And if they were here, she needed to get ahead of it.
“I’ll be right there,” she told the planner.
The last thing she wanted was to be the center of some awful confrontation while trying to walk her sister down the aisle. If his parents were here, she needed to rip off the bandage and get whatever it was they wished to do or say over with.
It was clear why Lulu had saved this space for the most significant event of the week—the celebration following thenuptials. The hall was grand with vaulted ceilings. Red and pink flowers draped the windows. The candle centerpieces glittered gold beneath heavy chandeliers. But she wasn’t here to take in the scenery—she needed to confirm if his parents were here.
Judging by the hushed tones and shocked expressions, they were.
Now what?
She hadn’t thought this through. What would she say if they confronted her? His mother was unpredictable at best.
Then she saw.
Her breath grew shallow.
The edges of the room grew fuzzy.
Nasir’s parents were here. But that wasn’t why she was rendered frozen to her spot.
It was because of the man.
He was dressed for the occasion. A crisp gray suit. Silver tie. Polished leather shoes. One would think he was just another wedding guest.
Except he wasn’t.
He was Nasir.
21
•
Was it the bass of the music she felt—or the violent thudding of her heart? The room tilted around her. She blinked, but Nasir was still there, standing by the stage. His mother clutched him like a lifeline, sobbing into his suit lapel. His father’s eyes were wet with tears. And Irum—she gripped him like she was afraid to let go.
He was thinner. His cheeks were hollowed out, making his face more angular. His hair, once full, was shorn brutally close to the scalp. He looked so different. But it was him.
There was no denying it was him.
Her body moved before she could stop it—one step, then another.
“Here?” his mother said, barely getting the words out, as Hena drew closer. “No call. No messages. All these years I thought you were dead.” She was furious, and yet she kept her arms wrapped around him, saying his name over and over, as though to reassure herself that this moment wasn’t a dream.
As for Hena, all she felt was cold. Like she was drowning in a dark sea of panic.
Nasir wasn’t supposed to be here.
He couldn’t be here.
A hand touched hers. She flinched.
It was Reza.
“Sorry I wasn’t able to swing by sooner.” He was out of breath. “There’s something I need to talk to you about. It’s kind of important and—”
He cut off mid-sentence when he saw her expression.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.