Beneath Guarded Hearts - 43

Previously…

Asma

Rashid: “I understand Asma. Ma atwa8a3ch tinsain 3anh, but I only ask you to try to let go as time passes. And maybe make just a little room for me. Because, Asma, you’re going to be my wife. And I want your heart to respond only to me. I can’t have your desire belong to someone else. I’ll wait Asma, I’ll be patient, but I can’t wait forever.”

I sighed.

Me: “I know…”

I cuddled into his arms and let his warmth surround me as I sat in silence. One never knew what to expect with Rashid, so I wasn’t surprised that I felt a little anxious about what was in being held in store for me. I pushed my doubts away, and I gave him my complete trust. He deserved at least that after everything I put him through. Now all I had to do was wait…

_______________

Asma

            Being a light sleeper, I felt a body shift beneath me as the car started to slow down. I looked up at Rashid with hazy eyes, awakening from my little nap.

Me: “Rashid? Where am I…”

            He gave me a light smile that I didn’t quite see as I rubbed my eyes, sitting up.

Rashid: “How I loved watching you sleep…”

            A blush spilled on my cheeks as the events of this night slowly replayed in my head.

Me: “Oh 3an el s5af- Are we here?”

            The last phrase was said with unmistaken delight. I loved surprises ^^ He smiled at my obvious excitement, and I remembered that he wasn’t used to me. And I remembered how well 3bdulla knew me in contrast to Rashid’s surprised interest at every little piece he saw of me for the first time since I’ve allowed him.

            I pushed 3bdulla away from my thoughts.

            ‘He walked away Asma. He left you…’ I told myself. I forced a smile on my lips, and I remembered the surprise.

            I looked up at 3bdulla and gasped as I saw his eyes studying me intently.

Me: “Sho?”

Rashid: “Tawch knty tfakreen feeh, 9a7?”

Me: “Huh?”

            He looked at me with patient eyes.

Rashid: “3bdulla…”

Me: “Ummm Laa2 of course not, laish bafaker feeh I’m with you.”

            I don’t know why I decided to lie. I felt that thinking of 3bdulla was a bigger sort of betrayal to him than lying. But still, it was weird. It wasn’t like me to lie. He sighed at my reluctance, and he gestured me to step outside.

            Trying to ease the tension and put the subject behind us before he persisted further, I distracted his mind (and mine as well, I might add) by giving him a narrowed look as my confused expression stared at the empty dessert. No wait, we weren’t in the dessert… My eyes enlarged into puppy eyes as I gasped in excitement. My ears registered the sound of waves crashing into the shoreline.

Me: “Oh my God! I haven’t been here in a long time!”

            I literally felt tears sneaking up on me in my excitement and awe.

Me: “But… how did you know?”

            He smiled at me. His smile was mesmerizing.

Rashid: “Inch it7been el ba7ar? Bas 5alna ngool a3rfch more than you think.”

            I smiled at him awkwardly feeling a pang of nervousness as I registered what other things he ‘knew’ about.

            He laughed at my face lightly.

Rashid: “Hhhh laa2 Asma I’m not a stalker! I asked around to decide what to do for your graduation…”

Me: “Laish?”

            He looked down and murmured his answer as he slid one arm behind my back and led the way.

Rashid: “Ya3ni hatha ta5arijch… It had to be special or something…”

            I smiled silently as I saw his effort of trying to make it sound unimportant, almost shrugging in his answer. But oh, we both knew how much it mattered.

            I leaned my head on his shoulder.

Rashid: “Oh w don’t worry, 5athtlch an ‘actual’ hadeya 6ab3an, bas I figured that this was the best place to give it to you.”

Me: “Aww walla makan lazim!”

            I felt myself blush again as my skin fought against the humidity. I felt really bad when people did things for me; I literally do mean it when I say makan lazm :p I liked good company over gifts honestly. But it seemed Rashid was going to give me both.

Rashid: “We’re almost there…”

            I snuggled closer into his grip, and moments later he turned me around to face him.

He took down his 3’i6ra and smiled at me as he folded it into a thick piece of narrow, snow-white fabric. He carefully tied it around my eyes, filling my nose with his male scent. I curled my toes into the sand grains with excitement as he led me with his hand.

Me: “I can’t see…”

Rashid: “Hahaha that’s kind of the point. I won’t let you fall… Trust me…”

            I felt a shiver run down my spine as his words danced into my ears. My toes met a smooth, hard surface as he carefully removed his 3’i6ra off my eyes. As my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I found myself standing in something like a shaft. Fans blew sprinkles of dissolved water droplets to ease the humidity, and there was a dinner table set up. Thick, velvety purple curtains fell down from around us; surrounding the shaft to give us some privacy, except for the one opening that faced the sea.

Rashid: “So you can listen to the waves…”

            He said as he followed my wondering eyes.

Rashid: “So, do you like it?”

            I was beyond words. This was beyond any gift anyone could ever give me. And he was beyond anything I thought he was.

He misunderstood my silence and spoke again.

Rashid: “If you want, 3ndy dinner reservations fel burj… we can go there now and-”

Me: “What? Bas 7awel et6ali3nee mn ehnee!”

            He gave me a lost expression, not knowing what to make of my reaction. Hhhh, ‘guys’ I thought. They can’t read between the lines.

Me: “I love it.”

            He smiled at that, his shoulders relaxing. I went over to him and squeezed his body with a huge hug.

Me: “Thank you…”

            I whispered into his ears.

Rashid: “Knt ba7i6 candles lo ma kan hal gad 7ar fe Dubai…”

            I laughed against his body and looked up at him.

Me: “It’s perfect.”

3bdulla

            I waited rather impatiently in Asma’s house for the ‘couple’ to arrive. Rashid was throwing her a surprise party. And he made his instructions more than clear to everyone. Except for me. He enjoyed torturing me as I felt myself break into pieces at the realization that I couldn’t catch up to Asma. That he took her, and the things that he might do to her… and that I wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it.

Sul6an was an idiot.

I was completely surprised that Sul6an, SUL6AN, of all people, agreed to this. La w to make matters worse, he watched me like a hawk to make sure I wouldn’t slip away and try to do something ‘stupid’ after he told me the news. I felt like choking on my own thoughts.

            Rashid stole my night from her. He stole her attention, her smile, her laugh, and I blindly let him. Asma… If only you knew what I had planned for you tonight… But now you never will.

            I didn’t mean to walk away. I left her with him, even though my conscious screamed at me to take her in my arms and soothe her. Bas 7ilaft 3al Qur2an, jdam Sul6an, iny ma badigha. He made me. It was the only way he would allow me to attend her graduation. To see her. I didn’t trust myself to live up to my promise, with her in tears in front of me. I was so close to being tempted, so close, that I forced myself to take two steps back, and I turned around blocking her from my sight. Before I knew it, my legs had taken my numbed body inside. I just stood there, my eyes frozen into a distant place. After I heard people asking about her, I blinked into consciousness and I left to find her. I was back in control, my expression blank as I approached the parking lot. Only what I saw was Rashid kissing her. Again. My whole composure broke once more, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. And before I knew it, they were gone. Poof. Disappeared. I ran inside to find Sul6an and to my raged annoyance, he calmly told me inh ‘mtfahim weyah’. And soon I learned of this ‘surprise’ party, and I didn’t want to attend. I couldn’t trust myself with Rashid in the same room. But Sul6an made me. Damn him, he made me! I-

            My thoughts were abruptly cut off as I felt the doorknob twitching. My heart skipped a hard beat as I fought to regain my composure, to hide my mixed emotions of misery and rage.

            They were here.

To be continued…