"I've been thinking, where have I seen you before." Seema asked Fahad as soon as she swallowed the food in her mouth. Jasmine and Fauziya looked at Seema, then at Fahad curiously.
"It could be on the TV." Ali said.
"Yes, that is possible. This is the first time I'm seeing you physically, I've only seen you in the picture. " Fahad said.
" Is that so?" Seema wondered.
" That's right my friend." Jasmine replied for her son.
" Haven't they finished bathing yet, the kids bathed in the sea just a while ago. " Ali said. Seema got up to call them but she paused when she heard giggles and saw azrah and ajwad running out of their room.
" There you are, where's your mother?" Seema asked the kids.
"Coming." Azrah said and ran to the dining and Seema followed. Ajwad ran towards little faysal when they saw each other, while Fahad just stared at them with confusion. It took him a while to figure out that seema's daughter is actually Farida. Azrah and ajwad embraced Fahad and he openly showed affection for the children.
The parents exchanged glances before jasmine spoke.
"I didn't know you've met them before." Everyone looked at Fahad curiously.
"We met at the park mom. The day I took faysal there for the first time." Fahad answered.
" Now I remember where I've seen you. I saw you with them when I went to pick them up that day." Seema said.
" Yes, obviously. You know, I've always thought that their mother resembles you a lot, but I've never been able to wrap my hand around it." Fahad said.
" That's amazing, the children have gotten used to each other." Jasmine said happily.
Fauziya smiled knowingly and poked fahad's hand, the action didn't go unnoticed by their mother, jasmine.
" Where is their mother." Jasmine asked Seema.
" I'm here." Farida said, finally getting out of her hiding place. Her hands were shaking and her knees were weak from embarrassment.
" Look how grown you are!" Jasmine exclaimed when she saw here.
Seema and Ali watched and smiled at the event. Fauziya looked at her in awe and faysal ran to embrace her in a hug. She took him in her hands and asked him multiple questions about how he's been doing.
"Come, let me see you." Jasmine said to Farida. Her heartbeat accelerated, Fahad must have told her everything, she taught.
"Assalamualaikum." She greeted, jasmine and Fauziya greeted back. Farida sat right next jasmine as they made chit chat about some regular things. Farida would glance at Fahad occasionally, but Fahad had his eyes casted on his plate. As much as he would like to look at her, Fahad thought that it would be better to avoid it.
Fauziya wondered why Fahad was behaving the way he was. He's always been excited to see her. She poked his rib with her elbow and raised an eyebrow at him, but he ignored her and ate his food.
It was obvious to Farida that Fahad did not say a word about what she did to any of them sitting there and she was grateful. She made up her mind to apologize to him and start afresh, she only hoped that he would listen to her.
***
Sudais did the same as he did the other time, he went to where Farida and her family were staying and stared at them from afar. The sun was harsh and the winds were hot, but he endured it as he leaned against someone's suit, careless of who own it or what they would do if they saw him.
"Sudais?" Someone called, it was a male voice, but it sure was not Afaan. Although, the voice sounded familiar to sudais. He looked up and stared at the man in surprise. It was Fahad, his childhood friend. Whom he had fought with for the sake of business and ever since then, the two have not said a word to each other until now.
"Fahad." Sudais replied.
Fahad extended his right hand for a greeting with a smile on his perfect face.
"Assalamualaika my friend."
Sudais debated for a while and took fahad's hand. "Wa'alaika salam." He replied.
"What a coincidence, we have to meet on such a wonderful place after years of gruesomely neglecting each other." Fahad said cheerfully.
" Yes, here for business?" Sudais asked.
" No, for fun with my family. Our family friends stay nearby as well, we arranged to meet here." Fahad said, pointing at farida's suit. Sudais raised his eyebrows in surprise, he never knew they were close.
" Is that so." Sudais asked, trying to dismiss the conversation, Fahad figured it and nodded, although there were a lot of things he would like to share with sudais.
" I better get going, see you soon." Sudais said and extended his right hand. Fahad took his hand and said goodbye. He sighed when sudais left. He hated it when the people you deeply care for end up leaving you.
" Hey!" Fahad heard sudais say and turned around.
" Give me your phone number." Sudais said and Fahad widened his eyes, clearly not believing what he heard.
" Let's meet up for dinner tonight. You can bring your family with you. I'll text you the address." Sudais said again, catching Fahad by surprise.
"Sure." Fahad said and spelled out his number to sudais and they departed. Fahad was happy to get back with his childhood best friend and so as sudais. He'll let bygones be bygones and start afresh, and he'll make peace with farida's family.
When sudais got home, he told Afaan what he had done and Afaan facepalmed himself.
"What if they start a fight. Or what if they refuse to come.?"
"Be positive Afaan, they will come."
***
Later that night, Fahad dressed up and took Fauziya with him. His mother didn't want to go because of the distance, so her two children walked her to her friend seema's place. The twins insisted on going with Fahad, Farida allowed it because she knew he owed her big.
After magrib prayer, Fahad, Fauziya, azrah and ajwad went to sudais's place. It took them a while to locate the address given to them.
Sudais who was already watching them from his balcony asked afaan to open the door. They went inside and exchanged greeting with Afaan who was not comfortable with the reunion. But he still managed to summon a tight smile.
The twins admired the place in awe, they had never been to such places before. The fact that the door was closed with a remote control left ajwad staring at the remote, wishing he could touch it.
Sudais appeared and they greeted each other. He joked with Fauziya about her fast growth and she laughed shyly.
Sudais noticed the tiny creations when the door opened and all directions turned there. It was ajwad who pressed the remote, he could not resist pressing his tiny finger on the large button.
"Sorry, I'll get him." Fauziya said and went towards ajwad.
"Oh don't worry, I think he likes the door. Shall I give it to you?" Sudais said and picked ajwad from the floor.
"Yes!!!" Ajwad yelled and the adults laughed, including Afaan who was busy playing with azrah.
"Come, let's eat." Sudais took them to the dining area and sat ajwad down on a chair, Afaan did the same to azrah. Everyone served themselves, Fauziya served the children. Sudais could clearly remember that he had seen the two children with Farida and her family before, he wondered whose children they were, it sure wasn't Maryam's.
"Are these your children Fahad?" Sudais asked.
"Not really, they are my mother's friend's daughter's children." Fahad said as if he was reciting an article. They all laughed, until something hit sudais's brain. His mother's friend that he was referring to was Seema, farida's mother. And Seema had only one daughter.
Sudais shared a look with Afaan and Afaan nodded.
"Oh, what's their mother called? The girl resembles a woman I Know." Afaan asked.
" Farida, she's actually a British woman." Fahad replied and sudais choked on his food. Someone extended a cup of water to him, he looked up with his already red eyes and saw that it was azrah, her large blue eyes bore into his soul and her shiny jet-black hair reminded him of his own hair. His eyes watered and tears fell. Although except for Afaan, the rest thought it was because of the gagging.
He took the water from her tiny hand, his hand brushed her fingers and he felt his heart jump.
"Dude, are you okay?" Fahad asked worriedly, he was going to stand up and tap his back but Afaan beat him to it.
Sudais nodded rapidly and raised a hand.
"I am fine now." He said and coughed one more time. Another tears fell when another tiny hand gave him a tissue paper to wipe his tears. It was ajwad, he looked at his father worriedly with a sad look.
"Wipe your tears, or you can go under the shower and cry there. My mommy said that no one can see your tears when you're in the rain, but it's not raining now so....shower." little ajwad said and the adults looked at him in awe. Even Afaan was almost in tears.
"Thank you." Sudais said and took the tissue paper. He wiped the tears and turned too azrah.
"Thank you " he said to her and she looked up at him with those eyes she got from her mother and smiled at him. She had dimples, she got it from him.
***