Loved by My Archenemy

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

They went from stealing glances at each other to pausing and smiling a little bit when their eyes met. Yara hopes that they wouldn't have to go back to being strangers anymore.

After Yara had stopped looking out of the tent at her friends, she had gone back to sorting some clothing into the gift bags, she had noticed Asad was also picking out clothes too for the gift packs close to him. That was when she noticed the clothes were the last ones left in the section to be sorted. After packing up to ten gift packs with clothes, she felt her phone vibrate from her Balmain Ely crossbody bag. it was a text from her father, he texted something about her birthday soiree setup. Her parents have been sending her random text messages all week about her birthday. Sometimes it feels like they are much more excited than I am about my birthday. She thought as she smiled so serenely. Her beautiful smile was cut short when she felt someone touching her hands, she was startled! She looked down at her hands, she could tell that it was Asad’s hand clutching onto the last thawb, that was left in the section. She looked up at him, he looked irritated. She couldn't understand why he was clutching onto the thawb, she thought she had the last gift pack. Yara did not let go of the thawb either she held on to it as her life depended on it. “I have the last gift bag, I'm putting the thawb in there” Asad finally said trying to hide his resentment. “No! I have the last bag” Yara said in defense, he looked around her, “Yara, you are not even holding a bag, I have the last bag” Yara looked around her. He is right, she had no more bags around her. Her face went red in embarrassment. She quickly let go of the bag and mumbled “sorry”, Asad gave her a warm smile, she felt a slight shiver go down her spine, she did not expect a smile from him. She was still a little embarrassed, so she gave him a weak smile and sat back down with her hands scrolling up and down her phone to hide her embarrassment. She was distracted by her friends being in a different tent and her father texting about her birthday. She had thought things would be more awkward between them, but it became different. They exchanged kind smiles. And that made her feel better about them.

In no time, the event has finally come to an end. Yara was elated, she can finally leave her tent to go meet up with her friends. She left her section to join the girls and Adnan at the other side of the tent. “Yara! We were just talking about you” Sara said smiling widely. Yara looked confused, she had hoped she didn’t push them too much to work. “We haven’t had a better time than this to work in this tent, before you came, we barely did any work and we were always the last to finish up work,” Dalia said looking up at Yara so gracefully. Yara’s heart smiled, she had a lot of fun working with them. “We know you didn’t want to be here, but we are glad you joined us this time” Adnan smiled. Yara became a little shy with the praises, she was so overwhelmed. “you guys helped out a great deal, and I’m thankful we made such a perfect team”. They continued to talk about how well the event went this time, and how proud of themselves they were. Asad joined the conversation a little while after. Yara however felt different, she didn't feel a little awkward, she wasn't trying to not look at him or using her hair to cover up her face, she was comfortable, and it felt like she was with a friend again.

After everyone had left the tent, Yara made her way to meet with some of the beneficiaries of the event, he and her friends normally took this walk together, they go to meet up with them and talk to them, and they value that sometimes all they want is to talk. Yara thought Reena, Aliana, and Zev would be there already, so she skipped going to meet them at the kids’ tent. Her jaw dropped when she got to where they were seated, her friends were nowhere to be found. But, she was surprised because sitting there playing checkers with the older men there is Asad, he had the most cheerful laughter and the happiest smile he looked at peace. Yara smiled, she is sure she had never seen him so happy like that before. She couldn't stop herself from looking at him, his here was rumpled and out of place but she thought it looked exceptional. She looked at how he raised his hands every time his opponent scored and how he acted clueless when he was about to make a good mood, she knew he knew his game well. ‘As Baba always says; you know a good sportsman by the way he converses with his fellow sports men’ she thought to herself. “Ms. Yara!” one of the women called on to Yara with so much excitement Yara turned around a little sheepish, she was hoping nobody caught her staring at Asad. She went over to her with the warmest smile. “Mama Hauwa, how are you,” she said as she sat close to the woman who was wearing a black Abaya with a pink scarf around her neck. She looked like she was in her mid-fifties. “I'm fine now that you're here, I was hoping to see you again before we left. I have seen you in a while.” “I'm so sorry mama Hauwa, forgive my carelessness, I had wanted to see you before I left town the other time but my schedules were right. You see, I had traveled to Morocco for the summer.” Yara cupped Mama hauwa’s hands in hers. “Oh Yara, you have finally made that trip” Mama Hauwa smiled. Mama Hauwa has known Yara since she was a toddler, Yara’s mum would take her to the shelter some weekends to teach her kindness to people. This became a part of Yara, when she became older, she would visit the shelter on her own to see Mama Hauwa and the rest of the women and read some stories to the kids. “Yes indeed” Yara smiled. “It was wonderful Mama Hauwa, you are right, it is absolutely beautiful in Morocco.” when Yara told mama Hauwa about wanting to travel, she suggested Yara go to Morocco, Mama Hauwa had confessed to Yara about being from Morocco, but she had moved to Al hilal 10 in search of her husband, and son they had come here to help fight a war from about 20 years ago, but they never returned home to her, when she arrived to start her search, everyone had told about how she was wasting her time and how she wouldn't find her family. But she never gave up hope, for ten years she's been searching. One time Yara asked her why she still hasn't given up hope, she simply said, ‘once you've found your one true mate, you would understand just why I haven't given up hope Amira’ Yara could not understand what Mama Hauwa meant but she simply smiled and hoped she one day, finds her husband. Later, Yara decided it was time to go look for her friends since they haven't reached here yet. She waved at Mama Hauwa and made her way to the kids' tent.

As she approached the tent, she noticed the light was turned off and it looked a little deserted. She was confused and a little sad, she had thought they would meet up after the event. What could have gone wrong? She turned around to move to the parking lot to check for them, standing right in front of her is Asad, he was so close she could smell his signature Tom Ford tobacco Vanille cologne. She took a deep breath and looked up at him smiling. She had hoped he would approach her for a talk, she didn’t want to make the move because she was scared he would turn away from her. “H..hi” she stammered as she looked up at him with her eyes filled with hope. “I came up here to let you know we are fully well not friends! And I don’t want you thinking after today we can go on to talking like all is well because it’s not! I wanted to be sure you know this” Asad said and walked away immediately towards the parking lot.

Yara’s pov.

I watched him as he went away from me, I could hear my heart break into small pieces, I do not understand what just happened, I do not understand why he had to say all of those things to me, I thought we could fix things now that stuff between us is starting to feel normal again. But I guess I was wrong. I started to feel a tear trickling down my left cheek, I wanted to just sink into the ground and never come back up. Why did he have to say such mean things to me? I don’t deserve this.

I felt my phone vibrate in my bag, I reached for it as I struggled to wipe off my tears. It was a text from Reena.

*hey girl so sorry I had to leave, my grandparents came in from India, my mom called, and there seem to be an emergency. I’m so sorry. See you in school tomorrow. xo

Just when I thought I couldn’t be more hurt, I busted into tears, I was hoping to at least see them so I can forget the words Asad just said to me, there’s no use checking the parking lot for Aliana and Zev, I know they had already left too.

I reached for my phone again and sent a text to the head butler, I requested to be picked up from school. I wasn’t about to be sad and stranded at the same time. I looked up at the sky, it was getting dark, I didn’t realize it was almost dark already, I was busy sorting things out in my tent that I lost track of time. I knew I couldn’t wait out here for my ride to come, very soon everyone would leave and I would be left here alone, not that I do not trust my driver’s fast and furious skills but it’s a pretty long ride to school from my home.

So I proceeded to drag my feet one in front of the other to the school's gate, I will work for a little and hopefully make it a little easier for the driver to join me, and besides, I’m not going to stay here with a wet popped up face waiting. I don’t want anyone to see me like this. So I took out my black scarf, I always have it in my bag whenever I’m getting a ride in Reena’s convertible, she drives a little too good, and sometimes I wonder why she isn’t the drifter in the group. I wrapped the veil around my head reached it out around my chin and hooked it with a safety pin behind. So I look like a rich old woman on a getaway trip with her toxic ex-lover. I bowed my head down as I went through the crowd hoping nobody noticed me. I finally reached the gates and out I went to walk.

As I walked down the narrow road, I started to think about the wrongest scenarios I found myself in. First, it was not having my name on the list with my girls, then the awkward two hours in the tent before the good vibe came, then it was thinking Asad and I were cool, then him breaking my heart and now finding out my friends left had left me. Suddenly there was a car right behind me slowing down to a stop. I took a deep breath and fastened my pace. clenched at my bag as though I was holding on to dear life. I felt the car door close and heard a rather loud fast footstep approaching me. Who could it be? I took out my pepper spray ready to most it all over this person. Then I heard the voice call out “Yara! Wait!”.