Chapter 31: Chapter 31

The next morning, she woke up to an empty bed. She sat up right looking around the unfamiliar room. This wasn't the room she was in during Fajr. She was about to drop down from the bed when she heard the door squeak open. She stared at him as he walked in and smiled at her. “You’re up already.” She nodded her head respectfully. “Good morning,” she muttered getting off the bed.

“You should take your bath now. Everything you'll need is in your closet. When you’re done meet me downstairs.” He showed her the closet before he walked out. She heaved a sigh as she started walking towards the bathroom door.

She entered before she locked the door with the thought he could come in. She turned, scanning the captivating bathroom. She stripped down and walked leisurely to the shower. The water pours down, drips by her side, as her mind fades into dullness and everything is a foggy illusion. The sensation of steamy water calms her; takes her mind off things. All the things she honestly don’t care about.

After her bath, she wrapped herself with the soft towel she knew it was meant for her before she stepped out of the bathroom. She moved to the mirror and settled down on the stool. She applied her lotion first before moving to her closet to find what to wear for the day.

After she has gussied up, she carefully walked out of the room, peeping to see if amira was there. She groaned softly as she descend down the stairs; she wasn't free in her own husband’s house.

He raised his head from his phone when her perfume hits his nostrils. He stared at her; she wore a lavender colour skirt and blouse made of soft lace and beautiful accessories. He shook his head as he looked at her body for the second time. The alluring style of the dress slipped on her perfectly, peppering her body with soft, sensual kisses. Like a lover, it seduced the senses and conveyed with utmost skill the art of pleasing.

She should’ve covered herself with a veil, she mused to herself. He cleared his throat and rose up from the sofa clearly feeling embarrassed for staring too long. “Uhh... let’s go eat, aunty cooked for us,” he told her as he led the way to the dining area.

He settled down while she served their breakfast in separate plates. He looked at her and smiled then shrugged. “Do you need anything else?” She asked when she observed the look he gave her. He smiled at her and shook his head no “Not really, you should sit and eat your breakfast. But next time serve us in the same plate, I prefer that,” he told her before he dig into his meal.

She breathed out and settled down. She took a glimpse at him briskly before she took her fork and started eating. “When are you resuming?” He asked after a while. She raised her head and looked at him. His eyes were fixed on his phone. “Next week Monday,” she retorted and moved her eyes away from him.

Just then, they heard amira’s clicking heels coming down the stairs. Dalia dared not to look her way as she tried to restrain herself from running. Amira entered the dining room glaring at both of them. She mumbled under her breath as she nonchalantly sat beside muhsin and opened the warmers.

Dalia calmly kept the fork back on her plate and rose up. He raised his head to look at her worriedly. “You haven't finished eating your breakfast,” he spoke staring at her. She smiled a little and shook her head. “I'm full,” she responded and walked away.

He sighed and turned his gaze to amira as she munched on the food that wasn't meant for her. He hissed irritatedly and stood up. He took dalia’s plate with him and headed to his room with his but she wasn't there. He came out and walked to her room to find her clearing the mess amira made last night.

“You've already cleared the broken glasses?” She asked, smiling while she made the bed. “You need to eat,” he told her as he settled on the contemporary round chair. He gestured her to come sit beside him. “Seriously, I'm full,” she protested but he wouldn’t budge. She heaved a sigh and dropped the pillow before she joined him on the comfy round chair. He moved closer making her breath to hitch, he was dangerously close to her. “It’s either you eat everything on this plate or we sit here for hours, it’s up to you.” He smirked as he handed her the plate. “Or you want me to feed you?” He asked and she briskly shook her head no.

He smiled at her and rested his back on the chair before he fetched his phone out from his chest pocket. His dialled aunty’s number and after few rings, she answered the call. “Salamu alaikum, aunty? Jam banduna (Good morning.)” He greeted her respectfully. “Good morning jam banduna, muhsin. a fini jam na. (Hope you all slept well.)”

Dalia stared at him unblinkingly as she smiled. He met her gaze and she blushed lowering her gaze. “Alhamdulillah, aunty.”

“Toi dalia? Hokumo miyidi mi vulda be mako (Where’s Dalia? Give the phone to her, I want to speak with her.)” He handed the phone to dalia which she hesitated looking at him. He gave her a reassuring smiling before she took the phone from him and placed it on her ear. She spoke calmly eyes glued on her plate to avoid his gaze. After they were done, aunty ended the call and she handed his phone back to him.

**

She hurriedly walked into karima’s apartment. She went straight to her bedroom and met her already dressed up for the day. Amira slumped on the bed, bursting into tears. Karima rolled her eyes and hissed.

“What now? If you'll continue shedding tears on the people that don’t give two damns about you, then I guess you’ll die of heart attack.” Amira sat up, “what else am I supposed to do? Leave him? He’s my husband, karima, what do you expect me to do? I hate that girl, I hate her. You should've seen how she dressed today claiming she’s now his wife and it’s also her house.” Amira hissed and laid back on the bed. Karima threw her head back laughing.

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous... well I don’t blame you... the girl has more fashion sense than you do... I mean.” Karima looked at amira from head to toe. Amira furiously sent daggers her way and groaned. “This is not what I want to hear. I need advice on how to chase her out of my house. And it’s obvious that will be easy, you should've seen her face last night. I totally ruined their...” She let the words trail off when she remember what she had encountered when she barged in on them.

Karima got tired of waiting for her to finish her sentence and shrugged. “The only way to get that girl out is to create a disturbance to her without your husband knowing. Torture the idiot when he’s not around and threaten her if she tries telling him because it’s obvious no matter what you do he won’t leave the girl. I think that’s the way out. Try as much as you can to make them fight always. Accuse her if possible, you know... accuse her of doing any slightest thing that would irritate him.”

Amira nodded as she slightly smirking. “But what if she actually tells him, what I do to her?” Amira questioned her. “Then you didn't threaten her enough and even if he finds out so what? What’s the worse he could do?” Amira smiled again and nodded her head. “You see the reason why I always come to you when I need a solution. My mother now is totally against me.” She let out a satisfying chuckle and got on her feet before she adjusted her veil. “I have to go home now, he doesn’t even know I'm out.” She waved karima goodbye before she hurriedly left the house happily.

She let out a sigh of relief when she drove in and found his car wasn’t there. She parked the car and stepped out, heading into the house and met dalia in the living room watching tv but you could tell she was absent minded. Amira scoffed getting her attention.

Dalia scrambled up, horror stricken. She heaved a long sigh holding her chest. Where was her mind that never heard when amira came in. “I'm so sorry, I didn't know you came in. Welcome back.” Amira sent daggers her way as she walked further into the spotless living room.

She looked around and laughed a bit. “I see you have already started your work our bride or should I say, house help? The place looks spotless and just smell the nice burning incense swirling all over the place.... So satisfying. Well.. anyways... since you had the audacity, you had the strength and guts to enter this house I assure you with your two legs, that’s if I don’t break one by the time I am done with you, you must leave this house for you. Just stop being excited thinking you have gotten the man of your dreams because I will make your life a living in hell before I send you out, this, I promise you.”

Amira shrugged her shoulder as she breezed out of the living room and headed up to her room. Dalia stared at her retreating back till she was out of her sight. She heaved a sigh and shook her head, the last thing she wanted was to fight with anyone especially amira.

What she had put to her mind would never change; be a pious wife and face her studies. And she vowed to never allow amira’s words get to her left alone to fight with her, that she had promised.

Days later, muhsin had to go back to work while dalia was left at home. She turned and rolled around the bed for the umpteenth time that moment as she sighed. She still had three days before they resume. She looked at her phone, it was still afternoon and she knew he wouldn't be back till evening.

She hissed softly and toasted the phone aside. All she wanted that moment was to see her mother but he hadn’t spoke to her about going home. She quickly took her phone and dialled her mother’s number. Amina picked up after dalia has tried several times. She sighed and beamed when she heard her mother’s voice. “Dalia, I hope everything is fine, you’ve been calling and I wasn't close to the phone.”

“No mama, I just missed you and I had to call. I really want to come see you.” Dalia lamented. Her mother heaved a sigh, “dalia, we just spoke this morning and every morning. And I miss you too, okay? And please dalia I know how stubborn and whiny you can be sometimes, I don’t want you to disturb him by asking when you’re coming home. I know he will bring you home when it’s the right time. Now be prayerful and live peacefully with your co wife.”

Dalia rolled her eyes as she felt the urge to groan. That was if the co wife wants to have a peaceful house, she mused to herself.

She spoke with Amrah for a while before she ended the call afterwards and toast the phone beside her. She heaved a sigh and closed her eyes, she was back to square one again. She heard the door squeak open before the intruder walked in. She briskly sat up right covering her body with the quilt she has been laying around in her undies after she had taken her bath. Her eyes bulged wide open when he entered.

“You’re back... I... I mean welcome back.” She briskly grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her chest. He smiled softly at her as he settled down on the round chair. “Thank you, there wasn't much work today so after jumma’at prayer I decided to come home.” She stood there looking at him as he rose to his feet and approached her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as he placed his head on her neck and pulled her close gently rubbing her back. “What’s wrong?” She asked him, perplexed. “I'm just tired,” he whispered to her. “Is there anything I can do?” She spoke softly. “Just let me hug you for a while.”

Her lips curved upwards while she hugged him back. They stayed that way for a long time before he gently lets go of her and planted an affectionate kiss on her forehead. “I like who I am when I'm with you. Even when things get really tough, I'm a better version of myself...” She smiles at his soft words as she takes a moment, staring into his eyes. He looks at her with hungry eyes.

“Let me wear some clothes and cook something quick for you. I know you must be hungry,” she hurriedly said with a blush while she freed herself from his hold. “Run all you want, the time I will hold you, you wouldn't get to escape.” Her eyes bulged out looking at him before she runs off into her closet.