Chapter 28: The Dilemma.

"Se nulla va bene, chiamate la nonna."

/ If nothing is going well, call your grandmother /

The next day, the squad left for their next stop, which was Rakiraki.

Sahl volunteered to drive and the others began their singing competition. Who can sing the worst!

And none the less, Safwah was winning.

But Amyrah, well Amyrah was not even in the bus. Mentally of course.

Her mind kept drifting to the conversation with her mother. She had tried her best to get over it but she could not.

The thought of being married made her want to cry. She did not want the huge commitment with someone she barely knew.

And what of Kayan?

She did not even know what or how he would react after knowing her unfateful past. Why she ran away from Fiji or perhaps why she never wanted to stay here in the first place.

"You alright?" he messaged her. She ignored the message and looked outside. The scene was full of life. The clouds in the sky, the bird chirping in the air, the wind rushing to her face and the green grass smiling at her. It was all there but she felt it dull. She felt something heavy deep within her.

Kayan felt frustrated.

No, he felt annoyed and frustrated.

Why was Amyrah not responding to anything?

"whats wrong?" questioned Yazdan, tapping away on his phone.

"Shes not talking to me"

This caught Yaz by hook.

"What?"

"She's not responding"

"I saw her on the terrace last night, when we talked I figured something was wrong" he said and Kayan turned to him.

"What? And you telling me this now?"

"Yes, I thought it was not much of a big deal"

"Aaaiiissshh"

"Go talk to her"

"I can't. The cousins are already suspecting us!" Kayan replied, running his fingers through his hair.

"Poor you. I will do something"

"Guys we stopping for lunch and prayers!" said Safwah, getting up and everyone nodded.

The mosque was a small one at a small village, where people prayed. It did not have a ladies salaat hall but there was a family who allowed the girls to pray.

Amyrah was very eager to pray for she needed to get the dilemma out of her head.

Much later, after Zuhr, they all set out to have lunch.

"Guys there is this small restaurant I saw on the way to the mosque" said Ehaan and the rest just followed.

"Amyrah!" Kayan pulled her back by her hoodie, since the air here was cold and she was wearing one.

"Aaah!" she whined as she was dragged back.

"What is it?" she questioned him, once walking with him at the back of the group.

"Why are you not talking to me?" he questioned her, stopping on his tracks.

"what? When did I do that?" she tried to put it off but it did not happen for the look on Kayan's face said he was not joking.

Amyrah sighed and put her arms around her body.

"Kayan, I think its best if we just don't do this anymore" she said, looking everywhere but him.

He stared at her. It was no surprise. Whenever she acted distant, there was always something along these lines that ran in her small mind.

"Uhuh"

"Kayan, I am serious!" she snapped at him.

"And I have already told you my answer!"

"no, you are not understanding this!"

"then make me understand dimwit! Instead of being so cold, tell me!"

"My mother accepted a proposal"

And that was when Kayan felt his blood run cold.

"WHAT?"

"Shut up Kayan! Don't let my cousins hear this or I am dead meat!"

"No, I don't care. How could she?"

"She doesnot know about you and I!"

"We are not a song of One Direction that it can be thrown away once you've heard enough!" snapped Kayan, running his hand through his hair.

"Kayan, listen to me. Calm down- I left the entire thing on Allah"

"I will just ask Ammi to talk to your mother"

"No"

"Whyever not!?!" he questioned her, throwing his hands up in the air in desperate need.

"Because its a hadith that if one person has forwarded a proposal, then the other cannot fully knowing about it!"

"Wallahi!" Kayan was beyond frustrated now. He was angry.

Not at Amyrah but himself. He should have done something when he had the chance.

"Kayan?"

"Go"

Amyrah stared at him as if he was crazy.

"Kayan-"

"Go, I will think of something"

"Fine!" with that she marched towards the small shop where the rest were seated, talking and laughing.

"What will you have madam?" questioned the lady, with a smile.

"Nothing, thank you"

"Amyrah! Have lunch! You did not even have breakfast!" scolded Aaiyla, staring at her as if she was some alien.

"No thank you Aaiyla" she muttered, putting her head in her hands.

She could not understand why this was nagging her so much. She should be happy, right? She did not want to have anything to do with Kayan in the first place. So why the sad feeling? Like something is being ripped apart? Like the colors of green, blue and others have all suddenly lost their ability to reflect the light?

"Amyrah??" Aaiyla pushed her shoulder and Amyrah snapped out of her trance.

Everyone was looking at her, as if for an answer.

"What?" she questioned them.

"We asked if you wanted some aspirin" said Kulthum, looking at her worriedly.

"Um yeah, thank you" she nodded.

"But for that, you need food in your system! Aunty please get her some- well plain rice with chicken in sauce" said Aaiyla and Amyrah sighed.

There was no getting away from her best friend.

Kayan stared at his phone, debating whether to call or not.

Finally the rational side of him won and he hit call on the screen.

Aaaiisshh, mama is so going to kill me!

"As salamu alaikum!"

"Wa alaikum mus salaam Armoni!" Kayan said causing his grandmother to laugh.

"When will you stop calling me that?" she questioned him and he sighed.

"Maybe never"

"So why did my grandson call me so abruptly?" she questioned him, taking a seat on the lush couches in the bungalow.

"Well you see......." Kayan hesitated, taking a seat on the huge rock that over looked the large mountains.

"What did you do, Kay?" she asked him, smiling slightly at the many memories to her grandson messing up.

"Armoni, I like this girl but......" Kayan waited for her loud reaction.

"And?" she replied calmly.

"I was expecting your loud reaction" he said truthfully.

"I know, but that does not mean I would give you the satisfaction. Now tell me the sad part" she said.

And that was why he loved his grandmother alot.

"The sad part is, her family is looking over this proposal for her and she stopped me clearly from seeing her family about us and now I don't know what to do!" he whined the latter, bending down.

"I know you are helpless, my child. But you must have patience." she told him gently.

"Armoni!!!" Kayan whined.

"Kay, I am merely reminding you of who you are. You are Kayan Zaeef. You have done so many things in your life! Achieved so many things in your life and had gone through so many things through that time. Now tell me, did Allah let any injustice get to you?" she questioned Kayan who stared at the rock infront of him.

"No"

"There you go. Thats the answer." she said and Kayan sighed, looking up to the sky.

Maybe she was right. Maybe he just needed to be patient and calm.

"Thank you my Armoni!" he said and his grandmother laughed.

"Welcome my child. Now go fix that argument of yours with Amyrah and come home safely!" she told him.

Kayan's mouth opened and closed as he tilted his head to the side. He had never told his grandmother who she was.

"I know all, Kay. I am your grandmother after all! Allah Hafiz, my boy"

"Allah Hafiz Armoni" he said, smiling.

That was the key. To trust in Allah!