How Love Happens - Chapter 28

 

Haifa sat in her room, half-listening to Aseel as he continued to share details about his trip and their plans to go abroad again in the next few months. The incessant rain throughout the week had forced her to reschedule her shoots, which, oddly, she found herself indifferent about. The once vibrant enthusiasm for her work had somehow waned, overshadowed by the haunting image of Zishan's tortured expression.

"I've always loved to travel," Aseel remarked. "Now with the gang, I'm finally able to do what I always wanted." He lay shirtless on his bed, his hair tied in a ponytail. He had returned just three days ago, and his conversation was dominated by the fantastic experiences he had, never mentioning what Haifa had said nor bothering to invite her to any of his trips.

Haifa sighed, realizing she hadn't even bothered to ask Aseel to visit her. The repetitive conversations were becoming increasingly tiresome. To be completely honest, she wasn't sure if she still cared. She rubbed her eyes, her cold had finally left her, yet her body still felt sore. Most of her time had been spent at home with her family, and staying cooped up in her room only deepened her misery.

Spending time with others, particularly her mother, had brought them closer. They talked like they used to, and Haifa felt immensely guilty for the mess she had created with her mother’s in-laws and even with her own sisters. Simply to attain her own goals. She wished she could take back the things she had done, hoping to make things right once again. The fear lingered that she had jeopardized the only chance she truly had by creating those petty problems between Uncle Zuhair and her mother.

Especially after the visit to Razi's home, Haifa had been thinking a lot about her mother. She realized her mother was getting old, and she had done everything for her. On the other hand, Haifa had wronged her—making her look bad in front of relatives, arguing with her, and not speaking to her for long periods out of anger. Haifa couldn't believe how she had acted towards her mother. She had never truly grasped the selfishness of her own actions.
"So, have you thought about returning here anytime soon?" his question interrupted her wandering thoughts.

"If I win the competition, I can use the money to move back," she replied, forcing a smile.

He averted his eyes, asking nonchalantly, "So, how is that going?"

Haifa sensed his underlying reason for asking—to know whether she was still seeing Zishan or not. A bit of anger welled up within her at his prying into her personal life. "So far, I've captured most of the shots, waiting for the weather to get better to finish the rest. It hasn't rained this weekend, so maybe I'll check for this week," she replied, maintaining a measured tone.

When she ended the call, she didn't bother to say she loved him, a habit she had dropped since his return from Dubai. She hadn't even checked his whereabouts. Aseel was growing more distant since she stopped those once-constant gestures. It was precisely what she had always feared. If she ever ceased to be obsessed with him, the foundation of their relationship seemed to crumble. It was strange; she had never truly realized just how delicately balanced their connection was.

Haifa felt as if she was finally waking from the haze that had enveloped her for so long, seeing Aseel for who he truly was. He wasn't the dreamy guy she had envisioned. Instead, he proved to be childish, boasting excessively about himself. Even the long hair tied in buns or ponytails struck her as overly prudish. The way he spent his family's money without making an effort to secure a job of his own raised questions about his ability to manage a family if they were to get married. He had no care for anyone other than himself and had no objective in life. Strange that it never bothered her before.

Haifa couldn't ignore the fact that her perspective on Aseel was shifting, and she attributed it to Zishan. His charm and his confession had left an undeniable mark on her. What bothered her more than Aseel's shortcomings was the realization that she might be changing for another man. Throughout her life, every crush she'd had seemed to prompt a transformation in some aspect of herself. Memories of school-time crushes surfaced, where she had altered the way she dressed or feigned interest in their conversations.

The thought of changing for someone else, again, troubled her deeply. She had already transformed everything for Aseel—adjusting her wardrobe, makeup, and even wearing high heels in response to one of his comments. Haifa didn't want to go through that process again. She yearned to be her own person, unaltered by a man’s influences.

***

Two days later, with the weather remaining constant and sunny, Haifa went on her drone shoot at Rasdhoo. Taking an early leave from work, she arrived on the island in the early afternoon. Although Saira had expressed interest in joining her, Haifa decided to go alone. She didn't want her friend to leave work early for her, and the solo trip brought a sense of exhilaration. Yet, it also stirred memories of Zishan.

In the preceding days, Haifa had wrestled with the idea of inviting Zishan to join her. He seemed genuinely excited about the drone shoot, and she felt he might be disappointed if she didn't tell him. However, at the last moment, she chose to go alone. Zishan had already given Khalid her number, indicating his reluctance to spend time with her. Haifa couldn't blame him; she didn't want to put him on the spot either. She knew he would be too polite to say no if she asked.

Instead, here she was, alone on an island, grappling with the technical details of the drone and learning how to handle it. It proved more challenging than she had anticipated. Fortunately, the instructor assisting her was patient, guiding her through the process.

He began with very basic exercises, making her gently get the feel for the responsiveness of the controls and tentatively testing the limitations. Thankfully last night, she had watched numerous video tutorials, hoping to gain some insight into how it would be done. She practiced maneuvering techniques, handling, and performance before even thinking of taking any photo. The most challenging aspect was estimating the proximity to objects via the video display on the controller.

It took a considerable amount of time before she finally managed to capture a few good shots. Haifa had been more concerned about crashing the drone than getting any footage or photos. The instructor alleviated her worries by holding the drone while she directed him on what shots she wanted. When the instructor had brought the drone back she checked the materials she had collected and decided it was fine. Maybe she could have done better if she had another session.

By evening, Haifa returned to Vavathi. As she walked the road back to her home, she found herself missing Zishan. Suddenly, her eyes caught a familiar family figure emerging from a store.

"Uncle Zuhair?" she called, hastening her pace. It seemed unbelievable—was fate offering her another chance to right the wrongs she had done?

Her uncle turned to her, surprised. "Ah, hello Haifa." Halting in mid step.

"Yes, how are you?" she asked.

"I am fine. How have you been?" he inquired.

"Much better. I was hoping to see you again. You never invited us back to your home after the last meal we had," she politely inquired. "May I walk you home?"

"It's not necessary, dear," he responded.

"Please, I insist. I have been hoping we get a chance to speak."

Her uncle glanced around, seemingly searching for a way out. Finally, with a sigh, he agreed. "I wasn't sure if your mother wanted to visit us," he said tartly once they began walking.

"Can you blame her? You accused her of many things," she replied. "I understand, but I also didn't like the way our visit ended. It was my fault for trying to make things worse than they were," she admitted. "Why don't you come with your family for a visit? I believe we should at least be able to share a meal as a family."

"I don't think that's a good idea." he responded.

"Come now, Uncle, shouldn't we leave the past behind and try to mend our relationships?" she asked.

"It’s not that simple," he replied.

"My mother is a good woman; she has done everything for me. Even after you decided not to help her, she has always wanted our families to be on good terms," she replied firmly. "You have mistreated us, but I, just like my mother, want nothing more than to reunite our families. I think you owe us that much."

Her uncle looked at her boldness, and she could see the guilt or even remorse in his eyes that he tried to disguise. "You are right. I do owe you," he said after some time. His expression softened. "I see so much of your mother in you, but also I can see your father. He was so stubborn in what he believed in, one way or another always convinced me he was right. And he was most of the time. He was such a good brother. He was taken from us too soon," he said sadly as they arrived in front of his house.

“I believe I clung to too much anger when he left, but in truth, I just didn't want to part with him. He was my closest sibling, always by my side. So special, always looking up to me. When he left, he wounded me, and I let the anger fester within me for too long." His voice broke a little at the end of his words.

The man appeared to be finally acknowledging his remorse. Haifa's heart broke at his expression. The usually powerful man, known for his boldness and strength, was admitting to his fault. She finally understood the reasons behind the things he had done. "Latheefa and my sons talked to me over the years, urging me to reconcile with your mother, trying to help me see I was wrong. But I refused. Even after your visit, Latheefa begged me to talk to your mother. But I felt it was beneath me to do so. I am guilty of so many things. Yet, I left those feelings aside."

"Can you change, uncle? What would you say if my father were here right now? Can you face him after you abandoned us? Can you explain your actions to him?" Haifa asked softly.

Haifa observed the horrified expression on his face, his mouth hanging slightly open as he searched for words. She knew she had struck him in the right place, hoping her meddling would bring good rather than harm for once.

Uncle Zuhair cleared his throat. "Would you like to come in? Latheefa would be very delighted to see you."

"Not today, uncle. Maybe soon," she replied.

He nodded in understanding, "I will visit your home tomorrow for dinner. We have much to talk about," he said, awkwardly patting her shoulder before going inside his house.

"YOU DID WHAT?" her mother asked in panic. "It's one thing for us to go there, but here no one likes them. It would be a big problem if your aunt Naseema found out. And she will find out!" Her mother's voice began to rise in her panic state.

Haifa had come straight home after her conversation with her uncle. Her mamma and aunt Rugiyya were sitting on the joali when she broke the news about Uncle Zuhair.

"Calm down, mamma," she said softly as she sat next to her mother. "I know what I am doing. I should have asked him to come a long time ago. I used the last visit to only make problems; I think it was wrong of me. This time it will be different," she explained.

"I know you mean well, Ifa. But things have been strained at Naseema's house for weeks after your outburst," she looked at Rugiyya, "She will be so angry now."

"I think Ifa is right," her aunt advised her mother. "There is nothing wrong with mending fences. You leave Naseema to me," she said.

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