The space inbetween us

chapter 4: strawberries

Mine~>

"Neha?" Samir calls out from the other side of my room door.

"Yeah?" I reply, confused.

"I'm gonna tell Amma and Abba something do you wanna come too?" He asks.

"What are you gonna say?" I ask, putting my niqab on.

"Just something about someone." He replies.

Someone.

Oh who? I wonder.

"Imaan?" I ask, opening the door causing him to jump.

"Yallah!" He yelps. "How did you know?"

"We all know, buddy." I reply.

"We? Who's we?" He asks.

"Noor, me, Hala, Khalil-" I say but he cuts me off.

"Okay now that the whole dunya knows, I think I'll go let my parents know too." He sighs.

Wait, Imaan didn't know that he was going to tell his parents at all today otherwise she would've told me.

I know that she hasn't spoken to Samir and he hasn't spoken to her but there is underlying issues involving eachothers families.

"Wait, Samir." I say as he begins to turn around for the stairs.

"Yeah?" He says, confused.

Contemplating whether or not I should tell him I just say, "Have you told Imaan yet?"

"No we haven't spoken to eachother since that day where we all found out Noor was pregnant but why?" He asks.

"I think you should tell her that you're going to your family about this first. Not because you're going about this the wrong way but because it might be a bit scary for her when you guys go to her house for marriage and her dad questions her." I reply, crossing my arms.

"Why would her dad question her?" Samir asks, confused.

"I just- I think you guys should talk just so she knows your intentions. Of course with a mahram there." I respond.

"Oh, okay I guess that makes sense but I'll need to check if she has any brothers before." He says, running a hand in his hair.

"Imaan did mention to me she has 4 brothers." I reply, leaning against the door.

"4?" He asks, shocked.

"Yep 4. So I think you should maybe figure out what you're gonna say to her in front of her brothers instead of saying anything that comes to your head." I reply, laughing.

"Well. Thanks Neha." He smiles, looking to his phone with interest.

Oh, he's actually going to find out her brothers numbers I guess.

"Who you calling?" I ask as he raises his phone to his ear.

"Haadi." He replies with a smile before leaving to his room.

Haadi.

Why do I always find myself stuck on that name?

Flashback~

"Neha, take this crap." He says, rolling his eyes.

"It's a tasbeeh, Zayan. I don't really know what you want me to do when I'm holding all of the shopping too." I reply with 4 bags of shopping in my hands.

"What are you trying to say?" He asks as I feel the wind pass us.

It was already 9pm at night and Zayan had forced me to go with him to buy the shopping since his friends were coming over.