Chance: Chapter Twenty Eight - The unexpected visit

Alaya spent the entire day in the clinic as she simply could not bring herself to leave the old man. She was the one who did the most of the taking care though it was the housekeeper who was paid for it. For an unknown reason, she had a feeling that she had known the man for a long period of time. She was planning on questioning the man about just that as soon as he gained consciousness.

But he didn't, even by the fall of the night. The doctors did, however discharge him, affirming to Alaya that his body was in a better condition than before. Alaya's heart sank, when they warned her not to talk about anything that will worry or cause him stress. She wondered whether she would be able to hold herself back from asking all the questions that were popping up in her head.

The ride home from the clinic in the ambulance was a bit colder than to Alaya's comfort. The cold air reminded Alaya of the time of the year and she sighed, as she realized that this would be the first winter that she would spend all alone. Little had she known how the events would turn just moments from that minute.

It was close to 9:30 PM when Alaya reached home along with the man. The attendants from the clinic helped Alaya and the housekeeper to move the man to his room. She thought of holding an entire interview with the housekeeper as soon as the attendants left but was not in the mood to do so, due to the gradually lowering temperature. She rushed to her room and changed to warmer clothes as she felt a fever rising within her. Being sick was the last thing she wanted to be when she was all by herself. Never had she taken out medicine and took them for herself though she was bold enough to dream about living all on her own, she thought as she made herself into a ball in the corner of the bed. As she did, the heater in the corner across the room caught her eye. She regretted it big time for not switching it on before getting on bed. She thought of not getting out of the blanket for anything as she could feel the cold on her feet even through the socks she was wearing. But could not help it as she started having thoughts of her heart turning into ice, if that was something that actually happened outside of Disney movies.

So finally she made up her mind and got out from her thick blanket. As soon as she took a step away from her bed, the room blacked out and her heart stopped as she stared into the darkness. The next second, her heart felt like it was going to burst out from her chest as some creative scary thoughts surrounded her mind. What was this about? Was a horror movie going to turn real with her tonight? Was her spirit going to come and meet her to tell her of a revenge she had to take? Or was this a plan of burglars and they could burst into her room any minute? Alaya could not figure out what she would do in such a case but she knew she had to take a step right in that moment. So she took a step forward and raised her hand to feel the wall of the room. To her luck, she felt it just within two steps. She kept feeling the wall and walking in hope she wouldn't bump into any cupboard with sharp edges. She remembered who else was in the house and thought of calling the housekeeper but realized she did not know her name. How weird would it be to call her by 'housekeeper'? She'd end up laughing even if she tried, Alaya thought to herself as she successfully reached the door of her room and opened it.

As soon as Alaya stepped out of her room, she saw a man, standing in the living room with a lamp. The light of the lamp helped her see the living room all the way through the corridor of the rooms. It was hard for Alaya to recognize who the man was since his back was towards her as he was frivolously searching for something, strangely from inside the flower vase kept on the side of the room. He looked suspicious to Alaya especially since he wore one of those large jackets, the kind that burglars wear in typical movies. It did not occur to her that perhaps he wore it because of the cold weather but she was too preoccupied by the idea that she ended up taking a decorative metallic vase without a plant that was kept on a table near her. With the vase, she started to walk towards him as secretively as she could. She surprised herself as even she could not hear her own steps. She was imagining herself as one of those heroines in a novel, as she described the scene to her own self. She walked and stopped right behind the man and with all her might, she hit his head with the vase.

"OW!!!" the man screamed as he put one of hands to the back of his head. The voice sounded familiar to Alaya and for some reason she even felt butterflies in her stomach. As she was trying to figure out who it could be, he turned around with a pained face. Alaya's mouth dropped open, as she saw none other than Raphael right in front of her.

"R...Ra..Raphael what are you doing here?" she asked. Raphael opened his eyes slowly and a similar shock appeared on his face. Their eyes locked for a few seconds and Alaya felt something strange, because of the disturbed way Raphael looked at her. The moment she realized she wasn't wearing her hijab was the moment Raphael turned the other side. With a rush, Alaya made a run to go to her room but hit her knee on a side table kept near the sofa.

"Take this!" Raphael called out. When Alaya looked at him, he was holding out the lamp for her while still showing his back. Alaya awkwardly walked towards him and took a hold of the lamp and rushed into her room once again.

She came out again with her hijab and the lamp and found Raphael sitting on the sofa still holding the back of his head. With a guilty conscience, Alaya went into the kitchen, deadly hoping she would find an ice pack in the refrigerator. When she did, she took it and walked into the living room.

"Here..." Alaya said, holding out the ice pack for Raphael. He looked at it once and then to her face and took it. Alaya kept the lamp on the floor and sat on the sofa right across Raphael. She looked at him massaging his head with the ice pack for a while, savoring the happiness she was feeling from just that scene. But she wasn't able to smile, as the realization that both of them were married, hit her. Just then, she realized she had something to ask him.

"What are you doing here Raphael?" she asked.

"I'm sorry. Wasn't expecting you here. May I ask why you are here?" he asked.

"Well.....my husband took me here after we got married just this morning." Alaya said, not wanting to tell Raphael who she got married to. Raphael would know what kind of a guy Layaan was even from school. She doesn't want to be embarrassed by the idea of him judging her for her choice, especially when he has married someone like Laana.

But instead, Alaya felt hurt as she saw a pain on his face as he heard of her marriage. It did not occur to her even once that it might make him feel this way to know that she was married. Or was she just imagining? Because of her uncontrollable urge to live a long lasting love story? Alaya wasn't sure.

"Congratulations on your marriage! May I know who you are married to? And perhaps why he would bring you to this house?" Raphael asked unexpectedly. But Alaya answered with a sigh, knowing she can't escape this conversation.

"It's Layaan, Raphael. He brought me here. He said this house belongs to his father." Alaya said.

"I see..." Raphael said, staring down on the floor, thinking intently.

"Why are you here Raphael?" Alaya asked again, inevitably. Raphael looked at her, and sighed.

"My father lives here." Raphael answered and Alaya's eyes grew wide open.

"That's your father?! The old man in this house?" Alaya asked, as the face of that man clearly fit into her memory of Raphael's father on a wheelchair in front of her poor house. Raphael nodded as an answer.

"Gosh Raphael! He was very ill when I reached here this morning. He coughed up blood and went unconscious. I took him to the clinic today. The doctors said he is better and now he is home in his room." Alaya explained. A horror appeared on Raphael's face as he heard the story.

"Can you take me to him? The door is locked and I can't find the key." Raphael said.

"It's locked? I did not know. I think the maid will have the key. Let me go and check with..."

"No no.....please don't! I will come back some other time. Just take care of him. And tell him not to worry about me." Raphael said.

"I don't think that will help Raphael. He was asking for you even as he fell unconscious. You can't just leave him like this. Why isn't he living with you?" Alaya asked. Raphael gave a light laught.

"That's my life Alaya. I don't get to live with those I want." Raphael said that, kept the ice pack on the table and got up to leave. Alaya got up in a rush as she saw him leaving.

"Well maybe you don't get to do that because you never told them you wanted to be with them. And even when they came back you pushed them away." Alaya could not believe herself as she heard her own self. What was up with her? Why did she just say that? How could she do that especially now when she was married? She saw Raphael stop in his tracks as she thought about it and felt a guilt building up inside her.

"And maybe whatever happened was just for the best. Maybe being together would have done more harm than good. I completely put my trust in Allah for whatever He has planned. For both of us..." Raphael said, without looking back at her. Then he left, without giving her a chance to say a single word. Alaya looked at the door through which she lost sight of him, all over again. Thinking about what he said last, left her more than confused.

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Salaam dear readers. Sorry for the late update. Next chapter will be uploaded on sunday In Sha Allah. Much love <3 <3 <3