No Matter What: Chapter Thirteen (1)

‘Yes it’s my fault I mistakenly braked out of the blue’ she heard him say to the police officer after the police arrived at the scene.  His long tanned fingers were being flicked and waved up in the air as he explained the foul version of what really happened at the roundabout. She couldn’t help but feel confused and lost. She stood there like a royal guard from the turn of events. Leaning onto the car, she waited for him to finish off with the policemen who came to document the accident scene.

‘Alright everything is fine I have insurance and it will cover the costs of the damage’ he told her in an assertive tone. She still couldn’t understand his sudden act of generosity. Was it all because of her now dried tear ducts? Could it be possible those salty tiny beads of water were the sole reason for the role reversal? ‘It is all set’ he said as he handed her the accident form she had to fill. ‘You don’t need to fill it here’ he said as he reached out for his pocket. ‘This is my business card, just give me a call once you are done’ with a wide smirk, he placed it in her hand and winked. Fajr found herself in jumbles; she couldn’t place her finger on where it hurt the most. Was it her dignity when he thought he could give her his digits making her an easy catch? Or was it her integrity when she cried and let him take the fault and lie? With blood rushing and boiling in her veins, she walked up to him in her pale baby pink ballet flats as fast as she could and looked up. He was easily six feet tall when she was nothing but five feet. ‘What? All of a sudden you think I am cheap?’ she bawled like an angry villain. ‘You can take your card and shove it down your esophagus’ crumpling the card; she shoved it on his chest. Her cheeks were twitching from fury and heat she felt was crawling up her skin. She was all red and her feet started moving away from him leading her to her car. She climbed into the car, closed the door shut and drove off. The accident form placed on the bonnet flew away and dropped in front of his feet. Taimur was surprised; all he could get his mind to register was 8338 RW, her plate number.

‘Visitation hours are over’ they were told as they sat each of them in a corner praying for her. Fajr looked into her brother’s eyes with a sad pleading look only for him to leave the room. Shihab wasn’t anywhere in sight nor was Noor’s family with the exception of Hilal, who now blamed himself for Noor’s situation. ‘If only’ he kept on repeating it in his mind. His heart pierced in pain as his guilty conscious plunged deeper into his being.  ‘If only I never opened my mouth and uttered a word that day’ he said in a low voice with sadness filling his core.  With her jaw dropping to the floor, Fajr was overtaken by surprise at the words being said. The same surprise when she knew the inevitable truth about Taimur.