Contrasting Realities 22

There’s just something about London that always gets to me. I’ve traveled to places around every nook and corner, but I never managed to find anywhere as peaceful as I do here. Its always been the city closest to my heart.

And London in winter was a completely different story.

We were happily walking down the streets, enjoying the fair weather and the scenery while making random conversation. Any awkwardness that happened earlier seemed to have disappeared into thin air, just like the smoke coming out of our mouths when we spoke.

Everything was so serene. I loved it.

That was the point when the rain decided to fall. Had I been alone, I would’ve continued my walk even more excited than I was before, feeling the raindrops wash all my troubles away. But knowing how Layla hates the rain and watching her step into the nearest shop when it started falling, I decided to follow her.

We ended up in Debenhams.

“Lets just look around hnee till the rain calms down shwaya. Its pouring out there”

Walking up the escalator, I remembered how my mom loves the fish & chips they made here, and how she only ate it in this restaurant. I decided to give her a ring.

“Hayoooya galby shlonich mamaty? Walaht 3laich 7beebty wallah elbait ma yeswa bdoonich! Mamaty meta tredeen Hayoo wallah I miss you!”

I laughed out loud. Very hard.

“Yuma ba3ad galby shway shway 3ly 5al astaw3eb shga3d tgoleen”

“HAW! Hayoo agoolich welaht 3laich tgoleenly shway shway!”

“Wallah I miss you more 7beebty. Wallah weddy tkoneen weyay al7en. A9lan tadreen ana wain al7en?”

“Wain?”

“Eb Debenhams…tabeen fish & chips?”

“Ba3ad galby entay wallah…7addy meshtahya…yeebeely weyach 3ayal bs la ygoloon 3annich maynoona on the plane”

“Afaaa! Ygoloon maynoona bs lazem ayeeblch! Entaw shlonkom? Wainkom ma tes2loon 3anny chenna kintaw na6reen elfacha menny!”

“La wallah yuma obooch kil youm ydeg 3laich bs madree el56oo6 shfeeha mo rathy yashbk…7ata kil ma ydezlch message ma tro7…kaa ga3ed yamy yaby y7acheech e5thay”

My dad confirmed to me what my mom had said. I wondered what was wrong with my phone; the network was normal, I could call people but apparently no one could call me. I assumed that my parents had gotten something wrong with the code or what not. After all, I guess technology can be a bit challenging for people their age.

I was standing in the makeup section when I saw Layla and M7ammad coming towards me.

“Shfeech Hayoo?”

“Laa mako shay. I just talked to my parents fa I kinda miss them”

“You’ll be back before you know it 7beebty, fa enjoy the time you’re here while you still can”

“Inshallah…bs they keep saying my phone is going crazy mo ga3d yashbk”

“Ee I remember youm I arrived I called you oo madree shfee chan adeg 3la 7ammoud oo – AAAAAHHHHH DIORRRRRRR!!”

She was now screaming and her eyes were ogling something behind me. I looked behind me to find that we were at the Dior makeup section.

“El7amdella welshekr…” I said as I rolled my eyes.

“Laaa laaa Hayoona you don’t understand! I’ve been looking for my red shade everywhere in Kuwait oo killa out of stock! Apparently red is in nowadays oo kilman ga3d ya5tha!! Its not fair its always been my color mn before hal habba”

“Ee wallah…entay mashallah 3laich I’ve never seen anyone yloog 3aleh red lipstick nafsich…mo nafs hathela elclowns eli nshofhom chenna a7ad punched their lips…it actually looks GOOD on you with your pearly whites”

She tried some on and looked in the mirror at M7ammad who was lurking around us, obviously bored with the conversation.

“Shrayak eb hal loun 7amood?” Layla showed him her freshly colored red lips and trying to make him feel less out of place.

“Its nice I guess”

“Hayoo try it!”

“Waiii Layla shkether 3endy makeup!”

“You wear makeup aslan?”

“Not much…bs I have a thing for buying it and not using it hehe”

He smiled.

“Zain yala try it, show us!”

I did as I was told.

Another jaw drop. This time from Layla. I couldn’t see M7ammad’s reaction from where I was standing through the mirror though.

“3ajeeb Hayooo! Lazem ta5theena!”

I was pouting infront of the mirror and contemplating the thought of buying it when Layla’s phone rang. She excused herself.

“You should get it”, he whispered in my ear as the sudden appearance of his reflection in the mirror startled me. He was gazing at my lips.

“You think?” I said, contemplating the thought while still pouting infront of the mirror.

“And wear it that is. You have beautiful lips. You should consider highlighting them more often”

I remembered how 3abboud nearly begged me once not to wear red lipstick again. He said it made my lips look edible. When he couldn’t convince me to do that, he made me promise not to ever wear it while driving, for fear of depriving people of their sanity on the road.

Looking at M7ammad eyes as they were completely mesmerized with my lips, I decided to tease him a bit.

“Sh8a9dk ya3ny? I can only look pretty with makeup?” I spoke to him through the mirror, without turning to face him.

“Huh? Laa shda3wa ana ma gelt chithee!”

“Tawwk tgool lipstick makes me look pretty”

“I said it highlights your lips”

“Ba3ad? Ya3ny even with makeup they’re not highlighted ebroo7hom ya3ny?!”

“Haya you have gorgeous lips mama! Ana ga3d agoolich you highlight them 3shan ybaynoon zyada cuz they make your face look beautiful”

“Ya3ny you mean without my polished lips my face looks ugly?” I gave him a puppy face.

“Walaaaaaaain!! Ana ma gelt chithee!”

“3ayal shgelt?!” I said, turning around to face him, realizing that our faces were only centimeters apart.


He had this look in his eyes. This look I’ve only seen before in movies. This look I’ve never seen before with my own eyes, in the real world. He was staring at me so intently and so expressionlessly that I was caught in the middle of his gaze, finding myself locked, even lost, in his blue eyes. For the first time, I noticed every little detail in the vast sea of blue infront of me. There were the thin turquoise stripes that stretched throughout the span of his eyes. There were the navy blue dots spread around randomly, looking like little emeralds sparkling at the bottom of the ocean. There were other lines and marks that were scattered around seemingly meaninglessly, but the purpose they served was only to the eye of the beholder…literally.

Then came the pitch black darkness in the center of his eyes. The window to his soul. The pitch black darkness into which I stared and was completely lost in. Completely absorbed in. Completely mesmerized by.


Wrapped into my own indulgence, I never got the chance to tell him that Dior lipsticks smudge.