Part 6: falling for her deeply

~Helena's Pov~

At night, I was performing my Isha Salah. After completing my Salah, I remained seated on my prayer mat and began to make Dua, while raising my both palms .

"Ya Rabbi, the Greatest of all, the One who owns the entire universe, please forgive me, my beloved Allah. You know how much I love You. If I have ever done anything wrong, please forgive me for this. But You know, Allah, I have given my heart to one of Your people. I know he is non-Muslim and he does not belong to my Deen, but Allah, I truly love him. Whenever I see him, I lose myself in him. Whenever he comes in front of me, I can't control myself from falling for him even more han before. I want to be with him; I desire him so deeply, Allah. I want to see him every day. I have never loved anyone in my whole life as much as I love him. If he is better for me, then please, write him in my destiny."

"I cried a lot while praying. Then, wiping away my tears, I stood up from my prayer mat, folding it, and then I placed it in the cupboard. Just then I heard my mom calling me for dinner. I went out to help her set the dining table."

As we all started eating, Farris informed us, "Mama, remember I mentioned Zohan? I spoke to him and invited him and his family for dinner this Sunday. What do you say?"

Mom nodded her head while passing a plate towards me. I grabbed the plate, then heard her saying, "Sure, that will be wonderful since we're all at home."

After that we all headed to our respective rooms , laying on my stomach, with both of my legs in the air, lost in thoughts about Alex and smiling.

When I closed my eyes suddenly Alex's face appeared in my mind I quickly opened my eyes while shaking my head in disbelief and muttered to myself with a shocked expression.

"What, huhh, why.? But why? Ohh God what has gotten into me? My God now he's appearing in my imagination, yaahhh Helena come to your senses girl or else you'll be caught. Yahh girl he's going to think I'm such a fool if he ever finds out, stop being ridiculous Helena."

I shook my head again and patted both of my cheeks with my palms to suppressed my blush. Then, I tried to sleep since I had university tomorrow, but I couldn't manage to fall asleep. Instead, I kept smiling while imagining Alex's face in my mind.

I felt anxious about seeing him tomorrow. After that I didn't even realize when I finally fell asleep.

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~Zaim's pov~

"Hey, Ha-eun give me a glass of whiskey."

I arrived at Cheers and Chills bar to calm myself, hanging my head after ordering my drink, i was thinking about what had happened at home. I had never loved my stepmother ever, nor i could tolerate her presence so i had left from there, because i believed my own mother had died because of my stepmother.

My father having had an affair with Jessica however my mother had not died she left me and my father to live in a luxury and married with another young and popular businesman when I was four. I was still unaware of the truth. I had always blamed my father.

He never told me the truth because he wanted to protect me and prevent me from hatting my mother. My father couldn't provide her with the luxury and perfect life she desired, which is why she left us both.

"Here is your drink Zaim."

Ha-eun said,

I was sitting on the bar chair opposite the table. Ha-eun passed the drink from the bar counter to me while looking at me with furrowed eyebrows because he had never looked at me like that before. I rarely get disappointed, but out of curiosity he asked me while placing his palm on my shoulder and leaning down to my level,

"Hey buddy, are you okay?"

I grabbed the drink glass, looked at him with helpless look then i said in a weak tone.

"Do I look okay huhh??"

After asking i gulped my whiskey down in one shot, and then placed my glass on the table while sliding it towards Ha-eun.

Ha-eun joined his eyebrows in confusion at my reply and kept looking at me with wide open mouth as i gulped down the drink in one shot , then he suggested in a worried look,

"Hey man take it slow, drinking won't solve anything. You need to talk about what happened."

I looked up at him back and forth into his eyes then i smirked painfully and said while looking down at my glass, tracing my finger along the glass edges then i said,

"There is nothing to say, I cannot articulate the storm raging within my heart into mere words."

Ha-eun watched me with a mixture of sympathy and worry, knowing that drowning my sorrows in alcohol wouldn't bring me the peace he sought.

Then he said in a worried tone,

"Sharing lightens the heart Zaim open up to me, I can't fix anything but I can lighten your burden since you are my friend I can't let you harm yourself over mere arguments or whatever is bothering you."

I burst out in anger to Ha-eun while hitting my hand on the table, few tears started falling from my eyes as i exclaimed.

"I lost my mother damn I lost my mother because of that man, and his so called wife, I have been all alone since my childhood, suffering since the day when he left my mother and married another woman. He delivered my mother into the hands of death.

He is a beast nothing else, I hate him to the core of my heart. He and his so called wife are totally responsible for what they did to my mother and me, I'll never forgive him never."

Then i wiped my tears and said again while looking at Ha-eun with a pained expression.

"I'll never forgive him Ha-eun, you know what? I thought family was the biggest supporter but I've never tasted family love, whenever I felt alone John and Alex were there for me since that day.

They cheered me up every time whenever they saw me alone and upset , they always lightened my burden and I always felt lighted whenever I was with them.

Even they were always with me in my worst time, they never left me alone for a second. They are my family Ha-eun, strangers are better than loved ones, but they are not strangers anymore they are my family.

Then I licked my lips and continued saying,

"Everyone asked me why i haven't made any girlfriends as I'm intellectual and handsome, you know what I don't trust any relationship other than with Alex and John, I don't think love is made for me as I have experienced as it always ditched me, hurt me so bad, and gave me pain.

That's why I love to be alone, I don't want any new relationship, I'm ok with my bachelor life."

Ha-eun looked back and forth into my painful eyes, but he couldn't do anything for me. My sorrows seemed to be beyond the mountains, there was nothing that could heal me and Ha-eun could see in my eyes just how much pain i was experiencing in my heart.

Then he patted my shoulder and advised me with a worried look, "Zaim, you should go home and rest for a while, or you'll get a severe headache. You have a migraine issue, so you need to rest, bro."

I shook my head and said in a weak tone.

"I can't go there since they both are living there, I want to escape from their eyes , I don't want to see them for even a moment .

I'll stay here for the night, just give me the key card so I can go to the room."

Ha-eun continued to look at my extinguished face then he took out the key card from a drawer and passed it towards me,

I grabbed it and left from there while indicating him to bring a bottle of whiskey to my room.

Ha-eun replied in a loud voice.

"Everything is finished bro I don't have anyone left, just take rest I'll send some fresh water and hangover soup."

I left from there and Ha-eun returned to his duties.

"I was sleeping when i had a dream in which i saw Helena. I was sitting in the university library, my head resting on my arms which were placed on the table, while Helena sat beside me with her palm supporting her chin. My gaze was fixed on Helena and her hazel green orbs, as she read a novel titled "His Delicate Rose," which was placed on the table.

As Helena read the starting chapter, a line came:

"Every time when I near you, it's like the whole world fades away, and all that matters is the warmth of your presence."

Just then, i held her hand and expressed with a loving expression,

"Whenever you are with me, everything fades away. I feel you and me alone in this whole world. The warmth you give me with your presence is worth living for me, and for this, I can sacrifice my whole life without needing anyone and without any luxury."

Right then, i heard a knock at my door, waking from my deep sleep. I rolled my eyes towards the side table clock with half opened eyes, it showed 2am midnight, i became worried and got up from my bed to open the door.

I opened the door and saw a stripper standing there. Her one arm was on the door frame and the other was on her waist. she was wearing a bold body-con dress.

I looked her up and down then i scoffed while looking away from her because i was familiar with these situations and knew the stripper well, as i frequented this bar often. I smirked then I asked,

"What do you wanna girl?"

Right then She stepped closer to me and grabbed my collar with her both hands, twitching her inner lip as she entered the room, she then pressed my body against the wall and started to seduce me meanwhile i looked back and forth into her eyes then i again scoffed and angrily pulled her hand away from my collar then i said while placing my index finger in front of her face.

"Don't dare to come near me ever again or I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life. Who gave you permission to enter my room huhh? stay away from me if you value your well-being."

After that i held her hand and pulled her outside then i closed the door and went to the bathroom as my headache was aching so bad, i took a shower and returned to my bed, lying down with half of my body hanging over the edge of the bed.

I then placed both palms on my eyes and rubbed them gently, Helena appeard in my mind then i suddenly sat up straight, rubbing the back of my neck and said to myself in a little loud voice.

"Aaahhhh Why you bothering me huh? You have started coming into my dreams now, I don't believe in love, this is not love , it's just an attraction to your beauty that leads me towards you it's a trap of my mind and heart nothing else. I'll never fall into your trap, you bet me Rose.

I didn't realize when a word "Rose" left in my mouth. Then i tried myself best to sleep after sometime i didn't realize when i fell asleep.

~Author's pov~

On the next morning Helena went to university.

After done with her two early lectures she went to the cafeteria with Mia,

There she saw Alex and John there, suddenly a girl with blond hair wearing crop top with tight jeans and black boots, she came near to Alex and gave him a box of Lindt Swiss Premium Chocolates adorned with ribbons, along with a small bouquet of red roses.

Alex received a box from her with a smile, it was indicating that he was happy after receiving compliments from her then he leaned down to her level and said something, then Alex winked the girl.

As helena was standing at a distance so she couldn't hear their conversation but she felt her heart getting heavier, she clenched her teeth to control her rising anger and kept looking the whole scene with her wide open eyes, then Alex and she made an eye contact as their eyes met.

Quickly she turned towards mia and said her.

"Let's go somewhere else I need some fresh air."

She held Mia's hand and led her away, right then she sensed Alex was stepping quickly towards her to stop her but she continued walking with fast steps. Alex kept calling her name while following her but she didn't stop, then he approached in front of her and stopped her in tracks.

He stepped closer to helena and then asked in a loud but maintained voice.

"Where are you going , I've been calling you., are you deaf or something huh?

She looked at him at his words with wide open eyes in anger, as his words fueled her anger.

Helena said while showing her index finger in front of his eyes,

"Mind your language, Alexander. Don't you dare to speak to me like that again, and don't test my patience. Also, please keep your distance. I won't allow you to come closer to me like this ever again."

Just then John appeared after observing the situation from afar, understanding the tension then stepped closer to Alex. Alex narrowed his eyebrows in confusion and whispered to John making sure not to let Helena hear.

"No one has ever dared to talk to me like that, everyone pleads me, begs to be with me and see this bold girl huhh., I'll make her see her right place soon."

Then John replied to him while placing his palm over Alex's chest to stop him,

"Bro , what are you doing huh, why you making a scene here, she is our partner say sorry to her or we'll lose her. Bro settle yourself don't let your ego get in the way if she doesn't attracted to you."

Meanwhile Alex kept looking at Helena with furrowed eyebrows then he pushed John away a little and stepped towards Helena, she saw he placed both hands on his ears in a gesture of apology.

He held onto a chocolate box with one hand, which remained near his ear. Then Alex said with a dramatic look.

"My apologies Miss Helena, I will never do this again, I'm sorry Helena I lost my temper when you didn't listen me and I got angry, I'm sorry Helena, this will not happen again hmm,"

Helena noticed the chocolate box in his hand, then a word left her mouth in anger.

"Pathetic."

She rolled her eyes after saying this.

John chuckled a little but he didn't understand the intention.

Meanwhile Alex also smiled a little , leaned towards her level and said while looking at her,

"Ahhh I'm starving to death , let's have breakfast first then our classes will start. Treats on me huh what do you say pretty Helena?

Helena rolled her eyes towards Alex shockingly then she felt her heart started racing faster than ever. She kept looking back and forth at Alex's light brown orbs and found herself lost again after hearing his words.

Alex rolled his eyes towards John and then back to Helena then he waved his hand in front of her. She heard him saying.

"Helena, I'm talking to you girl, where have you been lost?"

He scoffed.

Suddenly she came into her senses and said while stuttering.

"Guys I've to g ..go for class I've some work to do."

With that she quickly left from there with Mia.

John and Alex kept looking at her retreating figure in wonder.

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A/N

"Unwittingly, his heart charted its course, despite his mind's resistance to acknowledge the voyage."