❝ I know. I could be happy until midnight if I wanted to. But what about after midnight? What about two AM? What about four AM? What about months and even years later?
I don't want to let him in knowing sometime in the future I'd have to let him go...
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Daneen pulled out her duffel bag from the tall, looming cupboard, wasting no time as she begun a sprint of throwing in her belongings in a random fashion-the four dresses she owned, her scarves, and anything else she could find, her diary on the side table completely slipping past her notice.
The cold bit at her bare shoulders, and she pulled a thick shawl over herself, tightly wrapping a black scarf around her head. She then swung the duffel bag over her shoulders and tiptoed out of her allotted room and down the hall. The stairs, as ancient as they were, creaked under her ballet flats.
Daneen was making her way past the kitchen, rubbing her hands together and then placing them on her cheeks in an effort to warm them when she heard rustling in the distance.
"Stop," a voice called out, and Daneen did as told right outside the verandah, her heart obeying the command as well.
The place lit up, contouring Fareeda's weary features and Daneen's surprised ones.
"Where are you going?"
Daneen set her mouth into a straight line. "Away. Forever."
Fareeda assessed her face.
Ever since Fareeda's moment of weakness in her husband's old room, she had not displayed particular like for Daneen, but neither had she done anything to prove her dislike. There were moments Fareeda looked like she had something to say, but almost always decided against it. Daneen had gracefully stayed out of her path until today.
"Do you have money for a ride?"
The question caught Daneen off-guard, especially when the one she had been expecting was something along the lines of 'keep back anything you stole'.
Daneen shook her head.
Fareeda looked away, her eyebrows crinkled together. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
As Fareeda disappeared, Daneen looked towards the main doorway. She still couldn't get herself to trust Fareeda with all her heart, even after Fareeda had halted her despicable behavior. She could make a run for it before Fareeda would be back.
"Here," the very woman spoke, thrusting a small packet in Daneen's hands. "It's enough for the journey. And for food and water."
Daneen stared at the packet before she looked back up at Fareeda. "I can't take this."
"Take it," Fareeda whispered. "You'll need it."
Daneen gulped before she dropped it into her bag. "Thank you."
Fareeda stepped away. "May God be with you."
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I'm panicking thinking about Tabish's reaction. Somebody please stop her.
