I FEEL IN LOVE WHITH MY BEUTIFULL ONE

Chapter Eighteen: A New Plan

A few days later, in the morning, Mahmoud stood in front of the mirror, deep in thought, wiping his face after shaving.

Mahmoud (to himself): "This is the fourth day without seeing her. I wish Hanaa would invite her for lunch today. That way, I could explain the misunderstanding between us, and maybe we could become friends!"

Feeling satisfied with his idea, Mahmoud left the bathroom and headed to the living room. He saw everyone gathered at the dining table for breakfast. He greeted them, took his seat, and started eating. After a few minutes, Mahmoud decided to indirectly bring up the idea of inviting Tehani over for lunch.

Mahmoud (curiously): "Will Mrs. Tehani be staying here for a long time?"

Hanaa put down her food and gave her brother a questioning look, suspecting that he might have been influenced by Badria and wanted to get rid of Tehani.

Hanaa (defensively): "Why? Are her kids bothering you? Or is her husband annoying you by sitting at cafés and flirting with women? Or maybe you're the one supporting her financially without us knowing?"

Mahmoud was taken aback by her sudden attack.

Mahmoud (shocked): "What’s wrong with my question?"

Hanaa (firmly): "The problem is that you won’t leave her alone. Tell me, has Aunt Badria retired and asked you to take her place?"

Despite Hanaa’s harsh tone, Mahmoud saw an opportunity to execute his plan.

Mahmoud: "Since you care so much about her, why haven’t you invited her to join you for a meal? I saw her buying snacks and ordering takeout food!"

Hanaa (surprised): "And who said I don’t care about her meals? Thanks to our dear aunt, she’s been frightened since the moment her family left. And after the two of you ambushed her in the middle of the night with all those offensive remarks, she’s too scared to even glance at our door. And I certainly can’t promise she won’t be hurt again if I ask her to come here!"

Mahmoud (objecting): "Didn’t I stay silent and not respond to her?"

Hanaa (sharply): "Why would you respond when you were the one who went to her door to scare her in the middle of the night?"

Mahmoud (angrily): "Oh, for heaven's sake, enough! Fine, tell me—she didn’t come to Egypt on a study mission, right? Then why did her family leave her to live here alone?"

Hanaa (sadly): "Honestly, because of you and Aunt Badria. I wanted to get closer to her and learn her story, but you jumped into the situation and ruined my chance to know her better!"

Mahmoud fell silent and continued eating his breakfast to avoid escalating the tension. But after a moment...

Imy (excitedly): "Mom, what if we send her food every time we cook something? That way, she can stay comfortable in her apartment!"

Mahmoud quickly interrupted, worried that Imy’s suggestion would ruin his chance to get closer to Tehani.

Mahmoud (firmly): "No, no, don’t send her anything!"

Hanaa (astonished): "What? Are you trying to stop us from helping her? Now I understand why Aunt Badria loves you—you’re just as heartless as she is! Don’t worry, I won’t send her anything because I don’t want her to think she’s a burden!"

Mahmoud was stunned by his sister’s harsh words, feeling unappreciated despite everything he had done for them.

Fatima (defending him): "Hanaa, why are you saying such things about your brother? Have you forgotten all he’s done for you and your children?"

Mahmoud (sorrowfully): "She’s my sister, and I’ll always be responsible for her and her kids until the day I die."

Hanaa (regretfully): "God forbid! I’m sorry, my brother. I didn’t mean it that way. But today, you’ve been saying strange things. Is this the first time I’ve seen you dislike someone?"

Mahmoud (smiling): "It’s okay. Let’s forget it. But you should know, Aunt Badria has never cared about anyone in her life. She only gets close to me because she wants to exploit Uncle Salah’s power of attorney to sell all his properties for herself. She thinks he’s living in America, so he won’t find out. I still remember when I was in university, and she visited our father in the hospital. I saw the malice in her eyes as she gloated over his illness. And why? Because he refused to sell everything he owned to her for a pittance."

Sadness washed over Mahmoud as he recalled his father, and his sorrow deepened when he realized he hadn’t been able to suggest the lunch invitation to Hanaa. Fatima noticed the change in his expression and asked him to help her to her room.

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Mahmoud helped his mother lie down on her bed.

Fatima (gently): "Sit with me for a bit, my son. Let’s talk."

Mahmoud sat beside her, speaking with frustration.

Mahmoud (expressing himself): "Aunt Badria is right—she’s taken over their minds. Everyone is ready to turn against me for her! She truly has bewitched them!"

Fatima (smiling): "And haven’t you been bewitched too?"

Mahmoud (protesting): "Me? What could she possibly use to bewitch me?"

Fatima (laughing): "That red dress! Your aunt lost her mind describing how you fell silent when you saw her in it. Don’t hide it from me—was she really that beautiful?"

Mahmoud’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he quickly averted his eyes.

Mahmoud (curious): "Did Aunt Badria tell you she wore the dress when we saw her?"

Fatima (laughing): "Yes, and she asked us to take care of you!"

Mahmoud (awkwardly): "My aunt doesn’t understand anything. I stayed silent because I remembered seeing Ahmed with his friends, not at her place. And if she’s beautiful and enchanting, why didn’t she marry early?"

Fatima wanted to test his feelings.

Fatima (smiling): "Let’s move to something more important. Listen, my son, Tehani came to me and asked if I could find someone to teach her English. She wants to make good use of her time while she’s here. I told her to ask Imy for help. And with your permission, I’ll talk to Imy about helping her. What do you think?"

Mahmoud imagined himself teaching Tehani, sitting next to her, leaning closer to explain something, admiring her beauty, and even lightly touching her hand if she made a mistake in writing or pronunciation.

Fatima noticed the change in his eyes and confirmed her suspicions. For the first time in seven years, since his divorce from his American wife, she saw his eyes turn green.

Mahmoud (hesitantly): "I’ll see if I can find time. Maybe I can help her. Let’s leave Imy to focus on her studies."

Fatima (smiling knowingly): "Ah, I understand. You don’t want Imy to neglect her studies, and you don’t want to burden yourself either. I know your work takes up all your time, so I’ll apologize to Tehani and ask her to find someone else to help her."

Mahmoud remained silent, not insisting on his mother’s decision, as he didn’t want her to discover his feelings before he understood Tehani’s story. He left her room, feeling regretful about missing opportunities to get closer to her—whether by inviting her to lunch or offering to teach her.

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