A taste to remember

Chapter five

Ahmad pov

Salim's words often strike a chord with me, and he's right. If I were in his shoes, I'd act similarly, or perhaps even worse. How can I make it up to her? I was lost in thought when I heard a knock on the door. I quickly got up, put on the white top I saw in the living room, and opened the door. "Hey, how's it going?" Khalid asked as he stepped inside. I reluctantly locked the door and returned to my bed. He headed to the kitchen, opening pots and pans. "Ah, you haven't cooked," he said, approaching the bedroom. I remained quiet, not in the mood to talk.

"What's wrong with you? Where's Alkerry? When will I meet your mysterious girlfriend?" he asked. I lifted my face from the pillow and replied, "She's not my girlfriend, and she won't be coming over anymore." I narrated the events of that day. "Wow, who will be babysitting you now?" Khalid asked, laughing. I threw a pillow at him, and he dodged. "Wow, Ahmad, I salute you. But you didn't receive any blows from him, did you?" he said, examining my face and hands. I hissed and pushed him away, walking out of the room.

Khalid continued teasing me, laughing. I ignored him and got ready to watch a movie on my laptop. "Okay, okay, sorry about that. I just can't help myself but laugh," he said, pausing. "I don't blame her brother for acting out; what he did was right. I mean, he's just protecting his sister. I wish I could meet this Alkerry girl." He followed me around like a tail. I handed him a bottle of water from the fridge. "Her name is Munnira, not Alkerry. I'm the only one who has the right to call her by that name," I corrected.

He gave me a sidelong glance and sat down, remaining quiet for a while before breaking the silence. "I have an idea - why don't you invite her to our hangout tomorrow? We can all meet her, and she can check out the new restaurant in town." I replied, "No, I don't think so. This just happened two days ago, and I don't want to rush things. Plus, she's always busy." My eyes remained fixed on the screen.

Khalid surrendered, raising his hands in the air. "Okay, if you say so." We lapsed into silence again, this time for a longer period. Then, he asked, "Can I borrow your phone? I want to send some music." I tossed him my phone, and he caught it quickly. Suddenly, I realized something and demanded, "Khalid, give me back my phone!" I stretched out my head, but he was already typing away, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

I got up and followed him as he ran into the room, locking himself in. "Wait, just give me five seconds!" he called out from inside. I sat on the bare floor, leaning my back against the door. After a few minutes, he opened the door and tossed my phone back to me. I immediately checked it and saw the message he had sent to Munira - an invitation to the hangout, including the time and venue, and ending with an apology.

I turned to him, but he was already heading out of my apartment. "You won't know if you don't try. I'm sure you'll thank me later," he said as he exited. At first, I considered letting Munira know that the message wasn't from me, but then I decided to take his advice and give it a try.

I kept checking my phone for notifications, but there was no response from her. As the day drew to a close, I concluded that she wasn't coming. Just as I lay down on my bed, I received a message - her reply. "I'm not sure if I'll be free, but I'll try. Thank you," she texted.

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Every second, I checked my phone to see if I had missed any calls or messages from her, but there were none. Will she come? Won't she? She never gave me a straight answer, maybe she won't? I continued to ponder as I got dressed. Khalid rushed into my room, dragging me out and helping me with the few things I had left behind. As he drove, Khalid asked if Munira was coming, and I nodded without saying a word. "Did she call or text you so we can pick her up?" he asked. "No, she didn't, but I'm sure she'll come when she's done with what she's doing," I hoped.

When we arrived, everyone was present except her. I decided to call her phone to confirm if she was coming or not. It rang twice, but there was no response. "Ahmad, where is your nurse friend? Khalid said she was coming. Is she coming?" Fara asked as I was about to call her for the third time. "I don't know, that's what I'm trying to confirm." The third time, it didn't go through. We all concluded she wasn't coming and started ordering snacks. A few minutes later, my phone rang, and it was her. I quickly dropped the samosa I was eating and answered the call.

"Hello, Ahmad," she spoke, her voice sounding like music in my ears. "I'm outside the restaurant," she added. I quickly rushed out, and there she was, standing in a pink flare gown with flower patterns and a light pink veil wrapped like an Arabian princess. The color blended perfectly with her skin. I walked her in and showed her where to sit. "You must be Munira," Fara said, walking towards her and giving her a warm hug. She introduced her to the others, and they welcomed her with a simultaneous greeting. She smiled and responded with a nice gesture. "Please dig in," Khalid said, bringing a bowl of chicken wings to her front. "I know your face," Yesmin said, munching on a big bite of pizza.

"Yeah, same here, I'm in room 26 at the Purple Palace," she replied, feeling shy about eating. "Yeah, me too, but I'm in room 6, downstairs," Yesmin said. Fara cut in, "Okay, Purple Princesses, Munira, you're not eating. If you don't, we'll feel offended." They all agreed, and Munira started eating. They shared stories about their childhood, funny and sad moments, and how they all grew up together. I've been friends with them my whole life; our families are very close. We went to the same school, except for the year I spent in boarding school. Throughout the evening, I said few words, and my eyes kept drifting to Munira. She looked stunning when she laughed.

Suddenly, Fara got up and started imitating my work, making everyone laugh. I tried to focus more, not wanting them to notice my attention was on Munira. When it was time for prayer, the girls headed to Fara's apartment, which was nearby. At the mosque, Khalid and Zaid teased me, noticing my behavior earlier. "Guy, your eyes were on her since we got here. Take it easy, Mr. Lover Boy," Zaid said, standing at the entrance. We prayed, returned, and met the girls. Fara and Zaid were on the dance floor, dancing and singing karaoke, while Khalid and Yesmin chatted by the side. Munira sat alone, smiling at each of them. I grabbed a chair and sat down in front of her. "You must be tired," I said, watching the others from afar. She looked stressed and tired.

"Your friends are really nice. Thanks for today. Fara mentioned a weekend at a camp resort and invited me; she said there's one slot left," she replied, my eyes still on hers. "Yeah, it's true; it's already paid. Well, it's okay if you won't be able to make it. I'll let them know." She placed her empty bottle on the table. "Well, I'm not sure I'll go, but I'll let you know when I've made up my mind." She paused and continued, "It's getting late; I want to go home".

As we prepared to leave, a noise came from the restaurant entrance. Suddenly, we heard two gunshots, screams, and people running in different directions. The crowd was trying to escape through the back exit door. I turned around but couldn't find Zaid, Fara, Khalid, and Yesmin. I grabbed Munira's hand and joined the crowd. When we reached the door, her hand slipped from mine. I waited outside for her, but she didn't appear. After the crowd thinned out, I saw her with a bleeding head. I rushed to catch her, and she fainted. I took her to my car, cleaned her head with a white towel, and drove her to her hostel. However, the door was locked, and no one answered despite my repeated knocks. I returned to the car to check for her phone, but it was dead, and mine had only 1% battery left. I tried calling Yesmin, but it didn't go through, and the second time, it rang before cutting off. I drove to White Castle, where Fara lived, and knocked on the gate. The gateman said Fara was out and wouldn't be staying there that night. Confused and frustrated, I returned to my car, unsure of what to do next. I decided to take Munira to my home, where I took her to my room and slept in the living room.