The next day, after the two beginning classes, not able to hold it any longer, she gave in. Asking people on her way, she took the elevator and went to the fourth floor and stopped outside a classroom, the seniors had their English class in. The students were already filing out, some of them still in there, others lingering outside, waiting for the others.
Mirha went to the girl she could have sworn she had seen before, and asked, extremely nervous and self conscious, and suddenly not at all ready to face Hadi.
"Um, have you seen Hadi Maher?" Please say no, say no, say no, please say no.
"You'd be Mirha?" The girl said with a sly smile.
"Yes." Mirha nodded, confused, "How would you know?"
"Heard a lot about you from Hadi. I'm his cousin by the way. And yes, actually, I've seen him." The girl smiled.
Mirha's heart gave a loud thud.
**~**
He was coming out of the class, his bag hoisted on his shoulder when his eyes found Mirha standing in a corner with Sasha, all nervous and jittery.
He stood frozen, staring at the two, unsure what to do. Guilt immediately seized his heart as he wondered what on earth she was doing here. After the incident even though he'd accepted what it was that he felt for her, he found it better to stay away from her, for he didn't trust himself where she was concerned, and feared he might do something wrong again, something she wouldn't approve of.
Hadi even hoped that staying away would dampen his feelings, if only a little. But clearly he was wrong, for every day, his frustration increased, anger and desperation found their way, disconcertment and distress was always there. He wanted to see her, listen to her, talk to her, and apologize and maybe even ask what the freaking hell it was that she was doing to him.
He had forgotten about the promise he'd made to Bilal and thought, very wrongly so, that the rest had too.
And now there she was, approaching him yet again, when she could have stayed away.
**~**
"He's-"
"Here." At the voice both the girls turned out and saw Hadi as he reached them.
Mirha wanted nothing but to run away at that moment.
"There you go." The girl waved a hand at Hadi and looked at Mirha with a smile. Though she didn't budge and seemed like she had no intention of doing so.
Mirha hesitated before she finally decided to speak up. "I want-"
Hadi sighed, his patience waning, cutting her short. "I think Sasha, we can carry on ourselves from here, you can leave."
"Fine, you don't have to be rude. What harm am I doing anyway? I-"
"Sasha?" Hadi clenched his jaw and gave her a hard stare.
"Fine." She puckered her mouth into a pout and giving Mirha a look, walked away.
She stood in silence for a moment, looking at her shoes feeling Hadi's gaze on her and when she finally mustered the energy to speak up, she looked up and found him leaning against the pillar, peering down at her. "Um, I just wanted to tell you that - that I got an A. They put the result sheet yesterday and I, well, I just wanted to tell you that."
He gave her a lazy smile. "I knew you would."
She blinked. "Um, thank you."
"You didn't come yesterday." He said after a pause, eyebrows slightly raised, though it was more of a question than a statement.
"I'm still not talking to you." Mirha said and turned around, ready to leave, though a small part of her didn't really want to. That part wanted to listen to him, apologize, wanted to give him another chance.
Hadi hesitated before he caught her by the wrist stopping her before she could have walked away. He pulled her close, and though she didn't protest, Mirha did slip her hand out of his grip.
"I'm sorry." He said, and Mirha thought he sounded a bit hoarse. "I don't know what got into me. Maybe because I was so annoyed, so jealous and so pissed off. I shouldn't have said what I did."
"No, you shouldn't have." She averted her gaze and looked at the students walking down the corridor. Words kept repeating in her head. Jealous and pissed off. I was so jealous and so pissed off.
"Come on, Mirha, you said you forgive easily." Hadi clenched his jaw. God, why was he so nervous?
"Do you even remember what you said, Hadi?"
"I do. And I can't ever repeat it. I'm so fucki-very ashamed. Don't you honestly think two weeks are enough. I know I should have come to you myself, but I just didn't know how I'd face you."
No matter how much his words and his tone had hurt her, angered her, she knew she didn't want to stay mad at him for long. Want. Why do we always want the wrong things? She slowly, very reluctantly nodded. "Okay." A gradual streak of guilt seeped into her heart for giving him a chance when she so clearly shouldn't have.
The corner of his lips curled up.
"But promise me you would never say such unforgivable things to anyone again. You would never swear, never use the word you so frequently do, and always respect women. And you would never drink. " She said, and instantly added, "and oh, you would feel a little sorry for what happened with the girl you kissed."
Hadi laughed. "Fine, alright. I won't, and I will. Are we cool then?"
Mirha looked up, her eyes squinted from the brightness of the sun, and flashed him a grin. "Yes."
"Great." He grinned back. "Because I have good news for you."
"What?"
"Not here." He glanced at the classroom where Bilal and the others were still having a discussion with the others regarding an assignment they had to submit tomorrow. In order to avoid Bilal and Mirha seeing each other, it was better they didn't wait outside the class for long. "Come on, let's go to the cafeteria." He said as he started forward, towards the elevator.
"Not there, please." Mirha said quietly as she followed after him.
"Why, something wrong?" He glanced over his shoulder at her.
"No, it's just," she shrugged, "there's a chance I'd run into someone I really don't want to see."
"Yeah? Who's that?"
She bit down on her lower lip as she wondered if she should tell him or not. "Um, it's a guy. A senior actually. You might not know him, he's from another department."
"I'm listening Mirha." Hadi said when she trailed off and didn't say anything for a few seconds. He knew where it was heading, and wasn't liking it a bit. It only reminded him of the promise he had made. All that he wanted was for the two weeks to be done with, without the others remembering about it, so that once they were out of here and Mira would be out of their reach, he'd find a suitable time to tell Bilal what he really intended to do. He was his best friend, he was sure he'd understand.
"Well, he just kept reaching out to me and one day he tried to hold me and, well, I slapped him. Hadi, sometimes I fear he'd want to get back to me. There were so many people around, I know he felt humiliated. Would he try to do something? I know it's been a few months, but I still worry about it sometimes." Mirha said as they came into the elevator, and the doors closed.
"He wouldn't do anything." He sounded pensive, his voice quiet and cold.
"I hope so." She sighed.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens. What's his name again?"
"Bilal something, I don't remember."
"Right." Hadi nodded.
"Anyways," Mirha said in a wave of her hand, "what was the good news?"
He smiled. "I got you a job. A proper, decent job."
Her eyes widened. "Why? I already have one."
"Come on, Mirha I don't want you working there. I can not bear people touching you." He blurted out in his anger.
Mirha blushed in embarrassment.
"I mean, it's not safe." He added hastily. "You need to have a healthy work environment."
"Thank you. " she said quietly, "Where is it?"
"It's, uh, it's actually my father's company. I asked him to appoint you as my brother's junior assistant. He agreed. It's better you resign at the mall, get the pay and then I'll take you there. My brother's going to brief you, then."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Thank you, Hadi. You know I can never be grateful for all the help you've provided. Is there anything I can do for you, too?"
Hadi smiled. "There is actually."
"What?"
"It's a surprise. I'll tell you later."
"When?"
"Later." He shrugged.
---