How Love Happens - Chapter 15

 

As they stepped outside, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a warm afterglow over the island. The streetlights had come to life, casting a gentle, inviting glow, and only a few pedestrians strolled about. The twilight painted an alluring, almost romantic ambiance.

As they began walking, Haifa noticed a subtle shift. Zishan moved slightly behind her, positioning himself on her right side. It took her a moment to grasp the smooth maneuver. Then, it dawned on her that he had placed himself between her and the road, even though it was a quiet street with hardly any traffic. She suppressed a smile. It was both considerate and a bit disarming, how he effortlessly performed these small acts that left her pleasantly intrigued, all without seeming overtly deliberate.

Once more, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how he typically acted around his girlfriend or wife. A pang of jealousy welled up within her, and she silently scolded herself for these emotions. The idea of him being involved with someone else seemed to stir something inside her. She knew she was on the wrong track and needed to break the silence.

"Does your whole family live here?" she asked, trying to divert her thoughts.

Zishan responded with a warm smile. "Yes, we all love it here too much to leave. My parents work at the school, and two of my brothers work for private companies."

"Two brothers, huh? Your mother must have had her hands full raising three boys," Haifa remarked.

Zishan laughed heartily. "She says she aged a million." He said, "I remember when we were barely teenagers, we used to sneak out early in the morning to the beach. At that time, we didn't have a jetty. The boats were moored about fifty feet away from the shore. All the kids our age, girls and boys alike, would assemble at the break of dawn, swim to the boats, and climb on board. We used to do all kinds of flips and dives. The best among us were the ones who could dive from bow to stern, along the keel of the boat in a single breath. And we three were champions." Did he just puff out his chest? Haifa thought.

"Oh my god, isn't that dangerous?" she exclaimed.

Zishan nodded solemnly, "I certainly wouldn't recommend the stunts we did back then to anyone now. But we grew up in the water, and we were more adept at it than walking on land."

"And your parents never found out?" she asked.

"Oh, they did. The day our mother discovered what we were doing, she almost had a heart attack. She grounded us for months," he replied with a soft chuckle.

"And your father? He didn't say anything?" Haifa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Bappa always supported mamma when it came to disciplining us. But that day, I saw the look he tried to hide. It was pride. He was secretly proud of us."

Haifa smiled. "Are your brothers older or younger?"

"Younger, I'm the eldest," he replied. Then he turned the question back to her. "And what about you? Do you have any memories of your father?" His voice held a gentle tone.

Haifa blinked, taken aback by the unexpected question. "I don't think I do," she admitted. "I was only four when he passed away. I can't remember his face or voice. The only things I know about him are from the photos my mother has."

Her thoughts drifted for a moment, and before she could stop herself, her words poured out. "But I do have one memory," she said. "It's of an origami frog. I asked my mother about it once. She was surprised when I asked, never thought I would remember that. After his passing, she had a hard time talking about him, so she had never told me about his origami. She told me that my father used to make different origami animals for me. But the frog was his specialty, and it was the one that made me laugh the most."

As Haifa shared this memory, she felt an unfamiliar warmth inside her. She realized she hadn't talked about her father to anyone in a long time.

"I cannot imagine a life without mine. It breaks my heart for you not to be able to experience that," he said softly. His questions didn't feel like prying; they were filled with genuine curiosity.

Haifa paused, contemplating her feelings. She hadn't really thought about her situation as a heartbreak. She had observed many families around her while growing up, yearning for a father figure. While she often wondered what it would be like if her father had lived, she couldn't truly say she missed him. "I can't remember enough to miss him," she replied honestly. "I suppose I haven't thought about it that way. My mother did so much for me that I never really had the chance to miss anyone."

As she walked beside Zishan, thoughts weighed heavily on her. She felt a deep sense of guilt for how she had treated her mother in recent weeks, the turmoil she had put her through. Haifa understood that her mother's actions were wrong, but she couldn't help but feel that the way she had handled the situation had been less than ideal.

"Hey, you went so quiet, did I make you sad?" His eyes searched hers.

"No, no, I was thinking about Mamma. How much she sacrificed for me," she replied honestly, though she wondered why she was sharing all of this with him.

"True. Even with both parents, raising a family is hard work. I have deep respect for your mother for doing what she did, raising such a wonderful daughter," he said, looking at her with those gentle eyes, smiling as if she were truly someone remarkable.

Her heart began to thump rapidly inside her chest, and her face warmed with a blush. Thankfully, they were nearing her house.

They stopped at the entrance, and she hugged herself, trying not to look at him, which was difficult when he was gazing at her with such intensity. She cleared her throat. "So, I will see you on Friday," she said.

"Yes, of course," he tilted his head and continued, "I had a wonderful evening. Thank you for joining me for coffee."

Time seemed to stand still once again, and she couldn't look away. Haifa tried to slow her racing heart and control her breathing. Her body felt pleasingly warm, and his eyes spoke volumes as they looked deep into hers.

She nervously took a step back, her gaze dropping to the ground. Every ounce of her being wanted to lean in and touch his beautiful face. "I should go," she said quietly. Zishan only nodded.

Haifa quickly walked away, opened the door, and went inside. As she closed the door behind her, she peeked out the window. He left only after she had closed the door.

Haifa spent the night tossing and turning. Excited about the shoots she had planned for the week. And she cannot stop thinking about Zishan. She played their conversation in her mind over again a few times. Wondering how she had shared her memories with him, the one she almost never talked to anyone about. Even Aseel did not know about the origami frogs her father made for her.

She tried calling Aseel after she came back, she wanted to talk to him before she went to sleep. Maybe part guilty of spending time with Zishan. But her had rejected her calls two times, saying he was busy. Aseel had a habit of being vague about his whereabouts. He would say he was going out or busy but wouldn't elaborate on where he was going or when he would get back to her.

She found it really infuriating. She had no problem with him going anywhere, she just wished he would keep her in his plans, or at least share with her how his day went without having her ask a bunch of questions and make out a picture of his day.

She also had to be careful about how much she asked, if too much he would accuse her of being controlling. Not trusting him or wanting to know every detail of his life. It was too suffocating for him. What he did not know was how exhausting it was for Haifa to ask the questions. She simply wanted to be included, not to know all the details. Haifa had a deep need to connect with him, she shared everything she did. That’s just how she was.

***

The next day Aseel finally got back to her. Haifa was so excited about the shoots she had told him everything. His only response was asking who she was going with. She had reluctantly said Zishan’s name and he threw a fit. In fact, his whole behavior suddenly changed in the two days that followed. Calling her at odd times, and asking her where she was or who she was with.

She was not at all fooled by his line of questioning, Haifa knew he wanted to know if she spent any time with Zishan. She found his behavior childish though she never voiced her feelings. She had never given him any reason to doubt her. She had never been around other men or talked in private chats on social media. She had never even thought to be unfaithful to him throughout the time she had known him.

Regardless, the way he was acting it felt like she was some unhinged woman who would cheat at any available opportunity. The night before she was to go to the resort meeting Aseel had made her promise to take Saira with her. She had no idea why he felt so threatened by Zishan but somehow he grew angry whenever she mentioned him.

Later that night, the idea occurred to her that she could gain back Aseel’s interest a lot more once again if she played her cards right. If he was this jealous about Zishan, it was a good sign he was afraid he might lose her. and that gave her a great amount of satisfaction.

Although the thought of playing another game seemed so wearing to her. Why can't Aseel just be a loving and caring boyfriend who trusts her? Why was it so hard with their relationship? Was her mother right about their relationship being toxic, she wondered.

***

“I’m so happy you decided to take me with you. I have never been to a resort, I hear they have fabulous food there.” Saira said dreamily.

Early in the morning, Haifa and Saira sat at the joali in front of their house, eagerly awaiting Zishan's arrival. Haifa hadn't disclosed the real reason why she had asked Saira to join them on the trip. She didn't want Saira to develop any misconceptions about Aseel. As the time, Haifa was genuinely relieved that Saira was coming along. After their coffee meeting, she had felt that being alone with Zishan might be a little too intense for her.

Haifa was overly excited and was trying hard to keep her face straight. She reminded herself to be as professional as she could. She wanted to impress the resort manager and also she knew how perceptive Saira was.

The way Zishan was the night he had dropped her off at her home, she had a feeling he was attracted to her too. If they so much as shared a lingering look, Saira would pick it up on her radar. She had no time to convince Saira there was nothing going on between them, more importantly, it would be quite impossible to keep her from assuming.

Haifa eagerly watched the outer entrance from her peripheral. Saira lay on the joali swinging a leg. “Yeah, they have a buffet for every meal, lots of options.” Haifa said trying to engage with her cousin.

“I always wanted to visit, but never had the chance. Plus they take a lot of money for a day even.” Saira said, “Maybe I can ask for a lower rate when I meet the manager. I wonder how Zishan is cozy with a manager of a five-star resort”

Haifa had wondered it too, not that she was ungrateful for the opportunity it had brought her. She still did not know the story behind Muneez, who had come to her house to repair her phone because Zishan had requested. Now a resort manager was giving his time for her. She was still thinking about it when she caught sight of him.

She immediately grabbed Saira’s hand just as Zishan entered. “Hey, ready?” he asked.

They both stood up, nodding their head. “We were ready since last night,” Saira called out.

Zishan laughed, “Then let's go.”

Did you love the chapter, please let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Have a wonderful day!