AYAT: A verse Of Qur'an

Next day, morning

She woke up at 5 a.m. as per her schedule. After changing her clothes, she came downstairs to find Kinza and Ashar sitting in the lounge together, discussing something while eating their breakfast.

As she descended the stairs, she kept her eyes on Ashar, lost in her thoughts, unaware that she was staring at him. Ashar sensed her gaze and looked in her direction. She didn’t avert her eyes, meeting his gaze directly, but he couldn’t understand what her eyes were trying to convey.

She continued down the stairs and, without interrupting their conversation, walked past them. Ashar continued to watch her until she entered the kitchen, where Nayla was talking with the cooks.

"Saiba and Saba, do you have important work at home?" Nayla asked.

"No, Ma'am. Ammi's health is fine now, so we don’t really have much to do. Do you need us for something?" one of them explained, and Nayla smiled as Ayat approached, joining the conversation.

"Actually, the backyard storeroom is kind of messy, and there are some important files and items related to our business there. Could you both help me clean it? I could have had anyone do it, but I can’t trust them," Nayla explained. Ayat looked at Saiba and Saba for their response.

"Okay, Ma'am! We can do it!" Saiba replied, nodding, and Ayat smiled back.

"Ammi!" Ayat called out to Nayla, who turned her attention to her.

"Yes, beta? What is it?" Nayla asked, smiling.

"Umm, Ashar's file is in the bedroom, and he’s busy right now. Can you please go tell him?" Ayat requested nervously, not wanting to create any drama by interrupting the conversation between Ashar and Kinza. Nayla looked over toward the lounge where Ashar and Kinza were still eating breakfast, a bit confused.

"Beta, I’m kind of busy. Why don’t you go upstairs and put the file in his backpack? When he’s free, you can tell him, okay?" Nayla suggested, and Ayat nodded in agreement before heading out.

"Ayat!" Ashar called out as she walked upstairs without greeting him. He was a bit displeased by her silence and called out to her again. She paused and turned to face him as he approached, correcting her veil that had slipped over her eyes.

"Where are you going?" he asked, getting closer to her. She remained silent, gazing at him.

"Answer!" he said sweetly, but there was an edge of command in his tone, making her flinch slightly as she snapped back to reality.

"Umm, I was just—" she started, but was cut off by Kinza who came up behind Ashar.

"Ashar, look! Dad called you because you didn't pick up his call!" Kinza said, handing him her phone. Ashar took it and accepted the call, stepping outside the house. Ayat, feeling relieved, started to continue upstairs when Kinza made a comment that stopped her in her tracks.

"Aren't you worried that Ashar and I are going together—seven seas away?” Kinza said with a teasing smile, which Ayat didn't appreciate.

"And for what?" Ayat retorted, raising an eyebrow, unsure if Kinza was genuinely clueless or just acting like it.

"That day when Ashar and I were at Ahmed's house, you really created quite the drama by telling Nayla Mumani, right?" Kinza said, moving closer with a smirk. "But you still didn't get what you wanted—Ashar and I are still friends!" She said it with pride, and Ayat felt a strong urge to slap her but restrained herself.

"I have more important things to do than talk to you," Ayat replied calmly and walked away. Kinza was left standing there, dumbfounded, wondering if she had just made a joke at Ayat's expense.