Metanoia | ongoing

16 | surprise

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04:08 am
AUTHOR

IT HAS BEEN A WEEK since they arrived in Hyderabad. Arham had a surprise planned in mind, and he had asked Abeer to pack their bags as he had to attend a very important business meeting in Saudi Arabia, and she would be accompanying him. But, little did she know what he had planned in mind.

As the day of their departure grew closer, Arham's excitement grew. He had been planning this surprise for weeks, and he couldn't wait to see the look on Abeer's face when she found out what he had in store for her.

Abeer had always been fascinated by her birth country, Saudi Arabia. She had spent her childhood there and had fond memories of the place. She couldn't wait to be back after fourteen long years. Saudi Arabia had her heart, and no other country could ever take its place.Arham smiled as he watched his wife pack her suitcase excitedly, telling him stories of her childhood spent in Saudi Arabia.

"Do you remember the Indomie noodles?" she asked him. "Allah, they were so divine. I used to try so many new recipes with them! And Albaik?! Oh my God, the branch in Wadi Laban tasted the best in the whole country!"

"Indomie? How can I forget? That was the highlight of my childhood," Arham replied.

"Mumma had started hiding the box of noodles when me and Arsal had started having them a little too much. But we would sneak out and make them at night. Bechare, itne shocked hogaye the unka reaction dekhne ka thha, worth capturing!"

Both the husband and wife laughed heartily at the story, reminiscing about old times. As they finished packing their essentials for the trip, Abeer sighed in relief as she hopped on the bed. "Alhumdulillah! I'm done, so tired," she whined as she faced her pillow. It was calling out to her, tempting her with its softness. She turned her eyes away from the tempting sight and looked at her husband, her eyes pleading like a child asking for her favourite candy.

The flight was scheduled to leave at 8 am, and their reporting time was 6:30 am. Arham double-checked their tickets, passports, and other documents, making sure everything was in order for their trip. He knew that Abeer was going to love the surprise he had planned for her, and he couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she found out what it was.

Arham chuckled at his wife's antiques as she forced herself not to fall asleep.

 "coffee?" Abeer's eyes twinkled at the words uttered from her husband's lips. She loved when Arham could understand her need for coffee. But, they had their times when he would completely restrict it for her when she'd have too much.

As Arham placed the order for coffee, Abeer couldn't help but yawn and collapse on the bed, feeling completely drained. "you feeling alright?" Arham asked with a concerned look on his face. "I'm fine, just tired," she replied with a sleepy smile.

"It's probably the hawa here, hamesha raise hi need ki goli khaye jaise sleepiness feel hota," she added with a yawn.

Arham chuckled, "Yeah, I know what you mean. The moment I sit in the car at the airport, I fall asleep so fast. And then I feel like a zombie during my whole stay here."

Abeer nodded in agreement, "Exactly! It's like there's something in the air here that just makes you want to sleep all day."

As they waited for their coffee, Arham couldn't help but express his surprise at Abeer's order. "I thought you were the 'too-sweet-coffee' type of girl," he said with a raised eyebrow.

Abeer laughed, "Well, I don't want to get a sugar rush, so an Iced Americano for me please."
Abeer playfully rolled her eyes, "Hey, I still love sweet coffee, but only when I really need the extra boost. Otherwise, I prefer something bitter and strong, like my personality," she joked.Arham laughed, "Yeah, you're definitely a tough cookie."

Abeer cringed and the nickname. "ajeeb mard" she whispered under her breath, unaware of Arham hearing her and cracking a smile.