"Happy birthday, Habiba " he said with the most genuine smile ever.
The tears were still flowing as Naima tried her best to stop them but to no success.
"Aw, don't cry, Habiba. I'm sorry. I'm sure you didn't want anyone to know about your birthday and i didn't follow your wish. . ." he was rambling when Naima cut him off.
"No. No. This is the -hiccup- happiest day of my life. All my family -hiccup -and friends are here. How did you get to plan -hiccup- all this." Naima's eyes went round. "Then I wasn't going crazy at the mall then. I really thought I was."
The tears had stopped falling but she was now hiccuping.
Naima turned her attention to Hasia.
She acted so oblivious about everything going on that Naima actually thought she was hallucinating and seeing things in her head.
She gave her a mischievous smile and shrugged like she didn't know why Naima was looking at her.
"I actually thought you'd catch on at the cinema. It was so obvious. But you're dumb so it's understandable." Zain butted in and laughed.
Naima frowned at him.
"I'm not dumb and I caught on, I think, but Hasia had to act all oblivious. For a moment, I actually thought I was seeing things or even going mad."
"How long did you take to plan this? Even Zain came and all the way from Dubai. And Aunt Faiza?" Naima cocked her head at Tawfiq waiting for a explanation.
They made everything so simple yet just as extravagant at the same time.
He smiled, his eyes glowing.
"That's a long story. To be honest, it starts off from when Aunt Faiza dropped you off at university. She immediately called Belinda to reach out to Dean and I." He cackled. "She had already guessed you wouldn't want to do anything 'serious' on your birthday. So she informed us about when it was. The announcement at the mall was easy, just asked the information desk if we could make an announcement."
He scratched the back of his neck.
"The cinema though was a problem. We had been planning it out for a while though and hoped everything would just fall into place.
Hasia had volunteered to bring you to the mall. And I have to give it to her, she could win an Oscar with that acting."
Tawfiq glanced at Belinda.
"Belinda confessed she would have spilt the beans if she was to act as oblivious. . ."
"So that's why she texted me to meet her here." Naima made eyes at her.
"You always come to the dorm. I should have known."
"I couldn't risk it. I'm bad at surprises." She came clean.
Tawfiq continued.
"Okay so were was I. . .the cinema, right."
"We had to rent the cinema for just you. We had to pull some strings to get it. It took a bit longer than planned to make the video. Zain and Aunt Faiza had to find all your old pictures, we had to scan them and do all sort of edits and stuff. Luckily we finished it on time."
"Everything from that time till now you already know. Dean and I had chanced on this place a while back and since no one came here that much, we decided it was the perfect place." Tawfiq beamed in excitement.
Naima gazed at Zain and Aunt Faiza.
When did they even get to Boston?
Did Aunt Faiza even leave?
"I arrived three hours ago. I called with a WiFi so you wouldn't notice I was in America. I picked up Mom at the airport and we drove here."
He put on a face-wide grin.
"I know, I'm a cool brother. Bring it in." He proudly added.
Naima scoffed at him but ended up going in for a hug when he opened his hands.
She hugged Aunt Faiza tightly and whispered a million thanks and gratitude to her since she was the soul creator behind this scheme.
She hugged Hasia and Belinda.
The corners of Dean's lips dropped down in sadness.
"Wow, I feel so hurt right now,Tawfiq. Like Santa Claus forget to give us our presents." Dean said.
Hinting at the fact that they didn't get hugs.
"You are just stupid." Tawfiq breathed.
"Time for presents!" Dean exclaimed.
No one was there since it was getting a bit dark so it was okay to scream all he wanted
"As the oldest here, I bought you headphones? I don't exactly know what kids these days want." She quirked a brow.
She handed her a gift bag- which Naima hadn't realize she was holding - Naima peered inside the content of the bag. It was a beats by dr. dre headphone.
This was a sound canceling type.
One word.
Expensive.
"Thank you, Aunt Faiza. I love it."
And she really did love it.
Now, she could listen to Maher Zain and Quran verses whenever there was a storm. The normal earpiece didn't exactly block everything out.
Hasia got her a nice pair of sandals.
She had wanted to get herself a pair already.
Yay!
Now she didn't need to scour the whole mall to get sandals which would have ended up being a poor choice.
The sandals was cream and brown and the design was very simple. Not complicated. Just how Naima liked it.
Belinda gave her the most beautiful earrings Naima had ever set eyes on.
It had a little glowing diamond in it.
She said she chose it because of its glow and that it reminded her of Naima.
Dean gave her a big box of chocolate and a really nice handbag.
When Naima had enquired how he picked out such a nice handbag, he just smiled shyly.
Someone was a handbag fanatic.
Zain got Naima an iPhone 8.
He 'claimed' Naima's phone was too outdated. And he wanted better connection when he called her from school.
He couldn't just accept the fact that he had gotten her a phone simply because he wanted too.
The phone was black.
He and Tawfiq were still the only ones who knew her favorite color because they found out themselves.
Naima was hesitant to accept it at first because she for one knew how expensive the phone was. But it was Zain. If it were any other person like Dean or Tawfiq, she might have ended up refusing the gift.
"Tawfiq, where's your present?" Zain asked him out of nowhere after his long talk with Belinda while they were both munching into their slices of cake.
He always ended up talking to her longer than necessary.
"Erm. . ." Naima watched him struggle for words as he scratched his brow.
Maybe he forgot or left it at his place?
It didn't matter.
He sang for her.
No one had ever done that for her.
Except her mother but those were lullabies when she was a child.
"It's okay if you didn't get a present. You sang a song I love for me. That's something I will never forget." Naima's eyes sparkled in appreciation.
"Sing again, Tawfiq." Hasia exclaimed.
"Your voice is amazing, why not pursue a career in music?"
"I don't think it's something I want to do. Being a musician that is." Tawfiq rubbed his belly. "And I don't think I can sing again after all that cake." He added.
They had all been given slices of cake by Aunt Faiza as Naima received her gifts.
But Naima liked the idea of hearing him sing again.
She folded her hands in a plea and batted her lashes at him.
"Sing one last song. Please. I never ask for anything from you. Just one song, please. For my birthday." Naima manipulated.
She wanted to hear his voice again.
She'd continue to manipulate him if she had to, just to get him to sing.
He leaned forward with a warm smile.
"If the birthday girl insists. What song do you want me to sing?"
He asked.
What song? What song?
There were so many songs!
She couldn't decide.
"Um. Er. . . Yes!" Naima enthusiastically cried out. " Can you sing this song for the prophet?Ya Nabi Salam mu Alayka by Maher Zain. Do you know the song?"
Naima held an expectant gaze.
"I think I do." He replied in an unsure tone.
But took his phone to google the song's lyrics to 'freshen' his mind.
He looked amazing in his glasses. MaaShaaAllah. Um. . .what!?
Why was she checking him out?
Naima's eyes widened when he smirked and winked at her.
Did he notice her checking him out?
Oh no.
"Okay, Habiba. Your song, by your coolest most awesome friend." He grinned.
He started to sing the song in Turkish.
He spoke Turkish?
Naima always heard that part but never understood it.
He said the words with ease like he was from Turkey.
Wasn't he an Emirati?
🎵With submission, faith and patience
You conveyed the noble message
Brought this light, through your guidance
Peace be upon you my beloved.
Ya habibi, ya Muhammad.
Ya nabi Salam alayka
Ya rasol Salam alayka
Ya habib Salam alayka
Salawatu Allah alayka
Everyone was quietly listening to him sing in his amazing voice.
Everytime he would sing Habibi, he would look at Naima and smile.
Naima's pulsed raced when he'd look at him.
If this was his voice when singing then Naima couldn't begin to imagine his voice when reading the Quran.
He sang in other languages like he co-wrote the songs.
The only place Naima could sing was the chorus in the song but she still loved it.
🎵Ya habibi, ya Muhammad.
Ya nabi Salam alayka
Ya rasol Salam alayka
Ya habib Salam alayka
Salawatu Allah alayka
Naima felt her whole body heat up when Tawfiq gaze laid upon her the whole time when he was singing the last part. At that moment, it felt like it was only the two of them in the whole world.
Cliché?
Yes.
But it felt exactly like that.
"MaaShaaAllah. That voice is just amazing." Hasia complimented Tawfiq, who just smiled and shrugged it off as nothing.
〰️
Zain, Aunt Faiza and Belinda had left when it was around 7pm.
It was just left with Tawfiq, Dean and Hasia. And well Naima as well.
"Habiba?"
Tawfiq called out as Naima sat on the table staring at the night sky.
"Hmm?" She hummed, not taking her eyes of the stars.
They were so beautiful.
"Your present. . ." Naima quickly shook her head.
Was he still on about the present?
Him singing alone was a big present on it's own.
Dean and Tawfiq had already sent all her gifts to Hasia's car.
"It's okay. You did so much today. That alone is a present on it's own."
Hasia was talking with Dean just a few feet from them. So if they kept their voices down they wouldn't be able to hear their conversation.
"It's not that I didn't get you a present. Of course, I got the present." He averted his eyes from her.
"Just didn't want to give it to you in front of everyone. " He said quietly.
He put his hand in his breast pocket and removed a small teal box.
To say Naima's heart stopped wouldn't be doing it justice.
"What's that?"
Her eyes widened, jaw gaped.
Was it a wedding ring? An engagement ring? Did he get her a ring as a gift?
What was she supposed to say and do?
She quickly concluded.
"Please, don't tell me it's an engagement ring. I just can't just marry you, Tawfiq, not that you aren't nice or anything. Quite the opposite, you're charming and handsome and sexy and all the other nice attributes but I can't just marry you, besides I'm still in school. . ."
Naima continued rambling and not listening to what was coming out of her mouth.
Tawfiq calmed her unwarranted stress level when he opened the box and it revealed a bracelet.
Oh.
A bracelet?
Were you expecting a ring, Naima?
"It isn't a ring, yet, Habiba." He had a gentle smile.
"It's a bracelet. But. If you really want a ring you just have to tell me and bam! I'd get you a ring and be married before the week ends." He smirked.
Naima felt all her blood move up to her face due to her embarrassment.
She hid her face behind her hands.
That was why he didn't want to give it to her when everyone was around. He knew it looked like a ring case. He didn't want everyone thinking and over exaggerating like she just had.
"What's that you said about me being 'charming and handsome and sexy'?" He grinned wickedly and started to laugh at Naima's embarrassment.
He was the most annoying person she had ever met.
He took the gold bracelet out from its case and Naima looked in awe at 'Habibi' inscribed in Arabic at the front.
It was spectacular.
"It's beautiful." Naima exclaimed.
"I prayed real hard that you would like it." He laughed, thinly.
He placed it back in the box and handed it to Naima.
"It looks expensive." Naima noted.
"It wasn't anything much." Tawfiq shrugged.
"But. . ."
"Habiba, okay so it was a bit expensive but they don't take refunds and I can't wear gold bracelets either. So please just accept it? For me?" Tawfiq insisted.
Naima had no other argument to counter that.
She finally nodded and took the small case from his hands and placed it in her bag after thanking him.
"Ready to go, Naima?" Hasia came from behind her and asked.
It was getting to 8pm.
"Yes. Sure, it's late." Naima checked her wrist watch. "Bye, Tawfiq." Naima waved.
Hasia walked ahead because Dean was already ahead, maybe going towards his car. Tawfiq walked with Naima to where she thought they had probably parked their cars.
They got there to see Hasia was in her car starting it up as Dean was relaxed on another car.
"Bye, Tawfiq. See you when you see me." She used his words of saying goodbye and smiled.
He smiled back at Naima and what he said next to her sent her back to her room with a lot more questions on her mind than she had arrived at the lakeside with.
And that was saying something.
⚜️⚜️⚜️
#VCS
COMMMMEEEENNTTTTT😗😗
Salam ❤️
CIAO