It's been long I updated, of recent, I lost an aunt to cancer, do include her in your duas.
Here's another update to #stayingathome.
Previously on IELB.
In the previous chapter,they were still at borno,mobbar. The dramatic faruk's family kidnapped muneenah, to get her to rest that is, and to state a main fact, she is starting to have thoughts on whether faruk is that childhood friend or not. The story continues...
Read on,
Pickup lines,
Arshlee,
Sombre.
Dubai, UAE
March 2010.
"How was your first day?"
"I thought Irfan was picking me up".
"She said igfan" faruk chuckled once, then twice then before she knew it, he parked the car close to some pastry shop and started laughing.
She looked outside the window trying to pull in her horn, she wasn't sure if it was the day been Monday, or it was her not liking her first day at university or it was faruk laughing at her lack of 'r'that annoyed her, or it could be the bunch of girls that tried to get faruk's attention when he picked her up, she wasn't exactly mad at those girls because every sensible operator of their brain would look at a person who matched their dressing with their car to pick up a mere fresher nikabi.
She couldn't find the wisdom behind someone matching their shocking outfit with their shocking ride gaining shocking gasps and pretending they didnt know.
"Nina I was joking".
"Well it was offensive".
"You're moody"
"Yes, Can we get going"
Before he replied, they heard shouts and applauds around the place making him to winnow his window, making them both to view a man dressed in a funny looking outfit and moustache, the man had his legs on one of the sits on the sit out that was surrounded by few people, then a lady was seated across him looking not interested.
Faruk was about to jerk his car away looking at the silly reason for the crowd, it must obviously be the guy trying to flirt with the lady, but what the guy said stopped faruk from turning the ignition.
"You must be a broom, cause you just swept me off my feet" faruk turned to look at muneenah in an obvious question of if he was the only one who heard it.
She shook her head before the proposing man's voice came up again, "is it hot in here, or is it just you?"
This time faruk chuckled once, muneenah couldn't hold it in, she was trying to stifle her laughter though, before his voice came again.
"My buddies bet me that I wouldn't be able to start a conversation with the hottest person here, wanna buy some drinks with their money?" He asked again.
At this point, faruk was hitting his stirring wheel real hard, and laughing almost uncontrollably, "mar---see---she's--leaving without--an--answer" muneenah muttered in between her own fits.
"Poor--guy, did---you--see--her--reaction-- after--he--was--done?"
"Why are we laughing?" Muneenah asked trying hard to get a grip at her self.
"Are you a broom---" faruk couldn't complete it due to his laughter and muneenah joined in again.
Grrrrŕrrrrrrrr.
The vibrating tone of faruk's phone cut them off.
"One minute, umee" he picked up the call, while muneenah was trying hard to not let the laughter roll out of her mouth again, she noticed faruk's expression changing so suddenly as if he wasn't laughing few seconds ago.
Her laughter came to an abrupt stop as she focused on him till he was done with the call which didnt last even for a minute.
"What's wrong?" She was quick to ask.
"Ummee wants me home now" he replied.
"Is everything okay?"
"Her tone wasn't normal, I'm guessing nothing is okay" he replied and zoomed off the car.
###########
muneenah's heartbeat increased as they approached ummee's domain, unlike normal days where the sounds and whispers of the triples would be heard whenever a car pulled over close to ummee's house, and unlike the times the bustling laughter of them would be heard around the compound as they ran through the corridors and staircases.
Muneenah wondered if they were not home, but somehow, her thoughts got diverted once she saw the man him self standing in the middle of the living room they just got into, his hands securely placed behind his back, his back straight with no hint of old age, his posture, charismatic and stern just like the long loafers he wore, the tension in the room thickened as faruk noticed his father in the living room, his hands tightened against muneenah's as they both moved further in the serious looking atmosphere.
"umee, is everything okay?" Faruk asked they both moved towards umee who was seated on the long lounge sofa, faruk staggered back when ummee raised her eyes and he noticed the tainted red colour in them, in an obvious fact that she had shed tears.
Before faruk could speak or inquire about what was wrong, he heard his father's strong deep and dominating voice, calm but not gentle, it was harsh and above the normal tone used to speak.
"ما هو الجحيم فيك؟"
"هل أنت خارج عقللك؟"
He raised his vibrating voice making muneenah to almost squirm at his voice, he reminded her of her own dad. From the little arabic muneenah knew and from the sensible dots in her head, she was able to conclude Mr.ghazaali was dissapointed in faruk.
But why?
"ما جعلك تفعل مثل هذا العمل الشنيع"
Faruk for the first time spoke, his tone also loud.
"ليس لديك الحق في التحدث----"
Before he could add another word, ummee turned him around and slapped him hard across his face.
"كيف تجروء"
She shouted,.
"كيف تجرؤ"
She asked again, this time calmly, now seeing someone as collected and composed as umee losing her self and getting angry, muneenah knew it was some valid situation that arose, she was getting anxious.
Seeing a woman called khadijah, getting angry and even shouting at someone, sort of frightened muneenah.
Trailing her away from her thought, ummee turned to her and tried to stop the tears in her eyes from falling, "I'm sorry muneenah" she whispered and turned to faruk.
"Arshlee" she called and before the couple could fathom why ummee was calling arshlee, arshlee descended the spiral staircase that was clothed with a lush red carpet, she walked with attorney in a style like no other.
With charisma like she owned the place, her dress hugging her even more than her mum would, each detail in the stature of her body staring with pride as she planted herself face to face with faruk.
the psychological state of the room was tension, the dominating aura of both father and son added to that shocking tension, the overflowing scent of rose from arshlee added to the decrease in space in the room, the hard staggering glare of umee increased certain heartbeats.
everywhere was eerily silent, arshlee played with the tendrils of her hair,
"Ow damn" she muttered in a slow intellectual manner,
"I'm pregnant actually" she said looking at faruk straight in the eye still romancing her hair.
Before muneenah could act on her self or even think twice, she lost her balance and was on the verge of falling when ukhtee rushed to her and held her close.
"And?" Faruk asked staring his calm posture.
"And, it's our baby faruk, baby--" she paused.
"You're going to be a father" she announced with a smile.
Faruk was quiet, he didnt speak or react at all.
"So it's true faruk, Faruk ghazaali, it's true, tell me this is not your baby" ummee got up from her position and went forward to faruk who was simply looking at arshlee, he didnt reply.
"Ofcourse, its his baby, we just have to wait till the end of my first trimester, then we can have a paternity test" arshlee spoke again.
"By Allah, I don't want to believe her, faruk, I'm trying so hard to trust my upbringing, I'm trying hard, believe me, I'm trying my best to tell my self you wouldn't do something like this--"
"But you are not talking, faruk!!! You are quite!!" Ummee shouted almost giving him another slap but she held her self and shook her head before leaving the place.
"I should believe you're if not sensible enough, old enough to shoulder the responsibility of what you've brought upon yourself, as it is, you are silently agreeing to this, so do what's right, arshlee stays with you, as your responsibility, till you claim this child not yours, that's the least you can do" mr ghazaali spoke and moved after his wife.
At that moment, all muneenah could look at was faruk, she was dragged by ukhtee who seemed to be getting a grip on herself.
Faruk wasn't denying it!.
Muneenah couldn't feel a thing.
###########
"I can't believe akhee did this" areefah was the first to break the searing silence in the living room they sat.
The current tension in the ghazaali mansion was real thick, ummee's blood pressure might've shot up to a whole new level.
"Areefah, amyrah, arfah, you guys need to go to bed, ummee isn't keeping well, do the right thing without making me talk" mariya instructed in a clearly annoyed tone,
Muneenah didn't blame her for using such tone even when they were not at fault, the situation definitely called for that, one thing muneenah couldn't quite comprehend, was how they all believed arshlee, or at least contemplated on faruk's modesty and ability to do something as heinous as what arshlee proposed.
She surely wasn't around when arshlee made her entrance into the house, so she didn't know if the explanations arshlee gave were believable or not.
It was definitly not for the fact that they trusted arshlee more than they did, faruk, that they even contemplated on believing her or not. it was his silence that gave everyone the forestanding answer, his silence claimed the whole issue and rather than falsifying it, it further proved it.
Emran, moved into the lounge with a not so audible salam, his face sullen and stating dismal.
He moved further to where mariya sat, slowly kissing her forehead, he sat below her on the slush soft tension dissolving carpet.
"He said he is not in the mood" emran sighed, muneenah followed the depth of his voice and watched how he held mariyas hands in his, finding pleasure and peace as he straightened her fingers, massaging them.
"I hope he doesn't go back to smoke" emran added.
Muneenah knew he wouldn't smoke, atleast that was what she believed since he promised her, but looking at the current situation, she knew him been not in the mood would be much more worse than him puffing out smoke.
"Do you all believe arshlee is saying the truth?" Muneenah found her voice, she didn't know what exactly faruk did to gain her trust that much, he certainly didn't keep her as his wife to love, he has a girlfriend, he certainly didn't stay at home all day and nights during weekends telling her how much she meant to him or informing her of how loyal he was, but she still did.
She was certain he wouldn't do something as grotty as that, or at least tried to bield her self that he wouldn't. atleast him been a muslim proved that much.
"He certainly loves arshlee, and looking at her, she certainly can go to any extent to please him"khamaal spoke.
"Or to brainwash him" mariya added to khamaal's statement.
"Is he a kid to agree even if she did?" Emran questioned no one in particular,
Every where turned quiet, the triples had already retired to their rooms, now as the four people sat in the lounge in the first floor, each of them was clueless as to what to say, to say everyone was shocked would be an understatement,
Muneenah didn't exactly find the need to say offensive words about faruk, even when she was hurt,but how faruk lost a definite amount of respect in front of his parent, she felt her heart kneel to him,
Obviously, she wasn't in support of whatever he did, if at all he did it, the fact that he started the whole haram relationship with arshlee was an offence on its own, letting them both get so close and physical was another, but every other person made certain mistakes, so she wasn't seeking her husbands good doings in whatever he did,
All she was trying to do was to think of possible scenarios and possibilities that might've led to this whole situation, she was undoubtedly hurt, it was bold of her to hold her self together and look unshaken, knowing her husband slept, had sex with another woman who wasn't her,not that it was in their arrangement to do so, but seeing someone who just few days ago was kissing her and holding her now having his girlfriend at their house with 'his' baby, that was sure disheartening,
But she wasn't at all going to let those deranging feelings stop her from getting him out of his moods,
After all, that was all humanity was about.
"Has he eaten?" Muneenah questioned, she didn't know where that question came from, but she asked it anyway, they all turned to her giving her some look, she knew even as they were hurting: as his family, they were also hurting because they cared about what she'd be feeling, now to ask if he had eaten, was a stunt she chose to play, emran replied anyway,
"When he is not in the mood" he air quoted the not in the mood,
"He doesn't eat, sleep, talk, or anything, he simply doesn't react" mariya added.
"He needs as much space as possible" khamaal informed also.
Now, whatever caring feeling muneenah was beginning to feel when she asked if he had eaten turned to an annoyed one, one thing she hated was not owing up to a mistake one made.
Needing space wasn't bad but all his family wanted was an explanation, and there he was, taking all the space in the world and everyone else was worrying about him when he was there not reacting at all,
What was he? A machine?
"And what happens when someone invades that space?" Muneenah questioned not because she was going to change her mind or make two ways on ruining his space, but simply because she wanted to know what to expect when she did invade that space he called space.
The trio shared a look, before mariya cleared her throat and looked towards muneenah,
"Its attached to the name faruk so whatever thoughts you're having on sharing that space, drop it"
"Where is he?" Muneenah asked again as if mariya's words were not registered in her brain,
Mariya was about to reply when emran squeezed her hands and answered,
"In his room, not in your house, here"
"And here I thought he built a mini earth for that space" she snickered cracking them up with that remark.
"So should we wait up with fire extinguishers?" Khaamal raised a brow.
"Or an ambulance incase" emran added with a look of his own,
"Nah, I think we're safe" muneenah replied as she got up from her seat, ignoring the scared glances they were throwing at her,
What was faruk by the way? A bull dozer?
The highest it could get was for him to kill her, which she knew he wouldn't, no sensible angry man that needs space would want the space invader to be wiped off their sins and dwell in jannah, while he, the sensible angry man gets thrown to hell,
she's safe since no murder was taken place,
"Do get some sleep, stress is not good for your current situation" muneenah turned to mariyah before whispering her good night wishes and moving down to the kitchen,
After she had finished setting a tray for his meal, she made her way up the stairs and where his room was, she didn't knock and she hoped he hadn't locked it from within, pulling down the knob, she was surprised to see the door turn open,
When he claimed he needed space, she thought he actually knew how to get one, she was disappointed, but since he needed space, that he shall get.
She moved quietly into the room kicking close the door in the process, the room was dark and only the dim lights from the side lounge could be seen, she had to strain her eyes to notice he was praying at the other side of the room, she gently dropped the tray on the coffee table at the lounge,
Muneenah knew of certain things that could calm a person, one of those things been a calm beautiful, and scentful ambience, atleast it worked with her.
She moved out of the room, thankfully, Hani: the maid was awake, she requested for incense smoker,arabian incense, and a qur'an speaker box.
Getting back into the room, she realized he was still not done with whatever salat he was praying at that time, few minutes later, the room was smelling as nice as the ambience of ka'abah would, every nook around the room was grasping, the smoke from the incense travelling in lines in the well air conditioned room, muneenah leveled down the degree of the air conditioner, which was the time faruk ended his salat .
His eyes moved in search of the invader of his peace and the source of the perceptive fragrance, he looked around in search of whoever it was, and once his eyes landed on her back trying to fix out something that looked like a speaker box, he almost hated her for ruining that space.
He wouldn't be surprised if she got influenced by his family to play some high pitched jazz for him when all he needed was silence, to his surprise and after watching her give the speaker box a light hit, suratun-noor came up in the voice of salman al-utaybi, the volume was lowered but he heard it quite alright, instead of outraging on her for ruining his peace of mind, he realized he found peace looking at just her.
For a moment, he wondered and imagined himself in paradise, with the mesmerizing voice of a qur'an reciter, mesmerizing scent and muneenah.
She still didn't speak nor make her presence obvious, she did all she was doing in a voiceless and soundless manner, invading his space yet giving him the space he wanted, she moved to the bathroom and did her activities.
When she came out, she noticed him on his bed holding his phone in hand, muneenah wondered what a phone was doing in this space, she moved towards him, in her usual calm posture, walking like all she cared about was nothing, walking with such modesty and charisma,she gently pulled out the phone from his hands, and as if he gave her the permission or even instruction to, he was speechless by that act of hers, she tossed it on the bed which was after silencing it, she took his hands in hers and led him to the lounge.
He was confused, it had to do with the recitation in the room certainly, if not, there was no possible explanation to whatever he was not doing to her, she made him sit, then took out a bowl of meal she brought and passed it to him, he looked at her for a while and noticed how the dimmed light reflected her every facial feature, her eyes due to the blue lights had the green-blue spectrum, as if it was torques blue or green, and it wasn't like she casted those searing breath taking eyes at him for more than a second that he noticed them, they were just too prominent and sheen to not be noticed by him.
Her hands remained that way till he finished counting her every skin hole, he collected the plate, which in his own honest opinion, he didn't know why he did,
She gently moved to the far end corner of the room, a literal corner in the room.
She moved to one of the four corners of the room that was merged with a full length glass wall.
She pulled open the vines revealing the darkness of the night, on a normal day, she'd have felt uncomfortable with a full wall revealing glass, that too at night, she looked out side the window for a while thinking about irrelevant stuff, from what the state of the stars was?The texture? And the moon? Was it completely like the cheese in tom and jerry or was it perhaps slippery?
These were the type of thoughts a person gets when they begin to over think and deep think, she pulled her legs to her chest and dropped her head in between her laps,
Faruk obviously knew that was space she was giving him, but he still couldn't concentrate at all when she was around, not only because of her looks which could obviously slay a dragon and kill the best of warriors, but her ambience and aura was one that could stop a line of cars, it could confuse people as well as leave them pinned to a certain position for eternity or at least till she was out of sight.
He sighed, as he dropped his bowl on the tray that contained a box filled with strawberries, and a cup of tea.
He walked as he always did towards her, her head was still buried between her thighs that were captured by her entangled arms.
She started to hear the light sounds of footsteps and gentle clicks of spoons as he walked towards her, but she didn't raise her head, she needed that space on her own too.
He dropped the tray on the floor close to her legs and also sat cross legged opposite her, his eyes moved to the half moon that sat above the clouds, not that he wasn't a deep thinker as muneenah, but he needn't wonder where the other half of the moon was, he refracted his gaze towards muneenah whose head still wasn't up,
She looked like a stature, as if she was not there, she didn't even move, if he hadn't noticed her the time she did her random activities, he wouldn't have made a guess that a living being was present in the room.
Using his fingers, he poked her by the shoulders, once, then twice, when she didn't respond, he whispered her name.
"Nina"
She rose her head and speared him a glance, then her eyes moved to how he sat and then the tray, she raised a brow at him,
"let's eat" he muttered passing her a spoon.
She shook her head as she whispered also "space"
He nodded and still passed the spoon to her, they both were silent till they finished eating, they both didn't speak, which didn't off course stop him from noticing her spectacular way of eating with two cutleries, she ate almost everything with two cutleries.
She pushed the tray by the side, and sat down facing the window, he mirrored her acts, she pulled the box of strawberries and dropped it between them,
"Lets have a competition" she whispered.
She didn't know why they were whispering but it had to do with increasing the space environment or something.
He nodded and focused his attention on her, her gaze were on the strawberries,
"It releases stress, so lets compete on who eats the most" she whispered again.
"Better more, lets state what we are venting it on as we take each?" He questioned, and she only nodded in agreement.
"Ok, one, two, ready--" he began also in a whisper.
"Go" she completed and they both took their first strawberry,
"The look umee gave me struck me right here" he tapped the left side of his chest in the position of his heart, before taking a huge bite from the strawberry, as he chewed it slowly, muneenah spoke,
"For the time being, I don't know what's exactly wrong with me, but I feel annoyed at you", she also took in a bite.
"The look my sisters gave me was so disappointing, I let them down" he took another bite, before picking a new strawberry,
"I believe you wouldn't do anything as such, when I have no reason to believe in you so much" she also picked another strawberry,
"None of them believed me, none of them seem to trust me"
"You couldn't own up to your mistake, what was the use to shun everyone in need of space-?" She bit on the strawberry as she said that, in a way her voice sounded broken and deep, he knew there was more to that, and he looked closely at her and how she took out another strawberry,
"I hate it when people leave just that way, without answers" she added biting the whole strawberry and leaving out only the leaf, this was the first time she was stating something about her.
"I asked dad why he didn't like me, he didn't answer, apparently he needed space, a space without me, it struck me right here" she smiled while pointing at the left side of her chest,
"Mr ghazaali and I don't get along pretty much but seeing how he looked disappointed in me, it pained me quite alright" he bit the juicy strawberry when he said that.
"Every single time he gives me that look, it makes me question every decision I've made so far"
"We share that in common, I must say" she muttered picking out one of the largest piece of strawberry, he did the same and turned to face her,
"Cheers?" He asked
"Cheers" she replied before merging the tip of her strawberry to his,
As they ate those, their attention moved back to the dark hazy atmosphere, she felt calmer, she sighed, in everything he confessed, he didn't mention arshlee's baby been his, it was either he didn't feel guilty if it was which she certainly wouldn't go for, or he also didn't know if the baby was his or not, which would certainly be illogical.
She cleared her throat.
"What happened the day you were at her place?" She slowly shut her eyes dreading the answer that might come, but quickly opened them.
"I want just the truth if it's not too much to ask" she swallowed hard her spit.
"I dont know, I felt dizzy when I was about to go, and she said she was looking for some drug but all I can remember is me drifting off on her bed".
"And?" She probed, trying to calm her beating heart.
"When I woke up, I was not in my full clothes and I----" he paused, muneenah was calm on the outside, but only she knew what she felt deep within her mind.
She got up to leave when his voice came through, "I didnt mean to hurt anyone",
She didnt reply but she just went out of the room.
One thing was for sure though, faruk had no intention of hurting his family, or her or any other person, they never intend to hurt actually but he still did, she learnt a lesson,
"just because you don't mean to hurt someone, doesn't mean that person doesn't get hurt, by you"
🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁
As-salaamu alaykum,
How are you? And the current situation of the world?
How was the chapter?it was long.
And where the jahannam is Irfan??,let's tug that aside for now
With me today, is this gist about me, the title goes.....
How I decided to call my self princess.
Here we go, quite alright, each and every girl, weather she is shown or not, is a princess to her dad, in my case, I've always been a favourite to him, or atleast, that's what I tell my self, seeing i have his mama's name and i do get along so well with him, seeing he calls me princess, that was till a little sis of mine decided to claim my position🙄, well to round everything all up, I'm my fathers princess. But that isn't how I came about the name princess, firstly, I'm the kind of girl and person in general who admires her every flaw even more than she does her perfections, this beautiful day, I decided to walk to my siblings and family and declare my self a princess, decided to create usernames with the name princess, to some people, that doesn't claim maturity, to me well, let's just say when I proclaim something about me and like it, I do it because it makes me smile, I love it when I call my self princess or when people around call me.
Now, the reason for this long story😂😂(as you should know, I have reasons for my every long story), as I was saying, the reason for the long note above isn't to emphasize the fact that I'm my princess but to make a thing clear to not only me but to anyone reading this, when you like something, when something makes you smile, when that thing doesn't go against your lord, your religion, your morals, when you find pleasure while doing it, do it, simply because you feel contented and happy when you do.
Now me saying this, brings us to the main reason for this note, the past few days, when I post a chapter, I get quite discouraged by the vote and comments. Don't get me wrong, I have amazing people who believe me, make me smile each passing day, yet I feel discouraged .That was until I sat me down and spoke to my self, i realized, what I do, the story I'm writing, is what I created, from my thoughts, and I feel happy thinking of what will happen next, i realized,i have a huge crush on faruk and i created HIM!!!, i love muneenah's character cause i relate to her, before i write each chapter, i feel it, and when i decide to type, i do so with the emotions i portray in each chapter, as I'm typing this, I'm doing it cause i want to, cause i feel at ease, I love ukhtee mariya, and I created her, the ghazaali family, I love them so damn much!!!!, I like the twist and drama that roams around my head anytime I think of what would happen next, I feel happy with my descriptions anytime I preview my drafts, and I smile before updating any chapter... That! Is what should keep me going, I reminded my self. Not votes, not comments.
So to all those who vote, jazaakumullah khair, for adding to my contentment,for those who comment, I'm glad you find what I write most appealing, for me the writer I say!!!! Mad!! Girl you're blessed😂.
To anyone it is, who feels they need motivation to go ahead with something they do, believe me, once you like what you do, you are the greatest motivation you can give to yourself.
I will keep writing, anytime I feel like, I will keep throwing blasts here and there, cause I enjoy drama😂, I will keep forming amazing chapters and stories, cause I feel satisfied😇, I will keep moving, because no matter what it is, I know theres someone out there crushing on my work, or even on me.
So thanks to me, and thanks to you too.
Jazaakumullah khair,
Khadijah🌹