Scene 2
Watching the last rays of sunset disappear into the Nile, Ibrahim sits in a trendy bistro in Zamalek , drinking his Cappuccino. He usually hated sunsets. He remembers , in his younger years, they were insignificant, just another part of the day; but he fell in love and the striving artist inside him used the red rays of the setting sun to draw hearts, cupids and arrows joining his name to that of Maha, his ex-wife.... Maha... that was a story done and over with a long time ago... but sometimes he still felt the pain. He has dealt very well with the emptiness.. but the pain of the broken heart, was still there. But , he'd rather not think about Maha. What got him to that trail of thought anyway? Ah... the sunset... Maha , oh well, her again, but that's a significant part of his life, ah well... Maha used to love sunsets, thinking they were so romantic and intimate, so somehow, she made them special. He proposed on a sunset and got a divorce on a sunset as well. In Western Movies, cowboys always rode their horses towards the sunset as "the end" appeared on the screen. He hated Western Movies, and he hated sunsets. Sunsets ,in brief, were the end.
This sunset however, was not just an end, it was also, the beginning; the beginning of his search for the one, who might be the love of his life so, sunsets, as of that day, wont be so hateful! He watches the sky turn dark and the electric lights start emiting their pale yellow light as he waits for Bugs and Nouni. He knew they will be late. Nouni has always been a late-arriver. She even joked about it saying that it was part of a girl's charm to be casually late; her view of the word casually , however , meant up to 2 hours. Bugs , on the other hand, used to arrive on time, if not slightly early. But since they got engaged, Nouni and him, it has become a duty bestowed upon him to be her designated chauffeur; and since she's always late, he became always late.
"Akheeran!" he stands up as he sees them approaching, "what took you so long?"
Bugs smiles and points to Nouni, then raises his hands to the sky as if asking God to be his witness. He then puts his hand to shake Ibrahim hands, pulls him closer for a macho hug and kiss, lets go and sits down on a chair, all in less than a minute. He is usually the fast type.
"Sorry ya Abe", Nouni says with her ever-charming smile," bas seriously, kan lazem ne3adi 3ala beta3 el sataye." she sits down and then continues " tetsawar lessa magaboosh el 2omash! Ba2alna 3 weeks w lessa.. ana mesh fahma eih el habal da.." she sighs then continues, "ma 3aleena, mesh da el mawdoo3 enaharda..." smiles and looks at Ibrahim, "ana seme3t en Cairo's most eligible bachelor has claimed a bride.. e7kili yalla" and before he starts speaking she looks at the waiter and yells out loud "LAW SAMA7T, momken 3 menu MEN FADLAK" then she looks at both the guys who are laughing loudly at her monologue, "begad ga3ana"
"You lost wieght ya Nouni"
"2olaha wenabi ya Abe, lama bafta7 bo2i , she gets angry"
"Listen, it's pure logic, kol el setat betetkhan ba3d el gawaz"
the waiter comes runnin, hands each of them a menu , and dissapears
"fa i want to loose as much weight as i can before we get married , 3ashan ba3d el gawaz atkhanhom bera7ti. Anyway.. 2ool ya Abe.. i'm so excited"
"Wala 7aga ya setti, mesh Bugs 7akalek!"
"Bugs 7akalha fe3lan. Bas bugs ga3an, fa let's order then te7ki mel awel khales. Nouni aslaha sa2aletni 7agat ketter ma3reftesh agawebha!"
The made their orders really quick to the waiter who was jotting down every thing quickly then rushed to the kitchen.
"Mesh 3aref abtedi meneen.. mates2alooni w ana agaweb"
"I understand, you met her online? How come you dont know what she looks like?"
"La2 i didnt "meet" her online", he stresses on the word meet ,"I read her blog. She only writes text, no pictures khales"
"Aslan I forgot to ask you embare7, what's her name? Or what do you know about her?"
" Yousra Nabil, I think she might be 28,29 maybe 27. Umm.. She grew up in Heliopolise but is currently living in Sherook, Obour, Tagamoo3.. something like that, bas not sure where exactly. Umm.. she's most probably and AUC graduate but then again I might be wrong. She did her Masters in Concordia, fa she's either filthy rich or really smart or both. Umm.. she writes alot about helping eli me7tageen with different projects. Fa I'm not sure ba2a if this is what she does for a living wala iza heya bete3mel charity activities zayek keda ya Nouni."
"Umm.. if she's into charity work I'll manage to find out something about her. Ya3ni, el nas kolaha betetla3 te3raf ba3d. w mawdoo3 Masters men Concorida da bardo mofeed. Give me a week keda."
"Sure"
"Eshme3na a week ya Nouni? I'm sure u can finish all your phone calls tonight aslan!"
"In a weeks time, hakoon ro7t kol el gatherings fa el probability eni i run into her or into someone who knows her is quite realistic."
"Sounds good to me"
"Enta 2a3ed f Masr shwaia ?"
"I should leave by dawn today and i'll be back in around 10 days. Fa i'll wait for your update by phone." he looks at Nouni who acknowledges by nodding and then continues " I'm going for a conference in New York for a couple of days, w ba3deen I have to stop by the office in London for a few days, then probably a project kick-off in Saudi. 7ad 3ayez 7aga men henak?"
"Umm, let me think and get back to you by email. I might ask you to pick up some stuff from a friend in London. Bas most probably not this time.. I'll check and let you know."she smiles a flirty smile to her fiancee then continues with a straight face to Ibrahim "tab tell me more about her!"
"What do you want to know?"
"Tell us shwaia about her character, what you make out of her writing at least.. Is she shy wala outspoken? independent w strong keda wala vulnerable w emotional? You know.. e7ki shwia ya3ni"
"She's usually a shy person bas she knows how to take charge in desperate situations ya3ni. Ya3ni she always said en it was a bit difficult for hr to make new friends w en she's the quiet type fel 2a3da. Bas on the other hand, fel sho3'l, it's part of her job to go on starting conversations with all sorts of people; from sponsors to people she does ba7th egtema3i about. Ya3ni, I think she's very emotional, bas then again she portrays strength."
"Momken mateb2ash emotional awi, bas simply in touch with her feelings and enough of a good communicator to know how to describe them."
"That's perfectly put ya Bugs..ummm.. I think kaman en she learned it ... Ya3ni i think maybe 3 years ago, before she started blogging, she might have been a naive person.. bas el denia khabatet feeha gamed. She went through a number of heart breaking relationship-attempts , a death of a close friend, family business colapse then back on its feet again, an her mother got very very sick at times .. i think virus C wala 7aga.... Fa kol da nashef 3admaha..."
Nouni smiles, "I think it's so cute the way you talk about her; begad, as if , enta ta3rafha men zaman."
"yes i know.. Ya Nouni enti you won't believe it, bas sometimes, I feel like I want to yell to her.. {ya benti don't be stupid.. bayna awi eno beyl3ab beeki} or things like { com'on .. you're stronger than that.. you can do it}... aslan there was a time she was having issues at work with a particular trainee or intern or something, then the this kid was leaving khalas.. and she talked to her managers about offering him a permanent position 3ashan he was so good. w ba3deen the kid refused and told her en he just needed a work experince in community and volunteer work on his CV to apply for a scholarship wala 7aga. and she got depressed ya 7aram, w lost faith in human capability of doing good... ba3daha b beta3 sana... almost the same story was happening... and she was starting to feel down...begad.. i wanted to tell her {e7na mesh we've been through this before.. why are you torturing yourself}.... Begad.. I really wanted to talk to her sa3at.. Now.. I always feel I want to talk to her"
"Did you ever? Did you ever communicate with her by any mean?"
"Not really.. I once posted an anonymous comment when she posted a survey for research purposes.. bas 3'eir keda never.. I thought about it bas i was discouraged when she once made fun of the {hi 28 male cairo, want to chat?} syndrome"
"Ma3ak 7a2.. I'd rather a proper introduction and a romantic approach.. insha2allah hazabatak.. just give me time.."
"I know ya Nouni...I trust you guys.. anyways.. enough about me.. tell me more about you guys!"
The rest of the evening went passed as they discussed all sorts of issues concerning the preparation of Bugs
and Nouni's apartment. As usual, they argued about really minor aspects that Ibrahim realized couldn't possibly have any significance except the fact that it's a power struggle between them, things like {karaneesh el sa2f} or { 2 layers of curtains wala 3 or should they have blinds in the first place}... The thing about Nouni and Bugs.. is that both of them have been his close friends since he was a teenager... Bugs from school and Nouni a distant relative... At first they hated each other's gutts.. then Bugs fell in love with her asked her out and she refused.. that was in highschool probably... then it was collage time, they each dated and miraculously became best friends... that was the best time of his life.. it was the three of them hanging out together....pre Maha... pre everything...but anyway.. then Nouni started falling in love with Bugs.. but it was a pride issue for her.. she's the girl and wouldnt ever imply it to him.. and begged Ibrahim not to tell him.. Then a whole cycle of one of them falling in love with the other while the other was dating began... that was hilarious... or at least ironic...Then they got together when he was 28 and she was 25.. then Bugs by that time started developing a fear of commitment that costed them their relationship and friendship.. lost touch for 4 years, then met by coincidence and the old sparks shone again.. He formally proposed then and there.. they got engaged and they're supposed to get married in a few months...
He remembers...as he starts feeling a need that he has lost a long time ago.. the need for company.. a partner.. to share his life with.. he thinks of Yousra.. what does she look like? Can she be the One? Could this whole thing be true?
Watching the last rays of sunset disappear into the Nile, Ibrahim sits in a trendy bistro in Zamalek , drinking his Cappuccino. He usually hated sunsets. He remembers , in his younger years, they were insignificant, just another part of the day; but he fell in love and the striving artist inside him used the red rays of the setting sun to draw hearts, cupids and arrows joining his name to that of Maha, his ex-wife.... Maha... that was a story done and over with a long time ago... but sometimes he still felt the pain. He has dealt very well with the emptiness.. but the pain of the broken heart, was still there. But , he'd rather not think about Maha. What got him to that trail of thought anyway? Ah... the sunset... Maha , oh well, her again, but that's a significant part of his life, ah well... Maha used to love sunsets, thinking they were so romantic and intimate, so somehow, she made them special. He proposed on a sunset and got a divorce on a sunset as well. In Western Movies, cowboys always rode their horses towards the sunset as "the end" appeared on the screen. He hated Western Movies, and he hated sunsets. Sunsets ,in brief, were the end.
This sunset however, was not just an end, it was also, the beginning; the beginning of his search for the one, who might be the love of his life so, sunsets, as of that day, wont be so hateful! He watches the sky turn dark and the electric lights start emiting their pale yellow light as he waits for Bugs and Nouni. He knew they will be late. Nouni has always been a late-arriver. She even joked about it saying that it was part of a girl's charm to be casually late; her view of the word casually , however , meant up to 2 hours. Bugs , on the other hand, used to arrive on time, if not slightly early. But since they got engaged, Nouni and him, it has become a duty bestowed upon him to be her designated chauffeur; and since she's always late, he became always late.
"Akheeran!" he stands up as he sees them approaching, "what took you so long?"
Bugs smiles and points to Nouni, then raises his hands to the sky as if asking God to be his witness. He then puts his hand to shake Ibrahim hands, pulls him closer for a macho hug and kiss, lets go and sits down on a chair, all in less than a minute. He is usually the fast type.
"Sorry ya Abe", Nouni says with her ever-charming smile," bas seriously, kan lazem ne3adi 3ala beta3 el sataye." she sits down and then continues " tetsawar lessa magaboosh el 2omash! Ba2alna 3 weeks w lessa.. ana mesh fahma eih el habal da.." she sighs then continues, "ma 3aleena, mesh da el mawdoo3 enaharda..." smiles and looks at Ibrahim, "ana seme3t en Cairo's most eligible bachelor has claimed a bride.. e7kili yalla" and before he starts speaking she looks at the waiter and yells out loud "LAW SAMA7T, momken 3 menu MEN FADLAK" then she looks at both the guys who are laughing loudly at her monologue, "begad ga3ana"
"You lost wieght ya Nouni"
"2olaha wenabi ya Abe, lama bafta7 bo2i , she gets angry"
"Listen, it's pure logic, kol el setat betetkhan ba3d el gawaz"
the waiter comes runnin, hands each of them a menu , and dissapears
"fa i want to loose as much weight as i can before we get married , 3ashan ba3d el gawaz atkhanhom bera7ti. Anyway.. 2ool ya Abe.. i'm so excited"
"Wala 7aga ya setti, mesh Bugs 7akalek!"
"Bugs 7akalha fe3lan. Bas bugs ga3an, fa let's order then te7ki mel awel khales. Nouni aslaha sa2aletni 7agat ketter ma3reftesh agawebha!"
The made their orders really quick to the waiter who was jotting down every thing quickly then rushed to the kitchen.
"Mesh 3aref abtedi meneen.. mates2alooni w ana agaweb"
"I understand, you met her online? How come you dont know what she looks like?"
"La2 i didnt "meet" her online", he stresses on the word meet ,"I read her blog. She only writes text, no pictures khales"
"Aslan I forgot to ask you embare7, what's her name? Or what do you know about her?"
" Yousra Nabil, I think she might be 28,29 maybe 27. Umm.. She grew up in Heliopolise but is currently living in Sherook, Obour, Tagamoo3.. something like that, bas not sure where exactly. Umm.. she's most probably and AUC graduate but then again I might be wrong. She did her Masters in Concordia, fa she's either filthy rich or really smart or both. Umm.. she writes alot about helping eli me7tageen with different projects. Fa I'm not sure ba2a if this is what she does for a living wala iza heya bete3mel charity activities zayek keda ya Nouni."
"Umm.. if she's into charity work I'll manage to find out something about her. Ya3ni, el nas kolaha betetla3 te3raf ba3d. w mawdoo3 Masters men Concorida da bardo mofeed. Give me a week keda."
"Sure"
"Eshme3na a week ya Nouni? I'm sure u can finish all your phone calls tonight aslan!"
"In a weeks time, hakoon ro7t kol el gatherings fa el probability eni i run into her or into someone who knows her is quite realistic."
"Sounds good to me"
"Enta 2a3ed f Masr shwaia ?"
"I should leave by dawn today and i'll be back in around 10 days. Fa i'll wait for your update by phone." he looks at Nouni who acknowledges by nodding and then continues " I'm going for a conference in New York for a couple of days, w ba3deen I have to stop by the office in London for a few days, then probably a project kick-off in Saudi. 7ad 3ayez 7aga men henak?"
"Umm, let me think and get back to you by email. I might ask you to pick up some stuff from a friend in London. Bas most probably not this time.. I'll check and let you know."she smiles a flirty smile to her fiancee then continues with a straight face to Ibrahim "tab tell me more about her!"
"What do you want to know?"
"Tell us shwaia about her character, what you make out of her writing at least.. Is she shy wala outspoken? independent w strong keda wala vulnerable w emotional? You know.. e7ki shwia ya3ni"
"She's usually a shy person bas she knows how to take charge in desperate situations ya3ni. Ya3ni she always said en it was a bit difficult for hr to make new friends w en she's the quiet type fel 2a3da. Bas on the other hand, fel sho3'l, it's part of her job to go on starting conversations with all sorts of people; from sponsors to people she does ba7th egtema3i about. Ya3ni, I think she's very emotional, bas then again she portrays strength."
"Momken mateb2ash emotional awi, bas simply in touch with her feelings and enough of a good communicator to know how to describe them."
"That's perfectly put ya Bugs..ummm.. I think kaman en she learned it ... Ya3ni i think maybe 3 years ago, before she started blogging, she might have been a naive person.. bas el denia khabatet feeha gamed. She went through a number of heart breaking relationship-attempts , a death of a close friend, family business colapse then back on its feet again, an her mother got very very sick at times .. i think virus C wala 7aga.... Fa kol da nashef 3admaha..."
Nouni smiles, "I think it's so cute the way you talk about her; begad, as if , enta ta3rafha men zaman."
"yes i know.. Ya Nouni enti you won't believe it, bas sometimes, I feel like I want to yell to her.. {ya benti don't be stupid.. bayna awi eno beyl3ab beeki} or things like { com'on .. you're stronger than that.. you can do it}... aslan there was a time she was having issues at work with a particular trainee or intern or something, then the this kid was leaving khalas.. and she talked to her managers about offering him a permanent position 3ashan he was so good. w ba3deen the kid refused and told her en he just needed a work experince in community and volunteer work on his CV to apply for a scholarship wala 7aga. and she got depressed ya 7aram, w lost faith in human capability of doing good... ba3daha b beta3 sana... almost the same story was happening... and she was starting to feel down...begad.. i wanted to tell her {e7na mesh we've been through this before.. why are you torturing yourself}.... Begad.. I really wanted to talk to her sa3at.. Now.. I always feel I want to talk to her"
"Did you ever? Did you ever communicate with her by any mean?"
"Not really.. I once posted an anonymous comment when she posted a survey for research purposes.. bas 3'eir keda never.. I thought about it bas i was discouraged when she once made fun of the {hi 28 male cairo, want to chat?} syndrome"
"Ma3ak 7a2.. I'd rather a proper introduction and a romantic approach.. insha2allah hazabatak.. just give me time.."
"I know ya Nouni...I trust you guys.. anyways.. enough about me.. tell me more about you guys!"
The rest of the evening went passed as they discussed all sorts of issues concerning the preparation of Bugs
and Nouni's apartment. As usual, they argued about really minor aspects that Ibrahim realized couldn't possibly have any significance except the fact that it's a power struggle between them, things like {karaneesh el sa2f} or { 2 layers of curtains wala 3 or should they have blinds in the first place}... The thing about Nouni and Bugs.. is that both of them have been his close friends since he was a teenager... Bugs from school and Nouni a distant relative... At first they hated each other's gutts.. then Bugs fell in love with her asked her out and she refused.. that was in highschool probably... then it was collage time, they each dated and miraculously became best friends... that was the best time of his life.. it was the three of them hanging out together....pre Maha... pre everything...but anyway.. then Nouni started falling in love with Bugs.. but it was a pride issue for her.. she's the girl and wouldnt ever imply it to him.. and begged Ibrahim not to tell him.. Then a whole cycle of one of them falling in love with the other while the other was dating began... that was hilarious... or at least ironic...Then they got together when he was 28 and she was 25.. then Bugs by that time started developing a fear of commitment that costed them their relationship and friendship.. lost touch for 4 years, then met by coincidence and the old sparks shone again.. He formally proposed then and there.. they got engaged and they're supposed to get married in a few months...
He remembers...as he starts feeling a need that he has lost a long time ago.. the need for company.. a partner.. to share his life with.. he thinks of Yousra.. what does she look like? Can she be the One? Could this whole thing be true?
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