Beneath Loves's Veil

11. An Unexpected Phone Call

The room fell into a hushed silence, with only the gentle hum of the ceiling fan breaking the stillness.

"Zahra?" Amir's voice echoed from the other end of the call.

"Yes," I replied after a moment of hesitation, unsure of what else to say.

"How are you, Zahra?" he asked kindly.

"Um, I'm fine," I stammered, struggling to find my words.

"How are you?" I managed to ask, trying to mask my confusion. Why was he calling me?

I had finally started to move on. The last thing I needed was to hear his voice again. Where was his wife? Was she beside him as he dialed my number? Did she even know he was reaching out to me?

"I'm alright," he replied with a sigh. "I heard you're getting married, so I wanted to congratulate you," he continued.

I remained silent for a moment, processing his words, before finally responding, "Um, thanks, I guess. You didn't have to, though. It's not like I called to congratulate you when I heard you had gotten married."

"What?" he asked, sounding confused. I could almost picture his eyebrows furrowing, as they always did when he was perplexed.

"You got married. My brother told me," I explained.

"Oh, that. Yeah, that didn't work out," he admitted.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my confusion deepening.

"My dad talked me into marrying his friend's daughter," he confessed. "I finally gave in, but I couldn't stop thinking about you. I realized I didn't even have half the connection with her that I had with you. Everything she did, I compared it to you in my mind. I guess she got tired of being second, so she took comfort in one of her guy friends from college and left me."

My heart began to race as he spoke. He hadn't forgotten about me. Even when he was forced into marriage, all he could think of was me. He had loved me all along.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I replied sincerely, my heart heavy with empathy. "I really am." I paused, struggling to find the right words. I had been gradually getting comfortable with the idea of marrying Khalid, and in my mind, I had convinced myself that Amir was happy as well. But now, with this unexpected revelation , I felt like I was back to square one.

"Well, let's forget about that," he said, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. "Tell me about you. When are you getting married? What have you been doing?"

Sweet, sweet Amir, I thought, touched by his attempt to change the subject and lift the mood. He had always been like this, burying his sorrows and putting on a facade of happiness for the sake of others. I felt a pang of guilt wash over me. Hearing his voice reminded me of how much I had missed our connection. But deep down, a gnawing feeling of guilt began to eat away at me from the inside. I belonged to Khalid now. This conversation with Amir felt almost like betrayal. I shouldn't be having this conversation with him, I thought, conflicted.

"Everything is good here," I said, my voice a little rushed. "I'm getting married in three weeks."

He must have sensed the tension in my voice, because he quickly responded, "I'm really sorry if you have to go. I totally understand."

Taken aback by his understanding, I sighed before admitting, "It's not that, Amir."

And then, I told him about the three years of struggling to get over him, about how I had felt physically ill when I found out he had gotten married, thinking he had moved on so easily. I confided that it was only after learning about his marriage that I had finally accepted and agreed to marry Khalid. I shared details about Khalid, about how understanding and caring he was, and confessed that talking to Amir at that moment felt like betraying Khalid. I acknowledged that, yes, I would always have a soft spot for Amir, but I had come to terms with the fact that we could never be together. It wasn't fair to me that he had called today, reopening old wounds.

He listened to me patiently, never interrupting once. And once I had finished completely out of breath, he said, "I am sorry, Zahra. I really am. I realize now it was stupid of me to have called you. You're finally happy. I am happy you are happy. I have lost a gem, but that's on me."

"Amir, I am sorry. I don't know what to say," I admitted, my voice faltering. Silence enveloped us, heavy with unspoken emotions. And then, his words broke through the stillness.

"I shouldn't have called you, Zahra. I'm sorry. I just wanted to hear your voice, if I'm being truly honest. I needed to hear it for myself that you had moved on," he confessed.

A lump formed in my throat as his words resonated within me. I understood how Amir was feeling, for just a few weeks ago, I had been grappling with the same emotions. "

I'm going to hang up now," he said softly. "I hope you can forgive me for all the pain I have caused you, Zahra. I'll always be there for you as a friend if you ever need me."

His words hung in the air, heavy with unresolved emotions. You're the last thing I need right now, I thought, but instead, I simply replied, "Goodbye, Amir."

My heart raced as I ended the call, the weight of Amir's words lingering in the air. Just as I hung up, my brother knocked on my door, entering with the lehenga box in hand.

"Special delivery," he joked, placing it gently on my bed before admiring himself in my dressing table mirror and exiting the room with a smirk. Sighing softly, I closed the door behind him and approached the exquisite box resting on my bed.

Opening the lid, I traced my fingers over the intricate details of the lehenga, marveling at Khalid's thoughtfulness. What he saw in me, I didn't know. As I ran my fingers over the delicate fabric, I realized how little I truly knew about Khalid beyond what my father had shared on the night of Hafsa's wedding.

Yet, every interaction with him had been nothing short of pleasant. He knew almost everything about me, even my past relationship with Amir, yet I knew so little about his personal life. Would his demeanor change once we got married? Was I making the right decision? These thoughts swirled in my mind as I placed the box next to the other wedding shopping and prepared to go to bed.

That night, sleep was restless, disturbed by unsettling dreams. In one, Khalid spirited me away while Amir watched, his heartache palpable. I jolted awake around Tahajjud, feeling disoriented. Turning to prayer, I sought clarity from Allah, not knowing what I was going to do.
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Hi Guys!!!

So this was a short chapter compared to the others. That's why I published two chapters at once so it took a bit of time.

I hope you guys are liking the book so far! Let me know what you think. Comment n the parts you like best and vote please.

Also stay tuned because you guys are going to be getting a point of view by Mr. Khalid himself very soon.