15. Silver Lining

...

As the city welcomed Summer with unwilling arms, the Fayyads and the Ahmads rejoiced at the prospect of a future union. Both families, as predicted, more than celebrated the idea.

Lily Ahmad, Layla Fayyad and Malika Bashir started discussing who was treating whom and where. When Dahlia questioned them with utter confusion, they replied, "we had multiple bets going on about how this thing will play out."

Dahlia was astounded.

"You too, Layla?" she gasped.

It wasn't only Layla, as it turned out; both Ibrahim and Poppy were in on it too. Dahlia realized her life was truly filled with traitors.

"What? I have a child to feed now," Ibrahim shrugged when Dahlia threw him a look full of disappointment. This was turning out to be his excuse for everything these days.

Their engagement wasn't officially announced due to Dahlia's request, which Kaveh upheld. After this point, the only interactions they were allowed were supervised ones. Ibrahim created a group chat with the duo to allow them a chance to talk, which so far only had the message from him,

You guys, I'll be watching closely.

It was a Friday morning when Dahlia found Layla Fayyad trudging into her bedroom.

The last year had brought life alternating transitions in most of the girls' lives. All of her friends were entering new phases, except for Layla. They couldn't see each other as often these days, and their interactions were mostly restricted to the weekends due to Dahlia's hectic schedule. "The only communication I have with you and Malika these days is when I tag you in memes," Layla often complained.

This lead Dahlia to be nervous about how the girl was going to perceive her relationship with her brother. However, Layla seemed to be more than comfortable about it.

"How are things going between you two?" Layla asked her, indicating to her relationship with Kaveh.

"I don't know," Dahlia said with an exasperated sigh, contemplating how much she should share. "He's so... reserved. Sometimes I don't know how to speak to him. All he does is sends me headlines of numerous newspapers every morning." She shot Layla a look.

At that, Layla burst out laughing. "Oh my God. No way!"

"He has this habit of sharing news headlines to every family group chat he is a part of," she explained. "I can't believe he is weird enough to send them to you too! This has to be the most Kaveh thing I've ever heard."

Dahlia pouted. "I don't how to respond to them."

"Just ignore it." She rolled her eyes. "That's what we all do. He's reserved, but its only because he is nervous," she told her. "Probably more than you are."

The thought hadn't even occurred to Dahlia. He always looked so confident, it was surprising to her that he could be nervous too.

"Kaveh doesn't let people in easily, and I'm starting to realize for good reasons too." Layla said with a sigh. "He's learned the hard way that most people do not come to him without any agenda."

"He's total weirdo, but he'll always say the thing you need to hear, even if it makes him the bad guy," Layla continued. "It took me a while to get that. I know you and I know it'll bug you too, but remember that he always does it with good intentions."

Dahlia took the initiative to break the ice between them after that. It took a little while to do that, and slide into a phase where they could actually ask each other questions. Their conversations ranged from sensitive issues like whether the other wanted children, to simple matters like their hobbies (Kaveh said, I will never turn down a good book. Dahlia excitedly added she loved books too. Then Kaveh told her the last book he read was a deep intellectual piece about the cracks and faults of society. Dahlia briskly veered the conversation in another direction to avoid mentioning the trashy teen fiction she binged).

A matter that caused a lot of discomfort in Dahlia's heart was that Kaveh wasn't as practicing of a Muslim. Her religion was the most fundamental pillar of her life on which she based her decisions on. It wasn't just something she followed because of her society or family - it was something that was core to her being.

Kaveh had Faith. He followed the basic steps that made him a Muslim. However, she needed to know he was willing to improve. She wasn't looking for a perfect Muslim, because that notion did not exist; nor was she looking for someone who followed through every little thing she had managed to achieve over the years. But rather, her only requirement was that he at least have some interest in his religion, and was willing to grow with her.

She told him all that, and also opened up about the difficulty she had faced when she first started practicing Islam due to the resistance from her family. Dahlia had no desire to go through the same thing with her future spouse again and fight the same battle anew.

Kaveh was open to listening to her beliefs. She also started sending him lectures from her favorite Islamic speakers.

He always listened to them, and even made notes. And Kaveh had questions. A lot of questions. One thing Dahlia realized early on was that he was not someone who followed culture blindly. She knew that from the start, but it was just cemented further.

Sometimes they agreed on the matters they discussed, sometimes they did not;

but they were slowly developing the practice of coming to a peaceful place of agreeing to disagree.

Dahlia was starting to realise that Kaveh's tendency to not hesitate with his opinions was something she no longer was bothered by. She would rather have someone who served her the bitter truth instead of someone who fed her beautiful lies. And Kaveh did exactly that - he always spoke his mind, even if it made him unpopular.

It was a cloudy afternoon that had blended into a pouring evening.

The thunders shook the sky, heavy drops drumming against the rooftops of the tall buildings. Katrina Khan entered into the warm cocoon of the local Chinese place, the familiar smell of spices unwinding some of her tightened nerves. Her friends were shaking off their umbrellas, discussing the end of the day, their merry tones striking a contrast to the dreary evening.

Katrina had her phone pressed between her right ear and shoulder. One of their aunts called to inform them this morning that Katrina's fifteen years old twin brothers, Jaabir and Tauhid, had been recording their grandmother's so-called prayer sessions live on Facebook, with the caption 'A Cult Forming in our House'.

The videos generally began with her brothers staring intently into the camera. "Hi, mango people," Jaabir whispered each time in an ominous tone. "Let's find out what the notorious cult-leader has to say today."

That's how they introduced their grandmother.

The twins had gained quite a bit of attention from their community, Zahira Khan was turning into a local celebrity.

"I'll deal with this as soon as I come home, alright?" Katrina said to her frenzied mother, taking the empty seats pushed against a corner. She hung up with a sigh.

This had been a long day for her. Across from her, Zeenat and Tamara were chatting animatedly, and all she could think about was slipping into her pajamas and melting into her feather mattress. Girls night outs were fun, but all she wanted in that moment was to go home and spend the rest of the night by herself.

Her eyes glided across the room. She heard Salman before she saw him. His voice triumphed over any other noise in the room. Katrina's eyes lingered on him for a moment. He was surrounded by a bunch of guys, his two friends from the IT department included. He was leaning all the way back on the plush sofa he was occupying, his tie was loosened and his hair lying flat on his scalp, seeming like the boys were having a lazy end to a hectic day.

She diverted her attention to her side of the room, making an effort to keep it there. As the evening escalated, their food was served. She was chatting with the girls when her phone beeped. Reading the message on her screen, discomfort coiled her intestines.

"Excuse me, please," Katrina mumbled, sliding down from her seat.

"Where are you going?" Tamara asked, a frown forming between her brows.

"It'll just take a moment," she mumbled over her shoulder, barely meeting the girls' eyes.

Leaving her friends' queries hanging in the air, Katrina was already on her way out. The chilly air slapped against her face as the bell overhead tinkled upon crashing against the pushed door, the damp smell of rain accompanying it.

Her jaw tightened as she noticed Ashiq parked just a few feet away. She expected it to get easier with time, but the sight of him pierced her heart just as brutally. She inhaled deeply, tucking in her emotions and stepping in his direction.

Seeing her, he straightened, placing a hand over the hood of his car as he faced her.

"You can't keep doing this," she spewed, each word reiterating the frustration brewing in her chest.

Ashiq didn't respond. He only looked at her, his sorrow seeming to deepen at her sight.

"What if someone walks out and sees you? What kind of assumptions do you think they'll make? You know what? I can't do this," she said, raising her shoulders tirelessly, and dropping them.

"I'm sorry."

The words weighed between them. Katrina swallowed the ball forming in her throat. She looked down at her feet, her shoes were damping at the edges because of the water collected from the rain in the nooks and crannies of their uneven street. The silence between them was filled by the honking of the cars in the busy road.

Katrina lifted her gaze to look at him. "You need to go home."

"I can't."

"Ashiq, please," she pleaded, looking away.

The faint tinkling of the bell reached them as the door of the restaurant opened once more. She saw a familiar figure emerge from the building, the chatter from inside momentarily lighting up the side walk.

The expression on his face changed. Ashiq's eyes showed annoyance as he eyed Salman up and down. "What's he doing here?"

At the same moment, as Salman stepped towards his car, he noticed the duo. Recognition flashed across his face as he saw the guy, and just like Ashiq, the look on his eyes weren't welcoming.

"Everything okay there?" he asked, folding back the keys in the palm of his hand as his intention changed.

"Absolutely fine," Ashiq replied, his smile polite but tone clipped.

"Wasn't asking you, buddy," Salman said, taking a step towards them. Katrina closed her eyes, the escalating scene spiking her anxiety. Ashiq had never been a fan of this guy to begin with.

Salman halted just behind her. "Hey, aren't you the ex-boyfriend?" he asked in a casual tone, knowing full-well who the other guy was.

"We were engaged," Ashiq bit out.

Katrina turned back to Ashiq. She opened her lids and faced him again. "I want you gone," said with conviction.

"You heard the lady," Salman said.

"Stay out of this," Ashiq said, jaw clenched. The pain in his eyes were replaced by displeasure. "What happens between us doesn't concern you."

"If you're harassing a girl I know in the middle of the street, it is my business."

"Harassing her?" Ashiq cried, outraged. "We were –"

"Engaged, we get it." He rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, what's he doing here?" Ashiq repeated, folding his arms over his chest, his eyes hardening.

"I'm asking you both to step back." Katrina said, attempting to keep her voice level.

"I own the street." Salman retorted, ignoring her warning. "I plan to throw a sweet party here and not invite you."

Katrina looked over her shoulder, throwing Salman a helpless, yet stern, look. "Don't make this worse."

Ashiq's gaze landed on her once more. "Are you – are you friends with him now, Katrina?"

"Please," Katrina sighed to Salman.

He looked at Ashiq for a moment longer, then raising his hands in surrender, he broke eye contact and stepped back from the situation. Salman took only a couple of steps before he turned around and faced them again. He watched silently with a grin on his face, which he knew would grate on the other man's nerves worse than his words.

"Who I associate with doesn't concern you," she said, facing Ashiq again, choosing to deal with the greater devil in the situation. "Not any longer."

The look in her eyes and the tone of her voice threw Ashiq off. "But-"

"Just leave."

Ashiq darted his eyes back and forth between her and Salman. The look in her eyes melted his resolve, but anger simmered as they landed on Salman. He didn't say anything further, but he pried open his car door with his jaw clenched.

As Ashiq drove away, Katrina let out the breath she was holding. She placed her exhausted eyes on Salman. The grin had disappeared, the look on his face was unreadable.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"I was just trying to help," he said.

She let out a sigh. Katrina walked past him, without giving him another chance to speak, hoping to grab her cousin and finally go home.

...

Hello, ji. Is anybody still here?

I'm so sorry for just disappearing like that, you guys. The break I took was long needed, not only for myself, but also to contemplate the progression of this book. However, no worries, I'm back now, in shaa Allah, and I have every intention to return to our regular updating schedule; or perhaps even increase the density of my posts.

All that being said, I got a new job Alhamdulillah. I'm now a school teacher like Miss. Dahlia. I have been waiting, and praying, to get into this school a long time (but let's hope I don't meet my Jason there). I'm very excited for it, so please keep me in your prayers.

P.S. The next update is in two days in shaa Allah.