Part 4.

        Faisal didn’t know how to contact Dalal since he deleted her number a year ago. He drove off aimlessly not knowing where to go. All he kept thinking in his mind was how to get to Dalal. He couldn’t just drive over to her house and knock on the door and ask for her. He didn’t want to risk anything with Dalal since her family isn’t completely okay with dating. He eventually called his sister and asked for her help.

“Aloo Hayoona,” Faisal began.

“Let me guess, nsiat wain baitha 9a7?” Haya asked sarcastically.

“La, la lama al7een adela. Bas I don’t have her number.” Faisal confessed.

“Afa 3alaick, consider it done. Al7een a6al3a lek.” Haya assured her brother.

“Thanks 7abebty.” Faisal breathed out and ended the phone call.

Within seconds, Haya sent Faisal Dalal’s contact info with her phone number and address. Luckily Haya was a good friend of Dalal’s cousin Mariam and both Haya and Mariam were upset when they broke up and were willing to do anything to bring Faisal and Dalal back together. As soon as Faisal received the number he didn’t hesitate to call. But every time he called, he either was sent to voicemail or got the line disconnected. “Dalal reday 3alai.” Faisal demanded in his last voice message. But Dalal didn’t answer any of his calls and deleted all his voice messages before even listening to them. She was parked in front of her house but she didn’t want to go in looking like a mess. All she did was cry in her car and when she wanted to recompose herself, she broke down into more tears.

A thousand memories came to her, but the image of the foreign girl kissing Faisal’s cheek vanished them away. In her mind, he was still hers. In her mind, he belonged to her and no one could come near him. In her mind, she was the only girl in his world even though they broke up a year ago. She wasn’t ready to share him and will never be ready to give him up.

Dalal had a sinking feeling and was very dizzy from all the tears she cried. She felt as if she lost everything that meant to her. The hope she built all year long was slowly fading away and disappearing. She fell into despair.

Her phone rang for the twentieth time, she ignored it at first thinking it was Faisal, but when she checked the caller ID it was Mariam, her cousin. ‘Good,’ Dalal thought to herself. ‘I need Mariam now.’ With a deep breath Dalal answered the call.

“Aloo?” Dalal whispered and tried to sound calm.

“Sem3ay,” Mariam demanded.

Dalal was surprised with Mariam’s stern voice and didn’t reply.

“Ba36echyaha men el akher. Faisal bedig 3alaich al7een, ana 3a6ait Hayo your new number. Walla el3atheem ya Dalal etha maradaitay 3alaih ya walich!” Mariam threatened.

Although Mariam was two years younger than Dalal, Dalal looked up to Mariam. They’re close cousins and considered sisters since Dalal was the only girl between three brothers.

Dalal kept quiet. In her head she was interrogating Mariam and asking how she found out, but in reality she was silent as a mouse.

“Dalool?” Mariam’s tone became softer.

“Maryooma,” Dalal frowned and cried silently again.

Mariam sighed, “look madree shino 9ayer bainkom, Faisal didn’t tell Haya. All he said was that he didn’t want to lose you.”

The image came back to Dalal and repulsed her so she said quietly, “but she kissed him, and he did nothing about it.”

Mariam gasped and was very confused, “What?”

Dalal kept her silence and sobbed. “la7tha Dalool 3an elbachi oo fahmeni, who kissed who?” Mariam said.

Dalal took a deep breath and explained everything that happened from the moment she saw Faisal and when she got to the last part she sobbed in between each word. Dalal didn’t want sympathy from Mariam she wanted guidance. But what Mariam said wasn’t what Dalal expected.

“Yal habla!!” Mariam yelled and broke into laughter.

“Entay laish ga3da teth7keen? Mako shay etha7k!” Dalal wailed.

“Aqsm belalla enich film!” Mariam laughed, “Dalool hathy Sarah murt okho Faisal!”

“Laa,” Dalal protested, “shakelha mu kuwaity!”

“Eeh, ehya mu kuwaitya,” Mariam answered.

“Wentay eshdarach?” Dalal yelled.

“I’m still friends with Hayo remember? Matathkreen in April re7t 3irs Khalid? I told you Dalool, Khalid ebytzawaj Sarah. She’s half American half Danish.”

Dalal fell quiet as she slowly started to remember the facts.

“Ya3ne Faisal is still single?” Dalal asked.

“Eeh!!” Mariam yelled.

Dalal started calming herself again, and the repulsive feeling was slowly fading away. She still felt jealous and wary but the hope she built was coming back to her.

“Daloola please lat’9ay3een nafsich again. You love Faisal don’t you?” Mariam asked.

“With all my heart,” Dalal whispered.

“Khalas 3ayal, redai 3alaih ya bent, and fix what you had with him please.” Mariam pleaded.

Dalal nodded and promised her cousin she would answer Faisal’s next call.