"Don't waste your time looking back at the things that you've lost, life isn't meant to be travelled backwards, maybe better things are in store for you "

I watched at my food in dismay, playing with the silver spoon, not even taking a morsel from it. I wasn't hungry. It hadn't been six hours since I ate breakfast, and now mama is making me eat lunch. I can't even remember the last time I sat on the dining table to eat lunch. I always eat any junk food I find in the the kitchen as my lunch.

Should I throw it away? Oh no...mama says its bad manners to throw food away. I should just walk to the kitchen and drop the plate, without being noticed...yeah that's right!

I stood up slowly, without making any sound. Mama was sketching something on a book, holding a pencil loosely, her hair wet from the shower. Just as I grabbed the handle to the kitchen door, she spoke

"Where do you think you're going without finishing your food?" She said without looking up from her sketch book.

"Uhm...Mama...I.."

"Come here" she ordered and I slowly walked  up to her. "Sit down" she patted the space beside her and I sat. She took a big spoonful of food and stuffed into my mouth. The taste of spinach engulfed me suddenly. I chewed on the yam and spinach sauce slowly, pouting a bit.

I looked down to her sketch book as she fed me the last spoon of yam. "Wow mama...this designs are so beautiful" I said flipping through the pages and stopped at a particular blue dress that had me mesmerized. Mama's lips tugged into a smile.

"You like it?"

"Momma I love it!" It was a royal blue long flowing ballgown, with full sleeves, it had golden embroideries all over in a fixed pattern. It looks like the type of dresses princesses wear.

Mama's mood changed drastically, as if she remembered something. "Noor...listen" she started and I stared at her blankly. "You see...the things is..this life is short, sometimes you just have to forgive...and if it's hard forgiving, then you should forget about it all and move on. Life's too short to be holding grudges"

Okay...did I miss something again? I thought we were talking about a blue gown, what brought about grudges?

She opened her mouth to say something but she kept quiet, ruffled my hair and headed to the kitchen. I then heard some sound. So familiar and it was coming from upstairs. I ran to my room in search of the sound.

Ohh...that's why it was so familiar...it's actually my phone ringing. It's been ages I last saw my phone. I wonder who's the sweet angel that charged it for me...oh yes, that angel is mama.

I answered the phone to hear a hyperventilating Affiyah. I could imagine her pacing all around and running her hand through her hair.

"The decorations are yet ready, the catering company cancelled at the last minute, the makeup artist doesn't answer my phone, the designer messed up the dress...the photographer..."

"Breath Affiyah...breath" I said to my friend over the phone and she seems to calm down a bit.

"The dinner is in five days and...and..and nothing is in place. We don't even know what to do Noor. It's the first wedding in our family and nothing is going smoothly"

The.wedding.is.in.seven.days.!!!

How could I forget?! Ya Allah. Adda Sajeedah was my favorite senior in school, how could I forget her wedding.

"Noor! Are you listening"

"Oh yes yes. You know what, bring the bride to the boutique now, and we could help her select something to wear" I said and I heard her sigh a little.

"What about the food and the cake?" She said on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry okay...I'll speak to Anty Luba and we'll see about the cake. And the catering...."

"Let's not waste time...let's just finalize the dress first, we'll take care of other things later" she seemed to have put herself together.

"Okay so we'll see you in thirty minutes?" I asked

"Yes. Thank you so much Noor. You're the best"

I skipped downstairs and met mama, sitting on the exact spot I left her. "Hi momma! I love you momma" I smiled at her mischievously..

"Noor? What do you want?" She lifted her face from a magazine and looked at me.

***_***_***_***
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***

The elevator stop at the last floor of the mall, I stepped out and removed my niqabi. Being the last floor, there weren't much people around. I looked at the brightly shining board in front of the shop. Noorie boutique.

I met the shopkeeper, Emily, arranging the mannequins. She smiled sweetly at me before speaking.

"Oh Noor, I have been looking for you for almost a week now..." she spoke and I looked at her in confusion. "We need models for the January collection and.."

"I'm not wearing a heavy dress and standing in front of the camera again...if we need models, we'll find professional ones...but me, never again" I said and she giggled.

I smiled back at her and slumped against the cushions. Mama came in after a while. She had to look for parking space as the parking lot was already filled up.

My phone rang again, startling me this time. I'm not actually used to the thing ringing, mostly it's discarded around the house.

Yes, in this twenty first century, where people can't spend an hour without their phones, there's a person that can spend months without knowing the existence of it.

"Hello" I said into the phone. It actually felt weird to hear someone's voice through it.

"Noor...we're kinda lost..." My dear friend said.

"Okay...so where exactly are you?" I asked hoping she's close by because my feet hurt.

"Umm..we're standing at a shoe store, with a man selling melted ice cream and..."

"You're at the 3rd floor...wait there, I'll come"

She hugged me tightly as soon as she saw me.

"It's been a really long mid term break..I missed you a lot" she said

"It's only been three days..." I said then spotted Adda Sajeedah standing behind. She was really glowing. "Hello...oh wow Adda Sajeedah you look like a bride already" I said looking at her fresh and glowing skin. She blushed shyly.

We reached the shop after a long elevator ride. I kept praying it doesn't spoil while we were inside. It's not that it hasn't happened to me before, I spent six long hours with a smelly old lady, a crying baby and a flirty devilish looking teenager before a repair man arrived. And today too, it was making some strange sounds.

Well, it's not only our door bell that needs repair.

Adda Sajeedah wasn't being choosy at all. She choose the first bridal dress she was shown. It was a mint green floral dress, she looked like a princess in it, just that a wand was missing.

"What about you Affiyah? Still wearing the red dress you choose?" I asked her while she was gaping at some mannequin.

"No....that dress looks absolutely hilarious when compared to these extremely beautiful Abayas"

"Then I know just what you need" Emily said. She lead us to another room filled with clothes. "Here you go girls... Go try them on" she spoke handing us some dresses.

After a few tries, when settled on wearing matching purple dresses.

I think my bucket list of having a twin has been fulfilled. Awesome.

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Sorry I haven't updated for a while...

Okay! I think the story is too calm, who wants more drama?

So...buckle your seat belts because in the next chapters, there's gonna be loads of drama...Muahahahaha...I know, I'm wicked.

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Husnah✨