The Colors Of Love - Episode 6

 

Ahsh

Love... And its colors
 

****
I have probably said all the du'aas (prayers) I know_ I even said the one meant for entering the toilet.

Yap. I'm that nervous. What if Dr Abdulrahim decides to ban me from his class as well. Ya Allah.
Please Dear God . I promise to try to stay away from that Nabeel. At this rate, he'll soon get me rusticated.

I gulp and breathe a lungful of air_I knock, saying the salaam. He answers and I open the door. This is the first time I'm entering his office. The place doesn't look like its part of KSU. It looks like a foreign university office. The rug looks so soft that I want to run my feet over it to feel its texture_but then I have to untie my sneakers, which I can't_in his presence. Everything in the office is gray_of different shades of course_pearl river, abalone, pewter, thunder, stone. Everything is unique. A painting frames the wall behind me and i turn around to have a better view. Wow_ he has exquisite taste, I must commend.

He clears his throat and I snap out of my little exhibition.

"Like what you see?" He asks with a lazy grin. The one that makes me sigh

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-colors-of-love

. But I try hard to see i don't.

Wait, he's not mad at me? I thought I was going to get a scolding. Maybe he wants me to feel comfortable, then he'd drop the bomb. He'll say I'm going to fail his exams. I'm done for. Nabeel, I'm so going to kill you...

"Say something Aarfa, your silence is disconcerting. Have a seat." He cajoles.

My face contorts to a frown of confusion and he laughs, throwing his head back.

"Say something please. You look a bit disoriented.

"You're not going to scold me? You're not going to fail me?" I ask with a squeal, half yelling. I'm sure he can see all of my thirty two teeth.

"Wait, what? Why on earth would I want to fail you?" He looks insulted, pained even.

"I just want to discuss something with you. I need a little advice on something_girl affairs. And seeing as we get along, I thought you could offer me a little advice.

"Oh. Okay."

Wow... Now I'm really confused now. Advice? Girl affairs and me? That too for Dr Abdulrahim? How could I possibly advice him? Apparently, I'm a girl. Haha

"How can I be of help?" I squeak. I'm unable to look him in the eye. The smirk is still pasted on his face and I can't help but wonder if he's secretly making fun of me.

"So there's this girl..." He trails off, laughing nervously and scratching the back of his head.

I patiently wait for him to continue and I raise my eyebrows in indication for him to continue but then he stands, and moves towards the chair I'm seated on. I push my chair backwards to stand too but he motions for me to sit. His behavior is really weird. What he does next shocks the life out of me.

He gets on his knees in front of my chair. I can smell his cologne, he's so close he could probably hear my erratic heartbeats. Seeing my shocked expression makes him move back a little and he smiles. I immediately look down from his piercing gaze.

"Look at me Aarfa. Please" he begs in a pained voice. I keep looking at how he's fumbling with his hands and how perfectly his ring fits on his finger. He has such pretty fingers. Long and skinny_well he's tall after all.

"Well the thing is there's a girl that i think I have a crush on_more than a crush probably. Like, every time she smiles at me, my heart lurches and I feel something something deep in my stomach" he says as he stands, moving towards the door. I look up to see him raking a hand through his perfect hair.

"I think I like her. And the funny thing is you know her." He turns to look at me, his face with an unfathomable expression.

My Broca's aphasia is temporarily disabled as I'm unable to say a single word. What is he insinuating? His words cut through my thoughts when I hear him call my name.

"Its you Aarfa. You intrigue me"

My reply will probably make you feel like strangling me. But don't worry, I felt the same way afterwards. I can be so dumb at times. I know.

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry. "I'm not really that interesting."

"Funny." He says, with a flicker of a smile, his smile unwavering "Uninteresting people don't say that."

"I have to go" I mumble as I stand and head for the door.

He moves closer and looks into my eyes and murmurs_ "What is it you're trying to hide?"

I'm mesmerized_speechless. We stand there for a few minutes staring at each other. A knock on the door breaks away our eye lock and i make a dash for the door before he can try to stop me.

"I'll make us happen Aarfa. Insha Allah. We'll make good out of this, you'll see." He says in a low, reassuring voice.

*****

I walk towards the class to pick my bag. My thoughts are all around the place. I'm so confused I can't comprehend a single thing.

Distantly ,I can hear someone speaking. I look around to see if the speaker is referring to me and see it's Nabeel.

Dear Lord. Wallah he's the last person I want to see when i feel like crap. Wait, do I? I don't even know what it is I'm feeling. My life looks like a movie this last few days. The irony of some people saying I don't have a life. Well, you're welcome if you have your popcorns. Enjoy my misery.

"Hey, is everything okay? I hope I didn't get you in trouble?" He questions worriedly.

See who's turned sweet and thoughtful.

I roll my eyes before I let out a small smile and walk past him.

"Please tell me he didn't tell you to stop attending his classes as well?" He asks as he walks behind me.

"Well, there's nothing you can do if he did" I say indifferently.

He palms his face with both his hands and mutters something I think are cuss words "Ya Rabbi, Aarfa I'm so sorry. Wallah I didn't mean to cause you trouble. What can I do to make this right?"

Seeing him like this makes me feel a little bit uplifted as opposed my almost distraught state a few minutes ago. I decide I'll just let him feel miserable for some days before telling him the truth.

I turn to him faking exasperation "Just let me be Nabeel. I knew you were trouble the moment I set my eyes on you. You're bad for me. Please stay away from me, okay? No offence whatsoever_please."

"I'm sorry Aarfa. I just thought maybe today we'll start over and be friends. Please don't push me away. You're among the few people who cab stand up to me and give back as good as I give. I admire that about you. Please. I'll be good from now henceforth, I promise ".

He looks like a fourteen year old kid making promises to his mum just so she can take him to the theatre to go and watch Captain America. Promises he'll probably not keep.

He's still tagging behind me as I reach the gate to the female hostel and I turn and wace at him before I disappear inside, leaving him standing there with a pitiful expression.

I'm so grateful for Nabeel's little chatter on NY way back. He temporarily took my mind off Dr Abdulrahim. I enter  my room and Thank God for the absence of Ilhaam and Aliyah.

I unlace my sneakers and keep them back on the shelf. Next, I remove my hijab and beans and fold them neatly. I look around for things to tidy but there are none. I head over to our provision locker and decide to sort everything out properly.

I really can't picture anyone having a crush on me.

I can't picture anyone thinking about me before they fall asleep.

I can't picture anyone getting butterflies because I said hi to them or because I smiled at them.

I can't picture someone smiling at their phone screens when or after done talking.

I mean like,

Why would anyone ever do that?

I'm just me. Nothing special.

Nothing extraordinary.

Plain, ordinary Aarfa Hakim. Black, freckled, short haired, ugly Aarfa.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by Ilhaam's salaam.

"Hey babe" she says, hugging me. Today I don't even mind her perfume choking me. I just hug her back and say hi.

She chuckles as she heads to her bed, removing her shoes and kimono.

"How was your day? Well I needn't ask. We all know Mondays are always amaaaazing, right?"

"It was probably super amaaaazing Ilhaam. That she doesn't want to answer you and ruin her perfect day Ilhaam" Aliyah answers as she comes in too. Its like we have a force calling us. Anytime one returns to an empty room, the other gone back less than thirty minutes later..

This appearing thing she does freaks me out sometimes.

"Well, Waalaykumus salaam to you too Aliyah. My day was extraordinarily amaaaaaaaazing, alhamdulillah all thanks to you both." I quip, in a semi irritated tone.

Aliyah peeks into my face and squeals "Well well well, what do we have here? It seems Dr Abdulrahim is no longer in dearest Aarfa's good books? What happened? "

I sniff and Ilhaam hurries up to my side and I hold out a hand to her. Aliyah comes closer too but I back away, refusing to let anyone hug me.

"I'm not crying, I'm fine" I say wiping the tears sliding on my cheeks.

"Like hell you are. You just arranged the drawer in frigging alphabetical order. Ilhaam look at this_
note that the bottles and jars are all arranged in descending order by size, tallest on the left. Now, on the next shelf, she has reversed that for artistic purposes so that the tallest items are on the right.
Imagine" Aliyah explains.

Ilhaam looks at me as if I'm sick. She looks like she wants to cry. "Cry it out baby. When you feel better, when you feel like it, we'll talk. Okay honey?" She pats  my shoulder and takes me to my bed.

Aliyah tries to speak, but Ilhaam cuts her short.

Today I love Ilhaam more. She understands. One person understands.

Sorry people. I can't even start explaining. I'm ill. Please say a prayer for me

Here's an Update.
Shower with Comments and Love Biko.
I want to see a hundred comments. Lol, okay at least fifty haka.

See you  guys on Wednesday Insha Allah.

Don't Forget To Vote, and Comment.
And Share Share Share.

Adiós, Graciás.

Zeenah