Chaos in the Canvas √

37 | date

Mustafa was speaking and Hemayal was listening to him with lips pressed in a smile when Ibrahim entered her peripheral vision and she turned to him at his voice, the small smile widening as every inch of her expressions came alive on seeing him before her.

"Ibrahim." She said, the grin on her face dazzling.

I love you.

His last words from the night still played in her mind, in her heart; a soft, melodic tone that made her soul sing. Never in a million years did she expect to hear them - not so soon, not ever.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ibrahim asked, eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at his brother but approached Hemayal. "Everyone's inside?"

"Just talking about you and yeah, everyone's inside." Mustafa answered just as Ibrahim, in the middle of the lot, threw his arm around Hemayal and brought her close to him in a side hug - his gesture ever so casual - and Hemayal's heart went into an arrythmia, toes curling ever so slightly.

"Hey, you." He whispered into her hair and before Hemayal could say a word in reply, a bout of cough interrupted them and Hemayal turned towards Mustafa with crimson cheeks; Ibrahim's arm still thrown around her.

"Go easy on the PDA, you two." Mustafa winked and Hemayal heard Ibrahim chuckle, a throaty one that vibrated his chest, before he slapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Go in there. We'll be inside in a minute." Ibrahim said, shaking his head while Hemayal blushed even further as Mustafa turned and went inside with a lopsided grin.

"I never thought you as a blushing type." Ibrahim remarked as he removed his arm from around her, coming to stand in front of her with a breathtaking smile of his own.

"I never thought you as a PDA type." Hemayal reiterated and earned a laugh from Ibrahim - a full, head thrown back, eyes crinkling, neck exposing, laugh and warmth flooded her.

She'd never seen him laugh before

"It was hardly PDA," he remarked but dimmed the laugh by a notch as he stared intently in her eyes. "Anyways, how was your week?"

"Good, great," Hemayal smiled, tilting her head sideways and up to get a clearer glance of his handsome face. "Yours?"

"Better than I imagined." He replied as he turned towards the restaurant, taking her along with him with a hand around her elbow.

"I'm sorry about your job though." Hemayal said, the sorrow to her voice too evident.

"I'll find another," he tried to smile - for her sake - but the sadness that filled Hemayal's face at his attempt only made him halt. "Hemayal, let's just forget it, okay? They'll be deciding our wedding date inside, focus on that. Let's leave every bad thing happening right now to rest."

"Alright." Hemayal nodded just as she entered the restaurant and approached the long table at the far end, occupied to the brim except for two seats.

"There you are!" Ibrahim's mother quickly vacated her seat as she approached Hemayal, catching her halfway in a hug.

Caught off guard, Hemayal felt expressions of shock lifting her face and everyone on seeing that, let out a laugh. Quickly recovering, she felt a smile coming across her features as Ammu let her go, her expression so soft she almost cried.

"How are you, child?" She asked, taking Hemayal to her seat beside her own which Hemayal occupied before meeting other members of Yazdani household.

"I'm good. And you? I'm sorry I couldn't come..." Hemayal said, taking a seat between Ammu and Mehmal, with Ibrahim coming to sit directly in front of her.