The spoilt brat

He’s fine

Areefa's 

With the wedding so close and my plan with halima in action i couldn't help but feel nervous, all I want is to get married to the love of my life and it's finally coming true. While aunty and my friends were all concentrating on my wedding preparation I and my "husband" were busy scheming. I wanted halima gone as soon as possible and I wanted to get back to being the center of attention. The kunshi was going to be held in a week and I had so many designs I wanted but wasn't sure which to choose "help" i called staring at my four friends who weren't paying attention to me. Finally one caught my eye and I quickly saved the picture. 

KUNSHI

I sat there with mine done while my friends were getting theirs. 

And honestly I felt kind of sleepy, the wedding is in a week and the house was crowded, I haven't seen ashraf in like forever, I missed him. This whole thing is interesting but I kind of feel incomplete without him. I was there lost in my thoughts while others ate, drank and had fun. 

******

Later that night I was in my room dialing ashraf's number and he wasn't picking, what's going on with him? Is he OK? My thoughts were running wild, over thinking happens to be something I'm actually good at. After a while asma came into my room and sat next to Me.

"what's wrong?" she asked softly 

"I just can't get ahold of your brother, I feel like this whole wedding charade is pulling us apart." 

"no it isn't, I'm sure he has his reasons OK?" 

"what if he's getting cold feet? What if he doesn't want to marry me anymore?"

"no that's not it, He's been super busy this days, I rarely see him at home." 

"you think? Because asma I really don't want to lose him again, I won't be able to stand it." 

"trust me he's head over heels for you, take it from the girl who knows him her whole life."

"so In other words you want me to trust you?"

"exactly, don't over think things, everything will be ok, it has been so far."

"I guess you're right I'll try not to overthink and just go with the flow. whatever happens, it's meant to be. 

Even though she sounds convincing, there was a huge amount of guilt on her face. what could she be possibly hiding? 

*********

Ashraf's 

Asma Sat next to me holding my hands tight. "it's not fair she has to know." 

"no, she will know no such thing. I know areefa and trust me when I tell you she's going to freak out."

"and she should, we talked earlier today and she told me you guys haven't talked in a while. I lied to her that you're just busy, I feel so guilty." 

"you shouldn't, you are just trying to protect her, if she knows about this she'll be devastated and possibly postpone the wedding." 

"true she's capable of doing that." Asma giggled 

"so promise me you won't say a word."

"I promise, get some sleep. You look horrible." 

"impossible my good looks won't let me" 

she laughs out tearfully "I'll let this one slide." 

I lay down there counting the ceiling while i felt my self drifting away, is it possible that what asma said was true? Should I just tell her the truth? 

********

Asma's 

I left home as early as 10:00am and went straight to see areefa, Farida called to tell me she wouldn't get out of bed. 

I knocked on her door before finally letting myself in, everyone one was there. Amina, zainab and Farida. 

"you're here?" a worried farida smiled 

"yes I rushed here immediately you called, what's going on?" 

"the bride to be is isolating her self, aunty Called me to Tell me she's been this way since yesterday night, she barely got any sleep." Amina explained 

"and why is that?" 

"I wonder why? We've been asking her and she won't say a word." Zainab answered, I walked past them and sat next to her placing my hand on her shoulder. "areefa what's wrong?"

"I c-called ashraf yesterday and he told me he didn't feel like talking and that he was busy, he sounds so cold just like when we first met" she broke down crying 

"and?" Amina wanted to know more 

"I think he's dating someone else" Areefa concluded 

"no! That's not it!" I exclaimed 

"why are you overreacting? she's suggesting he might be not he is, Unless?" a suspicious farida scowled at me "unless you know something and you're not telling us?"

"w-what are you t-talking about? I don't know a-anything" I look everywhere but at them

"if you do you'd tell me right?" a broken areefa inquired 

"o-of course I would." I stammer 

"i know, I trust you." she answered 

I couldn't help but feel guilty, I'm lying to her right now and it isn't fair. I need to make things right, Deceiving her isn't the best. 

"on the contrary get dressed." 

"why?where are we going?" she gazed at me

"you trust me right?" she nod 

"then go get ready, there's somewhere you need to be." 

*********

After she got dressed we left in my car, We drove for almost 30 minutes before arriving at our destination. 

"what are we doing here?" a confused areefa asked 

"you'll know when we get there."

We walked for about 5 minutes before coming to a stop in front of a huge white door, I slowly opened it and there laid ya ashraf on the hospital bed. 

*******

Areefa's 

After asma told me to get dressed we entered her car to go to God knows where; I just followed her orders without asking questions. After driving for 30 minutes we parked in front of a hospital. What is going on exactly? 

"what are we doing here?"

"you'll know when we get there."

I, Amina, zainab and Farida followed her until we finally stopped in front of a huge white door and she slowly opened it, To say I was Shocked was an understatement. 

I stood there motionless with tears rolling down my cheeks, ashraf was struggling to sit up when he saw me. 

"areefa I can explain, Damn it asma you promised not to say a word !" 

"I couldn't keep lying to her." as a confessed 

I ran to his side confused not knowing what to do, the only thing I could do was cry. "ashraf w-what's g-going on? Why are you h-here?" 

"you know fully well, I'm a sickle cell. a week a go I was sleeping when it suddenly attacked me. I've been at the hospital since then."

"is that why you've been avoiding me?" I sobbed holding onto him 

"Yeah kind of." He mumbled 

"this won't do, our wedding is in a week and you're here? We'll have to postpone it." I panicked 

"no that's exactly why I didn't want to tell you. I'm fine, the doctor said I'll be discharged in a day or two so don't worry."

"how could you do this to me, how could you keep this from me?" I said sobbing and slightly hitting his arm

"look I'm sorry baby but I didn't want you to worry about me, this was supposed to be a secret until she opened her big mouth." he glared at his younger sister 

"she did great, She wanted to keep it a secret till the end."

"then why didn't she?"

"because your fiance thought you were cheating on her and that's why you were avoiding her." that snitch Asma! 

"really? You thought I was cheating?"

"nope I never said that" I defend myself 

"yes you did, you even told me you'd cancel the wedding." farida confessed

"it's true I was there." Amina agreed 

"she told me she was going to kill you if you really did cheat." Zainab confided 

"wow I did not know you didn't trust me."

"it's not that I don't trust you. I read somewhere that for men, days to their wedding they start doubting it because they don't want Their bachelor lives to end. And 80% of the time is because of their side chick, so who knows." I shrug carelessly 

"that's true." he mumbled 

"are you admitting you have a side chick?" I frown and I'm pretty sure I glared at him. 

"you're jealousy has no bound, you know that right?" 

"of course! That's my charm!"