Chapter 4

By Bint

Ameera sat by the window in her room, staring outside. The city lights flickered in the distance, but they didn’t reach her heart.

She was starting to understand something painful:

Silence can hurt more than shouting.

A soft knock came at the door.

“Ameera?”

It was Rayyan.

Her heart skipped slightly—not out of happiness… but surprise.

She quickly stood up.

“Yes?”

The door opened slightly.

Rayyan stood there, still calm as always, but something in his expression was different tonight. Not warmth… not softness… just a strange pause.

“I need the file I left in the guest room,” he said.

Ameera nodded.

“Okay… I’ll get it.”

She walked ahead of him.

For the first time, he followed her into the guest room.

The space suddenly felt smaller with him inside.

Ameera searched quietly on the table.

Rayyan stood near the door, watching the room… then briefly, her.

She was careful. Quiet. Almost too careful.

“Here it is,” she said, holding the file out.

Rayyan took it.

But instead of leaving immediately, he stayed.

A few seconds passed.

Then he spoke.

“You always stay in this room?”

Ameera looked surprised by the question.

“Yes…”

Another silence.

Rayyan frowned slightly.

“This is not your punishment,” he said.

Ameera blinked.

“Then what is it?” she asked softly.

He didn’t answer immediately.

That was the problem with Rayyan—he always had answers… except when it came to emotions.

Finally, he said:

“It’s temporary.”

But even he didn’t sound convinced.

Ameera gave a small, tired smile.

“Everything feels temporary here,” she said quietly.

That sentence hit differently.

Rayyan looked at her longer this time.

Not anger.

Not distance.

Something else… something he couldn’t name.

Before he could respond, a loud knock came from downstairs.

“Sir Rayyan! Your father is on the phone!”

The moment broke.

Rayyan turned slightly.

“I’ll be back,” he said.

Then he left.

Ameera stood alone again.

But this time… her heart wasn’t as heavy as before.

Because for the first time, she felt it:

He had looked at her… properly.

Not like a stranger.

Not like a duty.

Just… her.

Downstairs, Rayyan answered the call.

His father’s voice was firm.

“You must not forget, Rayyan. This marriage is not for feelings. It is for responsibility.”

Rayyan closed his eyes slightly.

“Yes, I know,” he replied.

But his grip on the phone tightened.

Because deep inside…

Something was starting to disagree.

Back in her room, Ameera sat again by the window.

But this time, she wasn’t just thinking about pain.

She was thinking about him.

And that scared her more than anything else.

✨ To be continued…