Twice Upon Qadr - A Shot At Love **EDITING**

Chapter 29

“So I’m going to play the older brother card for a second to prepare you before Baba talks to you, because when I wanted to marry Yusra, he hit me with the questions that we aren’t exactly well versed in answering.”

“Like what?”

“Well the most embarrassing was when he asked me if I was attracted to Yusra. That was awkward.”

Houssam laughed.

“Haha, that is awkward. Sucks for you.”

“Stop being smug, you know he is going to ask you the same thing. So might as well practice on me.”

“Ugh,” Houssam said, turning his eyes up to the ceiling, “of course I’m attracted to her. She’s beautiful.”

Amir stifled a grin.

“Okay. Why do you like her?”

Houssam blinked.

“I just said she’s beautiful.”

“That’s the only reason you like her?” Amir asked with a frown, and Houssam shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

“Well I mean I don’t really know her that well.”

“You can’t base a marriage on a person’s looks. Yes it is one of the things that Rasul Allah said you should look for in a partner, but the most important thing is the Deen. How do you feel about how she practices?”

Houssam cleared his throat.

“Um, I don’t know honestly. I’ve only been around her a few times.” He waved a hand in the air. “But it’s not a big deal, I mean we can get to know each other. That’s what the Tarauf process is about.”

Amir was silent for a few seconds, staring at his brother, his mouth still turned down in a slight frown.

“Yes you can. But just make sure you aren’t blinded by her looks.” He tapped his finger on his desk. “Do you know if she has feelings for you?”

“Yes.” Houssam said with a slight blush, and Amir’s eyebrow raised again.

“How is that?”

“I…uh heard her telling someone that she needed to convince me she was the woman of my dreams.”

Amir chuckled.

“Wow, and she had no problem with the fact that you heard her say that?”

“She didn’t know I was there.”

“How…you know what? Never mind I don’t want to know.” He said waving a hand in the air, and Houssam laughed.

“So you think I have a good shot?” Houssam asked, and Amir smiled.

“If you like her as much as you say you do, and apparently she wants to be the woman of your dreams, then I think so.”

***

“Habibi?”

Hisham looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, and glanced over at his wife.

“Salaam hayatee.” He said motioning towards the seat next to him.

Ilham paused to pat Layla on the head where she was laying in front of the television, before she sat down, and smiled as he leaned over to kiss her head, and she snuggled into his chest.

“What are you doing?” she asked and he gave a sigh.

“I’m trying to figure out how you break someone’s heart.”