Two Brothers, One Heart (Rewriting)

Part 2: Chapter 16

Firdausi was utterly stressed out and had a hangover from the previous night's excessive consumption of brandy. She had a terrible headache that affected her eyes, and she felt something stuck in her throat, making her feel sick.

She managed to get up from the sofa she was lying on, and a surge of pain filled her head as she looked around the unknown place. She found herself in a living room with a white blanket covering her. Her clothes had also been changed into cozy peach-colored pajamas, which were comfortable.

She mustered up the strength to stand up and began looking around the house. It was a very spacious living room, with everything in black and white. It had a monochromatic feel, lacking any personal touches like favorite paintings, framed photos, or a vase of flowers. The room was filled with off-white sofas and ebony rugs.

She began walking towards a door, feeling nauseous and on the verge of vomiting.

"Be careful," a young lady with luscious, natural, long, straight black hair cautioned, dressed in high-waisted jeans and a cashmere sweater, radiating an irresistible charm. Though the lady seemed familiar, Firdausi's pounding headache prevented her from recollecting where they had crossed paths before.

"Where's the toilet?" Firdausi inquired, clutching her belly, as the lady pointed her towards the door she had been heading to. Moments later, she emptied the contents of her stomach into the basin, finding relief as her belly became empty but hunger soon followed. Gazing into the mirror, she noticed her head wrapped in a bandage, blood staining it.

"Last night, you were quite intoxicated. Thankfully, we managed to find you," the lady remarked before leaving the restroom.

"Who are you?" she asked while massaging her temple. It sounded a bit brusque, but also nice.

"I'm Paige, and my friend and I brought you here," she said while walking to the black island countertop where there were sandwiches packed in envelopes. "I think you must be hungry, make sure to get hydrated first."

"Yes, I am. How did I end up with a bruise?"

"You fell in a gutter and hit your head so hard," she explained while putting the sandwich on a plate for her. "Why would you go drinking of all things? I know it's messed up, but that liquor won't help you, it'll only make things worse."

"Yes, I know. It won't happen again. I was just out of my senses. I don't know what I was doing. Um, why is the house kind of bleak? No personal touches like a family photo or anything. Did you recently move in?"

"Yes, my friend recently moved in. The house is quite big, but I only stay here on weekends and then go back to school. I'm in med school," she said.

"That's nice," said Firdausi, munching on her sandwich. "What's the time? I need to go and pray," she asked before spotting the oval clock hung on the wall, also in black and white. The house looked like a dungeon. It was twelve, and she hadn't prayed subhi.

"Well, there's a room on your left. You can change into my clothes. That's my room," said Paige as she settled at the counter, reading some medical encyclopedia.

"Thanks," she mentioned. "Nevermind, you should be thanking my friend, he's at the bar," said Paige.

"The bar?"

"Yes, I mean he's a barrister," Paige clarified.

"Okay, that's nice," she muttered under her breath and tottered like a child to the room. God! She nearly ran away. Everything was in black except for the fresh white bedsheets. How could a human live in this house? She asked herself as she walked further.

The room was undeniably attractive but simple with its king-size bed, a rack, and a study table with a framed mirror. It was neat and well-kept, unlike her room where canvas and oil paints were everywhere.