The Colors Of Love - Episode 9

 

Love...and its colors

*****
What is Dr Abdulrahim doing here? And how can he be daddy's  physiotherapist? Is this a joke or something?

I turn to look at uncle Imraan, to see the questions on his face,  but voila, there are none. Strange.  He won't even ask how we know each other? and why a stranger is suddenly proposing marriage to his niece in his presence?

Something is really wrong.  I look up to daddy's face and he's harboring a grin as well . And Dr Abdulrahim, well, is still doing what he does best.  Smiling and flexing his muscles. Looking as gorgeous as ever, wearing  scrubs. Ever since I read  Colleen Hoover's 'It Ends with us', I have a new obsession for guys is scrubs.  Like have you seen Ryle? You don't know what you've missed if you haven't seen him. Sigh. Trust me,  you need to read that book. It's an eye opener. Really.

I never even knew Nigerian doctors wore scrubs not to talk of physiotherapists or whatever it is he is.

I read somewhere about a research that showed that flirting and fantasizing about hot people, whether real or unreal causes the release of a hormone, oxytocin, which gives you a warm feeling,  like you feel when you take that first bite of warm nutella filled pancakes topped with crushed oreos? That warm and fuzzy feeling?  Makes you feel like you're forever happily in love.  Contented.  And for a few moments,  you feel like planet earth turns slowly. You feel enchanted like you're watching fireflies  but you know if you reach out to touch them they're going to fly away .

Stop giving me that look

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

. Who doesn't want to feel in love?  Apparently not me. So_hold the judgements please .

Even after begging your not to judge,  I can see you still are. You're probably thinking 'Her two year old long crush just proposed to her,  her bedridden father miraculously gets cured after a fourteen year long illness, and she's still fantasizing over fictional characters?'

Well,  fictional characters are just soo amazing beings.

And just so you know. That research was one I carried out on myself. You could try it out and give me feedback. You know.

The silence in the room is broken by the sound of laughter. Or rather_I am brought back to earth by the snapping of long fingers in front of my eyes. Dr Abdulrahim is on his knees. For the second time.

When did he walk over here?

His eyes are a deep shade of chocolate brown,  and he has long lashes_just like Nabeel. How can guys be this beautiful? I'm sure I can hear Daddy and Uncle Imraan  choking back laughter. Whatever the joke is,  it must be quite hilarious.

Haha. I'm being sarcastic and.. Never mind.

"Earth to Aarfa" Dr Abdulrahim whispers and I close my eyes inhaling his minty breath.

"A penny for your thoughts?" he questions with a smile playing on his lips.

I feel this urge building up. The urge to throw my arms around his neck. The urge to tell him to please kiss me. The urge to do some  so-not-very good things. I open my eyes and they fall to his lips .

Stray mind. Behave please. I'm begging my brain to not make my hands and body do what it's thinking.

I jerk my gaze away from his lips and look down.

"Aarfa my dear,  you haven't said a word.  Just some moments,  you were quite the chatterbox and now you look like the light has been blown away from you. Say something habibty " Uncle Imraan urges.

See the name variation thingy I told you about.

I clear my voice and speak. "I have to call Aaliyah and Ilhaam. They don't know I'm not in school. I couldn't get to inform them before I left. They must be worried sick. Excuse me".

I quickly jerk away from daddy's hold on my left arm and sprint towards the door. I close the door and sit on the chair in the hallway.

I'm trembling. Everything feels surreal. I scramble to find my phone when I feel it vibrating for what is probably the hundredth time this evening.

It's Aliyah. I'm so dead. But come to think of it, I kept looking and calling them but they were nowhere to be found.

She's practically yelling, that I have to put the phone away from my ears before she bursts my eardrums. "Aarfa,  where the jahannam are you?  You're not picking up your phone,  you're nowhere to be found,  Ilhaam is still missing and I'm going nuts over here and..." she says, stopping to catch a breath. I can hear the panic in her voice.

"Calm down Aaliya. I'm fine. I'm in Zaria." I say meekly. My voice sounds as if I've cried for hours.  Shock does that to me.

"...Jaafar is here and we've gone to all the places for both of you could possibly be and for a minute I had started to think if you had been kidnapped or killed or something."

"I'm sorry babe.  It was an emergency,  I had to come over, Uncle Imraan sent Malam Isah to pick me up  and I couldn't find or reach either of you."

She gasps,  as what I say probably sinks in. "Ya rabbi Aarfa.  What happened? Is it daddy? Innalillahi. Is he alright? Are you okay? " she fires.

"Well it was an emergency and I was so scared and..." the events of the day come back to me and I can't go on. It's just too much for me to absorb. I start to cry.

"Aarfa, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry my darling. Please don't cry. I'll be there first thing in the morning. Please don't cry. Don't you think it's easier for him?  That he's in a better place now?  Away from all the suffering and misery? Rabbighfir lahu warhamhu habibty. Every soul shall taste death. Have faith habibty. " She consoles, I can feel the tears in her voice. She's crying too.

"Wait. What?  What are you saying, Aliyah?"

Realization dawns. She thinks I'm crying because Daddy is no more.

"Daddy is alive and fine Aliyah,  he's cured.  He's not dead . He can talk,  he hugged me Aliyah. He's fine now" I say in between tears and laughter.

"What? Daddy is cured?  Are you alright Aarfa?" she questions.

"Oh my God,  you're in denial. Ya rabbi. I'll be there as soon as I can babe.  Who's with you right now? "

I don't have the strength to argue over what she's saying so I just smile and answer her question.  "Uncle Imraan and Dr Abdulrahim."

"Did you just say From Abdulrahim?" she asks,  her voice sounding so horrified.

"Yes, Dr Abdulrahim" I say again, rolling my eyes.

"Babe,  can you do me a favor? Please? Please quit crying and go straight to bed. Wallahi I'll be there as soon as possible . I just have to find Ilhaam and spank her ass. I'll be there as early as possible tomorrow Insha Allah. Please Aarfa.  Promise me you'll go to bed right now " she urges,  and orders at the same time.

"What happened to her? She's still not back?  Since morning?"

"Just go to bed babe. Please. Should I call Uncle Imraan? " she enquires softly.

I swallow back my laughter and promise. She thinks I'm lying. She thinks I'm in denial.  Well, I think I'm dreaming and I'll wake up in a few minutes and laugh over the irony of things.

Just as I hang up,  wondering where Ilhaam could possibly have gone.  I hear the door open and see my future husband walk out. My heart does a double flip dance  at the thought of him being my husband.

Well,  If you're not careful Aarfa, he might just withdraw his proposal. This is the second time you're running away from him. Great.

He looks at me and his eyes flicker to the chair beside me,  as if asking me if he should sit. I give a small smile and nod in the affirmative.

He let's out a heavy breath and runs a hand through his hair. He gives me a sideways glance and raises an eyebrow in question.

"Let's play a game habibty. Do you want to? "

OMG.. He just called me habibty. My heart is doing somersaults and flips of joy. So this is how love feels. Better than the books say, I tell you.

I nod reluctantly.

Well,  he doesn't need to know I'm sooooo into him now,  does he?  No need to stroke his probably somewhat fragile ego.

"Do you know what a naked truth is? You're an avid reader, so I'm sure you've read It Ends with usus" he asks softly.

I turn to look at him swiftly. "Yes,  I will marry you".

His eyes squint in confusion, his brows furrow and then his face lights up as realization dawns. His lips curve into a smile and he throws his head back in obvious joy.

Remember when I told you Dr Abdulrahim is beautiful? I take that back. Happy, laughing Dr Abdulrahim is like a lit Christmas tree. I'm enchanted. His face lights up like a ten year old Disney fanatic taken to Disneyland for the first time.

I'm smiling like a loon as he comes down from his coaster of joy. He has an equally goofy smile on his face.

"Why did you say yes?  Wallah I thought you're going to say no given the cold responses I've gotten so far. I was starting to feel weak kneed."

"Well there are two main reasons" I say.

He does the eyebrow thingy again and God,  how many more things could I love about a single person? It's added to my list of favorite faces of him. The first favorite is serious Dr Abdulrahim. The second is Smiling Dr Abdulrahim,  the third is angry Dr Abdulrahim and now Raised eyebrow Dr Abdulrahim. I'm one lucky fella I tell Ya.

Speaking to myself in that accent makes me remember one fellow that I treated badly for no reason. Poor Nabeel.  I should apologize to him, I make a mental note. He's probably there feeling so miserable . I'll call him in the morning.

"I'm dying here to hear why I'm getting married the most beautiful lady in the universe" he quips,  breaking my thoughts.

Okay. This guy is too smooth. I'm just liking him more by the minute . I need to watch the way my heart falls. At this rate, I'd soon have a heart attack from the too many stops and flips my heart keeps doing.

I clear my throat. "Well,  for one, I'm indebted to you,  for saving my father's life. I'd do anything you asked me to,  to show you how much what you did means to me. And two you've read two of my favorite books. I think we'll get along just fine.  Sooo... " I trail off,  playing with my fingers.

"Ouch. I feel hurt" he says pouting and holding a hand to his heart. He's feigning it obviously.

"C'mon don't be a killjoy sweetheart,  tell me something like I'm good-looking or smart or even rich. The books I read recommended me to you?  Wow.  Thank you Colleen Hoover and Sally what's the surname? "

I laugh out loud seeing the way his expressions change back and forth from feigned hurt to joy to the eyebrow thingy again.

I take a deep breath. "Yap,  you're neither good-looking nor smart and about your account balance,  I have no idea. So you were saying something about a game? "

He smiles the lopsided grin I've come to love and looks me straight in the eye. "Well since you've read the book,  there's no need to explain the rules,  it's called a naked truth. You tell me an unadulterated truth, no matter how bad it is. Okay?" he questions.

"I'll go first,  then youyou" he adds.

"I've loved you since you were sixteen Aarfa. Please accept my heart . I became a lecturer in your school  just because of you sweetheart"

Okay. Now that sounds creepy. He's been stalking me every since? I don't like the sound of this. My joy deflates. And my phone rings.

Ilhaam.

I excuse myself from  Dr Abdulrahim's piercing gaze and  walk a little further to pick the call. Did I mention my phone fell when I was running to hug daddy and it's behaving crazy. My phone only works on speaker mode now.

"Aarfa, where have you been? " a male voice booms. I take the phone away from my ear and look at the name again, confirming it is indeed Ilhaam's number .

"I'm sorry,  who's this? And why do you have Ilhaam's phone? " I ask in confusion.

"Hey babe, I'm sure you and Aaaaaaliyah have been calling me. I'm going to crash here.... for the night.  Don't wo...rry about meeee, okay? " a voice that sounds like Ilhaam slurs.

"Ilhaam,  is that you? Where are you?  Who's with you right now? " I'm panicking.

"Goodnight baby girl. See y'all tomooorrow." she adds.

"Goodnight sweetheart" the guys says as they hang up.

I cannot mistake that voice  anywhere. I've heard it enough times to recognize it everywhere.

It's Nabeel.

WTJ is Ilhaam doing with Nabeel?

My hands begin to shake as I scramble to call back. I'm startled as Dr Abdulrahim's voice comes from beside me.

"Are you okay sweetheart?"

The phone slips from my hands and crashes to the floor with a resounding thud. The screen shatters before my eyes. That phone is officially dead now.

I bend to pick it up and see if it can be salvaged. I have to call Aaliyah.  Ilhaam needs to be found. The screen is completely shattered and a piece of the broken glass cuts my thumb. I wince in pain.
"Oh shit ".

'Stop doing that.  Move ways from that phone. You're just going to hurt yourself" he scolds, holding my gushing  finger .

"Ya rabb, it's bleeding heavily. Let's get that cut cleaned up sweetheart.  Come on" he says pulling me to a standing position .

I jerk my hand away. "Don't you ever call me sweetheart again.  I'm not your sweetheart ". I yell before turning on my heel to leave.

Well.  That was not how I foresaw the night to end. It was too good to be true anyway.

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Zeenah