His silence is his Pride (ON HOLD)

Chapter Thirty ~ "A Cup of Tea"

Chapter Thirty

"A Cup of Tea"

ثم ماذا؟

كُلَّمَا قُلْنا انتهينا

هلل الشوقُ و كبّر !

أنت تدري...

أنني أدري

و كلُّ الكون يدري ...

أن هذا الحب حتى قبل أن نأتي...مقدر

Mahra

Friday- 4:37 PM

My judgment on my husband's characteristics has been vastly clear from the very beginning. I have always believed that he has two sides of him, a dark side and an even darker part that he tends to conceal from most people. Only I have been 'fortunate' enough to see it.

Never in my life had I ever imagined that he would have a soft spot too, own a heart that, strangely, seems to beat in his chest too.

I felt rather mistaken, as I sat there watching him sleep on the sofa opposite me, eyes closed and head placed on his mother's laps, who slowly caressed his short hair. She would converse with him every now and then, and Zayed would reply only with a shake of his head or a low 'hmm'. I could never envision him being so indulged.

Trying my best to think of something else or look at anywhere but at him, I concentrated on the cup of gahwa in my hand, smiling as I remembered something that Jassim had said at lunch today. He was telling me a story of how when he went to Egypt once. He had someone read his cup for him. They told him he would receive a good news soon, and coming back to the country, he learned, that he'd failed in three subjects at school.

Everyone, excluding Zayed and his parents, had laughed hysterically at that. Uncle Waleed then started lecturing him for not ever being interested in his studies and Umm Zayed for letting people read his cup. She scolded him for not knowing that that was Haraam.

Jassim unlike everybody else in this house had a very free and active spirit. He was different, way different than his cold, calculating older brother. Or maybe his brother was that frigid only around me. He had once said I brought out the worst in him!

"Mahra." Mona's voice brought me out of my trail of thoughts, and I looked up to see her walking towards me. "We are going out shopping for my graduation party." She came to stand next to the TV. "Would you like to accompany us?" She asked, with a questioning look.

Shopping? For Mona's graduation?

I had seen her, and Laylah get into the guest room to discuss something a while ago, probably this was it. I thought about it. "Just the both of you?" I inquired, winning myself some more time to think.

"Yeah." She replied. "Me, you and Laylah."

"Aaa..." I considered, aware of the fact that her brother was listening and maybe he won't appreciate me rejecting Mona's offer but I just didn't like going to malls on the weekends. They were so crowded. "I...just don't feel like it."

Mona stared at me, questioningly.

"Some other time In Sha Allah." I continued, giving her a small, shy smile and she didn't push it much. Maybe she didn't want me to accompany her, and was just asking me for formality's sake.