#blind girl # romancenovel #chapter2
Her lashes, heavy with modesty, fluttered down, casting a veil over her eyes. Yaqub watched her in silence, his heart pounding in his chest, an echo of the unspoken emotions that swirled between them.

As the moments ticked by, Rahel's heartbeat grew louder, a drumbeat of anticipation. She longed to hear his voice, to know the depths of his heart, to feel the connection that their souls yearned for. Yet, he remained silent, leaving her in a poignant void of unanswered questions.

The silence was shattered by the gentle rustle of Yaqub's hand as he reached out and captured hers. Her fingers trembled as she felt his warm touch, her body instinctively shrinking into herself.

In that moment, the world around them faded away, replaced by the intensity of their shared gaze. The weight of unspoken words hung heavy in the air, a silent symphony of emotions.

Yaqub pulled her hand closer, pressing it against his rapidly beating heart. He wanted to tell her, to confess the love that had blossomed in his heart at first sight.

The thought of such an admission would have once elicited a scoff from him, a dismissive laugh at the absurdity of such an emotion. But now, it was an undeniable truth, a revelation that had transformed his very being.

He had fallen in love with his wife, his life partner, his soulmate, all in the blink of an eye.

Rahel felt his heart pounding beneath her palm, a rhythmic echo of her own racing pulse. Yet, she was lost in a labyrinth of confusion, unable to grasp the meaning behind her husband's silence.

She tried to pull her hand away, yearning to break the spell of silence that held them captive. But Yaqub's grip tightened, his other hand reaching out to gently cup her face.

A shy smile graced her lips, a delicate bloom amidst the whirlwind of emotions that swirled within her. Gathering her courage, she spoke, her voice barely a whisper, "Why do you not speak? I long to hear your voice."

Yaqub remained rooted to the spot, his gaze unwavering, his silence a deafening confession in itself.

"Please, say something," she pleaded, her voice trembling with a hint of desperation. "You know I cannot see."

Yaqub released her hands, leaving her suspended in a sea of uncertainty. Rahel's heart sank, the weight of her secret threatening to crush her spirit. Had she been too hasty in revealing her blindness?

Moments stretched into an eternity, punctuated by the deafening silence that filled the room. Yaqub remained silent, his expression unreadable.

"What is it?" Rahel asked, her voice laced with fear. Had her deception shattered their bond?

"Do you know that I cannot see?" she repeated, her voice barely a whisper, seeking confirmation of her deepest fear.

Yaqub's heart pounded in his chest, a drumbeat of conflicting emotions. How could he tell her what he knew, that he had been aware of her secret all along, yet had kept it hidden from her?

He rose from his seat, running a hand through his hair in a gesture of frustration. Rahel, sensing his silence, felt her eyes well up with tears. In a matter of seconds, they spilled over, streaming down her cheeks.

Yaqub's heart clenched at the sight of her distress. He rushed back to her side, gently taking her hands in his and placing tender kisses on each one. Then, he reached up and wiped away her tears, his lips lingering on her skin, silently conveying his love and affection.

Rahel, overwhelmed by his sudden display of affection, felt a warmth spread through her body, momentarily easing her pain.

Yaqub, still unable to find the words to express his true feelings, reached for a glass of milk placed on the side table. He had intended to give her water, but that was all he could find. He gently guided the glass to her lips, and she drank in silence, her mind still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions.

As she finished the milk, a sense of unease crept back into her heart. Why was he still silent? What was he hiding?

Just then, she heard the sound of a door opening and closing. She strained her ears to listen, trying to decipher the meaning behind the sound. Was her husband rejecting her? Or was there something else at play?

A wave of self-pity washed over her. She felt so helpless, so alone in her darkness.

Meanwhile, Yaqub had made his way to his sister Mariyam's room. He knocked on the door, and Mariyam, who had just changed her clothes, was surprised to see her brother standing there.

Yaqub gestured for his sister Mariyam to hand him her smartphone. Mariyam hesitated initially, but after some persuasion, she reluctantly obliged.

"I told you to ditch that old relic and get a new smartphone," Mariyam chided, her voice laced with a hint of exasperation. "But you never listen to me. I'm only lending it to you for tonight. I'll take it back tomorrow morning."

With a parting warning, Mariyam turned and walked back into her room, leaving Yaqub alone with the unfamiliar device. He hurried back to his wife's side, his heart pounding with worry, lest she resume her tears.

A wave of self-pity washed over him. He had longed to spend quality time with his newlywed bride, yet here he was, struggling to communicate with her. He felt trapped in a cycle of frustration, yearning to connect with the woman he loved but unable to find the words to express his emotions.

Yaqub had always been frugal, content with his old Nokia phone. He never felt the need for a smartphone, especially considering the financial constraints he had faced earlier in life. His primary concern was his sister Mariyam's education, and he had willingly sacrificed his own desires to provide her with the best possible opportunities.

However, today, the absence of a smartphone felt like a glaring inadequacy.

He entered the room to find Rahel still sobbing silently. Yaqub let out a deep sigh and sat down in front of her. He typed a message into the phone: "Please don't cry."

The phone's voice echoed through the room, but it was a woman's voice, not the male voice he had intended. Rahel's eyes widened in surprise. Yaqub groaned in frustration and facepalmed. He fumbled with the phone's settings, switching the voice from female to male.

"Maybe you don't know but please understand that I cannot speak or hear. I apologize. " Yaqub typed, his heart heavy with guilt.

Rahel listened to the words echoing through the phone, her mind struggling to process the revelation. For a moment, she was speechless, her thoughts a jumbled mess of emotions. Then, she simply replied, "Please don't apologise. It's okay."

What else could she say?

Yaqub was taken aback by her calm response. He had expected her to react with anger, frustration, or even despair. But instead, she met his confession with a quiet acceptance.

"Are you sure?" he typed, his fingers trembling over the phone's screen.

Rahel nodded, her eyes fixed on his face. "You said you cannot hear?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes, but I can lip-read. I can understand what people are saying by watching their lip movements," Yaqub explained, struggling with the unfamiliar phone's auto-correct feature.

Rahel had been listening to the sounds of typing for quite some time, and now, Yaqub's words finally made sense.

"Oh..." she murmured, a silence falling between them. It was as if their conversation had reached a dead end, as if there was nothing more to say.

"You look beautiful tonight," Yaqub typed, his words a sudden change of topic.

Rahel bit her lower lip, startled by his unexpected compliment.

"Thank you," she replied shyly, her cheeks flushing with a hint of warmth.

"Does it really not matter to you that I cannot speak or hear?" Yaqub asked, his voice laced with a hint of insecurity.

"Why? Does it matter to you that I cannot see?" Rahel countered, her voice unwavering.

"No," Yaqub replied, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Then neither does it matter to me. We can still live a happy life together, if we try. InshaAllah," Rahel affirmed, her words filled with a quiet determination.

Yaqub couldn't help but smile at her words. "InshaAllah," he echoed in his mind, his heart filled with a newfound sense of hope.

Her understanding and acceptance brought him a sense of peace, easing the turmoil that had been brewing within him.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Yaqub's voice, a low murmur barely audible above the whirring of the phone's fan, broke the comfortable silence. Rahel's heart skipped a beat. The question hung heavy in the air, a weight she couldn't quite decipher.

Yaqub's fingers danced across the phone's screen, his words a cascade of emotions.

"I fell in love with you at first sight," he confessed, the ai voice echoing in the quiet room.

Rahel's cheeks flushed a crimson hue, a reflection of the warmth that spread through her heart. A shy smile graced her lips, blooming like a delicate flower in the garden of her emotions.

"But I can't fall in love at first sight," she countered with a playful tone, her voice barely a whisper.

Yaqub chuckled, his heart echoing the melody of her laughter. He pulled her closer, his touch sending shivers down her spine. His fingers flew across the phone's screen once more.

"You don't need to fall in love at first sight, Just love me with all your senses." he typed, his words a gentle caress.

He placed one of her hands on his shoulder and kissed the other, then gently rested it on his cheek. Rahel felt a flutter of nervousness in his proximity, her heart pounding like a drum against her ribs.

Yaqub gently lifted her hand to his face, his touch a silent invitation. "Feel me," he seemed to whisper through his fingertips. Rahel closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest, and gently traced her fingers over his features.

Yaqub typed another message, his words echoing in the silent room. "No more words now. Feel me, and I'll feel you. Listen to the rhythm of my heartbeat, its whispers of love, and I'll decipher the language of your own heart."

A warm silence enveloped the room, a silence that spoke volumes of love. The rhythm of their heartbeats, the gentle murmur of their breaths, created a melody of love that echoed through the night.

The stars and moon seemed to blush at the spectacle of their love, and the air was filled with the joyous hues of their blossoming romance.

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