I know I've been posting between long time intervals, and now that I think about it, I believe it would have been better if I had finished writing before I started posting. I'm extremely sorry for being gone for so long, but summer's just around the corner so I'll finish the story then. For now, a lot of you have forgotten some of the characters, so this post is dedicated to reminding you who's who :)
Asma:
Main character, married to 3bdulla, lost a child during an accident, a college senior majoring in engineering, about to move to Abu Dhabi to start a new life there
3bdulla:
Asma's husband, has history with Nada, dislikes Rashid, studied at New York University, about to move to Abu Dhabi with his wife
Sul6an:
Asma's bigger brother, was temporarily engaged to Alia in secret, has a thing with Nouf sometimes
Rashid:
Sul6an's best friend, Asma's ex-fiance
Sara:
3bdulla's sister, doesn't appear much in the story
Alia:
Had a thing with Sul6an and is his ex-fiance, daughter of Ahmad, independent but pretty much alone, likes getting her way and is manipulative
Ahmad:
Rival of Asma's father, conspired against Asma and arranged his daughter Alia's engagement to Sul6an, is dead at this point in the story
Nada:
Asma's frenemy from the past, had history with 3bdulla
Nouf:
Asma's best friend, has feelings for Sul6an but never admits it, enjoys scheming every now and then
3wash:
Asma and Sul6an's sister, used to bother Asma a lot but backed off later in the story and wasn't mentioned much, has a hate-love relationship with her brother and usually argues with him
Maryam:
A recent character introduced, had history with Rashid
Lovestruck in Dubai ♥
Step into the fantasy...
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Beneath Guarded Hearts - 94
Previously…
Sul6an
I raised a brow at him, questioning why he
didn’t follow my direct orders. I looked back at her, her eyes fixed on the
floor, and I thought, same old
manipulative Alia. I had to deal with her myself, then.
Me: “Send
her in.”
_________________
Sul6an
I kept my piercing eyes on her as
she entered my office. Waves of anger rippled through me at the sight of her,
and I wanted to kick her out the instant she stepped in. But I had to be
civilized. I wouldn’t stoop down to her level.
Me: “Sho tbain?”
Alia: “Mat3rf etsalim?”
I continued staring at her and she
rolled her eyes at me.
Me: “You’re not in a very good position to be
giving me an attitude.”
Alia: “Sul6an…”
Me: “You can’t call me by my first name.”
Why should I even bother listening
to her? She hadn’t changed one bit.
Alia: “I really need this job…”
Me: “Just get out.”
Alia: “Sul- Argghh bas esma3ny!”
Me: “Why? Why should I even bother? You couldn’t
even hold up to your end of the deal. You can’t even show me a decent measure
of respect. Why should I trust you now?”
Every single word I had kept to
myself came rushing out of my mouth, and before I knew it I was getting a
little too heated about the subject.
Alia: “But if you would just listen…”
Me: “Get out. I have nothing more to hear from
you.”
Alia: “Sul6an! You’re an adult so stop letting
your emotions control you and listen to me! You know damn well that I can do
this job properly. Please… I need it…”
I decided to turn the tables around.
Me: “Why do you need it so badly?”
Alia: “I’d
prefer not to disclose that information.”
Me: “If I’m going to hire you, I need to know
everything.”
Alia: “Uff! The reason is because my- Oh who am I kidding?
You’re not going to hire me. 5ala9 just forget it.”
She frowned in defeat and seemed to
be deep in thought as she turned around to leave my office. I instinctively
stopped her.
Me: “Alia.”
She turned around, her eyes
appearing to be inattentive.
Me: “Just sit down and tell me.”
I immediately regretted the soft
tone in my voice, but she seemed to welcome it and took it as a sign. She sat
on the chair in front of me and looked me straight in the eye, the same
fearless expression she used to give me when I was still secretly, more or
less, engaged to her.
Alia: “My father passed away. I have no one left.
I need to take care of myself, and I can’t do that if I don’t have a job.”
She said all this in a
matter-of-factly tone, as if she were repeating the morning’s news headlines.
My heart lurched and I felt an involuntary need to help her. But none of this
showed as I continued to look at her, my face devoid of expression.
Alia: “I need this.”
As I looked at her determination, I
admired her strong and unbroken spirit. She was a realist to the core and
that’s what helped her cope with her situation. She accepted it.
Me: “Ashoofch et7ajabty.”
I couldn’t help but remark on the
obvious transition. Did her father’s death in some way change her for the
better? I shook my head, not believing my own thoughts. She couldn’t change.
Her behavior today proved it.
Alia: “Sul6an. Yes or no?”
I sighed, knowing I would regret my
decision.
Me: “You can start next Sunday.”
***
I wiped my forehead and massaged my
tensed temples. The meeting had lasted longer than I had expected and I was
starved. I headed to the nearest café next to our new location in Abu Dhabi, finally
rid of the day’s business errands. Just one last brief meeting was in need and
we would be ready to start relocating. We should be settled in in the next
couple of months if everything goes as planned. Just as I was about to call
Rashid and see where he was, I received a startling text from him.
From: Rashood (Mobile)
Maryam
never got married
Rashid
I sipped my coffee as I walked
towards Reel Cinemas in Dubai Mall, wondering if there was anything worth
watching. Sul6an and I’s mutual friend, Ahmad, was in the area and told me that
he was free if I had some spare time to kill. Just as I approached Sega
Republic on my left, I stopped midway and could only hear the hard beats of the
pulse behind the curve of my ear. Maryam.
It was she, in flesh and body. I hadn’t seen her in so many years that I almost
forgot how mesmerizing she was. I saw her emerge with a small hand clasping her
extravagant abaya, walking right next to her. Even though he had grown
tremendously, I recognized her little nephew, Salim. Why today of all days? I
sidetracked to one of the shop booths in the middle of the walkway and turned
my back slightly towards her, trying not to be noticed. My ears were wide open.
They were close enough for me to pick up their conversation.
Maryam: “Yalla saloomy, we have to leave! Your mom
is going to kill me if I don’t take you home soon.”
Salim: “Bas 5alo mawyaam… maba arawi7!”
Maryam: “Aaih latsameeni 5alo, ana mb 3yooz! Hahaha,
did you have fun?”
Salim: “Haih! Yeebeny hnee mawa thaneya!”
Maryam: “Inshalla yom 3ndy wagt bayeebk, deal?”
Salim: “Okay deal! La tinsain you pwomised, you
can’t bweak youw pwomise now!”
Maryam: “Hahaha inshalla 7abeeby!”
She bent down slightly and kissed
his chubby cheeks. He instinctively rubbed his cheek with his hand, as if
despising her kisses, but he smiled bashfully nonetheless. I felt so jealous of
that little boy. He was lucky he had such an amazing woman as an aunt. She
tugged him along with her and started to walk away, but I caught the last
question before their voices drifted off into the noise of the crowd.
Salim: “Mawyam, mta batizzawijaain?”
To be continued…
Friday, February 1, 2013
Beneath Guarded Hearts - 93
Previously…
His game finished sooner than I had
anticipated. I put on a composed expression as he walked towards me and climbed
over the bed. He held my face and wiped my dampened cheeks gently, and I could
see a hidden grin on his face as he clasped his lips tightly together. I sat
very still as I enjoyed the simple but loving caress.
3bdulla: “We need to talk, you know…”
Me: “Yeah,
I know.”
___________________
Asma
I always hated confrontations.
3bdulla:
“Asma… the way you acted was wrong. A
wife should be supportive of her husband.”
Support? That’s what he’s upset
about? I stared at him dazedly without a word.
3bdulla:
“And you acted like an immature teenager and
you made it all about yourself.”
I clenched my fists. Now he was
putting the whole blame on me?
Me: “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
He widened his eyes in surprise. I
kept my fists clenched and bit my lip. I didn’t want to make it any worse.
3bdulla:
“You’re not sorry.”
He reached for my hidden knuckles
under the blanket and brought them to the surface. He unclenched my hands and
held them closely within his grasp.
3bdulla:
“I’m listening. Please talk to me.”
I took in a deep breath. I had to
force myself to voice my jumbling thoughts.
Me: “3bdulla…”
But I couldn’t.
Immature
teenager… all about yourself… way you acted was wrong…
What about what he did?
Me: “I said I was sorry.
Am I already a terrible wife to him? Did I not
have the right to be angry?
3bdulla:
“I don’t want a meaningless apology.
Asma, just talk to me…”
I looked away, dropping my gaze.
Me: “A marriage is supposed to be about
compromise, respect and understanding. I’m not the only one at fault here.”
3bdulla:
“I know.”
I looked up at him and met a smiling
face.
Asma: “Then why are you putting the whole blame on
me?”
I was surprised at how calm I was. I tried to
keep a straight face to avoid bursting into tears in front of him. I didn’t
want to give him more reason to think that I was a childish girl who couldn’t
handle situations in a mature manner.
3bdulla:
“I don’t blame you. I’m only trying to
push you to communicate. I need you to trust that you can talk to me.”
I remained silent and bit my teeth
hard. My jawline tensed and I could feel myself starting to shiver.
Me: “Mhmm… I just want us to make decisions
together. I want you to see me as your equal, not more, not less. That’s all I
want.”
3bdulla:
“Okay then, it’s settled. I won’t do it
again.”
He cupped my right cheek with his
left hand and kissed my forehead.
Me: “Just like that?”
3bdulla:
“We’re both adults Asma. I think we can
both resolve a problem rationally, don’t you agree?”
I nodded, feeling ashamed.
Me: “I’m sorry I wasn’t supportive of you.”
3bdulla:
“It’s okay 7bibty. Now what do you want
to do about bu’6abi?”
Me: “It’s okay, we’ll move there if that’s what
you want.”
3bdulla:
“Are you sure?”
I think I decided that I wanted to
move there with him before we even had this conversation. I smiled then and
hugged him.
Me: “Yeah, I’m sure! I’ll be done with uni by
then anyway.”
3bdulla:
“Inzain. I picked out an apartment, just
like you told me… the location is an hour closer to Dubai though, so I thought
that would make it a little easier for you. But if you don’t like it, we can always
look for someplace else.”
Me: “No, it sounds great! Can you take me to see
it next weekend?”
3bdulla:
“Of course.”
Me: “Okay then! Yalla I have to sleep, I have to
wake up early bacher-”
He suddenly put both his arms around
me and dragged me down with him as his head settled on the pillows.
3bdulla:
“You really didn’t think you could just have
a fight with me and get away with it, did you?”
He grinned arrogantly and reached
over and kissed my jaw. I felt shivers crawl up my spine and brushed my lips
over his, missing the fervor of his dominating mouth. I felt at peace, knowing
that I had the most amazing person by my side.
Sul6an
I looked straight past my computer
screen at work as my new assistant walked in. I had told my trustee, Omar, to
find me someone new who was capable of handling pressure and I didn’t list any
other specifications. No bias with their gender, experience, age or past. I
just wanted anyone who could meet up to my expectations. Anyone except her, of
course.
Me: “OMAR!”
She jumped in shock the instant she
heard my voice. She stood very still, a frozen statue hoping to be overlooked.
Omar came rushing in.
Omar: “HA SHO ESTWA?”
I gave him a few seconds to recover
his breath before I spoke again.
Me: “Close the door behind you.”
I purposefully glanced right into
her eyes as I said the last word, making sure she knew that she had caught my
attention. She shrunk back and bit her lip, agitated.
Omar: “What happened?”
Me: “OF ALL PEOPLE, you couldn’t find anyone but
her?!”
Omar: “Umm… whom are we talking about exactly?”
Me: “My new assistant!”
Omar: “Oh! You mean Ms. Alia?”
I grit my teeth with loathing as he said her
name, waiting for him to explain himself.
Omar: “Oh, well… umm… you see, you said… umm… you
said you didn’t care about personal details as long as they met up to the
standards you gave me…”
Me: “So you assumed that just because I didn’t
openly state it, I would take in a slut as my assistant?”
He widened his eyes in shock.
Omar: “Umm… Sul6an… She’s a really good-”
Me: “There’s nothing good about that person
standing outside. Please show her to the door.”
I turned to my computer and shifted my focus
back to work, automatically and silently dismissing him. Just as he turned his
back and walked out of my office, heading towards her, I briefly looked up and
caught her miserable expression. She looked like she was pleading Omar and for
one brief second, my heart gave a hard kick out of nowhere. I frowned
reflexively when I saw Omar rush back in, Alia’s feet still glued to the same
place.
Omar: “Um, Sul6an… tba etramisk…”
I raised a brow at him, questioning
why he didn’t follow my direct orders. I looked back at her, her eyes fixed on
the floor, and I thought, same old
manipulative Alia. I had to deal with her myself, then.
Me: “Send her in.”
To be continued…
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Beneath Guarded Hearts - 92
Previously…
Asma
I
would never shame my 3bdulla or give cause to think that he’s given me a reason
not to trust him. I love him. Maybe this was just one last sacrifice I had to
make in order to be happy with him. But then again, how could he be so selfish?
_________________
3bdulla
Me: “Great,
I’m definitely interested in this one! I’ll give you call and confirm my final
decision. Thank you.”
I
made my way out of the spacious apartment and headed towards my car. I was very
happy with this apartment because it was better for Asma. Its location may be a
little far from my workplace but its much closer to Dubai. That way Asma won’t
have to drive an extra hour. It wasn’t much but it was the best I could think
of. I knew she was upset and I was startled by her unexpected reaction, but I
really wish she had been here with me today. We were supposed to do this together. Why couldn’t she be more
supportive of me? The only reason I worked so hard to get the job was so that I
could support her and, inshalla in the future, our family. I have to be
responsible and she has to be considerate of that. Maybe 3wash can talk some
sense into her. Her recommendation of me helped a lot when I applied for the
job and she understood why I wanted to guarantee that I would get it. Yes, I’ll
text her and see if she can talk to Asma.
To:
3wash (Mobile)
Hi 3wash, Asma’s upset about the new
job you helped me with. She doesn’t understand why I need it so can you please
talk to her?
From:
3wash (Mobile)
Seriously? You’re an adult now, deal
with your own problems! Ana may5e9ny fel salfa :)
I
frowned and deleted the message, wondering how to fix this issue. In a way she
was right, but I won’t admit I was wrong for not telling Asma about it because
she should have been supportive either way. I started the engine and thought of
a way to discuss this with her without angering her yet without apologizing. I
won’t apologize just to please her; she needs to know that she was also wrong.
Asma
Was
I overdramatic? I wanted to call Noufyy and confess everything to her. I wanted
to get her advice but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Discussing personal
matters between 3bady and I with others felt wrong, somewhat like a betrayal of
trust. I continued walking in the mamsha, this time picking up my pace as I
thought everything through. I was a young adult and I had to deal with this
rationally and responsibly. Maybe I let my anger get to me, maybe-
“OMG
ASMAA!”
I
stopped mid-thought and looked up, wondering who was at the mamsha at this
hour. People usually went after Maghreb prayer, so I intentionally go after
Isha prayer 3shan a5ith ra7ty. I mentally groaned as I saw who was coming
towards me. She was none other than the famous Nada, my best friend from my old
secondary school. A pool of memories swarmed through me as I remembered
everything I had gone through with her and smiled. I was glad that we weren’t
friends anymore and had gone our separate ways. I still cared about her for
reasons even I didn’t know myself, still found myself including her in my
prayers every now and then. I guess I just always wanted the best for her and
still haven’t seen it happen. Maybe I don’t know what’s best for her but I
certainly know that our friendship was a disaster. Sometimes, pairing opposites
together doesn’t make them appreciate each other’s differences; it makes their
differences a barrier. That was something I didn’t understand back then and I
had tried to influence her countless times to be a better person. I realized
too late, after I had been lied to and put through hell, that she didn’t want to change and nothing I could do
would make a difference. So, after she admitted who she really was to me, I
accepted her wholeheartedly but I never trusted her again, not after everything
she put me through. She wasn’t the person I thought she was and that was okay.
We were just different.
Me: “Nada!
Ahlaaain sh7alch?”
As
she stepped closer, I saw her wearing a snuggly tight tracksuit and an iPod and
phone in hand, one earplug lazily swinging down as she removed it from her ear.
She smiled at me warmly. Her appearance hadn’t changed much.
Nada: “Zaainh al7emdilla! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
I
hugged her tightly and said that I missed her, and I realized that it was the
truth. I had missed her. All things
aside, we used to have lots of fun together.
Me: “How’s
your family doing? Which college are you in a7eena?”
Nada: “My brother recently went abroad to finish his studies and everyone’s
well al7emdilla. I'm currently in Zayed University studying Visual Arts.”
We
both smiled at that and I was genuinely happy for her because I knew that we
both wanted to study art in college. I may have decided to take it as a minor
course but still, I was glad to see that we were both doing what we enjoyed.
Me: “I
think that’s really great nadooy, I really do. So how are you putting up with
your last year?”
Nada: “It’s going really well and I’m going to miss all of my friends, but
they’re putting a lot of pressure on the seniors so it’s been a little
stressful. How about you? Where are you studying?”
Me:
“I’m in AUS and I’m studying
Mechanical Engineering. The last year has been really tough so I barely have
time to go out. But I really enjoy it and I can’t wait to start working!”
Nada: “Wow, Mechanical Engineering? Isn’t that a guy’s major?”
And
there we go again. I’ve heard that notion more times than I could even count and
from almost everyone. Truth be told, I didn’t care. I wanted to do this and I didn’t let anyone discourage me.
We
continued walking together in the mamsha as I explained to her the passion
behind my academic choice, and she nodded in understanding. I opened up a few
more subjects and then bid her goodbye as I continued in a faster pace. She
matured and changed a lot since I last saw her and I was glad for that. However,
I was happy that she didn’t ask about 3bdulla. I think I would have fumed with
anger because I knew that there was “history” between them and I didn’t like to
be reminded of it. It was a long time ago so I shrugged it off and trailed back
to my train of thought of how to handle my current issue. We needed to talk it
through and I think we both knew that.
In
a way, I was happy that I saw Nada tonight because it made me realize that it
wasn’t like me to react the way I did with 3bdulla. I shouldn’t have been
defensive and I usually am not like that. I stretched a grin as I remembered
what I used to tell myself when I was dealing with Nada’s dramas. People come into your life for a reason and
they leave for a reason. Perhaps Nada served as a reminder of the lessons
I’ve learned. I had simply forgotten until her presence reminded me of them.
***
I
relished the calm sensation I always felt whenever I took a hot shower, and I
stayed under the running water a couple of extra minutes before I stepped out.
I slipped into one my favorite pajamas – an exclusive one manufactured by
Marvel with all of their comic heroes printed on it – rolled the towel around
my head and put on my robe. I avoided 3bdulla when I came back from the mamsha
and ran straight to the shower, trying with a failed attempt to calm the
butterflies in my stomach. I always hated confrontations and was terrible at
them, hence the reason behind my anxiety. I emerged from the bathroom and
walked silently towards the living room where I heard a muffled noise. Just as
I stepped in I saw that 3bdulla was watching a game. There was no point in talking
to him now. He would just become annoyed and would tell me to stop bothering
him. I knew how guys were with football. I sighed as I glanced at his fixed
gaze on the TV and turned to walk away.
3bdulla: “Asma.”
I
stopped and turned around, astonished that he had even noticed my presence.
Me: “Hmm?”
3bdulla: “Bi’3aity shay?”
Me: “3ady
it can wait. Continue your game, I wouldn’t want you to miss anything.”
I
smiled and left the room still smiling. I realized then how much I missed him,
his teasing me and playing with my hair. We had been formal with each other for
days now and I could bear it no longer. I wanted to cuddle with him at night,
not stay on our separate ends of the bed. I opened my hair and let it air dry
as I grabbed my book and slipped into bed, waiting for his game to finish.
Tonight we were going to fix things and I was anxious for the worst to be done
with and excited for things to go back to the way they should be. I turned the
page over and got engrossed into my book.
“No!” he whispered, and then his
voice rose to a tormented shout. “No, damn you! Don’t tell me that–!”
“Jason–“
“Don’t you dare tell me that!” he
shouted in agony.
Mike Farrell spoke, but he turned his
head away from the unbearable torment on the other man’s ravaged face. “Her
horse threw her off the bridge into the river, about four miles from here.
O’Malley went in after her, but he couldn’t find her. He–“
“Get out,” Jason whispered
“I’m sorry, Jason. Sorrier than I
can say.”
“Get out!”
When Mike Farrell left, Jason
stretched his hand toward Victoria’s cloak, his fingers slowly closing on the
wet wool, pulling it toward him. The muscles at the base of his throat worked
convulsively as he brought the sodden cloak to his chest, stroking it lovingly
with his hand, and then he buried his face in it, rubbing it against his cheek.
Waves of agonizing pain exploded through his entire being, and the tears he had
thought he was incapable of shedding fell from his eyes. “No,” he sobbed in
demented anguish. And then he screamed it.
Me: “But
she’s alive, she hasn’t died!”
I
muffled a whimpered whisper under my breath as I turned the page over, tears falling
from my eyes. Just as I was about to start the next chapter, I heard a soft noise
coming from the door. I looked up and saw 3bdulla leaning against one of the
columns, watching me intently. I quickly wiped the few tears I had shed and
closed the book, feeling extremely vulnerable. When he didn’t say anything, I
laughed at myself and said, “stupid
book…” in an attempt to conceal my embarrassment. This was the first time he saw me getting emotional over a
fictional story. I hadn’t wanted him to know about this part of me, at least
not until later perhaps. His game finished sooner than I had anticipated. I put
on a composed expression as he walked towards me and climbed over the bed. He
held my face and wiped my dampened cheeks gently, and I could see a hidden grin
on his face as he clasped his lips tightly together. I sat very still as I
enjoyed the simple but loving caress.
3bdulla: “We need to talk, you know…”
Me: “Yeah,
I know.”
To
be continued…
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