"Can people who hate you, ever love you?"
"People who hate you might specifically be the ones who love you."
Sequel of the book 'Under That Niqab' with a complete different story, but there will be few references.
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The echoes are hidden,
Am I in a...
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๑ 🥀 ๑
The dining table displays a collection of delectable dishes, each one seemingly more tempting than the other, accented with sleek silverware, a setting for each of the five of them. The only element missing from this picturesque scene was a floral centerpiece.
Yusra surveys the table and, upon her inspection, heads towards the kitchen door, pausing to admire the table's overall appearance from a distance.
The absence of flowers left the transparent vase at the center void of its usual charisma. Yet, there was a certain satisfaction in her gaze, even if the table missed its typical focal point because of Shazal, who consistently brought flowers whenever he dined at their home.
He never brings a package of them with a sheet wrapped around them instead, he presents a simple bunch of raw, fresh flowers, their petals still glistening with water from the spritz that kept them alive.
She would treasure these blooms until they approached the point of wilting, always holding onto the hope that Shazal might arrive a bit earlier so she would be able to replace them before they wilt.
But that seldom happened, just like this time.. the vase was empty.
The long-awaited (which wasn't that long because he was on time, but for her, it was don't ask why, it just was) knock finally echoed from the door.
Yusra, observes from the kitchen, as her younger brother, Zayd, dashes towards the door. As the lock turns, cheerful greetings are heard, until her mother calls her.
She chose a black skirt beneath a knee-length maroon shirt for the day, a little cautious securing the ombre hijab in place, Yusra stepped outside to respond to her.
"How thoughtful of you," her mother was warmly welcoming Shazal, holding a bouquet. From her vantage point, Yusra couldn't quite discern which flowers he had brought this time, piquing her curiosity even more.
"Hello!" Yusra approached them with a beaming smile, while he acknowledged her with a curt nod. Stiff as ever.
He was dressed in a white full-sleeve tee paired with sky-blue jeans. He had rolled up his sleeves to his forearms, and the contrast of white against his tanned skin looked quite striking, uhm.
"Yusra, here, take the flowers," her mother says, handing her a bouquet of fresh lilies. This time, it was lilies.
She inhales the fragrances of those fresh lilies, exquisite, and moves to the dining area to place them in the central vase, not before slipping a single lily into her hand, intending to use it as a bookmark for one of her books.
"When is the entrance exam?" Zaki, Yusra's father, inquires as they settle around the six-seater dining table. Zaki occupies the central farthest seat, while Shazal and Zayd sit on one side. Yusra was positioned opposite Zayd, and her mother, between her husband and daughter.
