Tangled Hearts💞

14: Broken trust

"what is happening here?" I entered the scene when Safeenah slapped Ammah.

There were 7 of them there including Azaan, and they all stood there with a sour expression on their faces.

Nobody respond to my confusion but when Safeenah tried to slap her again Lailah snaps.

"Don't touch her again Feenah!"

"But mom.." she started to say then burst out crying.

"I'm really disappointed in you daddy" Nimrah says in a whisper with tears streaming down her face, however everyone heard because of the deadly silence sorrounding them which the loud music downstairs don't dare to disturb.

"What do you expect from him? He's not even our father so it's fool of us to think he'll be just like our dad" as soon as the words left Safeenah's mouth Lailah broke down the remaining courage and strength she had been holding onto dearly for the past few months.
So it's Ammah the girl he tried to abandoned her for. Her cousin, her aunt in-law's daughter and her daughter's friend.

"Please don't say anything further" she cried.

"Then what about me?" Abdullah pointed at himself, "what about his real son? Is this fair to me dad?"

Habeeb saw it, something in his eyes broke. He witnessed the same thing in Lailah's, Safeenah's and Nimrah's eyes. That's their trust in him. It broke! And he already saw it coming when he once, for once taught he could do Ammah a favour of marrying her and granting her wishes since she's madly in love with him, or so he thought. Because if it had been the truth, he did not wish for that but she would've ingested a real poison as she claimed. But faking her own, she instead gave him his own dose of poison by destroying his family.
The love of his life Lailah and his children who were his reason to live, he lost them all.

"I'm... I'm sorry" he managed to utter after a minute of silence.

"It's okay, we all make mistakes" she offered him a sad smile before turning to leave.

"So you think that's a mistake? What the hell is happening here?!" It's Azaan speaking. "In process of trying to decieve us that what happened is ok and a mistake will you decieve yourself too?.."

"Azaan..." I tried to stop him. That's the elders matter, we're not supposed to intervene.

"Excuse me Hidaya i told you, you won't like it if i were to talk, and that's exactly what I'm trying to do now so i don't expect your enthusiasm".

He turned to Ammah hiding behind Habeeb. "You're lost aunty Mah. Thinking you could destroy his family and win was a delusion. You've lost your prestige, respect, honour and most unfortunately you broke your friendship and the trust your friends has in you. And I'm sure Mah that you've severed a strong tie of this lovely family relation and you'll regret it sooner or later"

he took two steps towards the enraged Safeenah.
"I don't think you're in a position to choose who should be your parent, when he doesn't complain of loving you and taking care of you when you don't consider him. And Showing difference to his children when he consider all of you as one.
Let me remind you that with or without your mother, uncle Habeeb is still your father, Hidaya's dad is also your father.
But why did he choose to take care of you guys instead? It's because he loves you and see you as his own. So making his son hate him will be a heinous crime".

He looked over at the crying Lailah. She decided to ignore everything and left earlier so that she won't break down in front of everyone when Azaan stopped her.

"I won't say anything to you because the decision is yours to make, to forgive or not, you have the right".

He took Abdullah's hand and left the terrace with him. Studying that everyone of them needs space i also drag Nimrah and Safeenah out.

"I'm really sorry Layl..." He drop to his knees.

"It's really okay Habeeb, i understand you, because I've been there. I've loved blindly and i know very well that if you do, you can't differentiate shades and motions. So I'm not going to blame you for following your heart, i always follow mine."

Ammah's eyes were as dried as soil, and Even if it's wet by any external factor, her emotions will drain it.

He walks to Lailah and embrace her arms. "My heart is always with you Layl, you reside in it, it beats only for you and you know it. I might be tempted but if I'm ever to follow my heart it will always bring me to you".

She's hurt, broken to be exact. But she'll lie if she says his words doesn't make her happy, she knew he meant it but she must deny it.

"If marrying Ammah is what will make you happy, I'm no one to stop you. She's your cousin as i am, if marrying her isn't prohibited since she isn't my sister, then why will you let something as culture or people perception stop you?"

....

I was really surprised at the mute guy, how he talked much and addresses everyone with a lot of courage I can't fathom wether it's built in, or he gathered them when witnessing the unfortunate event. that i can't hide my amusement and kept stealing glances at him the whole night after the event was over.

"I'm sure you've seen the side of him that not many people know!".

"Oh you startled me Khaleel!!" I jumped.

He grinned. "Tell me what happened between you and Azaan. Why are you looking at him that way? Or do you finally fall in love with him" he waggle his eyebrows and i pinch him on his right cheek.

"Ouch Daya ke muguwa ne wallahi (you're cruel i swear)."

"Scaring elders is a bad" habit i rolled my eyes and look back at Azaan sitting together with Abdullah, Abdulmaleek and the twins. While trying hard to avoid my gaze.

"Jk are you sure that Azaan is mute or was he pretending to be mute?." I asked genuinely curious.

He laughed" tell me, what did he do?"

I know aunty Lailah won't appreciate it if what happened circulates the family on such occasion, so i know better than to keep secret from everyone's favourite.

"Nothing, he just talked earlier, like alot!".

"Now you understand the reason why I'm friends with him?"

"Because he's a parrot when I thought he's mute?".

Khaleel laughed, hard.
"No, because he's just introverted and will be free with you once he's comfortable with you.
But the problem is that I'm his only close friend, the only one he's comfortable with. And I'm losing hope of going back to Riyadh with each passing day since dad hadn't said anything to any of us yet.

Maybe I'll have to give up on my dreams".

~~~~~~~~
Much love 🥰
Mrs Imran 💖