Prolouge

"I am going to miss you." She said with the expulsion of breath. "It's alright Nas, before you know it I'll be back I promise."

"But one year is long it feels like forever, I don't know if I can stay that long without seeing you, Habeeb." "I will always be with you Nasreen."

"Virtually but not physically Habeeb, you should come to see my parents first, they are not going stare at me for a year..."

"Finally !!! Nasreen do you know how long I have been waiting for you to say this?" He let out a sigh of relief.

"Seriously Habeeb you never gave me a hint."

"Now you  know, so expect me in the next two weeks wifey, and then I will sweep my princess off her feet once I get back." "I am not your wifey yet, can't we just run away?"  She let out a repressed giggle.

"No, Nasreen we can't do that, I want to be with you more than anything, and I also want it in the right way, we don't need to run away from nobody if we are doing the right thing, yeah."

"That is why I like you."

"And that is why I love you more, this smile on your face is priceless, I want to always be the reason behind this beautiful smile."

Nasreen blushed gorgeously.

"So I should inform dad that you would be coming Yeah."

"What is going to stop you, Nas?"

"You, if you don't stop starring at me like that, lower your gaze Mr."

"My darling Nasreen you don't know how much I love you, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Then can't we just get married and move there, we will start our lives there Habeeb."

"I will love that Nas, but I think this project requires a lot of time." "I will give you all the time you need I promise." "It just won't be enough, for all the times I want to spend with you, I want when this project is done and has become a big hit, by the grace of God, I'll come and take my princess and we would live in that beautiful house you've always dreamed of. Just be patient my love, and know one thing that I will always love you, where ever and whenever I love you Nasreen."

"Mhmm tell me that again."

"Not until you say it back."

"I better get going, see you in two weeks then."

She came out of his car and was walking toward the gate. His deep voice filled her ears. "I love you Nasreen."  Turning back at him she smiled and gave him her signature smile,  enhancing her dimpled chin.

"Ke kuma daga ina  where are you from you?" It was her mother's voice that brought her out of her reverie. "I went to see Habeeb."

"Wai shi Habeeb din nan, this Habeeb what are his intentions, Is he serious or the both of you are just wasting your time?"

"He is serious mom," She sat on the couch beside her mom. "He said he wants to come for a greeting in the next two weeks."

"Masha Allah, I'll talk to your dad about it when he comes back."

"Thank you mom that is why I love you."

•••••••••

"Ya Nasreen...." Sudais her younger brother said as he barged into her room. "Don't you knock? Sheesh.." "Sorry, but dad said  he wants to see you now." "What!! Her heartbeat slowed and then it continued beating fast again. Did he say why?"

"Please just go I was interrupted from my game, I don't have time for all your questions."

"This better is good." She grabbed her hijab from her bed and rubbed her moist palm on her jean trouser. "Here goes nothing." She knocked on the door.

She fixed her gaze on one spot with her head bowed down.

"I am sure you know why I called you?"

"A'a dad, I have the slightest idea."

"Okay, your mom told me about Habeeb and his intentions, is he really serious?"

Nasreen was mute she couldn't speak, her heart was beating fast.

"If only you were this quiet as a child, how serious is he?" "He said he wants to come for gaisuwa, in the next two weeks." Her voice shaky.

"That is so soon, when did you guys meet?"

"I have known him a little over two years now dad."

"Okay, so we should expect him in the next two weeks right, let me meet this man that wants to take my daughter away from me finally."  He faked a sigh of relief.  Making Nasreen smile bashfully...

She left her parents' room with a wide grin on her face. The moment she was in her room she started dancing in excitement. The news couldn't wait another second. She dialled her best friend, Khaddy.

The way Nasreen called her name she already knew what it was. They both squealed in excitement. "So when is he coming?" "In the next two weeks." "Masha Allah this is huge, I am so happy for you Nas, Allah ya sanya Alheri."

•••••

"Habeeb!! She called his name with a zing in her voice. You have to hasten your roll, my parents are expecting you in the next two weeks."

"Are you for real right now?" "Yes, Habeeb."

"My dream has finally come true." "I thought your dream was your project."

"Nah, you come first, I love you so much and I promise to make you the happiest woman on earth." "You won't regret it, Habeeb."

Two weeks later.

Nasreen kept pacing to and fro in her room, her elder sister, Sultana, and sister-in-law, Hal.

Were the ones keeping her sane? "I am scared, is this how you guys felt?" "Calm down, It is going to be alright." "Should I call him again Hal?" "No, Nas you called him fifteen minutes ago he said he was getting ready right?"

"Just chill," Sultana said mildly.

••••

"Habeeb!!!"  "Yes, dad."  "Son you won't believe it, uncle Mahmoud just called, he said the interview starts tomorrow,  if you want this you should be on the next flight now." "But dad it is supposed to be two weeks from now." "I know son but it happened now, so you have to go, now is the right  time."

"But dad you know I can't, Nasreen and her whole family are expecting me, I gave her my word."

"Look son, it is either you choose your future or her!" "Dad she is my future!!" He said in a crisp tone. "She is not your future, you have your future in your hands, you better follow your head."

"I love her dad." "You know if you die now, she is going to find someone again and marry in the next two months right?" "No, dad Nasreen loves me a lot."

"You have to do this Son, remember this has always been your dream since you were a little boy, and now is the time for you, you don't know if is the only opportunity you have, once an opportunity is lost it can never be regained, think about it, don't waste this golden time, chase your dreams. And if Nasreen loves you she will wait for you."

"But dad can't we go to her house from there I will go to the airport."

"There is no time to waste, you should go, I will go on your behalf." "Dad  please give me your word." "You have my word." He pats his shoulders. "Now get ready." "Thank you, dad please help me explain things to them, tell Nasreen I will explain things later."

•••••

"Wai ina Habeeb inan yake ne ?" Sulyman said distressfully. "Dad I am sure something came up he will be on his way soon," Sultana said to her dad. Nasreen couldn't speak she sat down numb. She had been calling him for the past two hours.

She dialled his number for the umpteenth time. Hi, this is Habeeb drop a message. She bit her lower lip in distress.

******

Nasreen was devoid of any emotion. Hal and Sultana had left already they were tired of waiting. Her parents had retired to bed also.

It was eleven PM, and Habeeb never showed up, he never replied to her texts, he never called back.

She looked at everything that had been set for him, pangs of anger, fury, and rage-filled her eyes. She packed everything and threw them in the dustbin.

She sat on the cold marbled floor in the kitchen and cried out her anguish, she was looking for something to suppress her woes, she thought of silting her wrist what better way to bleed to death.

"You had no right to do this to me, Habeeb!! you had no right!!" Her slender shoulders racked in silent sobs. She picked the knife close to her and lifted it wanting to slit her wrist.

"No, Nasreen you can't do that." Sudais quickly shoved the knife from her. "Let me just die." "No, you cannot kill yourself over a guy that doesn't deserve you."

"Sudais he bloody didn't have a reason to do what he did, he humiliated me in front of the whole world... how could he! how dare he." She stomped her feet on the floor uncontrollably.

"It is okay, stop crying, you shouldn't resort to death if things don't work out, I know it is overwhelming but where is your Iman? (faith) Don't you trust God and his plans? Just pray to the almighty everything has a reason, promise me that you wouldn't hurt yourself." He helped her up and walked her to her room.

*********

Habeeb landed at the airport in Virginia, his uncle was there to pick him already. "I am so glad you made it son, I knew you would make it."  Habeeb smiled at his uncle, everybody was proud of him, he was lucky to have a family that supported his dreams.

"You should retire to bed son, you have a big day ahead." Thank you uncle Mahmoud for believing in me."

When he was in the shower his thoughts drifted to Nasreen, he hoped everything went well.

He turned his phone from Airplane mode on and saw Nasreen's voice messages and calls of course.  H couldn't wait to hear her voice and then let her scream her lungs at him. He would tell her how sorry he was and give her a reasonable explanation, And then he would ask her how things went with his father. But he decided to call his father first and see how things went. "Salam Dad." "Waaliakum Salam, How was your flight hope everyone there is fine?" "Everyone is fine dad, how did it go, what did her parents say?"

His father paused for a while, thinking of what to say. If he told him he didn't go, his son might not focus on what took him there, he knew how his son was besotted with that girl, and again he wanted his son to get married to his elder brother's daughter.

"When we went, her parents said they already had somebody for her, that they would be getting married soon, so you see I told you, imagine you went it would have still been the same old story."

"It's a lie dad, Nasreen would never do such a thing she loves me, dad." "Ka San masu kudin nan, they only marry themselves the creme de la creme. I rather you focus on what took you there."

Habeeb was listening to what his dad was saying but his heart was somewhere else. It was in turmoil, how could Nasreen play such a game with his heart was unfathomable. He looked at his screen saver and saw her picture, the tumultuous crowding of pain that shot through him made him throw his phone hard on the floor, and shattered, and so was his heart. He needed to know why Nasreen pulled this kind of stunt, all those, while she claimed to love him, was all a lie... it was all a lie. Tears strode freely from his eyes. "NASREEN!!" He screamed! and shattered the flower vase close to him... His hands were bleeding, but the pain he was feeling in his hand was nothing compared to the turmoil going on in his heart.