Chapter 66

She shook her head slowly as she started walking backwards. "I... I'm sorry but... I just can't. I can't do this." His shoulders slumped defeatedly but not that he was giving up already. "Do you love , dalia?" He asked the question. She slowly raised her head and settled her gaze on him. She lowered her gaze and fiddled with her fingers. "You love me then?" He asked her. She turned and ran off into the house. Her mother stood by her door of her room, looking at her daughter walk passed her before she entered her room. Amina heaved a long sigh and turned to her room. She came out wearing a hijab before she sauntered out of the house and ushered him in before he left. She served him food and some refreshments. Muhsin hadn't realized he haven't eaten till he started eating the food Dalia's mother served him. The cooking was delicious. It tasted like her cooking. It may be her cooking, he couldn't forget how she cooked. He couldn't forget how she conversed with him about how her mother taught her how to cook and how she got knocked in the head when she wasn't paying attention. He couldn't forget each and every moment they shared together. After he was done eating, Amina focused on him before she spoke. "Muhsin what exactly is going on please? Dalia have not told me what fully happened. What she has been doing since last night was crying." He took a deep breath before he informed her about everything that has happened and how he started to love her. "And mama, I seriously want to marry Dalia but she rejected. I tried speaking to her just now but she still rejected me. And she's not giving me any valid reason why she's rejecting me. I asked her if she doesn't love me and I will let go if she doesn't but she never answered the question." Her mother turned away as she reasoned. She observed that dalia had something for him even though she hadn't realized she was in love but it was obvious. "I know dalia can be stubborn and hard sometimes especially when she makes up her mind but I will try and see how I will convince her." The tension that had kept him up for hours straight melted into nothing. He beamed and nodded his head. He was relieved knowing her mother would do any possible way to help him. "But.... But for now. You should give her some time, okay? I will inform you on everything ones I've spoken with her, In sha Allah." He nodded his head as he smiled. "Yes, mama, thank you so much. I know she will listen to you definitely." Her mother smiled and nodded. "This is her phone." He brought out the phone from his pocket and kept it in front of Amina. "Mama, I will be on my way now." She accompanied him to the door before she went back into her room, not bothering to check up on Dalia. She knew it wasn't a great time to talk about it yet. ** She held the phone in her hand contemplating whether to turn it on or not. She knew she had missed a lot; her friends, their group chat, reading books online and mostly him. "Are you going to turn it on or you're going to keep staring at it?" Amrah interrupted her. She looked at Amrah's way before she glared at her and hissed as she turned her attention to the phone she was holding. Amrah shrugged and continued with her business. Dalia found her trembling hands pushing the power button. She plump down on the edge of the bed as she let out a shaky breath. She waited to see his text messages at least but nothing, nothing appeared but a couple of messages from her school friends. She embraced herself and shook her head. Was she expecting message from him? The man she has rejected, a married man with a crazy wife? She hissed scolding herself for thinking he would text her. And tell her what even? She dropped the phone on her side drawer and laid on the bed before she slowly closed her eyes. She prayed sleep will overtake her, at least she will find some peace after she wakes up. Her phone suddenly vibrated which made her to briskly scramble up to her feet. She took the phone and quickly checked the new message. She groaned and turned it back. It wasn't him. Why wasn't he texting her now? He has given up on her already? Amrah glanced at her and looked away not saying anything to her like Dalia's mother asked her not to. Dalia got tired of pacing around the room and laid back down on the bed and closed her eyes. She will forget about him like he had forgotten about her. ** Dalia hadn't started panicking till her mother stopped asking her about what was going on for the past one week and he never texted her or showed up again. She felt dejected, why was everyone not talking about it? Not even Amrah after she had told her what was going on. The fear and thoughts looped around in her mind until there was no room for anything else. These next few days would either pass as a blip in the course of her life, or they would be final trauma that broke her. She stood up from her bed before the tears threatened to fall. She slipped into her hijab and stepped out of her room to her mother's room.