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Hayat's Pov

The room was dimly lit, and the only sound was the gentle hum of the air conditioner. I stirred slightly, finding the perfect position to go back to sleep after Fajr prayers. As it was Sunday and had no work, I decided to go back to sleep.

Just as I settled back into a deep sleep, the sound of a ringing phone pierced the peaceful silence of my early morning. I fumbled blindly for the device on the nightstand and finally located the phone and answered it with a gruff, "Hello?"

"Good morning!" chirped a cheerful voice on the other end of the line, it was my best friend Raiha. "I hope I didn't wake you up!"

I rubbed my bleary eyes and glanced at the clock. It was barely six in the morning. "No, no, not at all," I mocked through a yawn.

She knows how much I hate it when someone calls me when I am sleeping.

"I called to remind you about the lunch meetup today," she continued. "You remember, right?"

I racked my brain for a moment before the memory came flooding back. "Oh, right," I said, sitting up in bed. "I almost forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me."

"No problem at all! Tribes Dubai mall at 1" she said cheerfully. "I'll see you bright and early. Bye byee!"

With a click, the call ended, leaving the room once again shrouded in silence. I sat there for a moment, staring at the wall, before finally my head hit the pillow and I went back to sleep once again.

******************

As the sun shone brightly through the windows, the sound of clacking heels could be heard echoing throughout the house. My parents watched me descending the staircase, dressed in a light pink dress with delicate floral patterns that swirled around my legs with each step I took. My hijab was neatly wrapped around my head, makeup was flawlessly applied and I had a small purse that was slung over my shoulder.

"Mom, Dad, I'm heading out for lunch with the girls," I called out, my voice full of excitement.

"Have a good time, dear," my mother replied warmly, giving me her beautiful smile.

"Be careful and don't forget to text us when you get there," my father added.

I rolled my eyes playfully, they know my brother's dropping me today, I am not going alone, "I will, Dad," I assured him.

With a final wave, I turned and made my way to the front door. I could feel my heart racing with anticipation. I couldn't wait to see my friends and catch up on all the latest gossip.

As I stepped outside into the warm sunshine, a gentle breeze tousled my hijab. Taking a deep breath, I smiled to myself and got into the car. Abdullah, my older brother started the car and we set off down the street. Today was going to be a great day.

**********************

As the door to the restaurant swung open, a wave of delicious aromas hit my nose. I scanned the room, searching for my friends among the sea of people seated at tables and booths. Then I spotted them near the back, waving excitedly at me.

"Hayat! Over here!" called Ashley, her blonde hair bouncing as she stood up to greet me.

I smiled and made my way over to the table, greeted by the sight of my eight best friends. They had all come well dressed up for our lunch date, each wearing their favorite outfits and accessories.

"Hey, guys!" I said, taking a seat next to Ashley. "I can't believe we're finally all here together again!"

"I know right, been so long since we actually had a get together like this", Zaina added.

"And all of you are looking gorgeous!" I commented.

"Thank you love, you too, looking gorgeous. Someone's going to fall in love with you today" Ashley winked at me while the others laughed.

"Crazy No! This place looks amazing. I'm so glad we decided to come here for lunch."

"Yeah, it's great," replied Ramla, taking a sip from her water glass. "I heard they have the best burgers in town."

"I'm getting a salad, though," said Sadiya, the health nut of the group. "Gotta stick to my diet."

Everyone laughed, and the conversation flowed easily as we read the menu and placed our orders. I was happy to be among my friends again after a busy week at College, and I felt relaxed as we chatted and caught up on each other's lives.

Our food arrived quickly, and we all dug in, savoring every bite. The restaurant had a lively atmosphere, with music playing in the background and people talking and laughing all around us.

I looked around the table at my friends, feeling grateful for their company. There was Ramla, my bubbly and outgoing best friend, who always knew how to make me laugh. Then there was Safiya, who was quiet and reserved, but had a wicked sense of humor once you got to know her. There is Raiha and Farah, my everything, they have been with me through all my ups and downs. My most favourite best friends. Sadiya, the quiet one who is also the health & beauty conscious one in our group. The twins, Zaina and Zaira, the shy ones & mostly laughing at everything. And lastly, there was Ashley, who was the life of the party, always up for anything and everything.

We finished our delicious meal and decided to head to the bathroom to wash our hands. As we reached the bathroom, I pushed open the door and stepped inside, I made my way over to the sink and began to wash my hands, enjoying the warm water as it flowed over my skin.

We were all returning back to our seats passing a group of boys laughing at their jokes when someone crashed onto me, spilling a glass of water on my dress.
I looked up to see a man standing there with a look of shock on his face. He had accidentally spilled a glass of water, and it had spilled all over MY dress.

Here comes the problem

"Oh no!" he exclaimed, rushing over to my side. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to do that. It was a mistake."

I looked down at my dress, now damp and stained with water. I felt a surge of frustration wash over me - after all, I had been so careful to avoid any spills or stains during lunch.

"What the hell?" I exclaimed. "You just spilled water all over me!"

"I'm so sorry," he said, his eyes wide. "It was an accident, I didn't mean to. My friend pushed me and I accidentally spilled the water. I really didn't mean to do it."

"You didn't mean to?" I said, my voice rising. "This dress is ruined now, and it's all your fault!"

"I said I was sorry," he muttered. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

I glared at him, my fists clenched. "You can't do anything!" I spat. "You've already ruined my day."

The restaurant that was bustling with people, the clinking of silverware, and the sound of chatter had now silenced. Everyone's eyes were on us.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking apologetic. "It was an accident."

"An accident?" I retorted, my voice rising in frustration. "You weren't even paying attention! You're so careless!"

"I said I'm sorry!" He replied, his voice also getting louder. "It was just water, I'll buy you a new dress if it's that big of a deal."

"That's not the point!" I shot back. "It's not just about the dress, it's about you not paying attention to anything. And your friend too. This isn't your house. It's a restaurant, you need to behave."

"Well, excuse me miss!" He snapped, his temper flaring up. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Hayat, that's enough. Everyone's looking at you." Farah tried to calm me down.

"You know what?" I said, throwing my hands up in frustration. "I can't deal with this right now. I'm leaving."

"You need to fix your anger issues, Miss" He muttered as I was moving away.

"And you need to wear glasses" I shouted back at him.

"Give me yours, Miss attitude"

"Hayat, that's enough" Farah covered my mouth using her hand and pulled me to our table.

"We are extremely sorry on her behalf." I heard Raiha saying it to him.

"No worries, your friend really created up a scene here." I heard him replying to which Raiha chuckled.

I glared at Raiha when she returned to the table.

"Sorryyyy" She said giving me a hug.

"Come, I'll help you dry up your dress" she pulled me to the washroom.

After paying our bills we walked to the door. "It was great seeing all of you, I said, "Let's do this again soon."

Everyone nodded. "Definitely," Zaira replied, "We can message in the group and can plan something."

"Yes", Farah added.

We stepped out of the restaurant, the cool air hit my face, and I felt a sense of contentment. It was nice to take a break from my busy schedule and spend some time with my friend.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. It was a beautiful day, and I felt grateful for it. I gave everyone a hug and some words of love.

With a smile on my face, I turned and waved goodbye to my friends before heading off to continue my day.

*****************

As I walked through the front door of my house, I was greeted by the familiar sound of my cat meowing happily. I smiled and reached down to pet him, feeling the warmth of his fur.

"Hey there, cutie pie," I said, "Did you miss me?"

I gave him a kiss and walked into the living room and set down my purse before collapsing onto the couch. I let out a contented sigh and closed my eyes, feeling the exhaustion of the day wash over me.

My mom walked into the living room and smiled at me. "Hey, how was your day?" she asked.

I opened my eyes and smiled back. "It was great," I replied, "It had such a cozy atmosphere, and the food was amazing."

My mom smiled. "That sounds nice. What did you guys talk about?"

I thought for a moment before replying "Well, we caught up on each other's lives and shared some stories. It was nice to just hang out and chat without any distractions."

"That sounds lovely," my mom said. "What did you eat?"

"We tried some new dishes that the restaurant had just added to their menu. The grilled chicken salad was amazing and their burger was just perfect. We should go there as a family very soon."

My mom smiled. "I'm glad you had a good time. It's always nice to spend some time with friends and try something new."

I nodded in agreement. "Definitely. I'm looking forward to the next time we can all get together again."

"Alright mom, I am going to my room and relax now. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. My first day at work at my dream company, Zaid architectural & design"

"Yes love, go on and take rest" Mom replied with that I walked upstairs to my room excited for tomorrow.

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Heyy/ Assalamu Alaikum

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