Mending Broken Hearts

18. Confession -2

February 2020

Omar

We walked into the wedding venue, a beautifully decorated event space in the suburb of Chicago, close to Madi's own home. I had a diaper bag slung over one shoulder and a wedding gift for Maliha and Hasan in the other. Ayah had just woken up from her nap and wasn't happy about it. Noor was holding her while Salman carried the car seat and stroller, amid a running sarcastic commentary on desi traditions.

That chaos quickly became background noise when my wandering gaze landed on a woman draped in a dark blue dress, mirroring the depths of midnight sky. Just like the moon and the stars, her skin glowed, her eyes sparkled. I saw her laugh, and it felt like a beautiful painting coming to life.

"Who is Madi talking to?"

I was jolted out of my poetic fantasy by Salman's question, forcing me to look away from her and towards and the man leaning into her. I knew that wasn't her brother, I had met him when I showed up at her house with a stethoscope in hand. She had no cousins in the US, she had once mentioned. Frankly, anyone who looked at her the way this man was could not have decent intentions. I dropped the diaper bag and gift on a nearby table.

"I am going to find out."

As I neared, I heard him give her a compliment. His words were true, yet he sounded so fake I wanted to gag. Alarm bells rang loud when he mentioned his mother. I knew exactly what was going through that man's mind.

"She is being modest. There is no one smarter than her in our residency program, which is exactly why she is our next chief resident," I said out loud.

"Omar, you're here!" Madi exclaimed as she spun around, her sudden proximity sending a tremor through me.

I noted the man whose eyes glowed with irritation, but I saw only her. The jasmine string intertwined in her dark curls; a hint of spring nestled among the luxuriant black waves. Her bright smile that calmed the tempest storm within me. Her smooth velvety skin, a canvas of ethereal elegance. I took it all in, while trying to string together a coherent sentence.

"Sorry we're late. I was in clinic. Baby Ayah comes with chaos."

The mystery man interjected, extending his hand, "I am Faraz, Hasan's older brother. And you are?"

I shook his hand, aware of his firm grasp, "Omar. Madi and I work together." I hoped to God we were more than that, but this stranger with his piercing dark eyes and stiff business attire who tended to stare at my new chief resident, did not need to know any of it.

He raised a brow, "And Ayah is your daughter?"

Madi immediately clarified, "No, she is our friends' daughter. Omar is not married."

Yet, Madi, not married yet. I wanted to add but kept quiet. Manner-less Faraz's' presence was fast becoming a nuisance, least of all because of the way his gaze kept wandering back to Madi.

"So, what is it that you do, Mr. Faraz?" I asked him, forcing him to avert his eyes to me. The smug expression on his face should have warned me about the gloating I was soon to witness.

He cocked his head to the side, "I sit on the board of directors for Abu's investment company, ZenithFunds. While being the CEO of my own company, Cyber Gateway. Hasan and I started it while I was still at Harvard. Since then, we've expanded to several cities in North America, Dubai and India. And plan to expand to the Far East next year. There is tough competition in the tech industry around the world but considering that our profit margins have consistently increased by over 15% each year, I'd say our hard work has paid off. "