Ya Amar (My Moon)

**Seventy Eight**

Arzoo’s eyes became wide. She halted and her smile vanished. Her eyes, a pair of forest green eyes watched me from head to toes. My head pounded harder with my skin became heated than it was. I was beginning to have a fever looking at my dreadful dream come to life. The shock made me dizzy that I had nearly slumped.

“Hey watch out!” Arzoo warned, bolting to me. I had not gotten down when she reached for me as fast as she could. “Are you alright? Subhanallah, you are hot!” I just stared at her face glazed with worry.

“This can’t happen to me please” I said in my head. She can’t be here. So Amir will marry again.

“You are not well. You are sweating” my grip on the railing grew tight. She was here to take away my happiness and can still show care. Her tender touch burned me. I recoiled away from her. “Are you alright?” Her voice was sweet, the type that could make anyone dance to her tune. I shut my eyes hard trying to calm my juddering nerves. I had an urge at that moment, to just grab her by her neck.

“Arzoo?” I heard Nani’s voice. Nani walked into the foyer. It was just right. It was going to happen. Amir will marry again. They knew. He knew and they hid it from me. Nani’s happy face appeared before the rest of her body. At that instant, I took a dislike at her. So, despite her sweet and caring attitude, she was going to stab me in my back. “What’s wrong with Noorie?” she tried to rush to us. “Noor, when did you get up from bed?”

“She nearly collapsed and I just decided to help her” Arzoo said with concern. “Are you okay?”

“No she is not. She has malaria fever”

“I thought as much” Arzoo tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear where a heavy earring dropped from.

“Leonard, keep her bags in the room the maids cleaned for her” Nani said to the butler behind us. The words burned me. I could still see the bad dream I had. Nani had said the same thing. Finally, my village people have gotten me. “Get up jaan” she tried to help me up.

“I will do it Nani” Arzoo offered.

“I don’t need your help” I voiced out glaring at both of them.

“Are you okay Noor?” Nani asked looking at me with care which was nothing but an act to me now.

“You should tend to your visitor” I helped my weak body up with the help of the rail.

“I was just about to send someone to call you for dinner. You have not eaten anything today”

“What is she doing here?”

“You sound like you know me?” Arzoo said.

“She can’t know you. You were not there on her wedding day”

“True but she knows my name”

“That’s impossible. Arzoo meet Noorie. Noorie meet Arzoo”

“Assalamu alaikum” Arzoo let out a hand to shake me.
My mouth was too tight to reply her instead I showed her my mad gaze, stared at her then back at her hand. The fact that Amir will hold that hand soon made my inside scorch. I felt the familiar feeling of envy rise in my chest.

“What is she doing here?” My voice was cold.

“Are you alright Noorie?” Nani asked. “I am sorry Arzoo. She is not always like this. Arzoo is here to stay with her husband”

“She is married?”

“Yes”

It was as though a weight had been thrown at me. I wanted to fall back and just wish this was also a dream I would wake up from. Amir had married her already. Was the business trip just a trick to get married again? My body shook to every wild thoughts in my head. I felt worse than I have ever been.