As narrated by Dee:
My heartbeat picks up as I slowly open my eyes.
He’s sitting cross-legged next to my head, watching me intently.
For a long moment, neither of us say anything, lost in a breathless moment of mixed emotions.
Then..
“Hey,” he says softly, his lips lifting in a small smile.
Oh god.
“Hey,” I say, but my voice doesn’t come out.
His eyes dance with amusement as his smile widens and my heart threatens to break through my rib-cage.
I swallow, then try again.
“Hey,” I say quietly.
Silence settles once again.
The sun disappears behind a cloud and the eye-squinting brightness dims.
I focus my gaze on the trees, trying to look anywhere besides at Zee, but my mind remains hyper-aware of his presence nonetheless.
“Do you want to hear a joke?” asks Zee, breaking the silence after a short moment.
I lift my gaze to meet his briefly before looking away again.
“Two police officers crashed their car into a tree. After a moment of silence, one of them says, ‘Wow, that’s got to be the fastest we ever got to the accident site.”
A smile tugs at my lips.
“A man asks a farmer near a field, ‘Sorry sir, would you mind if I crossed your field instead of going around it? You see, I have to catch the 4:23 train.’ The farmer says, ‘Sure, go right ahead. And if my bull sees you, you’ll even catch the 4:11 one.'”
I look up at him, giving in to my urge to smile when I see his grin.
“Nother one?” he asks, cocking his head slightly.
I lift myself up on my elbows, looking at him expectantly.
“A kid once bought his Grandma a very nice, luxurious toilet brush for her birthday. But when he went to visit her a couple of weeks later, it wasn’t in the bathroom. So he asked her, ‘Gran, what happened to the toilet brush I gave you?’ And she’s like, ‘Darling, I’m sorry but I just didn’t like it. It was too scratchy. After all those years, I’ve gotten used to the toilet paper!”
A gasp escapes me and then a giggle.
“An almost hysterical man calls 911 and yells, ‘Please come quickly! Kailey is pregnant and her labor started now, it’s really intense!’ So the operator asks, ‘Is this her first child?’ And the man is like, ‘No you dumbass! It’s her husband!'”
That one gets me.
My head falls back and I laugh out aloud.
“That’s a good one,” I say, sitting up fully, crossing my legs.
Zee grins.
“Knock knock,” he says.
“Who’s there?” I reply.
“Lena.”
“Lena who?”
“Lena bit closer, let’s talk.”
“Knock knock,” he says again, immediately.
“Who’s there?”
“Anita.”
“Anita who?”
“Anita little love and understanding.”
I frown slightly.
What is he doing…
His face is serious now, and his eyes are locked on mine.
“Knock knock?”
I hesitate.
He waits.
“Who’s there?” I ask quietly.
“Lenda.”
I search his eyes.
“Lenda who?”
“Lenda a listening ear, please.”
My heartbeat had slowed, but now it picks up again.
“Zee…”
My voice comes out just above a whisper, soft and scared.
“No. Wait. Let me speak first,” he says. “Please.”
I let him.
He runs his hand through his hair, taking a deep breath.
“I know I messed up, and for that I’m sorry. I’m not sorry for what I did to Fuaad but I am sorry that you had to see it happening. I’m going to tell you now finish that it might happen again. If he touches you again, it will happen again. If anyone touches you again, I’m going to get angry. But my anger will never be directed at you. That’s what you need to understand. I will hurt someone who hurts you, but I will never hurt you. That I promise. I’m sorry that you had to see what you saw, and that it triggered awful memories and I’m sorry that I just left it at that. I’m sorry that I didn’t clear the air, explain to you how I felt and why I felt like that but to an extent, I myself didn’t know. But I do know now and that’s why I’m here.”
He stops for breath and I realize that I’m holding mine too.
I breathe deeply, in sync with him, before he continues again.
“I’ve known you since playschool and that’s almost 13 years now. We’ve had our bad moments, but none have been as bad as these past two weeks. Dee, please can we move past this? Forgive and forget? There’s a lot of things I’ve figured out about you.. me.. about us.. in the past two weeks but I can’t live like this – not knowing where I stand with you, not being able to talk to you whenever I want, not knowing whether you hate my existence or not -”
I gasp, cutting him off.
“I… I don’t hate you!” I say, my heart aching. “Zee, you saved my life!”
“That doesn’t matter. Are you angry with me?” he asks.
I open my mouth to reply but he puts his hands on my legs, stopping me.
“No, think about it. I need the truth,” he says.
So I do. I think about it.
Am I angry with him?
Am I angry with this guy sitting in front of me, eyes pained, yet full of sincerity?
Am I angry with this guy, who for two weeks I didn’t know where I stood with him and the thought killed me?
Am I angry with this guy who makes every day of mine brighter, better?
His eyes search my face, waiting for an answer.
“I’m not,” I say finally. “I’m not angry with you….”
He waits, listening silently, waiting for me to go on.
I swallow, close my eyes and take a deep breath.
Then I look at him again and speak from my heart.
“But I am… upset. I’m confused. And afraid. After what happened that day… I couldn’t come to terms with…” my voice wobbles and I stop.
He takes my shaking hands in his, squeezing them gently, urging me to go on.
“I.. it triggered memories.. and I.. saw you as someone else,” I say, my voice breaking. “And I couldn’t bring myself… to.. to believe it… because.. that.. that wasn’t you. That isn’t who.. I know you to be. It was horrible.. because… because my mind kept telling me… that.. before Paapa…”
Unable to go on, I stop.
I remove my hands from Zee’s, wipe my tears and breathe deeply again before continuing.
“My mind kept telling me that before Paapa.. changed.. he too was a different person,” I say quietly, not daring to look up at Zee.
“But in my heart.. I knew.. I know.. that you’re different. Which.. probably makes you wonder… why I.. why I shut you out..” I continue.
The cloud that hid the sun moves along, and the hot sunlight touches my skin, brightens the whole yard again.
“I was.. confused,” I say, my voice wavering again. “Understand where I am coming from.. how difficult it was for me to be able to listen to my heart.. when my mind was yelling at me through a bullhorn. My heart knew.. it knows.. but my mind is a merciless torturer.”
I pause briefly, gathering my thoughts before carrying on again.
“That night on the pier.. you didn’t just save my life,” I say, looking up at him now, our eyes meeting. “You saved me from my mind.. you saved.. us.. our friendship. You saved that.. that drowning piece of confidence which thought of you as you are. You saved that and now it has healed and strengthened and I believe in it with a conviction so strong, that it has kept me sane.. pulled me through last week.”
I can hear it in the sudden strength of my voice.
I can feel it in the way my heart suddenly pounds against my chest in agreement.
He is Zee.
Gentle Zee. Kind Zee. Zee with a heart of gold.
Zee who saved my life. My best friend.
And no one else. Nothing else.
“I’m not angry with you,” I say again, finishing off. “I’m not upset anymore either, nor confused. But I would be lying if I said I’m not a tiny bit afraid.”
He’s silent for what seems like eternity.
More than once, he opens his mouth to say something, then stops.
My heart races in anticipation of his reaction.
Then…
“Knock knock.”
I smile; and he smiles seeing my smile.
“Who’s there?”
“Olive.”
“Olive who?”
“Olive you.”
I frown.
“What?!” I ask, with a laugh.
He groans.
“I knew you wouldn’t get that one,” he says, shaking his head and avoiding my gaze.
“Tell me!” I say, trying to get him to look at me.
“Olive you,” he says again.
“Olive?!” I say, laughing again. “You olive me? What?!”
He shakes his head with a groan again.
“Never mind, that one was a bad idea,” he says.
“Nooo, I want to know!” I whine. “Please!”
“Alright but first listen to what I have to say,” he says, turning serious.
“Okay,” I reply, waiting for him to speak.
But he doesn’t say anything for a long moment.
He doesn’t know how to say what he wants to – I can see it from his face.
“Actually, you know what, I have a lot that I want to say, but I don’t know how, and words mean nothing so I’m going to show you instead. I understand why you’re afraid and you have every reason to feel afraid, but I hate that you are afraid of me so I’m going to change that. I won’t ever physically hurt you, Dee. I know that emotionally, that’s exactly what I did. I’m sorry, Dee, really I am. He just made me so unimaginably angry, I couldn’t even think straight.”
I can see in his eyes that his behaviour has hurt him too. And all I can think of right then is how I want to erase it all, delete the moment from our lives, so that I can see his eyes smile again. So that the anguished hurt that occupies it now is removed.
“It’s okay, Zee, it’s okay. Don’t be upset,” I say, taking his hands in mine. “Let’s put it behind us. I hate to see you like this.”
“Do you forgive me?” he asks, his eyes pleading with mine.
“Yes, so long as you forgive me too,” I say.
It’s as if my answer breaks through his distress, cracking it open and revealing his heart-melting smile underneath. He pulls me into a hug and I smile too, his happiness contagious.
“For you there is nothing to forgive,” he says.
I pull back and look at him again.
“I’m so glad you came,” I say.
“I’m glad I came too,” he says.
“Did your family really all come just to visit, though?” I ask. “That’s what Maama says but I feel like you’ll planned this. They came as an excuse for you, isn’t?”
“I.. well,” he mumbles, running his hands through his soft, floppy hair.
He looks nervous all of a sudden and it makes me nervous!
“Well?” I press, waiting with bated breath.
He takes a deep breath.
“You wanna know why I’m really here… why we all here?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I say, my heart beating faster.
“I’m doing my first, and hopefully only, samoosa run,” he says.
“What?” I ask frowning.
“This script is not going according to plan so I’m just going to jump to the last line. Knock knock.”
I look at him dumbfounded.
“Knock knock!” he says again.
“Who’s there?” I ask, my voice full of trepidation.
“Answer fast, okay, don’t think about anything,” he says.
“Okay,” I say, nodding. “Who’s there?”
“Will you marry?”
“Will you marry who?” I say quickly, not thinking, just as he said.
“Will you marry me?”
Awww 🌷🌷🌷🌷
Say yes Dee!
💘❤💘❤💘
Jazakil Laahu Khayraa for the post
As awesome as always…
🌹🍃🌹🍃🌹
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Aameen. 😀💕
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Yaay!!! Thanks for the post!!!
But suspense again!!! Lol
Another post pleeeease……
This is getting just too exciting….
I hope she says yes and doesnt get angry🙈
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You’re welcome! 😀💕
Lol this time I don’t have half of the next one in my drafts.. in fact haven’t even started it. 🙈 But I’ll try my best, Insha Allah. 🌻
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Please say yes!!! 😱😍💕
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🙈😆💕
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Awwwwwww
Sooo cute!!!!!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
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😍💃💕
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Aww!!! So cute…
Please say yes Dee
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Let’s hope she does! 😆💕
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So cute….
Dee please say yes
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Hopefully she will. #Zeeyanah 😍
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Knock knock
Who’s there ?
Olive
Olive who ?
Olive this post 😜
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Eyyyh you got that one. 👊😂
Shukran, glad you enjoyed it! 💕
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This post 😍😍👌
Dee you have to say yessss!!!
Dee & Zee have to be ❤👫💍
JazakAllah for posting so soon😘 and please don’t take too long for the next one🙈🙈🙏😌
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#Zeeyanah 😍😂
Aameen. I’ll try my best but don’t expect it as soon as this one. 🙈
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Awww! So cuute… Now… She better say yes…
And if she doesnt… Let’s just say… I’m sure our dear Authoress doesn’t like mushy tomatoes…
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Hmmm… Ramadhaan is coming.. Samoosas are coming.. what do they use for chutney again.. ?? 🤔😝😂
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Chillies! 🌶
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Awww!!!! Loved this post…..really hope she says yes!!
Btw just wondering….when can we expect the next post??
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Shukran! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! 🌻
I’m so sorry but I have no clue. 🙈 I know more or less how it’s going to go but haven’t even started it yet.
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👌🏻 oryt no stress, whenever you get a chance………
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But ! Why did she say “my best friend. Nothing else” ?? …also pls tell him to stop being a haraam thang and holding her hand 💔 I don’t wanna jeopardize what they havvvv 💔
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Yeah was also wondering about the “nothing else” part.
I hope theres no hidden meaning…that’d be tooooo bad
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Read my reply to Farah. 🌻
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Yeah…tell him please😁
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It literally crossed my mind that what if you’ll take it to mean “Just friends, nothing more” when you’ll read, but I liked the flow so I left it like that. 🙈😂 But she meant nothing else as in.. before she referred to him as a monster.. now she’s clarifying that he is who he is, not a horrible person – so no one else and not a monster – so that’s nothing else.
Please teach your son that his hands belong in his pockets! 😝 I deleted that part then wrote it again. It’s very weird for me to write as them because we were brought up “Don’t even look at boys” forget talk and touch them. 😂😂 And I said whole lives they were buddy buddy now at this moment if they don’t even hold hands it will be dumb. 🙈😂 I know they got a lot of flaws but I’m working on it, Insha Allah.
(I should just title this One Hundred and Ninety. I’m sorry for the rambles. 🙈💕)
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Aah okay 😀 that relieves my mind 🙇 (a bit😂)
Who doesn’t have flaws??
So its fine for them to have flaws as long as they know, sooner or later, that what they had wasnt correct 💙 (I hope I’m making sense here eeeep 🙈🙈)
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Haha it should only be relieving your mind a bit because she might still say no because of something else.
💯👌🏼💕
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Yeah. Thats what I’m afraid of.
*sighhhh*
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Zee is do intelligent
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Sorry but I’m not gonna pass this message on.. his head is big enough. 🙄😂😍💕
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Dee please say yes!!♥️
#Zeeyanah
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Keep you fingers crossed! 😍💕
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Zee is tooo much rotfl 😂
Deeee say yess dee say yess plzz👏🏼
Jazakallah fr the post but i need more(I’m nt being ungrateful it’s just that they r super awesome🌷n FULL of suspense)lol
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😆😍
Aameen. Lol I get you. I also wish I had so much free time to type back to back posts, but unfortunately I don’t. 😣 I’ll try my best to get the next one up soon Insha Allah. 💕
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Is this wedding bells I hear ,or is it warning sirens of disaster ahead?
Are they star-crossed lovers or fate-bound souls?
Trusting you to bring us some drama 🙂
#Zeeyanah
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Hope to not disappoint. 😌💕
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I know that Dee really loves Zee and all, but I feel like she’s not going to say yes.
And also, still waiting on what’s happening with Umair. You just left him to die?
Please msg me so we can discuss this!
#Zeeyanah
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She’s a beautiful complicated mess, that one. ❤
Haha even the management team haven’t been getting sneak peeks and spoilers, nor early posts to their inboxes recently, but we’ll discuss because you always give me good ideas. 😝 Friday night Insha Allah, mark it on your calendar. 😘
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This post was goooaalllssss
Ahhhhh im like happy dancing
This this this
Just made my night❤️❤️
Authores darling
This was an amazing put into such perfect ways ..post
Really hope so she does say yes
Thing is you really dont know how much someone means to you until someone brings it to you attention
Like for eg zee ..he knew but didnt until amz made it clearer
And dee has those same feelings
Like she knows
But refuses to admit
Shukran for this post
Next post? Can be our pre ramadaan gift
Xo
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😌😆😍💃
Shukran H! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the post! 😀💕
Yaass! 👏🏼 She just doesn’t know yet!
You’re welcome. 🌻 Yeah going to try for 2/3 more before Ramadhaan Insha Allah.
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Aww what a cute samoosa run❤️❤️
I’m hoping she says yes but then again it’s Dee, so her answer is obviously unpredictable 😂🌚
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🙈😆💕
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Please please please say yes dee!!
That was super Masha Allah post… Can read it again and again..
Zee is adorable!!!
Dear authoress..you are adorable;)
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Aww shukran for your sweet comment. 😊💕 So happy to hear you enjoyed the post! 🌻
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Kasssam , you think best person for me right now😂😂😘😘
Jazakallah for this post!
Loved every bit!😭😘💖
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You the best person*😂😂
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Aww, I’m so happy to have made you laughed! 😆🌻 May Allah always keep you happy. Aameen. 💕
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The emotions…oh my god!
This had all the feels. I cried a lot. *hide*
Which was quite weird ‘coz I’m not really an emotional person…
I’m pretty sure it’s not good to be so attached to a fictional person. But OMG you make them so real!
And then my cousin had to kill my emo persona by telling me that I’m 2 years delayed. (Like, I cried then also, okay? Some people are just rude.)
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I re-read this post too, since you commented. 😭❤
🙊😂
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