37~Fixing it
"I can't believe this..."
Faruk's voice came out as a whisper.
His eyes shifted from Hanan...to Najib.
Then back to Hanan again.
A bitter laugh escaped him. "I can't believe you could do this to me."
His expression darkened.
Every trace of warmth vanished from his face, replaced by hurt so deep it slowly twisted into rage.
His jaw tightened.
The veins in his neck shot out.
Without warning. "You bastard!"
His fist crashed into Najib's jaw.
The impact sent Najib stumbling backward before he hit the floor with a loud thud.
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
Faruk stepped forward again, ready to strike once more.
"No!" Hanan rushed between them, grabbing his raised arm with both hands.
"Please, stop!"
Her voice trembled.
"Don't do this."
Faruk looked at her hands clinging to him before letting out a hollow laugh.
"So...You're protecting him now?"
His voice dripped with disbelief.
"How dare he lay his hands on you?!"
Hanan lowered her head. "I... let him."
Faruk froze.
His eyes slowly widened.
"You..."
His voice cracked.
"You let him?"
Fresh tears welled in Hanan's eyes. "I'm sorry..."
"I never wanted to hurt you."
"How could you?!" He glared.
He took a step toward her, but before he could reach her, Najib stood between them.
His eyes burned with fury. "Don't touch her!"
Faruk laughed bitterly.
"Or what?"
Najib wiped the blood from his lip.
"Lay a finger on her..."
His voice was frighteningly calm.
"And I promise to make you regret it for the rest of your life... I won't hesitate to crush your bones and feed them to stray dogs!"
The two men stood inches apart, glaring at each other.
Neither willing to back down.
"Enough!"
Hanan cried out.
"Please!"
She clasped her trembling hands together.
"Najib..."
Her voice broke.
"Please leave."
Najib stared at her. "What?"
"I said leave."
"What if he hurts you?"
"He won't."
"I can't leave you alone with him."
"You have to." She looked into his eyes pleading.
"Please..."
For several long seconds, Najib didn't move.
Finally, he sighed.
His shoulders dropped.
He turned to Faruk.
"If you lay a finger on her or even scare her..."
His eyes narrowed.
"I'll come back and kill you with my bare hands without regret."
With one last glance at Hanan, he walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Silence filled the room.
Faruk stood with his back turned to her.
His breathing was uneven.
When he finally turned around, Hanan almost didn't recognize him.
Not because of the anger...
But because his eyes were filled with tears.
"Faruk..." She whispered.
He walked toward her slowly.
She instinctively stepped back until her back met the wall.
He stopped only inches away from her.
His palms rested against the wall on either side of her, trapping her against it.
He looked down.
Then laughed.
A laugh so empty it made her heart ache.
"My father warned me about you."
"He said... You would break my heart."
"I defended you."
"I argued with him."
"I told him he was wrong."
His eyes met hers.
"I was a fool."
"No..."
Hanan shook her head desperately. "I swear..."
"Then tell me."
His voice remained calm.
"Why were you alone with him... In his arms in a hotel room?"
"I wasn't..."
"Please." He closed his eyes.
"I'm trying very hard not to disrespect you... So don't lie to me."
Hanan's tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I'm telling you the truth."
"I never wanted this to happen."
Faruk slammed his fist against the wall beside her.
She flinched violently.
"The one time I needed you to be with me while I was admitted in the hospital, where were you at?" He asked but she remained quite crying.
"You've got no answer, huh? As expected." He chuckled and continued.
"I almost died for you!" His voice echoed through the room.
"I fought death because I wanted a future with you."
"When I woke up after surgery..."
"The first person I searched for was you."
"You never came."
"You never called."
"You ignored every message."
"I came to your house."
"You refused to see me."
"I convinced myself you were sick."
His smile became painfully bitter.
"And today... I found you here, at your so called ex's party?"
"No..." Hanan sobbed.
"I didn't come here because for him."
"I swear."
Faruk's eyes dropped to her dress.
His jaw clenched again.
"Look at you."
"Your dress is soaked."
He looked away immediately.
"Your underwear is visible... I hate for any other man to see you like this."
He reached for her face instinctively, but she flinched at his touch.
The startled movement shattered something inside him.
He slowly withdrew his hand.
"If I were Najib..."
He smiled sadly.
"Would you have pulled away?"
Hanan couldn't answer.
Her silence was answer enough.
Faruk closed his eyes.
A single tear escaped.
He laughed at himself.
"What a fool I've been."
"Is it a sin that I love you?"
Faruk's voice broke.
"I never planned to love you this much, Hanan... but I do."
He let out a shaky breath, one filled with pain.
"So why won't you acknowledge it? Why does my feelings not matter to you?"
His words struck her like arrows.
Each one drove the guilt deeper into her heart.
"I'm... sorry." The apology barely escaped her lips.
It was all she could say hoping it gives him some ease.
Faruk closed his eyes and shook his head. "Stop apologizing."
He smiled bitterly.
"This isn't your fault."
He lowered his gaze.
"The fool here is me."
"I kept believing that if I loved you enough, one day you would love me back."
"I convinced myself that all I needed was patience."
He chuckled softly, though there wasn't an ounce of happiness in it.
"I was too blinded by my own feelings to see the truth."
"No." Hanan shook her head frantically.
"Please don't say that."
Tears blurred her vision once again. "I feel terrible... I hate that I've hurt you."
She clasped her trembling hands together.
"I want to make this right. Please."
"I want to fix this."
Faruk looked at her for a long moment. "You really want to make it right?"
She nodded without hesitation.
Slowly, he stepped closer.
Gently, he brushed away the tears clinging to her cheeks.
Then he slipped his free hand into his jacket pocket.
When he pulled it out, a small black box rested in his palm.
Hanan's eyes widened.
He slowly opened it.
Inside was a beautiful diamond ring, delicately engraved with both of their initials.
"I've carried this with me ever since I realized I was in love with you."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"I kept waiting for the perfect moment."
He looked into her eyes.
"I guess... this is the time."
He took a slow breath before asking,
"You want to fix this, then let's fix this together."
"Let's leave all this pain behind us."
His voice trembled with hope.
"Marry me, Hanan."
For a heartbeat... Everything around her disappeared.
Hanan stared at the ring.
Then at Faruk.
Too stunned to utter a word.
Her mind went completely blank.
She remained frozen, her mind drowning in the weight of a thousand thoughts.
Before she could gather herself, she felt Faruk gently putting the ring onto her finger.
A faint smile spread across his face.
"It fits perfectly."
He lifted her hand, admiring the ring as though it had always belonged there.
"Please accept my proposal, Hanan. I promise to fill your life with endless love, peace, and happiness. I promise to spend every day proving that choosing me will be the best decision you will ever make."
He lowered his head and pressed a tender kiss against her ring finger.
Just then...
The door creaked open.
Both of them instinctively turned.
Standing at the door were Najib and Amina.
Hanan's breath caught.
Her eyes first met Amina's.
There was hope in them.
A silent plea.
Amina didn't utter a single word, yet her eyes begged her to follow her heart... to reject Faruk... to give Najib another chance.
Swallowing hard, Hanan slowly shifted her gaze to Najib.
The moment their eyes met, something inside her cracked.
He looked terrified.
The confidence he always carried was gone.
His eyes held nothing but pain... despair... fear... and the tiniest flicker of hope that she wouldn't break him.
He looked like a man standing at the edge of a cliff, waiting to know whether he would be saved... or pushed over.
Fresh tears gathered in her eyes.
She blinked them away before they could fall.
Unable to bear the look in his eyes any longer, she turned back to Faruk.
A suffocating silence settled over the room.
Every heartbeat felt painfully loud.
Then, forcing a smile that never reached her eyes...
She nodded.
"Yes."
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I'll marry you."
For a second... No one moved.
Amina's smile slowly disappeared.
Her eyes widened.
"What...?" She whispered in disbelief.
She turned to Najib.
He stood completely still.
Not a word escaped his lips.
Not a single expression crossed his face.
Yet somehow, the silence on his face was louder than any scream.
A second later, he turned around and walked away.
Without looking back.
Without saying a word.
Faruk's stunned silence suddenly broke into laughter.
"Oh my God..."
He looked at her as though he couldn't believe what he just heard.
"You said yes?"
His face lit up with overwhelming joy.
"You actually said yes!"
He pulled her into a tight embrace.
"I love you, Hanan."
She didn't hug him back.
Her arms remained stiff at her sides.
She stood motionless in his embrace, feeling strangely empty as tears quietly blurred her vision.
Instead of happiness... All she felt was sorrow.
A sorrow so deep it almost made it difficult to breathe.
Faruk finally pulled away, still unable to stop smiling.
"I have to tell my family."
He laughed excitedly.
"They'll be overjoyed."
He squeezed both of her hands.
"Tomorrow, Mom and I will come over so we can begin the wedding preparations."
His smile widened.
"I want us to get married this Saturday."