Contrasting Realities 10

Dear Readers,

Just wanted to wish you wonderful new year ;**

May it be filled with more joy and love than you can handle ;)

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When I opened my eyes, it took me a few moments to register where I was. I looked outside and saw that the sky was now dark. I sunk underneath my blanket and stretched my muscles.

How did I end up here?

As I started getting out of bed, everything slowly came back to me. Rana, british bitch, the hotel reservations and M7ammad.

A rollercoaster of feelings came back with the thought of M7ammad. A lot of admiration with a hint of disdain. A lot of gratitude with a hint of agitation. A lot of lust with a hint of fondness.


Wait – what?


Nooo nooo nooo!

Lust is bad, Haya!


I shook my head left and right, mentally dropping that last thought out of it.


I looked at the table next to the bed, and saw that the water bottle was still there. Feeling my strength come back to me, I got out of bed and walked outside the closed door of the room. The suite outside was quiet and untouched, except for the luggage that was neatly placed next to the door of the suite. The door to the other room in the suite was closed. I called M7ammad’s name a few times, but there was no answer.

Having not found my purse along with the luggage, I decided to go back to the lobby and look for it. Once I got there, I walked towards the sofa in the corner where M7ammad and I were talking earlier.


I found my purse alright. M7ammad held it tightly in his arms as he sat up sleeping on the sofa. I sat on the chair next to him, hoping he would wake up, but he didn’t move. He looked exhausted.

“M7ammad…”

“M7ammad goum…”

He turned in the chair a bit, and held on to my bag tighter. I put my hand on his shoulder and gently shook him.

“M7ammad goum nam foug”

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

“Haya…”

“Hala?”

He opened his eyes wider. Then, he rubbed them and stretched a little.

“How are you feeling now?” he said in a slumberous voice.

“El7amdellah much better”

“Are you sure? How’s the headache?”

“It’s gone el7amdella…”

I thought about what he said for a few moments.

“Wait a minute – how did you know about the headache?”

“You told me you had a very bad headache…7ata geltlch I get you Panadol gelty la2”

“I don’t remember any of that hehe”

“I don’t blame you. You were in a pretty bad shape. 5ara3teeny Haya…wallah I didn’t know what to do oo 7addy twahagt”

“I’m really sorry I had to put you through all that. I just tend to overreact when I’m angry. What else did I say?”

“Madree you said a lot of things that didn’t make sense to me, so 6awwaft’hom”

He leaned forward and I heard his bones crack.

“Zain oo laish nayem hnee? Ako suite kamel fathy foug”

“I didn’t want to make you feel awkward ya3ny, oo its only been a few hours anyway, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine”

I was impressed. That was very unexpected of him. Who knew a gentleman lay beneath that exterior?

“I really appreciate that M7ammad. It was very thoughtful of you. Bs ham may9eer tnam chithee ya3ny choof al7en you’ll be in pain the whole day”

“Mo mohem ana al7en Haya…elmohem entay. You’re okay now?”

“Yea…as long as I don’t get angry, I’m fine” I said as I gave him a wide smile.

He turned my direction, and gave me a strange laugh.

“Zain, I have some not so good news for you, bs maby agoolch oo t3a9been, ok?”

“Erm...I’ll try?”

“The hotel is fully booked”, he said, choosing his words carefully.

“Enzaiiin” I said patiently.

“Oo I asked around in the hotels nearby, oo they’re all fully booked as well”

“Okay”

“So ana kint ban6rch lain teg3deen 3shan a6amman 3laich, oo b3dain I’ll go check in other hotels that are further away, oo b3dain me and the guys can take the tube to the campus”

“Shda3wa tra elsalfa ma te7taj kil hatha, you guys just stay with us mako shay”

“Haya I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or put you in an awkward situation. Don’t worry about me and the guys, we’ll be fine”

“I’ll take it personally if you guys go anywhere else. Ana ma artha tetbahdaloon over formalities chithee. E7na 3yal deera wa7da oo we’re not kids ya3ny. Plus, its the same arrangement we wanted except that we share a kitchen and a living room. Mafeeha shay”

“Haya look. I know you don’t exactly like me very much, oo I don’t wanna impose myself on you“

“Whether I like you or not has nothing to do with this situation M7ammad. Ent tetwa8a3 ena just because I don’t like you mathalan, I’ll let you sleep on the streets?”

“Bs ana maby- “

“M7ammad, elmawthoo3 mentehy” I said firmly.

He fell quiet for a few moments.

“Zain oo Layla?”

“You’re her husband’s best friend. I know she won’t mind, trust me.”

“5alas then as you please”


We headed to the suite together, discussing what we should have for dinner along the way. Given the fact that we were both too tired to move, we settled for room service. Each of us went into our rooms to change and shower.

After my shower, I put on a baby-blue Juicy Couture training suit and started drying my hair. I heard M7ammad’s muffled voice over the roaring blow-dryer and I turned it off.

“Shino?” I yelled back so he can hear me from behind my room’s closed door.

“Shino btakleen?” I could barely hear what he was saying.

Forgetting to tame my hair, I stepped out of my room and into the living room where he was sitting in the middle of the only sofa infront of the TV. He was wearing a GAP sweatshirt over tracksuit pants. His casual look only managed to add to his charisma.

“If I looked like this laman I showed up to work yesterday, then laish Nasser ye6anaz 3ly? Shfee the just-out-of-bed look?” he said, giving me one of his sly smiles again. I realized that it was the first time he’d seen me dressed casually.

“Because you looked a lot worse than this” I teased, while quickly combing my hair with my fingers.

“Zain shino btakleen?”

“Shino 3ndhom?”

“Ta3alay look at the menu” he said, as he got up from the sofa and sat on the floor.

“Oo laish halga3da ballah?”

“3shan entay ta5theen ra7tech blga3da”

I couldn't decide whether the tone of his voice was nervous or awkward. Knowin M7ammad, though, I realized that only a very few settings made him nervous. So I figured that he was just feeling awkward and he didn't know how to act in this setting.

“Goum eg3ad zain? La tnarfezny oo t5aleeny I make you sleep on the streets” I said jokingly, trying to make him feel more comfortable.

“Zain zain…la t6egeeny bas” he said, getting up to his feet and sitting at the opposite end of the sofa, as far away from me as possible. “I think I gonna have a burger”

“Ana mo wayed yo3ana…I think I’ll just have a salad”

He ordered our food, then started channel-surfing the TV while we waited for it to arrive. When he was done with all channels, he started over again from channel 1, still staring at the TV in silence.

“French kiss?”

“I beg your pardon?!” he said in a very confused tone of voice, that might have been a little hostile even. He turned his expressionless face towards me and looked me straight in the eye.