Love and Letters ✔

Chapter 15

Love and Letters

Part 3

Chapter 15

"Since when has my life become a novel?" I grumbled to Suraya. "This is so dumb!"

We were sitting in a quiet booth drinking our gourmet, over the top milkshakes. It was Monday morning, and Suraya was finally done with her exams, however, she would be starting with her volunteer work at the hospital on Wednesday.

"It's funny, not dumb," she giggled. "So, your sister-in-law is excited to have you married to her brother?"

I glared. "I'm sitting with my sister-in-law," I smirked, teasing her. "I don't know if she is excited to be with me."

Her expression fell as she gave me an unimpressed look. "Have you missed the memo? My brother said that this engagement is over. Your Is-haaq told you that he loves you. What more do you need?"

I stirred my thick chocolate milkshake, then I sipped it. "I need nothing more, just space. I guess."

"Look, don't really keep me in suspense. Tell me everything, in full detail and I want to know exactly what Zubair told you."

I felt my gut churn at the idea of showing her the message Zubair sent to me. I didn't want her to get upset, because truthfully, I felt a bit hurt at his abrasive tone. I understood that we were pretending, but that isn't something to send in a text. "He came to see me on Sunday, I went out to buy milk and I needed some chocolates and he was at the shop. Zubair walked over and greeted me. He seemed a bit hesitant, though."

"Of course, he should be hesitant. I gave him shit for breaking up with you over a text. Hell, that is not the way he was supposed to do it," Suraya huffed. "He needed to be a man about it, not some loose cannon."

I smiled at her support. "Anyway, Zubair spoke to me and apologised for being so callous with the message. He told me that he really tried very hard to look at me as something other than a little sister. He said he didn't want to actually marry me because he said he always saw me as his baby sister. Zubair was nice about it and then he bought me a massive ice cream."

"Thank Allah that you two are now okay with one another, because imagine how awkward it would be for me if my two favourite people are not talking to one another. But now, tell me about Is-haaq and what happened with him!"

"I was getting groceries for the lunch when Is-haaq came."

I explained to her in further detail how Is-haaq at first seemed uncomfortable, then he was quick to jump right into grilling me about the man I was engaged to. Next, I told her about how dramatically Humayra waltzed in and wanted to know if Is-haaq proposed or not.

"Well, did he explain his sister's words? You said that she asked if he proposed, right? Did he mention anything about that? And then you said that she said she was excited to have you as her sister-in-law so that she could embarrass him. Did he say anything?"

I shook my head, the scarf flying oddly around me. "Nothing. It was like he wanted to make it seem as if it never happened."

"He is weird," she mused.

I rolled my eyes. "You're telling me."

"And the letters? Have you looked at them as yet?"

"Nope," I twisted and brought out the envelopes. "Not yet. I couldn't find the courage to see them."

"Do you want me to sit here while you read them?"

I nodded before taking my serviette to wipe the spot of condensation that my glass of milkshake left in front of me. Setting the bundle of envelopes down on the table, I leaned back into the booth and stared at it. The envelopes were not the golden glittery type from the first few letters, nor was it the usual candy-striped envelope that I had gotten used to.