Life of Me

chapter 11

The weekend went pretty fast by. It's been two days since Hamza had spent the night at Ismahan's home. The two hadn't really spoke after that night. However, Hamza was more careful and protective around Ismahan. She didn't complain though.

"You okay?" Hamza appears from behind Ismahan.

The group were chilling at the table in the lunch cafeteria. Hannah and Aisha weren't present due to they getting some homework done in the library.

Ibrahim and Nuhaa were sitting together.
Israh and Nur were in school today too.

Ismahan's face tints deeply.

"I'm okay." She nods. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good, alhamdulilah." Hamza takes a seat next to Ismahan. She was eating a sandwich and had her favourite, Peach ice tea.

"What's your next class?" Hamza folds his arms on the table, his attention all on Ismahan.

Her eyes glances to the couple across from her. To finding them watching the scene play before their eyes. Nuhaa's head tilts. She's amused. She's curious, curious about what's going on right now.

"Literature." Ismahan responds. Nuhaa eyes Ismahan.

"Can i walk you to class?" He asks, smiling.

Nuhaa gasps. Ismahan's cheeks shades red.

Hamza looks at the couple weirdly.

Ibrahim looks lost. Definitely.

"Is it just me or was I not informed of something that I don't know of?" Nuhaa's eyes narrows as she knits her eyebrows together in suspicion. Confusion.

Hamza chuckles.

"Well..." Hamza trails.

Ismahan's eyes widens.

"Well?" Nuhaa trails.

"Isma, why don't you say it." Hamza smiles.

The girl seem to grit her teeth at Hamza who only laughs.

"Don't be mad, hm?"

"Oh my..." Ibrahim tilts his head. "I'm so lost."

"What's going on between you two?" Nuhaa asks.

Hamza eyes Isma.

"I asked Isma to marry me."

Gasp! Hannah.

Gasp! Nur.

Gasp! Aisha.

Gasp! Israh.

Gasp! Nuhaa.

Double gasp! Ibrahim.

"You what?!" Nur exaggerates.

Ismahan's eyes had snapped so fast by the new voices. She wasn't even aware of the others behind her and Hamza.

"Is this true, Isma?" Hannah smiles.

Ismahan nods gently.

"I love her." Hamza blurts.

Bomb!

"State the obvious."  Hannah and Israh states together. Nur takes a seat next to Hamza.

"Yeah." Aisha nods.

"What do you mean?" Hamza asks confused.

"We always caught you looking at Ismahan like you're crazy inlove." Hannah sits down.

"Whenever we hang out, you look for Ismahan." Nur bursts in sarcastically. "Like, you making it obvious, akhi." Israh laughs at hamza's embarrassed face.

"Ukhti, you should've seen when we were at the restaurant down town. He kept asking when you were coming." Nur looks at Ismahan with a teasing smile.

Hamza glares at him. Jokingly.

"Yeah! He couldn't wait to see you!" Nuhaa now squeals in realization.

"Okay okay, enough." Hamza is totally embarrassed.

The truth is revealing.

"Okay okay." Hannah laughs.

"So what did you say?" Nuhaa asks Ismahan.

"That I needed time." Ismahan mumbles. She looks down, her leg bouncing. A sign. She's anxious.

Hamza seem to notice.

"Do you not feel the same way?"

Ismahan doesn't answer. Silence.

Hamza's eyes roams her. Her hands are shaky under the table. Her leg is bouncing without a stop. She seems anxious. And it doesn't look like it'll get better.

"Isma and I are quickly gonna go to the library."  Hamza gets up. "Come." She doesn't seem to protest and anyway gets up. She slings her bag over her shoulder and Hamza takes her books.

"Don't wait up for us." With that the two leaves.

Hamza doesn't stop at the library. However, he goes to the empty classroom of his engineering class. His majoring in engineering. His quite a smarty pants.

He closes the door after Ismahan enters.

"Why a-are we here?" Her voice shakes.

Hamza is concerned.

"Are you okay?" She nods.

"No Isma. Don't lie to me."

She paces back and forth inhaling and exhaling shakily. Her breath is getting unstable. Her eyes seem to get teary. She fists her hands and let go again.

Anxiety attack.

"Hey..." Hamza rushes forward.

"It's okay. Come here." She obeys.

Comfort. Is what helps with anxiety. Comfort.

The pressure of hugging a person tightly comforts the person with anxiety.

Her tears falls. She stands infront of Hamza.

His a head taller, so she looks up.

"I know how you're feeling. And i know it's difficult. So I'm here, okay. Remember, I told you. Do you take medication?" She nods.

"Do you want them?" He questions. "No." Shaky.

"What do you want me to do? How can i help?"

"C-comfort."

And he hugs her. Tightly in comfort.

Comfort plays a major role for a person who suffers from anxiety. Comforts most of the time easily helps the person or the medication.

She's crying.

It's totally understandable.

Anxiety leads to lots of breakdowns.

Hamza gently pets her head as she cries.

"I'm here."

She grips onto Hamza tightly seeking comfort.

Ismahan lives alone. She doesn't have siblings or parents. Comfort was a major thing that she lacked in her life. No one was there to help her, to comfort her. She always handles her problems alone silently.

She speaks with Allah about her problems. She never really thought she needed physical comfort. But, with Hamza, she knows that she will receive what she has longed for years. And she really appreciated it.

Sometimes the body needs comfort by a person.

That can be a cure to problems.

However, she just received what she longed for by someone special. 

~R