Beneath Guarded Hearts - 83

Previously…

Asma

He held back a little, his mixture of surprise and guilt too dominate against his desires. I kissed him deeper, made every cold cell in his body warm up to me, to trust me again, and I felt my old husband returning to me; the one who couldn’t lay his hands off of me, who smirked at my anger and teased me, who whispered endearments into my ears and made me feel beautiful in every sense. My 3bdulla came back to me.

___________

Asma

            The familiar scent of the trees of our front yard brought a smile to my lips. It felt good to be home. I was only going to be here for a few more days to satisfy mama’s conscience, then, naturally, I would go back to living with 3bdulla. I was starting my next semester in a week, but I didn’t worry about college too much as I sat outside, indulging in the taste of my iced pinna colada. The sun was close to setting, but it was still glowing beneath a mist of clouds when I heard footsteps drumming against the smooth marble stairs that lead to the house. Without turning my gaze, I smiled, knowing there was only one person who took such long, purposeful strides.

3bdulla: “Asamy! It’s almost sunset!”

            I grinned.

Me: “Right on time. Would you like to join me?”

3bdulla: “No…”

            I felt the air between us disappear, his warmth replacing it as he approached me. I looked up into his mischievous expression, a glossy layer of rich ruby reflecting from the corner of his eye as the sun started to drown into the earth. I grinned again.

Me: “Oh no mister, I know that look. What are you up to?”

3bdulla: “I am going to sweep you off your feet!”

            For a moment, I started to voice my puzzlement, but a bubble of laughter silenced my words as he lifted me up in his arms and glided towards his car.

Me: “Hahaha, 3bdulla, where are we going?!”

3bdulla: “How long has it been since you’ve seen a sunset in…”

             He suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky, a frown creasing into his smooth forehead.

3bdulla: “Mmm, ma banil7ag… And that is why I prepared a Plan B!”

            I smiled in silence, giving up on getting a decent answer out of him, especially when he was this excited about something. I snuggled into his warmth and chuckled.

Me: “Well then, sweep me away!”

            He took me to the rooftop of my house; my eyes were blindfolded at his insistence as he held my waist, guiding me up the stairs. I was starting to get suspicious, but in a good way. For once, though, I didn’t speak, didn’t ask any questions, didn’t even try to peak through my blindfold. For once, I let the mystery and thrill of the unknown take over me, and I felt a peaceful anxiousness as we descended up the last couple of steps. My back still facing him, he encircled his arms around me completely and leaned forward, whispering into my ear.

3bdulla: “We’re here…”

            He let go just for a couple of seconds as he removed the piece of silk wrapped around my head, and my eyes slowly welcomed the dim rays of light as tiny specks of flame flickered from vanilla scented candles. My heart lurched in delight, a sense of unexpected humbleness settling inside, and I leaned into his broad chest as he held me there, waiting for me to take in everything. The dump of a mess I had expected to see had been transformed into a beautiful makeshift of a picnic setting. Thick blankets of different colors brought the floor to life, and a large assortment of pillows of all kinds of sizes complimented them, scattered invitingly across the corners and the center of the floor. My eyes then spotted a bowl of mangoes, a basket of all kinds of chocolate, and a flask filled with flavor-enriched karak that I found awfully familiar.

Me: “Where did you get this?”

            I asked absentmindedly as I reached for the flask, admiring the traditional carvings on them and the hand-painted designs.

Me: “Where have I seen this before…”

3bdulla: “Your Grandmother lent it to me. She said it was your-”

Me: “Grandfather’s favorite…”

            I sensed his smile. I put the flask down and turned towards him, rewarding his little sentiment with a passionate kiss. As I broke the kiss slowly, I smiled and whispered hoarsely under my breath.

Me: “Come, we don’t want to miss the sunset.”

            He eased onto a big set of pillows and let my head rest on his chest, one of his arms lazily enclosing me, the other propped up under his head. I took in the masculine scent of him as I looked into the sky and shuddered as a light breeze teased my skin. He quickly wrapped one of the extra blankets around me and held me closer.

3bdulla: “I know it isn’t much, but-”

Me: “Shhh… don’t ruin the moment. Everything is perfect, just as it should be.”

            After a moment of stillness, a tear slid down my cheek as we both, for the first time, allowed ourselves to silently mourn for our lost daughter.

After 2 days…

Sul6an

            I parked my car in the driveway of our house as darkness filled the sky. Rashood was with me, and we had just come back from Ras al Khaima, a trip that was long overdue and had put off for way too long with the rest of our group of friends. It was nice a nice camping trip, and even though winter still hadn’t completely arrived, it was cool enough that we weren’t feeling suffocated by the adhesive humidity of Dubai’s summers. Travelling during the summer became common in Dubai for a reason.

            I smiled lazily at Rashid as I locked the car, and we headed into my majlis to clean up from the dusty roadtrip. We both took a shower and changed into a clean set of clothes. My mother was very clever with this room when it was in the process of being built. She wanted to make sure my friends felt welcome ad comfortable when they came to visit, and sometimes even sleep over, so she had made sure there were two bathrooms with showers, a huge fridge that was always filled with food, a dining table, and the list goes on. I don’t think she realized that all we really needed was a widescreen television, wireless network, and a place comfortable enough to sit in.

            Just as I was about to ask Rashid if he was staying over, Asma burst into the room, wrapped in a long patterned scarf that reached down to knees, followed by a very composed 3bdulla, and hugged me tightly.

Me: “Asma! What do you think you’re doing?”

3bdulla: “I told her Rashid was here, but she insisted. Actually, I don’t think she even listened-”

Asma: “Yalla 3ad it’s just Rashid, I really missed you!”

            She widened her eyes at me in an innocent expression, and I smiled and hugged her back.

Me: “Inzain yalla bas hal mara basam7ch, next time knock or dgy 3alaya, fahma?”

            She nodded with a bright smile, and turned to say hello to Rashid. He replied politely but was extremely formal, and I eyed him awkwardly as he acted like he had never spoken to her before. They were practically siblings! As Asma left the room, I stared at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation.

Rashid: “Sho?”

Me: “Balak? Why did you talk to her that way? You know how Asma overthinks kilshay. She’ll think that you were upset with her.”

Rashid: “3adee, ‘it’s just me.’”

            He said it mimicking Asma’s voice when she had referred to him earlier. There was a weird edge to his voice.

Me: “Rashood? What’s going on with you?”

            His face was hard and his fingers slightly dug into his palms.

Rashid: “Mashay.”

Me: “Rashid…”

            I blazed a warning tone in my voice and he seemed to give up. He sighed heavily as his shoulders slumped, and for once the rigidness left his stiff back.

Rashid: “I still love her.”

To be continued…