Love that kills.

That matter of being sincere and loving to him and her children in particular was what made it difficult for Mahmoud to talk to her about the latest updates in his life, his changing feelings, his current conditions, and needs.

That thing even made him forget his new lover Aaliyah who was sitting with him and asked him:

- Are you lost in thought again, Mr. Mahmoud?!

- Huh... No... I am with you. What were you saying?!

She didn't answer him, but asked to go out to continue her work.

***********

In a restaurant in Cairo, Omar finished his work at the company and took his colleague Dalia to a restaurant in the downtown. He had invited her for lunch after a hard day at work and she accepted. They entered that place Omar knew very well, as he was accustomed to spending his salary lavishly on these invitations to food and drinks for some of his very special acquaintances. They sat together at one of the tables, then he said with a smile that was clearly visible behind the lenses of his expensive glasses:

- What do you think of this place?

- It's... good.

- What's wrong?

- I have a feeling that you come here a lot. - Yes, I go out with my friends here a lot.

- Are your friends girls, of course?!

- No... not always, most of them are young men, boys, I mean... friends.

- What do you consider our relationship to be?!

- we are... I mean... friends, colleagues; that's it.

- Do you think there is supposed to be friendship between a boy and a girl?

- Is all this because I invited you to lunch?!

- You dodged my question.

- I'm not evading it, I just don't know... everyone looks at the issue from their own perspective. In my opinion, it's normal, what's the problem with my colleague and your invitation to lunch?

- The problem is that this friendship is the beginning of a relationship between two people. It becomes the basis for an engagement or a relationship, or just two people who spend a nice time, talk, and go out, and their relationship grows and grows then reaches a dead end because they didn't think about the end or fate of all this.

- Okay, why can't it just be a friendship?

- Because like I told you, it's a relationship in appearance or at the beginning, and it will quickly develop and take on other different forms. The truth is, I don't think there is a friendship between a guy and a girl. The girl is either your sister, your fiancée, or your wife, and of course your colleague if you meet at work. But this friendship ends as soon as you leave work.

- Strange... So you agreed to come...?!

Dalia interrupted him angrily:

- I agreed to go out with you today so I can know how you see me or what exactly you want from me?!

- The truth is, I didn’t think about anything other than us having lunch together.

- No problem, we’ll have lunch together today, but I don’t think we can go out again.

Omar was embarrassed and astonished of her words but had to say:

- Whatever you want, just calm down.

What would you like to have for lunch?!

Dalia’s words were like a slap in the face to Omar. He didn’t expect her to say that after she agreed to go out with him to lunch at the restaurant. He even wished she had rejected his invitation when he asked her to at work. But what happened had happened; there’s no need for blame, self-recrimination, or overthinking.

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

Omar returned home late and was angry about what happened between him and his colleague Dalia at the restaurant. He had never experienced such rejection and embarrassment before, as if all the girls were waiting for him to invite them to go out, have fun, and have a good time. He also believed that this was a normal thing between young men and women these days. But it became clear to him that there were those who disagreed with his expectations and personal considerations, but he did not pay much attention to the matter; there were many other than Dalia who fulfilled his desires and met his needs. He returned home and did not expect that he was awaiting a trial of another kind, as his parents waited for him when he was late until midnight. As soon as he entered the apartment door, his mother said with disapproval and anger:

- Thank God you are safe, Mr. Omar, is this the work that ends at 5:30 in the evening?!

- Excuse me, Mom, I stayed up a little late with my friends.

- Okay, you could make a call and check on us and tell us you will be late until midnight.

- Excuse me, Dad, I was completely distracted and did not notice the time with my friends.

- Okay, sit down, because we need you for an important matter.

- What is it, Mom?

- Mom wants to arrange for you to marry a girl as beautiful as the moon, and I personally think she is very good.

- Who is this, Mom?

- It's Nouran, Aunt Salwa's daughter, my classmate at school.

- That girl who is in the faculty of engineering?!

- Bravo, what do you think of her?

- No, I don't like engineering girls, to be honest.

- Why then?! Do they scribble or what?!

- I wish, Dad, by God, but they're too focused and I don't like that at all.

- Nouran is polite, beautiful and a well-mannered girl, my dear.

- Honestly, Mom, I'm not in favor of this marriage talk now at all.

Huda got angry of his last words and said:

- Are you going to stay lost and distracted like this with yourself? Until when?!

- Mom, nobody gets married these days, even those who get engaged go back to scribbling after a while, headaches and money loss for nothing.

Huda couldn't contain her anger and rage at her son Omar's words, which don't represent himself, but rather an entire generation of youth who are almost lost and wandering, living an empty life according to false concepts that are alien to our religion and customs. She became furious and angry, her face turning red, as she said:

- Ah... marriage isn't in vogue these days. Companionship, cohabitation, and things that anger God are in vogue, right?!

Mahmoud tried to calm her down and brought her a glass of water then said:

- Calm down, Huda, it's not like that.

- You know everything of our thoughts. Right, mom?!

- Of course, I follow it because I am afraid for you from a weak, fallen society that promotes all ideas, even if they are forbidden and shameful, and will destroy homes and minds. Their slogan is "the culture of difference" which is promoting satanic ideas.

Mahmoud felt anxious and asked his son:

- Do you, my son, do things that involve cohabitation, companionship, and all that corrupt things?!

- No, Dad, I've never done that. I might meet girls or go out with them as friends or colleagues, nothing more.

- That's also not right, my dear. Would your sister do the same as you under the same name you're saying?!

- Mom is right, Omar. The only legitimate relationship between a man and a woman must be under one name, marriage, so that God may bless you with healthy children, who grow up in a healthy home and a healthy environment, to a society with healthy nature.

- Even if this society isn't as healthy as it is now, your children will resist its collapse and corruption with their healthy nature that they'll be raised on in your home through you and their mother.

- I... I don't know what to tell you.

- Think with your mind and conscience again about what we're saying, and may God guide you to what's right, my son.

- Well, dad. I'm going to do my best.

Huda hugged her son and prayed:

- May God guide you and your siblings and all the young men and women to all that's best, my son.