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M A R I N A

It had been three more days of Shahroz ignoring her and she had wondered if she had done something.

They were in class right now - Genetics to be specific - and she didn't have an ounce of concentration for the subject at the moment.

"You know you've been staring at him for the past twenty minutes.." Amira whispered at her side as she wrote what was on the smart board.

She sighed tiredly and copied down the notes, her mind elsewhere.

'Am I being too clingy?' She thought as she dropped her pencil on the table.

She had been asking him everyday if something's wrong, and he had ignored her or brushed off her question.

She had been the person he always came to ease his problems, and now with him suddenly ignoring her, she felt abandoned.

She felt hurt.

"It's just that.. that he's ignoring me.." Amira could feel the pain in her voice.

'Maybe he doesn't want to be my friend anymore..' A voice said in her head and she wanted to cry at the moment.

"Well then he's a dick." Amira said with bitterness and Marina gasped and slapped her shoulder.

"Don't say that!"

"Well what else is he then?"

Marina just shook her head at her words. She didn't know why she felt a sense of overprotectiveness when it came to him.

Maybe it was because he'd been hurt too many times in his life that she just wanted him to always be okay.

"Why's that bastard ignoring you?" Amira fumed.

Amira had been rooting for both of them for a really long time, and now with his immature acts, her ship was drowning after its calm sail.

"I don't know.." Marina trailed off, unsure of what to say. She was unsure of so many things at the moment.

But she was sure of one thing.

She was in love with him.

The thought made her blush the other day but now it made her feel a bit uneasy.

Because she knew he didn't love her.

After all, he didn't want to be around her any longer.

The thought dampened her mood further.

"Did you try to text him?"

Marina looked up to her best friend, glad that she was there with her, "I've tried everything. He sees my texts but doesn't reply to them."

There was a loud bang and Marina looked at the direction of the door. She saw Shahroz leave.

"Is it me or.. was he wiping his eyes as he left?" Amira voiced as she looked at the door.

"Was he?"

"I think.." She trailed off uneasily while Marina panicked on the other end.

Shahroz could do anything when he's sad. The last time he got drunk, did drugs and was on the brink of killing himself.

She turned to her best friend, "I'll be back in a while."

She got out of her chair and ran down the steps of the higher seats, adrenaline pumping through her veins due to worry.

She hoped he was okay.

Her hands went in her pocket and grabbed her phone, her thumbs doing their work faster on unlocking the device.

She tapped the first option on her call log and waited.

She was still walking through the halls, her phone pressed on her ear in hopes of him picking up.

He didn't.

She pushed the feeling of pain and rejection at the back of her mind and checked in every hall, every corner.

She even checked the men's bathroom and some guys gave her weird looks but she didn't care about them at the moment.

She only cared about him.

Marina opened the door to the empty Physiology hall and entered. Her eyes roamed the seats and she gasped.

Shahroz was sitting in the middle of all the seats, his head casted down as he sniffed quietly, his tears forming a pool of agony.

Her heart constricted at the sight. She wanted to go and let him pour his feelings to her, but she knew it wouldn't be that easy.

She slowly walked in his direction and called out his name hesitantly.

"Shahroz?"

He didn't even respond and she sighed, sliding down on the seat beside him.

"Hey." She placed her hand on his shoulder and he cringed, pain flashing through both of their eyes.

He covered his eyes further, "Go away.." He mumbled.

"Shahroz," she whispered his name with the love she had for him, "I won't."

He looked up at her in an instant, his expression pained and angered, "Just. Fucking. Leave." He seethed.

She was surprised with his change in demeanour to say the least. Fear stroke in her heart but she didn't budge.

She crossed her arms, "I won't." She repeated, this time sternly.

All he could see was red at the moment. He had tried so hard to avoid her, yet she was right next to him at the moment.

"Leave the fucking room, Maria. Just leave! Fuck off !" He shouted.

She flinched at his tone, her eyes closing for a moment as he shouted the last two words at her.

She could feel her eyes getting wet.

"I won't," she repeated for the third time, "and do you know why?" She asked rhetorically before continuing.

"Because I care about you, I always have," their eyes met in a moment of affliction, "and yet you're here, pushing me away." She wiped the tear which escaped without her consent before she continued.

"I'll always c-care about you, Sh-shahroz, and I'll always ch-choose you above everyone e-else," she was sobbing painfully now, "and I'm s-sorry if I've bothered you all this time," she paused to take a deep breath, "I g-guess you were r-right.. " She trailed off before choosing her words.

"I sh-should just leave." She said with no emotion whatsoever, but little did he know about the feelings she felt for him in her heart.

He was frozen.

She got up, her head spinning as she slowly walked down the steps towards the door.

She was a couple of steps away from the door when he got up and ran down the stairs, skipping one at a time. He was in front of her in a flash, blocking the door to prevent her escape.

"No, Maria." He didn't know why he was doing this in the first place, "You can't just leave like that. We have to talk about this."

His heart hurt looking at her state. She was sniffing repeatedly and rubbing her eyes, but her tears wouldn't stop.

She shook her head, "There's nothing to talk about, Shahroz." She whimpered, "Please let me go. Please." She pleaded.

"No," he took a step in her direction and she moved back, "I won't let you go when you're hurting and crying."

His last word made her sob more painfully and his eyes softened. He didn't waste a second in wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace.

She didn't have any energy left to argue or push him away, so she stayed still.

"I'm so sorry, Maria." he whispered soothingly, "I'm so sorry for hurting you, baby." He stroked her back slowly, " I-I avoided you because I was scared.. scared of hurting you and me.."

She pulled back, "How?" She questioned.

Shahroz knew he had to tell her now, or else the same situation might repeat again.

He gulped, "I was hurt after what you told me the other day, and I avoided you because I was scared that I might do something impulsive that might leave you unwanted for your man.. "

His hands were still around her slim waist and hers were still around his neck. She pulled back slightly and placed her small hands on the sides of his shoulders.

She tilted her head, her expression confused, "What man?"

He looked down on her and continued hesitantly, "Umm.. the man you are marrying..?" He said it as more of a question.

"The man I'm marrying?" She was utterly perplexed now.

He nodded, "Yeah.."

"Shahroz," she stopped him, "I don't know who I'm going to marry in the first place.. what are you talking about?"

It was hard to control his tinge of excitement at the moment, "You said.."

"What did I say..?" She asked hesitantly.

He sighed, "I asked you if you're getting married, and you said, 'InshAllah, soon'." He remembered her words better than his name.

Her face flashed in recognition, "Shahroz," she giggled, "I didn't mean it as if I'm getting married now.." she covered her mouth in an attempt to stop her chuckles, "I said that to be positive that I will find a man one day."

His mouth formed an 'o' and he looked down and scratched his neck in embarrassment.

Her giggles died and she looked up at him, her cheeks flushed from laughing too much.

"Were you jealous?" She asked teasingly and he looked down in an attempt to hide his blush.

She removed her hands from his shoulders and brought them to his cheeks, her thumb and forefinger pinching his skin.

"Hey," he slapped her hand away, "I wasn't jealous, okay?" The heat in his cheeks was unbearable now as he turned even redder.

"Sure, sure.." She shook her head. He was glad her smile was back on her face, now. He smiled back at her.

Her laughs soon died down and she looked up at him and smiled, his heart going through a rollercoaster of emotions at the same time.

"Marina?" He voiced breathlessly and she looked up at him, the atmosphere shifting to a serious one once he said her real name.

"Yeah?" She tilted her head, her large innocent eyes looking up at him as she gave him a small smile.

"I.. I-I know I'm going to be selfish by telling you the things I'm about to tell you now, but please hear me out, okay?"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Marina," he sighed softly, "I know I'm not the man who can be perfect for you. I know I'm not the man who can shower you with what you deserve as I'm too damaged from the inside," he gulped, "but you make me heal, Marina. You make me heal-"

"Shahroz please-"

"Marina," he said her name again to let him continue, "I know I can't do a lot for you and I'll never be good enough for you," he paused to take a deep breath, "but I promise you - if you let me - that I'll hold you and wipe your tears until the pain goes away. I promise I'll listen to your problems and be there for you to tell you that it'll be okay one day. I promise to put you before myself in everything. I promise to be your everything, just like how you already are mine."

He gulped, "I promise you."

Tears of joy cascaded down her face and he removed his right hand from around her waist to wipe her tears until there were no more left.

"Shahroz-" she started but he interrupted her again.

"Marina." he caressed her left cheek softly before saying the words which frightened yet excited him.

"Will you marry me?"

Silence.

The only sounds heard were of their heartbeats as they gazed at each other with love in their eyes.

A smile slowly formed on her lips and he could've sworn it was the most beautiful thing he has ever looked at.

"Shahroz." Her cheeks flushed before she continued.

"I'll marry you in a heartbeat."

She was about to say more but the squeals of another person interrupted them and the door slammed open.

"OH MY GOD FINALLY!" Amira barged into the room and jumped up and down before running towards both of them.

She turned to Shahroz, "Thanks for finally growing a pair." She crossed her arms and he looked at her, his expression horrified.

"And you," she slapped the back of Marina's head playfully, "you oblivious little bitch!" She squealed, "It was him who I was talking about the other day about who you'll marry!"

She was still jumping up and down when she realised none of them were enjoying this.

She stopped and calmed down, "O-okay.. I'll just.. leave.." She awkwardly pointed at the door then ran out.

They were both frozen as soon as she left.

"She's your best friend, right?" He asked, his expression still horrified.

She nodded, "Yeah.. she's a handful." She said awkwardly.

He removed his hands from around her waist and pulled back, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well.. at least I'll get to call you mine after a while." He smiled at her and she returned it with her own.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she chuckled, "you still have to ask my father."

He nodded, "Yeah I'll do that." He grinned.

"I'll do anything for you."

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Hey there peeps! First of all, OH MA GAHHD HE FINALLY PROPOSED YAYY! He still has to ask her dad tho. Please tell me how you felt about this chapter as it took a lot of time for writing the details.

Ok ya take care and InshAllah He'll shower y'all with His blessings!

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