MARRED

CHAPTER TEN - A WEEKEND GATHERING

Amanah

The relentless sound of the car's horn outside the gate got Mom rushing over to me. ''Amanah. You have been keeping this young man waiting for almost twenty minutes now." She complained looking down the window.

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, It has only been five minutes."

"Does the number of that horn sound like just five minutes to you? And there it goes again."

I was sure that soon, our neighbour would bring an action in nuisance against Ahmad.

I picked my hand and gift bags up and gave Mom a quick hug as I rushed out the door.

Ahmad was waiting in his car outside the gate when I came out.

"Finally she comes!" He said as I got into the car.

"Well, Assalaam'alaykum to you too Sir." I made certain he noticed the sarcasm.

"Wa'alaykumussslaam Wa RahmatuLlah Sweet. He responded with a smirk.

Almost immediately, he started the car.

"Were you deliberately trying to irritate me or something?" I asked.

"Or something...though, I thought that might speed you up as well."

"Ahmad, you know you cannot just do what you want simply because you are a lawyer right?"

"Yes." His response was simple. " Calm down. The only neighbour you have drove out the gate ten minutes ago. Come on Amma, I know you do not know me much yet, but give me a little credit in meticulousness." And then with a wider smirk, he added "I actually have legal awards on that, you know."

I could not believe he was boasting about his meticulousness when a moment ago, he almost brought down the neighbourhood with his impatience. Even as I had this thought, I knew he was right. Ahmad was quite a careful person. He would not disturb the neighbourhood if the neighbour had been around. Instead of acknowledging this outwardly, I said Instead, "It's not even five minutes since you arrived."

"Really?" He asked wide eyed as he passed his phone to me.

I looked at the screen and it was his dialed calls page. His last call to me was really twenty-three minutes ago? Did I really take that much time donning my jilbab?

When I looked back at him, he had a raised questioning brow. As if to say, 'What'd you have to say in your defence now counsel?'

"I am sorry. Time just... went by." I admitted in guilt.

"It's ok. AlhamduLlah. The wait was worth it." He said silently appraising my physical appearance in appreciation. It was all i could do not to blush.

We came to a traffic light and he turned to me once again. "Trouble sleeping?" He asked.

He noticed? I quickly lowered my gaze and nodded. There was no point lying.

"Want to talk about it?"

I shook my head. How do I tell him that I get nightmares every now and then? And that they were as vivid as yesterday?

"Amanah?" He called, concern evident in his voice.

"I am ok, really." I assured

"And would you tell me, if you were not?"

There was something deeper in his voice that I could not decipher. It was the need to be trusted blended with the fear of rejection.

Would I? I stopped telling Mom and Sophie about the dreams five years ago and it's intricacies. Would I tell him about my worries? How would he react to them? I was not certain whether I could tell him or anyone again. It was my burden to shoulder. wasn't it? I nodded in response. I hope that one day, I could.