بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
I don't know what came over me. I don't know if it was dumb or heroic of me. I don't know if it would ruin my life or benefit me but I did it anyways. I took a deep breath before marching over to where they stood. "It's me. I'm her." I said, looking Parihan in the eye...
Jannah's P.O.V
She shook with rage. "J-Jannah? The henna artist?" She shrieked. I watched as she grew livid. "Y-you're the girl? You sat in my house.. you played me like a fool!"
"I know. I should've told you but I was shocked when you told me. I'm sorry for that." I said sternly. She was a threat to me and I didn't want to show her my weak side. Although, the way Dawud stared at me gave me every reason to fall to my knees. "But just leave Dawud out of this mess." I ordered.
She looked down at the two of us and smiled eerily. "Dawud," She announced, holding up her chin, "Instead of a girl your age with an actual career and good income, you chose a second-year university student with a terrible business and family issues." She spat. I blinked, shocked that this was even real. How on earth did she know about my family? "Oh, Jannah. Laith has been telling everyone about your absent father since you got him kicked off of the basketball team." Parihan informed me with a grin. I thought for some time. Laith was the guy who twisted my arm.
I sucked in a breath. Dawud looked at me disapprovingly before I could cuss her out. "She can't say whatever she wants to without consequences." I said to him.
"Leave it, Jannah." He told me sternly.
Parihan let out a laugh and strut down the alley, turning left onto the busy street. I looked at Dawud who was staring at a crack in the building bricks. He still clutched onto the garbage bag tightly. I waited for him to say something. I was desperate. I needed to hear him say something to me. I was the girl he liked, wasn't I?
Was I?
I felt ridiculous, staring at him hopelessly and waiting for an answer. There was nothing to do but walk away, so I did.
I reached the end of the alley but the strings of my heart were snapping. Something inside caused me to march back in his direction. I cared way too much to leave him standing here.
We stood a few meters from each other. "Jannah, your dad isn't here so we can't talk." He told me. I looked in his eyes but found nothing there.
"It's unfair." I blurted. "She gets to put all these insecurities in my mind yet I can't say anything back."
Dawud ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're better than her."
"How am I supposed to believe that? You were in love with her. You met her family and everything." I pressed.
He raised his eyebrows. "How do you know that?" I tried to ignore the soothing sound that was his voice.
"She told me!" I shouted. "I'm so tired of this. By Allah, I'm tired of this." My voice cracked. Dawud's eyes grew cold. I watched as his lips turned downwards. "First it was Laith—who is trying to ruin my life—and now I have Parihan to worry about." I pinched the bridge of my nose.
There was a long silence. I tried to read his facial expression but failed miserably. He wore a beautiful poker face that hurt my very core. "It's late." He said before walking up the steps that led to the bookstore. I never thought I'd hate the back of his head so much. "Go, Jannah." He said sharply.
"No." I shook my head stubbornly. I watched desperately as he threw the bag of trash into a battered-down dumpster. "Dawud.." I could barely mutter. He grasped the door handle. "One month and you're out, right?" I blurted, grinding my teeth. He froze. "Does that ring a bell? Except you're the one walking away from me."
Dawud took a deep breath before turning to look at me. His stunning eyes were rimmed with tears and his soft lips quivered. "You know, maybe you are too young for me." He spat. His perfect eyebrows were pulled together in frustration. "Go home."
I took a step back, watching him in shock as he opened the door and disappeared from vision.
He walked out and I was left here in the cold. He watched as Parihan denounced me silently. I rubbed my eyes, hoping with all my heart that this was just a dream. It couldn't have been real. Dawud couldn't have left like this! Where did this put us? Did he even like me anymore?
Dawud's P.O.V
I shut the back door and walked on. I couldn't cry. I couldn't think about what just happened. I couldn't break down. I wouldn't let myself. Instead, I continued to work. I stamped the new books that came into the store and I put them up on the shelves. I ignored the strange look Akhlaaq was giving me from the counter. I didn't want to speak to anyone right now. I focused my attention on pushing a cart that carried old books to the warehouse. There, I tore them apart and threw them in the recycling bin.
"Dawu-"
"What?" I snapped. I whipped my head around only to see my father in front of me. Immediately, I looked down and apologized. I barely uttered a word of disrespect to him in my lifetime.
"Finish up and come into my office, please." He said quietly. My father was a modest and simple man and I felt terrible for shouting at him. I finished tearing apart the last of the books and walked to my father's office which was on the second floor. I stepped in and shut the door behind me. "Boots." He said, setting down the pencil in his right hand. I slipped off my boots as he ordered and made my way to the chair across his desk. My bright blue socks were easy to detect since almost everything in this office was a dark brown. The ceiling was made of dark wood, the desk and carpet were a rust-colored and the Areca Palm I brought in for my father last summer was brown due to water deprivation (see picture above).
"Baba, all you need to do is water the plant on alternate weeks." I told him softly. It was hard for me to stay in my seat. I wanted to water the plant and put it in good condition.
"Dawud," My father spoke. "I've been worried about you." I took a deep breath.
"Baba, I'm fine-"
"Don't lie. It doesn't befit you. I can see it in your eyes, Dawud. They're red. Your hands are shaking and your bottom lip is quivering." He said in our language. "You're suppressing your anger and it's showing in your work." I looked past him, at the window sill. It was covered in ice. "I need you to be honest with me. What is it?"
I sighed, letting the story unravel. I couldn't hide Jannah forever.
Chapter Nineteen ->