Aariz rests his head on the cold window resting his eyes. It's 2 in the morning. The roads are empty with the bustling crowd tucked away in their beds. Harun is leaning against him sitting in the middle. His mouth is wide open as he snores. Nuha on the other hand is busy chewing her lips lost in her thoughts. This silence after an eventful day is calming. He almost drifts into a deep slumber when a speed breaker makes his head hit the glass window.

"Ow.", he winces.

"How was the event?", Mr. Hafeez finally asks as they hit the highway to reach home faster.

"It was good I guess.", Aariz replies slowly contemplating whether he should tell his parents about her or not. But if he tells them will they understand instead of shooting him dead? I guess they will. Love isn't a crime. Or is it? Or is it too early? But love has no age. And if he tells them and they ask for her hand in marriage will they get married this summer? Or at least the engagement in the following week? Although he can't picture her in a bridal dress, he feels it's worth risking everything.

He clears his throat, "Also, I want to talk to you about something very important. Now is not the right time since everyone is tired. Maybe at breakfast?"

Mrs. and Mr. Hafeez glance at each other. Nuha is still unfazed by his statement. None of them speak a word after that. While Mr. Hafeez parkes the car in the basement of the building Aariz carries sleeping Harun to the apartment. By the time he hits the bed, it's already three. The sleep engulfs him in the darkness as he stares at the ceiling with his hands around his heart feeling the pulsating skin on the left side of his chest. The apex of his heart.

At the breakfast when he finally announces that they both like each other Nuha chokes on her bread and stands up, "I knew it!", she jumps excitedly, "These two were acting so suss yesterday! Gosh! I should've seen this coming!"

Mr. and Mrs. Hafeez's jaws drop in surprise. They slowly turn to him, their eyes asking a million questions. What? When? Where? How? Impossible. These two are mortal enemies.

"Weren't they the mortal enemies who swore on their blood to never spare each other if they ever crossed each other's path?", Mr. Hafeez whispers in his wife's ears.

"Oh come on! Shut up! We're getting smart grandchildren. Isn't this enough for you?", his Ammi swats his dad on his hand on the table.

They both turn to him, "Do you want us to ask for her hand in marriage?"

Aariz grins slowly sitting down, "maybe...", he looks away trying to hide the blood flushing in his cheeks.

When around 12 Selena is done with her online lectures for Friday she gets up to have a good half an hour break but her mom's ringing phone in another room seizes her attention. She picks it up. Her dad informs them they should be expecting Mr. Hafeez's family to arrive after Asr. She rolls her eyes.

"Again?", she hisses on the phone trying to bite his laughter. He can't stay away from her. Can he?, "We'll order something. No need to burden mom. It's exhausting.", she adds knowing this news is going to piss her mom off.

However, when she breaks the news to her mom instead of being mortified by them coming to her place again she orders everyone to start cleaning and to get the decent clothes out today.

"It's Friday. I don't want anyone in theley jasai kapray.", she has always complained about Selena's choice of streetwear.

When around maghrib the bell rings Selena and Amelia are adding a finishing touch to their looks. Selena showers herself in Elizabeth Arden while Amelia adds two puffs of citrus trails of CK, the One. Saad who is busy emptying the other CK perfume, Be in his armpits ignores the ringing bell. When the bell rings again their mom screams from the kitchen. The three of them slam the perfume bottles on the dressing table and run for the door. Saad, being the tallest and the bulkiest, easily hurls both of his sisters to his sides and opens the door.

Mr. Hafeez's family standing in the doorway gives Friday vibes as all of them are dressed traditionally. Nuha winks at Selena when she shakes her hand while Mrs. Hafeez hugs her a little too long that she squirms feeling anxious. The father and the sons vibing in the black kameez shalwar. Why do guys look always looks a blazing ball of fire in black? Selena wonders as her eyes scan Aariz from top to bottom.

Knowing being scanned, Aariz looks away trying to avoid his family catching up on the eye game they always play. A single glance at her red kameez shalwar with golden threads embroidery makes him wonder whether she was emotionally manipulated to wear this because he can see her struggling to carry her dupatta around with her hijab wrapped around her head. Frustrated by the moping dupatta on the floor she just removes it leaving it on the chair on the dining table. Hijab is hijab. She doesn't need a dupatta.

After the dinner when she is done with the dishes and is too exhausted by the entirety of the day she had been working she resorts to her room to sit in peace away from everyone. She searches for Amelia but she isn't there. Neither can she find Nuha, Saa,d, and Harun. She shrugs, giving upon everyone,e and is ready to collapse her aching back into the comfortable cozy sofa to curl up like a cat and fall asleep when she hears a knock on her door.

She silently curses sitting properly, "Come in.", the door slowly opens with Aariz standing in the doorway leaning against it.

"They want to talk.", he points to the other room with his thumb.

"to me?", she asks to which he nods, "not in the mood!", she whines, "I cannot. I cannot. With these people!", she finally stands up. Aariz's smile makes her squirm, Your intentions don't seem virtuous.", she turns her nose and flips her hijab. Her gold thread embroidered red sleeve brushing past him makes his thoughts wander. His head hangs low trying to avoid the thoughts surfacing above his moral control.

His welcoming fragrance musk with abstract smoke of bakhoor makes the butterflies in her stomach flap their wings up to the throat. The urge to stay this close tries creep in her however she kills it before it could make it above everything. Her head bows as she moves out of the room and emerges into another with chin up.

When Mrs. Hafeez asks her to sit down between her and Mr. Hafeez she understands what's going on with the people around her. Their wheels churn to get her tied into wedlock. Mrs. Hafeez places her hands on Selena's.

"I accept you with my open heart, darling. I have always wished for this time to come. Though I didn't see that coming so soon. But it's finally here.", Selena can hear her heart drum in her ears. The ever-rising crescendo.

"We know you both like each other. Selena, there is no shame in it.", her mom adds.

"If they want, we can start with nikkah next week. And reception after they graduate.", her dad comments.

Selena finds herself spiraling down her thoughts. This can't be happening. I don't want this. Not now. Not soon. The cold sweat accumulates in her palms.

Mrs. Hafeez pulls a ring out of a maroon box. The gold glints as she stares at it not knowing how to stop this. Tears swell in her eyes. This is moving too fast. This is not what I want. Stand up. Stand up. Mrs. Hafeez moves her hand towards Selena's left finger.

"I can't.", Selena sniffs as she stands up suddenly. Her announcement silences the entire room, "I can't marry him now.", her angry eyes move towards Aariz who is dumbfounded, "We need to talk.", Selena pulls open the shoe rack and gets her sandals out. She slams the apartment door behind her.

There is stillness in the lift as they both stand away from each other comprehending what just happened is interrupted by the ding of the lift as it stops on the 3rd floor. A person walks in with a child in his arms. When they make it out, the building into the parking lot behind Selena burst into fury.

"What the fuck did you just do there!", she wipes her tears.

"W-what do you mean?", Aariz hisses, "We like each other, that means the next step is marriage. Don't you want it official? Or do you wanna play it haram?"

"I don't want to play anything!", she sighs and turns away from him. She turns around and walks up to him, "What do you think? Hmm... This. This." she points between them, "This can carry us far? No! This can't.", she wipes her tears off her face but when she sees his eyes brimmed with tears part of her crumbles.

"Why are you being so harsh! Why are you always like this? We love each other!", Aariz clenches his jaw and hisses, moving away from her.

"Love is not enough! It never is! Compatibility. We are not compatible with each other. Will you be able to live with a woman who prefers spending nights at the hospital in the ER drenched in people's fluids while you sleep alone in the bed.", she lifts her hand in the air extending to grab him by his hand and hold him closer but she doesn't. She walks up to him scanning his silently face hanging low. The tears drip from the eyes falling on the asphalt beneath them. The next rolling tear falls in her extended hand. He stares at the fallen tear in her hand before he looks up into her eyes. She wipes her hand on her side searching his eyes for the answers. He looks away with the tears still rolling down his face.

"With a woman who doesn't want to give you a child!", she bawls wiping her tears, "Don't do this to yourself. You don't deserve this mess. Break my heart, Aariz Hafeez. Leave me be. I'll heal in no time.", she lifts her chin up trying to gain as much courage and confidence she can but her lips still quiver, "I have always healed.", she whispers.

Aariz wants to wrap his hands around her and hold her till she realizes what she calls a mess is a masterpiece for him but he doesn't. He just blinks in disbelief with his heart bleeding ripped open by her words.

"If I am to wait, I'll wait for you till the end of this world.", he whispers holding her gaze, "And let's get back together when you realize I don't want you just as a prized doctor's wife but as a person whom I run into, at a hospital, the person who although might not wake up with me in the morning but announce her presence around me by her scarfs in my wardrobe, by her novels in my shelves and her doodles on the USMLE books we both share."

His trembling hands wipe his tears off his face but it doesn't matter because he is not the only one crying, "You are the right man for me.", she whispers, "I just hope...", she blinks her eyes looking up at the sky and sniffs, "... the timing wasn't wrong."

"And you are my destruction. You break me down till I built myself again into a better person, Selena Asad."

The silence wraps its wings around them. Selena can feel the ocean of uncertainty that kept her afloat is now washing her on the shore of stability.

"Let's meet again after we graduate and fall in love with each other once again. But know that my dreams of becoming a doctor will never exclude you out of my life.", Aariz wants to interlace his fingers with her the way they held hands the night a random guy offered her a drink. She recalls the squeeze of his warm hands that night which calms her throbbing head. He sniffs and looks away.

"Let's stay in touch with each other this time.", Selena answers.

"I am not leaving till next week. Let me cook dinner for you. Next Friday, my place.", Selena smiles staring at his hands.

"Don't expect me to cook for you.", she laughs, "I can't.", she looks up trying her best to etch his face in her head.

"Don't worry. No one wants to eat any of your burnt food but you can treat me with your complimentary chai.", he winks and turns around, "You want to come home or you wanna stay here a bit more.", the play of eyes warms her icy fingertips with redness creeping in her cheeks.

"Can you handle the mess I made up there?", she sighs, "I need some more time alone.", Selena rubs her temples as she stares at Aariz's shadow leaving the parking lot and emerging into the lights of the building. She smiles to herself admitting how much she loves him yet the timing isn't in their favor.

Love has to wait a little longer.

---

Hey, peeps!
How's life?

This chapter is one of my favorites.

Also...
Who else is reading Lore Olympus?