Trust Me (An Islamic Love Story)

Chapter 17

I glance over at Maliha, and so does Mrs. Noor. I can tell Maliha is controlling her anger and her tears. She looks back at me and smiles, but it doesn't look very assuring.

How do I explain to her that she is very lucky to have Ahmed, to have someone willing to marry her because he wants to know her and live his life with her? They don't need these meaningless coincidences occurring between Azar and me. They don't need to prove anything to others.

Azar and I, on the other hand, have to fake everything: smiles, happiness, excitement, and love.

I am helpless. If I tell her the truth, tell her I am trying to pay back her favors, trying to sacrifice for her for once in my life, she will never let me do so. She will not think at all before telling me to say no, and then later, she will regret it. This all will create chaos in her life, and there will be a high chance that Ahmed might reject her, and maybe if he doesn't call off the wedding, he can still use it against her after marriage, God forbid.

Therefore, it is better that I let her feel hurt for a few days now than feel broken and wounded for a long time.

Mrs. Noor pays for the bangles and hands us our boxes. Everyone gathers around us, eager for us to wear the bangles. I look at mine for a second, groaning internally, as I wonder how peculiar it is of Azar to choose, out of all the sets, the ones I chose.

I look at Maliha, and tears are slipping down her cheeks. My heart sinks; I am the reason behind her tears. The guilt overwhelms me, and my eyes fill with tears too.

Everyone around us makes sweet noises like "Aw", mistaking every single tear we both shed for homesickness. Little do they know. How unaware they are. Maliha refuses to look at me and instead goes and hugs Mom, letting everyone live in their own bubbles.

We all have lunch, and even though, Maliha and I sit beside each other, we don't utter a word and treat each other like strangers.

When we are saying our byes, I see Azar and Ahmed standing at the end of the passageway that leads to the door; both of them conversing as they lean on the wall. I can feel Azar's eyes on me, but I don't look up.

Hooriya waves at Bilal, and he does back, beaming at each other. At least someone is happy today.

My thoughts drift away as soon as we get home, and my feelings numb. I head to my room and realize only after I enter that Zaina and Arslan have been staying there.

I see Zaina and Maliha sitting on the bed, and both of them fall silent upon my sight. Maliha's eyes are swollen up, and Zaina just looks outright angry.

I know what they have been talking about: me. With all the courage that is left in me, I decide to let it go and act as if I don't know. "Sorry, I forgot you are staying here," I apologize, embarrassed.

I turn to leave, but stop when Zaina says, "Is that how you get away with everything? A sorry...?"

"I'm afraid I don't exactly understand where this is going," I say, a half-lie.

"How could you be so selfish, Abeer?" Zaina reprimands. "How could you? Maliha did so much for you her whole life. She shared everything with you. She shared her parents, she shared her room, she shared her dreams... she shared her life even though you didn't deserve it."

"Zaina..." Maliha tries to protest.

"Let me speak, Maliha."

I hear Wasim clear his throat behind me. I give him the way and try to go again, but Zaina doesn't let me.

"Abeer, I am talking to you," she harshly stops me. "Even after what happened to you... Didn't you learn a lesson, learn from your mistakes?" I can feel hot tears running down my face.