Fated

Chapter 12

"I'm at the mall with Hannah. You want to say hi to her?" her gaze briefly drifted to the figure in front of her.

"she just went to the cashier. There's a long queue, she might take a while"

she went quiet, nodding to what was being said at the other end. " love you...."

" Wow! you're getting better at this."

"Shouldn't i be ashamed of becoming such a blatant liar?'

"No sweetheart, its called being private. " her heart swooned at the endearment, making her momentarily forget some of her guilt.

"also boarders on deceit"

"Don't worry, would it harm her in any way'?

He said taking her palm into his, softly caressing it. "She going to hurt so much when she finds out."

 "Then we just have to make sure she doesn't"

"I don't know Imran ...... i hate meeting secretly like this, its not right. it doesn't feel right

He let go of her hand, the sudden action leaving her hands cold. She stuffed them into the pockets of her Abaya. She watched as he run his palms over his hair and face, a look of frustration etched on it.

"You said you loved me right?'....she said desperately​ trying to catch his eye,
He briefly​ nodded after a rather long moment of holding her gaze.

"Then what's stopping you?"

"You don't get it?"..

"Get what?",

"You wouldn't understand, it's complicated"

"Then uncomplicate it" he let out a breath of clear frustration.

"Let's go. I think I lost my appetite" . Liya felt her heart sink. She did it again.These past few weeks, she realized she's being upsetting him quite a lot and she worried it'll have an effects on his affections for her. Picking up her bag, she quietly followed him out towards his car.

"I'll see you later". Imran said, kissing her forehead.

"You're not dropping me off?"

"no, I have important business to attend to"

"You're not angry with me are you?"

He turned to open the car door. "I'm sorry I brought it up again. It's not like I want to pressure you ...."

"Then what are you doing right now?... it seems that's all you talk about these days and it's giving me a lot of pressure. What are you scared of..... I told you the situation with Yasmin does not bother me. You're the one I love"

"Then what's stopping you from coming to see my parents about us"

"See?, there you go again" he said with a look of annoyance and glanced at his wrist watch. "look, I have to go.... I'll talk to you later" without looking back at her, he got into his car and drove off, leaving her standing on the sidewalk.

She fished out her phone.... "Hannah, I need to talk to you. Meet me at the "Brine's Inlet"

*************

"look, men don't like being pushed to do stuff they don't think they're ready for, especially something as big as marriage."

"Is it true I'm being pushy. You know how in Islam it is. He should know that as well, especially now that he's trying to get too intimate with me. It's so wrong, you and I both know that."