RUWAIDA ✔️

CHAPTER THREE

_____________________________
Zarah placed down the hot pan on the kitchen island, taking off the hand gloves so she could face Muhammad properly. "Wait, you've been standing here almost for an hour, what is it that you actually want," she asked, giving him a sarcastic look.

She could remember showing him where she placed the yoghurt he bought yesterday, and he had taking a few sips and then instead of leaving, he stood and watch her  make brownies, which are even ready but with him still lingering around the kitchen. Something he rarely does.

He doesn't even eat chocolates, so he probably isn't after the brownies. "Ya Turaad," she called, walking over to him. "Okay, look, it's too early to start lecturing me about my dressing. This is just because I'm home and...

Muhammad sighed and placed both his hands into his trouser. "Did I mention anything about your dressing," he snapped, not knowing exactly what to say when she asks him again.
This sure will be harder than he thought.

She furrowed her brows at him confusingly. "Then what is it,"

He scratched his nape nervously, flashing her a smile she thought was weird and so unlike him. "Could you help me with her contact,"

Zarah looked perplexed before finally letting his words settle. "whose contact?...Wait, What?! Are you for realz," she asked, smiling mildly at him. That explains why he had his lips moving but he still could not fathom the courage to actually ask her!

"Please don't drag this, will you? I'm really late for work, here," he thrashed over his phone to her. "The digits,"

Zarah shook her head and laughed, handing over the phone back to him. "She doesn't have a phone, except if you want her mother's number,"

Muhammad took a step back in disbelief. "You're not serious! What do you mean by her mother's," he exclaimed, suddenly finding the girl, even more mysterious than she actually appeared to be. How can a person like her to be phoneless? If that is even a word! But how?

Zarah shrugged, taking off the apron she wore. "I also thought it was weird, but she said something like 'she never asked for one," she explained, taking a bite of the brownie.

"Okay, well that's fine," he replied, feeling a tad  bit of disappointment.

Zarah laughed rather too loudly. "What do you mean by it's fine? I know you like the girl, quit pretending," Zarah claimed, placing both her hands akimbo as if daring him to say otherwise."I mean you've met her twice,  remember how you kept on staring at her when you came to pick me up from school? Oh! And at the cafe too,"

Muhammad let out a throaty laugh, holding his forehead in a stressed manner. "Look, that's not the case, I just want Uncle Bashari And Mama off my list," he defended, taking up his keys from atop the refrigerator.

His uncles and his mother had being on his neck to get married, being the only male child and of course old enough to have his own house. But he couldn't even get himself hitched. He didn't know why he had even complained about that to Zarah, and somehow, she'd taken the responsibility of finding a girl for him. Which had always flopped. Well, just maybe, he felt a positive perception about the recent.

He had turned to leave when Zarah rushed and stood in front of him. "You can visit her whenever you feel like it, I mean, you're serious about her, so why will her parents mind," Zarah advised.

Muhammad narrowed his eyes at her. "Why do you suddenly sound like you actually have sense," he joked, amused by her angry looking self. She nudged his right arm angrily, but she ended up hurting herself, he didn't even bulge.

Zarah whirled her eyes around. "I'm serious, and besides, she might also come to like you. I'm only scared of your silent treatment," Zarah commented, placing both her hands on her head dramatically.

Muhammad reaches for the door knob, albeit turned back to face Zarah. "Do you have any lectures today," he asked, totally ignoring her rude remark. He doesn't have mood issues, he's sure of that.

Zarah gave him a nod. "Yes, I'll have all my classes done before 2pm prompt,"

"Okay, I'll meet you in school, could you please help me get those ties from the social center, we've checked them together so just take the ones you think I'll like," he finished before finally closing the door behind him, waiting not for her reply.

*********
He placed his black bag on his posh desk, sighing as he sat himself down. Even without starting work, he's already tired. He twirled himself before staring with bulged out eyes at the numerous patients folders in front of him. He sure will have to go home late again.

He smiled faintly at the nurse that walked in with another file perched over her hands. "Dr. Dalhat, here, we have an emergency patient in the second floor, and I think you're the only doctor on duty today," of course! He was the only Muslim workaholic, who wanted to also work on Fridays.

He wore his glasses on, collecting the file from Nurse Bature. Without checking the patient's details, he went on to the examinations and tests conducted. "I'll like to see the patient, you said the 2nd floor right," he asked and she gave a quick nod, moving a bit to the side so he could pass.

He walked down the stairs, and rushed to the room number, written on the file. Giving the door a slight knock, he pushed the door open and walked in.

The woman who sat quietly beside the bed where the patient laid, raised her head up to look at him, immediately dragging the little girl that played on the floor to her lap. "Well done Ma, how's she doing," he asked, casting a brief gaze over the petite figure speculated on the bed.

"Welcome Doctor, she managed to fall asleep, but she had complained fervently of her lymph still aching," the woman lamented, taking her eyes back to her daughter.

And as if on cue, the girl woke up. Her mother immediately rushed and help her rest her back  to the wall. Muhammad couldn't even move. He sure had wondered why the woman at first had looked familiar. He just knew he had seen somewhat of that same face. Of course!

Ruwaida!

She also had stared back at him in shock, even tho she couldn't keep her eyelids open. "Doctor, is there anything we need to get her," the woman he's sure to be her mother asked, making him to quickly keek at the file so he could address her officially.

"Oh! Yes Mrs. Moolah, Yes, I've written down some drugs, after using them for a week, you'll come back for other few tests, Ruwaida, how are you feeling,"

When he turned to face her, she still couldn't let it settle in her that he just called her name formally in front of Mama. Like he's literally trying to put her in trouble. And a Q&A session might not be a good idea when it comes to her mother. Noticing he still was waiting for a reply , she smiled before she answered "I'm better Alhamdulillah,"

He shook his head, handing over the piece of paper to Ruwaida's Mother. And he picked the little girl up, rocking her back and forth playfully. And like that, Barra started smiling and giggling at the guy she had stared at weirdly before. Ruwaida had also smiled, loving everything about the sight.

He placed her back on Mrs Moolah's lap. "I'll see you all next week, please make sure to buy those drugs," he advised, flashing towards her a smile before walking out of the room.

Love_
Silentwriter ☕️