Shehryaar lightly closed the door and walked to his mother, who was standing, facing the window, her back turned to him. He anticipated a less pleasant talk since how the day had been. First there was an argument with Manal, then she saw him with Zoha in the kitchen and made it a big deal by telling on him to Saliha.
"Mummy, you called me?" He tore the sheet of silence.
Saliha folded her arms below the chest, and slowly turned, wearing a scowl on her face.
Shehryaar gulped in a breath, his protruding Adam's apple slid down. He knew it was all because of Manal, a tattle-tale.
"What am I hearing from Manal?" Saliha's tone was strict. "Is it true?" She angrily stared at Shehryaar.
"Who would you believe?" He counter questioned, mustering confidence in his voice. "Me who knows the exact truth? Or her who can only misinterpret it?"
"That's not the answer to my question." Saliha's temper heated a notch.
"I don't know what she told you." He exhaled looking at Manal. She was taking a revenge on him of the insult he did of her in front of Zoha.
"You were with Zoha and there is something going on in between you two?"
Shehryaar hated to taste the accusation. He couldn't believe his own sister could get her brother in trouble for no reason.
"Manal, how could you lie like this?" he said. "I need to know. Tell me." Rage entered his voice.
"I don't get why you are after your sister so much since we came back from the airport? Isn't your sympathy too much for Zoha?" Saliha scolded him instead.
"Mummy, why aren't you seeing from the fair perspective?" he said. "Do you really think Zoha is that type of girl who would take advantage of our kindness?"
"My concern is that you are giving Zoha the attention that Faiza deserves. You are engaged to her. It doesn't look nice that I have to say this to you."
"Mummy, why are you taking it wrong? Why are you blaming me for what's not true? Zoha is absolutely not that type of girl and I thought you knew this more than me." Shehryaar was tired of convincing his adamant mother. He felt nobody was listening to him, neither empathizing. They pointed their finger back at his flawless character.
"We can't be sure what's going on in someone's mind." Saliha meant Zoha. "It's not like it's written on someone's face that they are loyal."
"How can you doubt Zoha's character?"
"It's better for you if you think about Faiza?"
Shehryaar glared at Manal, who was breathing freely after the second argument. "First take this out of your mind that I am doing something wrong behind your back," he said to his mother.
"Then what was the reason she was with you?" Manal said.
"No reason."
"None at all?" She inspected him like she was the older sister.
"I went down to eat. She told me that she already ate and was washing the plate. I noticed she had a cut in her finger, so I told her not to wash because it was bleeding. Then you came. That's the truth and it's up to you if you believe me or not." He held his waist with one hand and lightly clasped his temple with the other.
"It must have been a slight cut. Not a big deal. It happens," Saliha said.
"She picked the broken pieces of glass that Manal broke. You should be ashamed of that," Shehryaar rebuked Manal.
YOU ARE READING
The Unspoken Heart
Romance[ Completed ] Zoha's life has been weaved with tragical fate. Her parents died in a tragic car crash, when she was four. Her Dadi, or grandma, raised her with relentless love and care. She bloomed into an ambitious girl, studying to become an archit...
