Mirror.. (5)

I felt my heart beating faster as the plane was touching down in Bahrain airport, today I will be seeing him for the first time.

What if he changes his mind about me when he sees me? I have never felt so vulnerable in my life, this was new to me. I have always been confident, I knew that people treated me differently because of the way I looked, and I revelled in it. I knew that one look from me would make men weak and I get what I want, this always made my life easier.

I frowned as I thought of Saif; he was different. He didn’t care that I was beautiful, he was interested in me, only me. What if me wasn’t enough anymore? I mean he has never actually been with me, what if he realises that I’m just an empty shell, that I don’t deserve this love?

I looked in the mirror to check that everything was in place, the short flight didn’t allow the dry air in the cabin to wreak the usual havoc it does with my hair, I quickly stuffed my mirror into my bag and unbuckled my seat belt to walk into the airport. As soon as I switched on my phone it started ringing.

“Yes mama, shda3wa al7een illy yesme3ech ygool ray7a New York! Kelaha ilba7rain!”
“A5af 3alaich ba3ad mub binty?” I could hear how tense she was, I had to calm her down so she doesn’t keep calling every 5 minutes.
“La mama bs ya3ny Dalal betyeeny twadeeny ilhotel, o Noora o ilbanat kilihum ga3deen hnak fa ya3ny ma 3alay shar ana mub broo7y” I was going for a friend’s wedding and my mum couldn’t come with me, this was the perfect opportunity to meet Saif really, it was the only time I would be travelling alone, perhaps in my whole life; I’m so glad I thought of telling him!
“Ok yumma yallah kalmeeny fe illail 3ayal”
“Ok mama bye ana 3end iljawazat”

I was done from the security in no time, and was walking towards my friend only 10 minutes after landing,

"Dalooooool!!” I yelled into her ear,
“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! I missed you yalkalba!” I hugged my friend tightly, we had met through family when we were kids and have been close friends for as long as I remember, being in two different countries wasn’t a problem in the friendship and she was getting married this weekend, her and her family were staying at the hotel for the wedding so my parents agreed to let me travel alone just this once.
“So tell me.. are you excited?” she said looking at me with a mischievous smile, I knew she was referring to Saif; shit Saif, I’ll be meeting him in less than an hour!
“You should be the excited one! You’re getting married!”
“Uhhh sektay I’m so nervous! Please entertain me with stories of the dreamy Saif, I want to take my mind of the disaster that is my wedding”
“Hahaha laish disaster 7araaam! Don’t say that”
“Nothing is working, the wedding planner is crap, the flowers that I ordered aren’t here yet, the stage is not how I imagined, please don’t get me started!”
“Ok ok 5ala9”
“So..?”
“So what?”
“Tell me! How did you decide to meet him?”
“Madry Dalal, it just felt.. right” I said smiling, and honestly it does. Just then my phone started flashing indicating a new received BBM,

Saif: I can’t wait.
7ala: Me neither, I’m on the way.
Saif: I already checked in, let me know when you do and I’ll come to you :)
7ala: Ok.

“He’s there”
She nodded and gave me the goofiest grin ever,
“Ok, I hope he proposes, that would be so cool, you getting engaged on my wedding weekend! Oh no wait, no then you would steal my thunder, don’t you dare get engaged!” she giggled,
“Hey hey it’s the first time he sees me! Calm down woman!”

A few minutes later we were at the hotel,
“Welcome back, good to see you again” said the receptionist as we approached the reception desk, “shall I take you to the room?” she continued after I checked in.
“Thank you” I mumbled, I could feel my heart beating faster as I walked to my room.
“I’ll leave you now 7abeebty, call me when you’re done, I want all the details!” said Dalal kissing me good bye and leaving the room.
“Your luggage will follow Ma’am, enjoy your stay” said the receptionist as she closed the door and walked away.

7ala: I’m here :)
Saif: What’s your room number?
7ala: 620
Saif: I’m just a few doors away, I’ll be there in a minute.

I breathed in deeply as I took one last look at the mirror before I heard the soft knock on the door. I walked over and looked through the peephole, wow, not bad 7ala, he’s good looking.

“Umm 7ala I heard your footsteps so I know you’re standing by the door, can you open it please?”
I opened the door reluctantly and stuck my head out,
“Hi”
“Hi” he replied, “can you open the rest of the door wela it’s too difficult?”
“La maby”
“You need my help?”
“Hehe la,” I said opening the door and letting him in,
“Umm have a seat” I said pointing at the white leather sofas in the small reception area,
“This is for you” he whispered handing me a single red rose.
“You remembered?”
“Of course, how can I forget our debate on how a single rose means more than a dozen?”
“Hehe but it does! A single rose means you went through the trouble of selecting the rose, rather than ordering a whole bouquet”
“I can select the whole bouquet you know”
“Shut up, it makes sense in my head”
“Hehe” he laughed nervously, we were both standing awkwardly a few meters away from each other, not knowing how to act, “come here” he whispered,
“Maby”
“7ala..”
“Hmm..?”

In a second he was by my side and the next thing I knew I was in his arms, he held me tightly and I could feel his chest expanding as he took in a deep breath,
“You have no idea how long I have dreamt of this moment” he mumbled into my hair, I’m not a short girl, and I was in heels, yet somehow he managed to tower over me, my head barely reaching his shoulders.

 I felt tiny next to him, I felt safe, I felt protected.

“7abeeby..”
“Ya 3yoony..”
“I can’t breathe”
“Hehe sorry 7abeeby” he said letting go of me, and grabbing my hand to lead me to the sofa, “sit next to me 7ala”

I sat next to him, looking straight ahead into the bedroom, was it a good idea to have him in my room? What if he gets the wrong idea? What if he thinks I’m easy? Shit how didn’t I think of this?
“Saif tara I’ve never done this before”
“Done what 7abeeby?”
“Had a guy in my room” I whispered
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH” he couldn’t stop laughing for 2 minutes, he even had tears in his eyes! I can’t believe this!

“I’m glad you’re finding this funny”
“Hahahahahah la I’m sorry, wallah I am, 7abeeby I know you’ve never done this before, I know ya galby, that’s why I love you even more for doing it for me” he said kissing my hands, “I love you 7abeeby” he repeated kissing each finger, I quickly pulled my hand away from him,
“Bas 3ad, don’t get used to kissing”
“I’m sorry 7abeeby,” he said brushing my hair away from my face with his hand, “do you know you have the softest hands I have ever touched?”
“Do you go around touching people’s hands?”
“Hahah I was trying to give you a compliment”
“People normally compliment the face, not hands Saif,”
“I love you” he whispered.

It was the perfect date, it was the perfect day, we spent 5 hours together just sitting, talking, giggling, watching TV, it felt so normal, so comfortable, it just felt right. I was going out to dinner with the girls tonight, to celebrate Dalal’s final night as a single girl, just as I was thinking that nothing could ruin this perfect day, guess who I bumped into?

As soon as our eyes met, I felt my phone vibrating,

Talal: Laish ma gelteely inik jaya ilba7rain?

Uh - oh.