavily decorated with golden embroidery. I was asked to get up and Teslim was also invited to take off my laffaya. When my neck and shoulders were left bare, Zayn's mother came to dress me up. I smiled at her as she held my right arm and put it inside the clothes and the other woman did the same to my left arm. Simultaneously, they pulled the hood over my head. My mother-in-law kissed my forehead and headed back to her seat.

I stared at the adornment for some seconds, not knowing what to say at first. Then something knocked some sense into my brain and I remembered to thank them despite being confused by their action. The emir's wife asked me to come and sit right beside her, in the space between her and their grandmother.

When Inna turned to me, she took my right hand and guided me to my seat."I know you are confused about what my daughter-in-law just did." She whispered in my ear. I grinned, hearing her voice so close."Your engagement with my grandson has just been completed. What they just did was supposed to be done by Zayn himself but this is how we do it in our family because people who want to marry are still non-mahram so he cannot dress you yet, not after your marriage." She lectured me and an inexplicable feeling ran through me. My cheeks flushed at the mere thought of Zayn dressing me up like that.

"This is how the royal khitbah, a formal introduction is done. And this also means that you are now a princess and a daughter of this family." She squeezed my hand a little, which made me look down at our hands, reconsidering her words.

"And not just any princess. You are now the heiress, a future queen of this family." The queen herself spoke from my left side. I would become a queen? Her words kept ringing in my ears which also reminded me of what Kulthum had said earlier. Would I be able to handle such a grand position? And why didn't I think about this before?

Although I was having cold feet, I managed to smile at them, not knowing how to react to the news or what to even say in response.

"Thank you so much for welcoming me into the family. I feel honored." I subconsciously said, making the two women smile at me.

"We are proud to have a beautiful one like you married to our son." Inna placed a hand on the back of my shoulder, giving me a warm pat. I flushed with embarrassment, too shy to look at her.

"Now look at what we brought for you." I turned to what she was pointing at and for the first time, my eyes fell on the presents that were mounted on top of each other right next to the Lefe boxes. I hadn't seen them in Kulthum's video. It was then that I scanned the room in search of my friends and there they were, sitting at the back. Salma immediately caught sight of me and she waved a hand. Kulthum and Khairat were making videos with their phones so they didn't see me, while the others stared aimlessly until their eyes found me and they sent me wide grins from across.

When I turned my head around, I wanted to thank them for the gifts but before I could say anything. The emir's wife said something that stole my attention. She was asking about my age and studies. I answered briefly and she bobbed her head, obviously pleased with my reply.

"Mâsha Allah! I'm quite impressed." She said only to my hearing. Then she glanced at Zayn's mother and raised her voice, making sure she heard her next words. "Fatimah, your son has a good eye. He has chosen well."Everyone in the room turned to the woman as she spoke and I could sense their eyes on me as well. My eyes fell on my sister and Bola who sat together on the same couch. They smiled at me. I looked away, holding back a smile. I knew my mother would be so proud of me to the point she'd thank God for the day she gave birth to me.

"Yes, he's always had an eye for precious things." His mother replied with a proud smile." Alhamdulillah, it was put to good use when he needed it the most." I saw my mother and the other women grinning at their comments. I was kind of flattered.

"Mâsha Allah, may Allah put his blessings in their union and make theirs a happy home." Zayn's grandmother prayed for me and Zayn.

As I sat there, thinking the women were finished with what they came here for, I watched everyone get engaged in one thing or the other. It was time for dinner and we all moved to the dining area where we were going to have our meals.

 Inna held on to my hand, never letting me leave her side, not for a minute. She was very affectionate about it which I find adorable. As we slowly stride across the room, my phone rang. It was an unknown number, I didn't think twice before I picked up the call. The place was a bit rowdy and somewhat difficult to hear what the person was saying on the line. Using the opportunity to excuse myself from there, I left Inna's side and stepped outside.

"Hello, it's me, Caro." The person repeated as soon as I shut the door behind me. I immediately recognized that voice. 

"Oh, Caroline! Longest time." I was surprised to hear from her again. She was my friend from secondary school and we hadn't been in contact with each other ever since my mother told me to stay away from her. Her only crime was that I attended her birthday party without my mother's permission."It's been a while, how have you been?"

I heard her smile. "I've been good." She quickly said, cutting through the greetings. "I heard that you are getting married. Is it true?"

'What! Is that why you called me?' I imagined myself saying it but decided against it. I didn't have to sound so unkind since it's been ages since we last spoke to each other. 

"Yes, apparently."I gave a bored face because I felt a little offended by her actions. She didn't bother to ask about my condition; all she cared about was the news of my wedding." How did you know, if I may ask?"

"It's all over the news, my dear. I just wanted to confirm it."

"So you've had my number all these while?" I didn't mind attacking her with my sharp tongue.

"Not really," I sensed she was trying to deny it."I only called to congratulate you."I could hear the guilt in her voice.

"Really? So where did you get my number?" I never intended to let her go so easily. So I wanted to torture her a little bit and it wasn't hard to put her where I wanted.

"Er, um," She went silent for a while. I knew she had always had it and couldn't think of a good lie.

"Caro, well done oo!" I cut in, saving her the energy to tell whatever lies she was cooking in her head. And she was someone who used to share my lunch. We were that close back in school. We did almost everything together.

"Abeg, no vex. I didn't have a phone." I heard her plead and an unintended smile made its way to my lips.

"Why do I feel like you are lying."

"I'm telling the truth, I swear." I could feel the guilt dripping in her tone.

"Okay, I believe you."

"Thank you! So when is the wedding?"

"No fixed date yet. Would you come?"

"Of course. It's part of the reason I called you." She laughed and I mimicked her energy.

"Don't come to my wedding, since you abandoned me," I said playfully. Caroline said something and I wanted to reply to her, but I was distracted because I sensed someone's presence behind me. I turned around to face the person only for me to find Yasmeen, standing stiffly like an ice sculpture with arms folded over her chest.

"Caro, wait. I'll call you later, bye." I simply said to my friend and ended the call. I returned my attention to Yasmeen and watched her stare at me for a few apprehensive seconds before dropping her hands to her side. 

"What a nice show you pulled off in there."She eyed me and a weird feeling twisted in my stomach.

"Excuse you?"I gave her a questioning look. 

"You don't seem to mind the family drama that you have caused, do you?" She took a few steps closer with a deviant smile playing on her lips. What was she talking about?

"Look, I know you already hate me but you don't have to be unkind to show it," I said my piece, then turned on my heels because I didn't want any trouble with her. 

"You are sexually immature, I wonder what he saw in you." Her words made me halt on my track and I spun around to face her.

"What! What did you just say?"

"Girls like you chose the rich so you can feed off their wealth."

"I beg your pardon!" I was at a loss for words, staring with my lashes blinking uncontrollably.

"Well, it seems you've started parading yourself as his bride when he hasn't even put a ring on your finger yet."She uttered and I frowned, knowing it was a deliberate attempt to spite me. She might have listened to my conversation on the phone.

"Please don't test me." I tried to stay calm, willing myself to not let her get under my skin."You are older than me and you do not know me at all."

I saw her chuckle bitterly."I believe we were friends, nearly sisters. But the last time we spoke you posed as Imran's girlfriend and now you want to marry his brother. So where do you really stand, Hannan? What games are you playing with the brothers?"

I gaped in disbelief. What was she insinuating? And as if reading my thoughts she answered that question with a question of her own. "Be honest, you want his brother's money, don't you?"

That made my shoulders drop slightly. I didn't see any reason to explain myself to her, yet I did. "Yasmeen, I accepted his proposal at the expense of my happiness. I have no intention to do what you think of me."

"Do you know the agony it causes Imran? Perhaps you like it. Knowing you still have the power to break his heart."

My head went light for a moment. I knew exactly where she was headed with this; to incite guilt in my heart. And it seemed she'd succeeded in doing so. 

"You are wrong. It kills me to hurt him."No matter how I tried not to listen to her, I saw myself believing I might have caused Imran so much pain. The anxiety had been there since day one and it took Yasmeen to finally make me manifest it.

"You tore the brothers apart." She spat.

"That's not true," I yelled back but this witch wouldn't have it. She was playing a serpent, trying to put vain thoughts in my head. I saw her smirk, an evil one, much like she was enjoying the show.

"You are quite a character." She said and clapped her hands. "Now you listen and listen good," pointed a finger at me, "If the brothers turn on each other and their hatred deepens more than it already has, it's because of you."

I said nothing. Instead, I  shook my head and inhaled sharply, aware that if there was anybody I should be mad at right at that moment; that would be myself because I stood there, keeping up with Yasmeen's deceit, despite knowing what she was trying to do.

"Imran and I are not lovers."I simply huffed after a while, not knowing why I was still standing there.

"You are feeling guilty!" She disputed, studying my expression. "It seems as though you are, yet you and him aren't even lovers. You admitted so yourself, and yet I heard you almost kissed."

"We're not romantically involved. But I do care about him a lot." I shut my eyes and clenched my jaws, in an attempt to restrain myself from losing my temper. While I was well aware of who might have told her, some part of me didn't just care because I had lost every ounce of respect I had for Yasmeen. Had it been someone else I would have been ashamed that she knew. But Yasmeen didn't deserve such regard. 

"Well, let's see how you are going to deny it in front of everyone when the truth comes out." I knew she was trying to threaten me but I wouldn't let it faze me, especially now that I had learned her true colours.

 I stepped forward, feeling unusually confident."You can say whatever you want. I won't stop you." I smiled, and I saw her cast a green eye at me. "But I do find it interesting how angry you are. I think you are worried, not about Imran but Zayn."I paused and noticed her frown cut deeper. My smile widened because I believed my words had the desired effect on her.

 "You are worried that he likes me," I continued, after all, she got what she deserved. "If there is anything you should be worried about, it should be that he doesn't like you. You are tall, beautiful, and classic, yet he doesn't love you despite all that. Maybe he does see the truth. That your mind is dark. Try fixing yourself, maybe it will get him to notice you."

I had given her a piece of my mind. But she hadn't responded, and her silence stretched uncomfortably. For a moment, I regretted my words. But when I looked into her eyes, I saw a deep-seated hatred for me. That I couldn't ignore. I took a few steps back and decided to join the others and forget I ever crossed paths with her that evening. I was only halfway to the door when I heard my name.

"Hannan," A deep voice called, stopping me on my track. At first, I thought it was Ahmad. But when I turned around, the pair of eyes that stared back at me belonged to someone else. My heart almost came out of my chest when I saw my Zayn standing there, looking at me.

My eyes clung to the image in front of me and concentrated on those familiar pair of curious brown eyes that always seemed to do to my heart, what my mind couldn't comprehend. I didn't answer him, I was awfully tongue-tied and confused. It had been five days since I last saw him and also it was the first time I looked at him with a different intention. I couldn't digest the idea that I had to see him as my fiancé which didn't come innately. It was still odd that I was supposed to look at him that way. 

"Na'am (yes)," I finally answered, wondering how long he had been standing there and also hoping he didn't hear my confrontation with Yasmeen.  "Were you looking for me?" I had to ask because he did look like he was searching for something or someone when my eyes fell on him.

"I was looking for Inna," he said and my eyes followed his gaze to his grandmother descending the step at our front door. Truly, there she was, trudging next to Ahmad who held her right hand and was saying something to her, which made her laugh. Zayn smiled at the sight of them.

His smile made my heart quiver and my hands inevitably shook at my side. His smile was...I couldn't find the right words to describe it. So I ordered my heart not to think of him in such a fond way. I had to remind myself of what we were now— an intending couple.

He stopped smiling, and turned to me, saying, "I wanted to give her this." He held out a small device to show me, which I recognized to be an inhaler.

"Oh, okay," Were the dumbest words I could form. Talking to him was worse than awkward because I now saw him from a different point of view rather than the one I knew him with.

Did I really cause a rift between him and his brother? Would Zayn stoop so low for me? I didn't deserve to face all of these tonight. It was supposed to be my engagement night. I could not even handle looking him in the eyes, plus the weight of Yasmeen's words had pressed into my chest. I glanced back to see if she was still there. The serpent was gone after putting me in such a vulnerable position.

While I was staring at the grass, I felt his eyes on me. He didn't say anything afterwards and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.  What a helpless situation this was.

"Come on, man. Give her a break!" Ahmad's voice broke through the stillness, drawing Zayn's attention from me."In a couple of months, you could have her to yourself." I looked up at Ahmad who was pretending to complain, but in reality, he was enjoying this. His brown eyes shone with mischief as smiled at his friend.

"It's too far. I can't wait." Zayn said. I couldn't tell if he was being jovial or not since I wasn't looking at him. I noticed he stepped back a bit and walked up to his grandmother and slung his arm over her shoulder. She was also smiling at their jokes.

"Ahmad is right, you should lower your gaze a little. Just because you're engaged now doesn't  mean you can look at her like that." She admonished him and Ahmad stifled a smile at that. Zayn then said something, I could sense the humour in his voice but he wasn't smiling.

*****

Zayn

He shifted his eyes from his grandmother, curiosity drawing his gaze back to Hannan. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and he caught a flicker of something before she quickly looked away. It could be regret, perhaps sadness. Whatever it was, she wasn't looking good. Zayn knew that it had something to do with whatever Yasmeen might have said to her.

 He saw them from his car. Although he didn't hear anything from what they were saying, their gesticulation and facial expressions suggested it was an argument. 

Where did Yasmeen go? Zayn's eyes flickered around, looking to see if he could spot her anywhere. Meanwhile, Hannan figured she needed to get out of there, unable to keep up with his presence. She stepped back and turned away from them when the three of them got engaged in discussion. 

"Where is my daughter going in this darkness?" Inna asked, concerned. Hannan stopped without turning around.

"I'm coming, Inna, I want to make a call." She replied

"Be careful, don't go far." The grandmother called after her and with that, she picked up her pace. Zayn saw her going toward the backyard. Something wasn't right with her, he knew. 

Ahmad looked at Zayn when he took his grandmother's delicate hand and slipped the device in her palm."And Inna I would not be happy if anything happened to you. So please don't forget this next time." He reminded her and plastered a smile on his face.

"I won't, only if you remind me often. You know I'm old and quite forgetful nowadays. Isn't that right?" She turned to his friend for support. Ahmad smiled at the old woman, nodding in response.

Inna had come to collect her inhaler and was now going back to the house to join the other women. She was accompanied by Ahmad.

Behind the house, Hannan leaned against the wall after she had called Imran's number. The line was dead. She decided to call him again. This time, to confirm if he had blocked her number. She had her thumb over the screen and just as she was about to tap it, she heard a thick tenor voice and her hands went still.

"What are you doing here, alone?" Zayn stood in front of her. She was startled when he came into view. It took her a moment to compose herself.

"Oh, it's you," She managed to say, wondering when she would get used to his presence. His quiet footsteps didn't help either. Zayn stepped even closer and looked down at her.

"What happened back there?" Zayn didn't like to beat about the bush when it came to matters like this. So, he came straight to the point."Did you two have a misunderstanding?"

She refused to meet his eyes, aware of his towering height next to her. Her heart almost exploded, just at his mere closeness to her. She was surprised that he knew. But she didn't want to tell him what happened. What would he think of her if he learned what had led to the dispute?

"Hanamy, look at me." He wanted her to speak up and stop acting shy. He knew that they weren't supposed to be seen together in a lonely corner like this one, plus it was getting dark but he badly wanted to know if she was in any form of trouble with his cousin. That was why he came after her.

"You have to speak up if someone is bullying you. I'm here, you can talk to me." Hearing those words, Hannan didn't know when she looked up at him. Though he spoke with respect and sincerity, there was an edge of protectiveness to his tone which stirred something deep inside of her that she couldn't quite explain.

Zayn stared back at her as she held his gaze. It was also his first time, looking at her with a different intention. While he waited for her to speak, he had to constantly remind himself that both their lives were in grave danger and one needed the other to stay alive. He would be her shield. 

When her senses suddenly kicked in, she looked away realizing what she had been doing—admiring him. He was still a non-mahram and she was not allowed to stare at him like that.

"It was just a simple misunderstanding." She finally admitted, keeping her head down. She didn't want to lie to him, yet she didn't intend to tell him what actually happened. "But it's nothing I can't handle alone." She quietly added believing it would keep him from asking further questions. Hannan didn't want Zayn to think they weren't married yet and she was already having trouble with someone from his family. 

"Is that why you are standing here, alone?" Zayn believed she hadn't answered his question.

"I wanted to call someone."She said under her breath, making Zayn raise a quizzical eyebrow. He could sense she was unsettled, probably disturbed by his presence.

"Oh, I hope I didn't disturb you?" He asked flatly. 

"No, I was only trying to..." She trailed. "No, not all." She didn't want to tell him she wanted to call his brother.

"Alright then," he nodded and stepped back a little, seeming as if he was going to leave there any minute. But Hannan didn't want him to leave. She was starting to get used to his presence. She was also attracted to his scent which made her inside warm. These feelings were strange to her and she wondered if he felt the same way about her.

"Can you step out of there?" Zayn made a swift gesture with his hand. He wanted her to leave that corner and come to where he could see her. It was dark and unsafe. What if a snake or a scorpion was hiding there, waiting to sting her?

Hannan came out of the shadow and followed him toward the front yard where streetlights were planted at intervals. As they stepped into the light spot, Zayn looked back at her, his eyes scanning her and noticing everything that should be noticed, including her nervous behaviour around him. In his eyes, she seemed to be a different person.

There was a moment of silence in which Hannan cursed herself for being unable to come up with something to say. She then realized she had to thank him for the gift he got her and before she could, he beat her to it.

"Congratulations to us, on our engagement," He spoke first and she felt like melting there. The butterflies in her stomach gave up on her and she held onto her clothes to hide her abashment. This was new to her, she had never been in such a position before. Lucky for her, no one else was there to witness what awful state she was in.

"Alhamdulillah, everything went fine." She managed to utter. She hoped he hadn't noticed her embarrassment as she traced her fingers along the embroidered edges of her Alkyabba.

"We will not get married right away, we haven't fixed the wedding date yet. I'm sure you know that."Zayn whispered, walking toward his car and aware that she was right beside him, close enough for him to hear her footsteps.

"Hmm, did you say something?" Her words were brief which made him stop. It was unlikely she didn't hear him. Now he had to explain himself to her.

He turned and then began, "I'm giving you the chance to pick our wedding date since you didn't get to pick that of the engagement yourself." 

Hannan stopped to steal a glance at him. She was both impressed and astonished by his suggestion. And also she was grateful that he was considerate of her emotions, after the turmoil she had been through last time. She had complained bitterly to Teslim and her mother for making decisions on her behalf.

"Hope you are okay with my suggestion." Zayn inquired, seeing that she didn't respond.

"Yes, it's okay," she nodded, encouraging him to go on.

"I want everything regarding our marriage to take place as soon as possible. Please let me know when you have chosen a date."Hannan couldn't believe her ears. It was as if they were bargaining. The way he was being polite to her, made her want to believe she had been wrong about him all this while. For the right reasons, she was glad that she didn't reject him.

And now thinking about what Yasmeen had said, made her feel bad for what she had caused. She really wished it was not as serious as she made it seem to her. She thought she had gotten over this phase; On the one hand, she was feeling positive about her future with Zayn, and on the other hand, she was very concerned about Imran. What would the future of her marriage look like if she was torn between these two brothers?

Zayn stared at her, waiting for her response but it seemed to him like Hannan's mind was someplace else.

★★★★★

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