Chapter 16: Unlikely Friendship. 

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"Women instinctually know how to nourish each other, and just being with each other is restorative."

-Tanja Taaljard-

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Zamaairah didn't sleep after everyone left the room. Despite Qaidah's persuasion to let either her or one of the girls stay with Zamaairah, she managed to convince them that she'll be fine. Now I have to convince myself. 

It wasn't later than that when she heard a knock on her door. Assuming it was one of the boys, she grabbed her hijab from the night stand and got out of bed to open the door. Before she could though, the door opened and Safwah's head popped from the side. 

Relief washed over the duo when they saw each other. Safwah crossed the room and pulled her into his arms immediately, inhaling a familiar scent deeply. Zamaairah smiled as she held onto his torso with her head on his chest, listening to his quickened heart beats. Soft and very much safe.

"You are doing okay." It was a statement but multiple emotions laced it. Fear, hurt, relief. In that moment, Safwah repeated Alhamdulillah, in his mind for only his Lord knew how thankful he was right at this moment. 

"I am doing okay." she repeated, shifting slightly to snuggled into his arms. She was short in front of his six foot frame hence she could place her head on his chest really easily. She held onto him as if he'd vanish if she moved slightly and perhaps that's exactly what she was afraid of. 

Silence enveloped them like a thick blanket as neither spoke a word. They simply held each other tightly, not letting go. Her strawberry scent mixed with his forest scents enveloped them in an alluring blanket. 

"Zam?" Zamaairah hummed in response, feeling tired all of a sudden. Safwah smiled as he ran his hands down her spine in a consoling manner, leaving heat at its wake. Safwah paused for a moment before deciding against speaking. "Some other time." he whispered in her hair and closed his eyes, savoring the moment. 

On the other side of the door, Vardah leaned onto the wall and stared at Sahl with a raised eyebrow. 

"They do know I am deleting all the CCTV footages right? And that Max and I see all their lovey moments?" Vardah asked Sahl who glared at her for using the word lovey. Vardah rolled her eyes and settled back onto the wall. 

"So are we just supposed to wait out here or-?" she questioned Sahl after a few moments, who shrugged in return. Vardah intercepted it as: Give them time. 

"Now that we are here, I have a few questions." Vardah spoke and Sahl nodded, leaning back onto the door of the room, hoping Safwah had locked it. 

"How do you all plan to break the news out to the family?" Sahl kept quiet, tilting his head slightly. He spoke after a while. 

"I have absolute-" the door opened and Sahl went straight to the floor with Vardah stumbling over him. It happened too quick but Vardah saw it coming. She saw the door latch turn and called out for Sahl but it was too late. The door opened and Sahl, who was casually leaning onto it, began falling backwards. To save him, Vardah pulled at the body of his gray sweater but he was too heavy. Instead, she was pulled down with him. 

"I am so so sorry!" Zamaairah stood in front of them with wide eyes while Safwah laughed hysterically from the chair, almost falling onto the ground. Zamaairah shot him a glare which didn't manage to shut him up. 

Vardah fell on the floor just as Sahl dodged her body by rolling onto the other side with an audible groan. Vardah lay beside him with her hands and legs sprawled all around her, like a spider in a web. 

"Utter disaster." Vardah muttered as she set up, dusting her arms and legs. She turned to Sahl to check if he sustained any injuries. 

"I am fine. Your hands hit my chest though. I think the ribs are broken." he muttered, sitting up and wincing in pain. Vardah rolled her eyes, stood up and turned to Zamaairah who looked like she was about to cry. 

"It's fine. It's his fault for leaning on the door." Vardah tried to console her and she managed to smile. At least they're fine. 

"What brings you both here?" Zamaairah questioned them, once they were settled on the soft rug in front of the TV. Sahl still groaned in slight pain and Vardah shot him a concerned look. 

"Go to the hospital if you-"

"I am fine." What Vardah intercepted the words as were: I-am-tired-of-seeing-hospital-walls-so-no-thank-you.

"We caught the person who fired the gun." Vardah answered Zamaairah instead. The woman turned to Safwah who nodded at her. They were seated away from each other and this confused Vardah. She glanced at Sahl, hoping he'd have picked up any unusual activity between them but he gave none away. 

"What all do you remember?" Vardah questioned her, looking at her directly. Zamaairah was silent for a while before she spoke. 

"Not much." and she didn't. All she remembered was how the night air felt against her face and skin, hot and humid. It was a few moments afterwards when she heard Safwah call her name and when she turned to him, she heard a gun shot, some pain in her arms and panic. She remembered the sheer panic. 

Vardah picked up the slight panic on her face and she waited. One beat, two beats. A few more later, she spoke again. 

"That's fine. Just tell me what all you remember." Her voice was soft and almost unbelievable to Safwah. 

Zamaairah sighed and nodded, fiddling with the loose ends of her hijab. 

"I was there to get some fresh air. It felt too-" she paused for a moment, blushed and spoke again. "-stuffy inside. I didn't know someone was there. Not until Safa- Safwah shouted my name." Vardah caught her slip up with the name but said nothing. 

"Anything else?" Zamaairah shook her head, no. Vardah tilted her head slightly, thinking. 

"I know you wish to return home, Zamaairah." She said after a while. "But I am really sorry, with these things going on, I don't think it's safe to return." The new information made Zamaairah heave a sigh. She looked at Safwah who smiled at her reassuringly. 

"On the bright side, it's not like mom and abba would let you leave like this anyway." Safwah consoled her, shifting closer to Zamaairah. He still kept distance between them and no one said a word about it. 

Vardah stood up with a start after a while. She then shot a smile to Zamaairah. 

"I'll take my leave. If anything comes up, I'll let you know." she told Zamaairah who stood up too. Zamaairah stared at her for a moment before pulling Vardah into a hug. Without hesitation, Vardah hugged her back with a laugh. Vardah's laughter rang slightly in the room, making the twins stare at them in disbelief and wonder. 

"I am really sorry for not protecting you. I promise to do a better job." Zamaairah laughed at this, letting the other woman go. 

"You did amazing. It was meant to be. If you weren't there, who knows what else would have happened?" 

At this, Safwah and Sahl exchanged amused and very confused looks. When did they get close? 

Vardah and Sahl exited the room and Safwah turned to his wife with a fond smile. 

"Should I leave too?" 

"You want to?" Zamaairah's question caught him off guard and he let out a chuckle before walking over the door. At first, Zamaairah thought he was leaving. That was until he closed the door and locked it behind him with a click.

Zamaairah crossed her arms over her chest from where she stood, looking at Safwah with amusement. 

"What?" he asked her with a quiet laugh. Zamaairah shrugged, smiling. She then began unpinning her hijab as she walked over to the dresser to put the pins at. Safwah took two big steps (literally tried leaping over to her but it didn't work), and came to a halt behind her. He placed his hands over her waist and leaned onto her body, almost tumbling her over. 

Zamaairah felt his presence before he had touched her and when he did touch her, it left a familiar trail of tingling nerve endings. He placed his chin over her shoulder and closed his eyes, breathing in her neck. The soft puffs of air tickled her skin making her flinch slightly and when Safwah realized this, he grinned. 

"Safwah, don't." she warned him, knowing full well what mischief he was up to. Safwah eyed her innocently before rubbing her neck with his slightly grown stubble. The contact of the stubble tickled her skin and made her writhe in laughter in Safwah's arms. 

Despite her pleas, Safwah didn't let her go until her breaths came out in pants and she went completely limp in his arms. Effortlessly, he picked her up and placed her onto the bed before climbing in. 

Zamaairah smiled at him as her eyes begun closing. As long as she is safe and happy, I am fine with anything, Safwah thought as he pulled her to him. She shifted until her head was placed on his chest and her arms wound around Safwah's torso. Safwah rubbed her hair soothingly, watching her eyes flutter close and her breathing even out. Zamaairah had fallen asleep. 

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As salaam alaikum

I may have been really busy hahaha. 

I love you guys. 

| R - C - V

Love, 

Your author.