ZAHRA--
I reached home after finishing work early and saw that the maids and helpers looked really tired, so I changed my clothes - but still covered up so the male helpers won't see my 3awra (aawra) - and started cleaning with them.
After helping out with a couple rooms, I came across a room I've never seen before, the door was slightly open, and my curiosity took over me.
I took a step inside, it was an old bedroom... a girl's bedroom? It has pastel pink wallpapers stuck on the wall, a bed with princess covers, and there was a nightstand and I realized that it has a few Polaroid photos on it.
I took a couple of them in my hand and as I shuffled each of them in my hand, I saw that there was a little girl - that looked around the age of 4 or 5 - in each one of the polaroids. She had big green eyes, long lashes, and short dirty-blonde hair reaching her shoulders.
In this other photo, it was her still as a newborn.
I looked at another one and she was around the age of 2 maybe.
I flipped one of the polaroid pictures that had both Bilal and the little girl in them. I flipped it to the back and saw a paragraph written on the back on the photo, I read it aloud in a slight whisper.
" Dear Mariam,
If cancer was a person I'd torture it the same way it did to you. Every single day, I would wonder how you'd be if you beat cancer. I hate that sickness. I hate it for taking my little sister away from me.
I miss you so much lil sis, there isn't a day where I don't think about you.
Love, your older brother, Bilal Saleh
July 18, 2014"
"what in the-" I said, confused about this "little sister" thing going on
Since when does Bilal have a little sister? Why wouldn't he tell me either way? Why did he keep this from me?
I was looking at the other Polaroids when suddenly I flinch hearing his voice, "what are you doing in this room? Put the photos down," he says with a stern voice as he approaches me. Bilal tries snatching the pictures away from my hands but I quickly move my hands just before he grabbed them thanks to my reflexes, "not so fast, Bilal. When were you going to tell me that you had a little sister?" I ask.
- " never"
- "excuse you! Plus, how come I didn't already know about this? We knew each other ever since our childhood, heck, we knew each other ever since we were babies! "
He stays silent.... "SPEAK .UP! I NEED ANSWERS" I yell, directly feeling bad for screaming at him, but it was already too late. Plus, he deserves it for keeping such a big secret.
-" do you remember when my family and I had to leave the country for like 3-4 years for something about a business thingy? "
-"yeah....? "
-"well... My mom got pregnant that time, and fast-forward to when Mariam became 3, she got diagnosed with cancer.... A year later, she lost her hair due to the medicine, the year after that, we came back here to Lebanon, but we didn't tell anyone that she's here since her doctor said that it's for the best....she then passed away because her body was too weak to beat cancer"
I'm in a loss for words. I feel even more bad than I was before for yelling at him.
I notice tears welling up in his eyes but he quickly wipes them away before he actually starts crying. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard Bilal clear his throat, preparing to speak, "we should go sleep now, it's getting late" he says.
Before I could think about it, I embraced him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He hugs me back wrapping his arms around my waist. A few tears well up in his eyes and as he blinks, they fall out individually, "I'm so sorry for yelling at you, I didn't know you went through so much. I'm so so so sorry" I say, my voice raspy as I'm on the verge of crying but I stop myself from doing so.
"It's okay, Z. It's fine. You didn't know, my love. It's my fault for not telling you sooner. You don't have to apologize" he whispers calmly, reassuring me as his voice becomes shaky.
"Hey! I'm supposed to be the one reassuring you, not the other way around! " I said jokingly, he chuckles and I giggle, revealing my dimples.
"I love your dimples, they warm my heart" he states, cupping my face, grinning at me and I return a small smile back. I blush so hard at what he said to the point where I'm pretty sure Bilal noticed my cheeks going bright red.
"We should seriously go to sleep now" we laugh as we realize we both said that at the same time.
*****
Asalamu Alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakato 🤍
Thoughts?
Enjoy 😊
Thank you all <3
Allah Hafiz 🫀
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Heartless Love
Romance"Heartless Love " tells the story of Zahra Najjar, a Lebanese doctor from a mafia family, who is forced to marry Bilal Saleh, a longtime rival from a rival mafia family. Despite their hatred for each other, their marriage turns out to be the cataly...
