If You Only Knew Me (28 ◇ Muneera)

Happy reading, 

Cashmere
***

Thursday, November 17th, 2016...

"He's still not here?"

I asked my nanny as I waited in the living room downstairs by the door. It was 8:30 and the dinner party for my cousin's engagement at my grandma's house started two hours ago and was ending in an hour because my grandmother slept early.

"No, still," my nanny said.

"اففف"

I replied.

Danah told my mother she wasn't going to pick me up and my driver was out to the chalet to help my father.

I looked at my outfit for the 100th time. I wore a short sleeve navy dress with light black tights and black flats. My hair was perfectly curled and cut at the salon and my makeup was perfectly applied in smokey.

I was so proud of myself and I mostly had Jana to thank for it. I sent her a picture of my look.

Me: shrayich??

I continued to wait in the living room until it was almost 8:40.

كنت بموت

"Muneera he is outside," my nanny said.

"اخيراً؟"

I muttered to myself before I got into the car.

Jana: hooootttt, send to Fahad!!

I smiled, she was starting to become herself again, bit by bit. I knew it would take her a lot of time to get over him as she was in denial a lot of the time. But small progress is progress, anyway.

Me: nooo aste7yy!!

Jana: looool kaifech bs wallah byestanes!!

I decided to save that for days when I looked even better. I texted him something else instead.

Me: fahaaad shloun switzerland??

I missed texting him regularly and him being abroad with barely any wifi made me miss him even more, even if he was just gone for five days.. I just hoped he thought the same about me.

The driver parked outside my grandmother's house and I could hear soft music being played in the background like there was a live Arabic music.

I went inside the house to get to the 7oush in the back and I looked around, it was actually well designed!

There were more than five catering stations in the outdoor garden where my cousin Areej's engagement party was. There were lights wrapped around the palm trees and as I had guessed, a group of musicians playing in the background. Round tables were spread around everywhere in the garden, each fitting around five of my relatives and their friends too. It was surprisingly bigger than expected but I didn't care; I thought I looked good anyway.

I took the first step towards the table right in front of me.

"السلام"

I told my uncle's wife, Nawal, as she was texting.

"منّورة اهلين شلونج؟"

She said, looking me up and down.

"الحمدلله زينة"

I said.

"!ما شاء الله محلوّة! صايرة تهبلين"

She said and I smiled. Where was Rawan to hear this?

"امبيه منيرة؟"

My twenty-something year old cousin Asmaa said as she stood next to us.

"اي"

I said with a chuckle as I greeted her.

"!حدج محلوة جد! وااي كبرتي تشوقييين "

She said and I smiled, maybe it was the glow from being with Fahad. 

"ترى البنات داخل"

She told me. I nodded and went to greet my grandma who was sitting at the table with my aunts and mother.

"اشوا لحقتي"

One of my aunts said.

"اي"

I said with a chuckle.

"والله ضعفانة منّورة تهبلين"

One of my other aunts said.

"مشكورة"

I replied with a smile.

"مو برد عليج يمّا؟"

My grandmother said.

"لا عادي"

I said. I couldn't wait to go inside, even if it wasn't that cold. I looked good and I wanted to show it off, especially to Rawan.

I skipped the buffet and went inside, crossing the small living room to get to the larger one, where around twelve of my girl cousins and my sister were. Rawan included.

"Hi," I said with an awkward wave as I walked into the room. They turned to me and replied with a low "hi" and a surprised look on their face.

I knew I looked good, from my hair to my makeup to my whole outfit I could tell they weren't sure if it was me or not. 

I felt like I got a makeover.

"!مبروك أريج"

I said as I hugged my cousin who was now standing up to greet me. The rest of my cousins stood up to greet me too, finally.

"منورة  wow"

My cousin Nourah said as she kissed me and looked me up and down. I just laughed, it felt good. Especially in front of Rawan, who was right next to her.

Rawan gave me a sour look as she kissed me, but the second cheek was with her kissing the air and not my cheek. Shsalfat'ha hathy?

I had to admit, she smelled amazing.

Danah was sitting down on her phone so I skipped her to greet my other cousins, who also complimented me before we sat down.

"ما شاء الله منورة تيننين"

My cousin, Rahaf, Rawan's sister, said to me with a smile.

"مشكورة"

I said with a smile.

"لا والمكياج بعد حركات"

She added and I felt myself blush.

"Thank you," I said.

"برة خيال set upما شاء الله ال"

I said.

"أي جد"

Nourah agreed with a nod.

"اكيد بعد شنو تتوقعين من دانة؟"

Rawan said, obviously sucking up to my sister who just smiled softly.

I didn't even want to bother with her.

Me: jadd malat 3ala rawanooo

I sent Jana.

"انزين دندون وين تنصحيني اروح اجهز؟ تركيا ولا وين؟"

Areej said.

Danah bit her full lip in concentration.

"يمدحون تركيا حق التجهيز"

Rawan said. 
She was literally sixteen. What would she know?

"اي وايد"

My sister agreed.

I felt like I was on fire. My sister was giving my bitch of a cousin more attention than she ever gave me. My thoughts went back to when I'd told Danah about Fajer, her best friend. Would she still have reacted so coldly if Rawan had told her?

"شرايكم نروح الصالة الثانية؟ جنه قمته هني؟"

My twenty-three year old cousin Fay said. Her light brown curly hair was long and reached to the middle of her back, while her face was a mix of sharp yet feminine features. She looked gorgeous.

"اي يالله"

The other girls said as they stood up.

They all left their bags and I waited for them all to leave before I looked around, making sure no one would see me, and opened Rawan's clutch. I took out her perfume, which was sort of big but it smelled incredible and placed it in my bag before I took it with me to the other room and smiled.

I couldn't help but wonder if she ever noticed that her lipstick was missing.

My phone pinged.

Jana: loool shinu sawaat ba3aad??

I replied immediately.

Me: esloubha mithil wayehhaa chenha shayfa nafs'ha 3alay o elly y7er ena Danah ta36eehaa wayh akthar menyy

I went back to sit in the other living room, pretending that nothing had happened. As the girls saw me with my bag they all went to get their stuff too, laughing at how they just wanted to escape from the heat that they forgot their bags.

"؟ يعقد your clutch روان من وين"

Danah said as she crossed her legs and eyed Rawan's clutch.

"Thank you mayighla! Min an instagram account I'll DM it to you al7een," she said.

"Shiftay the boots that I DM'ed you?"

Danah said. I was heating up. I reached in for the stolen perfume and held it to calm my nerves.

"!اييي امبيه بالضبط اللي كنت ادورهم"

Rawan shrieked. So they were instagram buddies now?

ويع خلاص.

Jana: umbaaay 6aaf wallaaah ethainat'hum bugaar may3arfoun 8eemtiiich!! O 3an rawano al7een minuu ma3a fahaaad?;))

I smiled. She was right.

"وين موبايلي؟"

She said as she unzipped her clutch. I contained my smile.

She took out her phone from her clutch but furrowed her brow as she stuck her hand inside it. This was too funny I was surprised I was still holding in my laughter.

"وين كلونيتي؟"

She said.

"You guy a7ad shaf my perfume?"

She said as she stood up to look for it, she was panicking now.

It's nowhere near you...

"دانة بتقعدين؟"

My mother said as she walked into the living room.

"بطلع عقب شوي"

Danah said as she looked up from her phone

"يالله منيرة"

My mother told me and I nodded.

"يمكن بالحمام"

I told Rawan as I stood up with a shrug.

My phone pinged again.

Fahad: wallah its good bas mot baard…shakhbarech?

He sent me a selfie of him in a ski mask in the mountain and I couldn't help but gawk at the picture. He was hot.

I bit my smile as I walked past her. 
I had her perfume, and now I won her crush over. 
I was still too shy to send him one of myself.

"Yallah bye," I said to the girls, whom I had a hard time interacting with.

"لا جد وين كلونيتي والله كنت حاطتها داخل"

Rawan said as she searched for her perfume again.

By the time I left the room I was laughing, and the best part was there was no one around to hear it.

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