How Love Happens - Chapter 36

 

On Thursday after work, Haifa sat in her room, carefully wrapping the gift she had bought for Zishan. It had been precisely one month since they started going out, a fact he probably didn't remember. She felt a bit silly for hoping to celebrate something so small, but she still wanted to give him something.

She hadn't seen him for three days due to his busy training schedule, and it left her feeling somewhat devastated. Haifa hadn't anticipated missing him so much. He had assured her that he wouldn't work on weekends just to spend time with her. They continued their usual routine of texting throughout the day, but he hadn't mentioned anything about their monthiversary.

Haifa sighed as she took a simple red ribbon; options were limited on the island. With only a few types of wrapping paper and ribbons available, even finding a gift required compromise. She had to settle for a wallet as a gift to him.

Knowing she couldn't order something online due to the long delivery times, Haifa decided to make the most of the available items on the island for Zishan's one-month celebration. Ordering from Male' felt like a bit much for such a small milestone, that was more like an anniversary effort.

Zishan had called in the morning, expressing his excitement to see her for dinner that night upon his late evening return. She had initially left the wrapping for the next morning, anticipating a weekend celebration. She needed to hustle with her gift if she wanted to give him at the dinner.

As Haifa wrapped the gift, she heard a notification on her phone, and a broad smile crossed her face, thinking of him. But she found it was an email she had received. It was an invitation from Turquoise Tourism Company to attend an event announcing the winners of the photo competition. The date was set for Friday night, two weeks away. She quickly scanned the entire email multiple times.

Her heart sped up; she couldn't believe it was finally happening. Haifa had spent so much time working on the competition and had been anxious about her submission. Shaking off those thoughts, she told herself there was plenty of time to dwell on that, and right now, she wanted to get ready for Zishan.

Excitement bubbled within her as she prepared for their date. Haifa almost ran out of the house to see him, and there he stood, so handsome in his blue button-down shirt and jeans, holding a bouquet in one hand and a small box wrapped in pretty paper and ribbons.

"Oh, you remembered?" she asked as she took the flowers from him, inhaling their fragrance.

"Why would I forget?" he replied, tilting his head. "It was the best day of my life," he added, presenting her with the gift.

After dinner, they unwrapped their gifts at the restaurant. Zishan was delighted by her gift and immediately took out his old wallet and transferred all his belongings to the one she had given him. Haifa too was thrilled to see he had chosen a beautiful shawl for her. The colors were exquisite and felt smooth as silk.

***

The next two weeks seemed to crawl by, driven by Haifa's eager anticipation for the upcoming event and, perhaps, the fact that Zishan was occupied with work during the week. Haifa utilized this time to assist at her aunt’s house. To her surprise, the experience became more enjoyable as she got to know the people better. Even Aunt Naseema seemed to be warming up to her once again, especially after Haifa had personally apologized for the past misunderstandings.

At last, the night arrived and Haifa sat in her seat among the crowd, accompanied by her family and Zishan. The company had graciously allowed participants to bring up to three guests, so she had chosen her mother and Saira, considering their significant help in her submission.

The event was held on the main island of the atoll and exuded grandeur. The stage was expansive, LED screens showing the name and photos of the company and a podium, while the venue itself was elegantly lit and decorated with flowers and plants. The attendees were dressed in their finest attire.

Haifa had carefully stitched a brand new gown with the help of her mother's friend and accessorized herself with her most treasured jewelry. The event commenced precisely at eight, beginning with verses from the Holy Quran and followed by the Master of the Ceremony officiating. Haifa nervously bit her nails, her foot tapping with anxiety. To her surprise, Zishan's hand slipped into hers, offering a reassuring touch.

Haifa managed a faint smile at Zishan, who reciprocated with a reassuring smile. She sensed his anxiety as well, noticing a slight tightness in his expression as if he carried additional worries along with the workload he already had. Squeezing his hand, Haifa tried to convey her gratitude for his support amidst her own nervousness.

The event proceeded to the main part, with the MC announcing the feature of the top ten videos before unveiling the final winner. Time seemed to drag on as the videos played, she felt overwhelmed by the stress when her video was finally showcased at the fifth position. Watching her creation on the large screen made Haifa acutely aware of the areas she could have improved.

As the last video concluded, Haifa held her breath. The moment of truth approached as the MC prepared to announce the winner. “I would like to ask our chairman and the chief guest of this event, Mr. Ahmed Salah, to kindly award the winner of the competition the certificate and the grand prize,”

As the chief guest stood at the center of the stage, accompanied by others holding the certificate and oversized cheque, the MC continued, “And the winner for the competition for the year goes to…”

Haifa squeezed her eyes shut, offering non-stop prayers as she awaited the announcement of the name. The hall fell into pin-drop silence, and Haifa could only hear the pounding of her own heartbeat. The moment she had been anticipating, was the culmination of her hard work and aspirations. She had to win.

Amidst a drumroll, the verdict was revealed,

“Lamya Hussain!”

The crowd erupted in cheers as Lamya stood several rows ahead, bathed in the applause of triumph. Haifa felt her world beginning to crumble around her, her heart sinking. Lamya casually turned to place her bag on her chair, and her eyes fell on Haifa's face. A confident smile transformed into a smug smirk as Lamya looked down upon Haifa with an air of condescension—a victorious gesture directed at her defeated opponent.

Haifa watched the unfolding events in front of her, her senses barely registering the scene. Lamya gracefully ascended the small flight of stairs to the stage's center, shaking hands with the chief guest and receiving the award with a radiant smile. Haifa's hand trembled as she clutched Zishan's, realizing she had lost. Despite all her effort and hope, she had lost. A lump formed in her throat, tears threatening to blur her vision with each blink.

 Haifa was aware of the anxious glances from Zishan and her family, but she was too engulfed in grief to pay them much attention. The event concluded after the chief guest congratulated the participants and the winner, and delivered his keynote address. However, Haifa didn't hear anything.

As they left the reception, Haifa walked in silence with her group to the speed boat ferry that would take them home. Others tried to uplift her spirit, offering words of encouragement and congratulations for making it to the top ten. However, all she could manage in response was a meek nod. When Zishan suggested going out for dinner or staying a bit longer, she declined, citing fatigue.

In reality, Haifa felt numb, her mind still grappling with the events of the night. A sense of depression hung over her as if all happiness had drained away. Not only had she lost the competition, but she had lost to her archenemy. She wanted to be angry, to confront them about whether the strings they pulled had finally worked. The entire night, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling, wondering what she would do next.

Haifa found herself in the grip of despair, realizing she had lost a monumental opportunity, perhaps the biggest in her lifetime. She felt like a nobody, someone who never aspired to reach the stars but always aimed for things within her grasp. This was the first time she had been so determined to be the best and secure a victory, but all her hopes crumbled with the defeat of the night.

Zishan texted her a few times, but Haifa deliberately ignored his messages, hoping he would believe she had gone to sleep. She knew it was not the right thing to do, but she needed time for herself. She craved a moment to process her sorrow, allowing herself the space to cry in peace and indulge in self-pity.

***

Haifa gazed at her reflection in the wardrobe mirror. The dark circles under her eyes had somewhat lightened, and her bloodshot eyes were regaining their original color. Unsure of the time she finally managed to fall asleep, she awoke past ten in the morning. After checking the time, she succumbed to more sleep, only rising in the early afternoon when her mother arrived, coercing her out of bed.

The day failed to improve her mood as she remained sullen and retreated into her room. Saira checked on her once, but Haifa simply claimed fatigue and feeling unwell. She responded to Zishan, feeling guilt for blowing him off the previous night. When he suggested meeting that night, she quickly agreed. Just because she felt like staying in bed for days didn't mean she should.

Determined to change her mood, Haifa showered and got ready. As she made plans in her mind, her mood began to lift. Losing a competition didn't mean the end; she just needed to find a way back home. On Sunday, she resolved to start looking for jobs in Male' and explore apartment prices. She didn't necessarily need to work as a professional photographer immediately. The first phase of her plan involved finding ways to return home.

Just as Haifa was about to walk out of her room, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Haifa?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Yes, who is this?" she inquired.

"My name is Hilmee from Turquoise Tourism Company."

Haifa felt confused; why were they calling her? Wasn't the event enough to let her know she did not win? "Okay... How may I help you?"

"Haifa, we were really impressed by your work at our company, and I am calling you to ask if you would be interested in working for us?" he asked smoothly.

Haifa's mouth fell open, her mind not fully grasping the words she was hearing. "You want me to work for you?" she asked dumbly.

"Yes."

"But I did not win," she said.

Hilmee chuckled, "We are aware of that."

"I’m surprised. I mean, why would you ask me when the winner was obviously better? I mean, that’s why she won the competition." Haifa knew she was asking the wrong questions, but she couldn’t help it.

“Well, it was a competition, and there are many other factors at play in such a thing. Besides, she already owns her own photo studio, and her works are displayed there. We want fresh new recruits like you. Your submission was very well received.”

“Oh…” was all she could manage.

“If you accept, we will be providing a monthly salary of 10k along with benefits. Also, you would be working in our main office in Male’,” he continued.

“Benefits?”

“Yes, we would be providing an apartment in our residence building with a living allowance and a field allowance to begin with.”

Haifa felt dizzy, happiness burst through her, she clutched her phone tight as she was afraid she might drop it.

“If you like, I could give you a day or two to think about…”

“I accept!” she cried out before he could complete his sentence. Haifa couldn't believe the overwhelming happiness flooding through her at the moment. Despite the disappointment of losing the competition, she had never imagined that an even better opportunity would come knocking so soon. It was just as they say when one door closes, a window opens, in her case a multitude of windows just flung wide open.

“Great. Then we will inform you of the details of your job description and send you a copy of our employee contract. Can you please forward me your email address?”

She quickly gave him her email details and thanked him repeatedly before hanging up.

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Have a wonderful day!