What if.. (6)

Ayaam 7ilwa.. kanat ayam 7ubik.. kint fe roo7y tasry.. kint bejnoon a7ebek..

Hind sat on her bed with her laptop shopping online for nothing in particular with Nawal playing on her iTunes. Listening to the song Hind sighed and started remembering her love story with Sultan. When they first met everything was perfect, they seemed to be the perfect couple, he knew what she was thinking before she even realised it, he completed her sentences, he pushed her to study harder.. in her eyes he made her a better person. She smiled as she remembered the countless times he told her to study, that her education is important, that she had her future in her hand, and that she can either make or break her life.. she remembered how she used to tease him that he sounded like her father.. and she remembered how he told her that he only said these things because he loves her..

She also remembered how much she suffered when he left.

............................

Sultan was a final year student while she was just starting university when they met, they fell in love quickly during that year. By the summer Sultan told her that he wanted to go to the US to finish his postgrad studies, he'd gotten a scholarship from UAE and had to go to New York in a month's time. She was devastated but there was nothing she could do.. he bluntly told her that his future means too much to him and that he will always be there for her.. she trusted him.. She was there in the airport saying good bye with a big fake smile on her face and he promised he will call her as soon as he reaches New York. Hind went back home from Heathrow and counted the hours until his BA flight reached New York.. She started getting worried when 3 hours after the flight has landed Sultan had not even sent her a message. Her friends comforted her telling her that akeed uhwa mash'3ool.. tawa wa9el balad yedeed o ila ma 6ela3 lah shay ysaweeh.. Those excuses worked for the first two days, by the third day Hind was going mad, her friends had no more excuses for Sultan..she no longer slept, she couldn't eat, she wept hysterically all day and had no way of contacting him except by flooding his email with "Wainik? I'm really worried". This continued for 2 weeks when finally Sultan sent her an email telling her that because of the time difference, he had been very busy and constantly tired, therefore please call the flat number that he added at the bottom of the email. Hind frantically dialled the number and after several failed attempts an American woman answered, when she asked her about Sultan the answer she got was "Oh you mean the old tenant.. He just moved out.." Hind couldn't believe that this was her Sultan.. he wouldn't do this to her.. lazem feh shay, so she continued the emails, finally he sent her his mobile number.. after 3 months of suffering, by that time Hind had wasted away.. she existed on anti-anxiety medications. The final conversation they had marked the point where Hind started blaming herself for the way the relationship was ended. She'd been calling him for 2 days and he didn't answer, when he finally did she decided that they had to have an honest talk.. Hind still remembered the painful conversation..
"Aloo"
"Hala"
"Shlonik 7abeeby?"
"B5air.. sh7alich?"
"I'm good" after a long pause.. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? Nothing.. inty shfeech you call wara ba3a'6? feh shay?"
"Laish tkalemny chethy?"
"Shlon tabeeny akalmech?"
"Tarak mub ma'39oob.. itha ma taby tkalemny it's fine.."
"Ok.. Fine.."
And he hung up..

.......................

With a tear falling down her cheek Hind stopped Nawal's sweet voice..

"What if I didn't say that sentence?" Hind still blamed herself for that conversation.. she felt that this was what made him call her friend and break up with her in that way.. "I was once happy.. bs il7imdilla 3ala kel 7al.. atleast I had friends who helped through all that shit.." she thought to her self. She smiled as she remembered how hard her friends worked to make her laugh, especially during the first year after the break up, when all her nightmares started. She dreaded falling asleep, she dreaded the dream where she saw Sultan walking away from her, but the dream she was afraid of the most was the happy dream, when Sultan would call her and tell her that he loved her, it terrified her because she knew that when she woke up she would realise that it was all a dream, and that Sultan was no longer a part of her life.

Hind shook her head and smiled, remembering her friends and how they always stood by her, especially Bandar. She picked up her phone and dialled number 2 on her speed dial,

"Aloo" answered Bandar in a husky voice.
"Oh sorry int nayem.. 5ala9 I'll call you tomorrow"
"La la maneeb nayem.. ana 3alashanek ansa ilnoum"
"Hahah Bandar 3an il3ayara"
"Hehe tell me.. what's wrong?"
"Why would there be anything wrong ya3ny? Can't a girl call her friend bas chethy?" she answered teasingly.
"Ela.. bs mo inty" he laughed
"Hahah ok ma3alaih.. la bs I just wanted to say that I don't know what I would do if you weren't in my life"
Bandar went quiet for a few seconds, then said "Hind there's something I need to tell you.."
"What is it?"
"I..."
"Ooooh akee Saro's calling.. let me call you back yallah bye.."
"But.."
Bandar stared at his phone while the line went dead.