Inside a school in Cairo.
Huda was thinking of a compelling reason to tell her friend and colleague Salwa Zakaria, who had already talked more than once about Omar's engagement to her daughter Nuran, who will graduate this year at the College of engineering, she could not find what to say to her friend, so she tried to avoid confronting her and talking to her about this, she realized that her son is not attracted or excited to complete that engagement. Omar was not the reliable young man you could trust his obedience in the matter of marriage especially being refusing the topic in general not a certain girl chosen by his parents.
Salwa felt the embarrassment that was evident on her colleague's face, so she liked to remove this embarrassment from her, especially since there is a strong reason now to end this topic forever, so during their rest time, Salwa talked to her colleagues Huda saying:
- What's wrong with you, Huda? Are you busy or upset with some thing?!
- No; every thing is okay. It's just... the exams are about to start and I'm feeling worried about the children.
- Don't worry, Huda. Our children are good and will do well in the exams for sure. Just wish them good luck and may our Lord bless them.
- I always pray for all of them, Salwa. Nuran must be busy too for the exams?!
- She has already started her exams 4 days ago, and then she almost needs to name a graduation project immediately after the exams so that she would graduate very soon.
- I wish her all the best. I really consider her as my my daughter Toka.
- By the way what about Omar?!
- Omar?! OH. It's... He isn't here these days and I have not....
- Generally, no need to blame any one, Huda. Marriage is not the same as before, you can not force someone to marry another one of your choice being his parent, time has changed, my friend. We thought that we are strengthening our relationship that lasted for more than 20 years, but this is not at the expense of our children, and maybe instead of strengthening it, we lose some of it because of a marriage that is not suitable to any of them.
Huda felt some rest and satisfaction when her friend Salwa said that and said with her usual smile:
- I don't know what to tell you, I was scared you'd freak me out if I said that.
- To be honest, Huda, Nuran told me two weeks ago that her colleague admired her and is going to engage her after being graduated.
- Really?!Congratulations, My dear, you have given me joy and happiness with this news. I hope them all the best.
*************************
In a cafe in Cairo.
Aaliyah was living through difficult days, so she needed a decisive decision to decide on her matter, a decisive decision that she might be happy with all her life and she might regret it for the rest of her life, should she agree to marry Mahmoud, who is a decent, successful man who has his place in the bank and in society as well. Will this decision be unfair to Huda and her children?! But this is not what she planned for from the beginning, it seemed that her plan was on the way to failure, she did not want Mahmoud to relate to her so much, she showed interest in him for another purpose; a purpose that did not happen; this purpose it seemed that the whole family of Mahmoud would pay for it; Here she felt how selfish she was and her outlook was superficial for all the things she thought about, and yet she realized that there was an opportunity to fix things and put them in order before it was too late; So she made her decision to quickly resolve the situation before it reached the peak of complexity and she reaches a dead end, a path of no return.
Shortly after settling her affairs and making her decision, this handsome young man, accountant Hossam Mustafa, appeared, for whom she planned everything to arouse his attention and direct his gaze to her; thirty-eight-year-old Hossam was Aaliyah's goal from the beginning, but he was indifferent to her, he was an elegant young man, always wearing a luxurious suit, spending his work without paying care or attention to any colleague in the bank, his personality was attractive, he was not claiming prestige, for her he was natural. She did not get close to him despite her admiration for him, she wanted him as a wandering lover to come to her asking for her love, and this happened after two months or a little more; for the first time he asked to invite her to lunch at a place of her choice, as he assured her that he was a clear and honest person who does not manipulate others, he invited her out because of his admiration for her and may be something else, something bigger than admiration, however she refused his request.
Invitations rolled and she continued to refuse until he told her that she should accept his invitation as he wants to marry her, and here she was bared by her blush and twinkle eyes, so she smiled and agreed, and they went out together after finishing their work at the bank and it was a long-awaited friendly and affectionate meeting; as soon as they sat together at one of the tables inside the cafe, Hossam asked her curiously:
- Why didn't you want to go out with me, Aaliyah?!
She smiled and said blushingly:
- I thought there was no reason to go out with you, Hossam.
Hossam hushed for a moment then said:
- At least I may be honored by... the moon.
- What?!
- Don't you think that you are more beautiful than the moon?!
Aaliyah laughed much and said:
- I didn't expect that you can say these words.
- The moon imposes its beauty on any one, my pretty moon.
Aaliyah put her face in her hands, couldn't believe what she was hearing from Hossam and said:
- My face is getting red of embarrassment and even my eyes are shining and it's a big problem.
- And why is that?!
- Because I am going to cry, cry of joy and embarrassment.
Hossam laughed at her simplicity, spontaneity and the beauty of her soul, which forced him to meet her and asked to marry her in order to agree to go out with him and trust him, then he said:
- Then that's enough. No need to cry on our first date. So what do you like to eat?
- Eat?! Wait. I have an important question to ask at first.
- What question?!
- Why was you so late to tell me those nice words?!
- Late?! I wasn't. You have come to our branch in Cairo only 3 months ago.
Aaliyah was surprised by his answer that was reasonable as 3 months are not a long time as she felt or thought so she said:
- I believe you are right, it's clear that I was the one who.....
Hossam laughed again and asked:
- You were what?!
- No big deal, I meant a second question.
- What is it?!
- I mean... Why was you late for love or marriage in general?!
- When I was 28 years old, my parents insisted that I get engaged and get married then, so I heard their words twice and got engaged, but the result was that I failed twice to complete the engagement, so I decided that I am not going through many experiences or trials, I said to myself I would be patient till both my heart and mind tell me that is the one, I will go and tell her and if she agrees, I will marry her in the moment.
- Do you mean that...?! Me?!
- Yes, Aaliyah, It's you, the choice of my heart and mind. If you accept me, we can marry right here, right now. What is your opinion?
Aaliyah looked very excited in his eyes trying to stay calm and said:
- Just... Look at my eyes and you'll know my opinion on your own.
- No, Please, it's a beautiful day, we don't have to spoil it with tears. Shall we eat?!
- I will try... I just don't know... I don't know how to control my tears.
- And what about having our lunch?!
- Okay but before having lunch I have to admit to you an important thing.
- Are you sure it's important?!
- Very important.
Aaliyah told Hossam everything that happened between her and Mahmoud, and assured him that she meant to attract his attention to her and that she did not expect Mahmoud to relate to her like that; She told him that she fixed the matter and that this topic was completely over, and that despite her great joy at confessing his love for her and asking her to marry him, she did not want to hide this matter from him, which ended and he would never know anything about it, but her love for him makes her does not want to lie to him or deceive him and obliges her to be honest and clear with him at all costs.