Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Slowly and reluctantly, she opened her heavy eyes. She blinked, closed her eyes, and blinked again. Scanning the room, her eyes fell on him standing as he gawked at her. At first she thought her vision wasn’t showing her what she has seen. His eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold, hard. In that moment she knew something wasn't right.

Once she attempted to speak, he stopped her. He removed his hands from his pocket and folded his arms across his chest. Dalia had never seen him look that way, his eyes had a deadness, a stillness. The man who smiled often, the one who hardly allows her to see his unhappy side.

“You weren't kidding when you said you didn't want that baby...” He mentioned but then paused afterwards. He exhaled, rubbing his tired eyes with his thumb and index finger. She stared at him the whole time, waiting to hear what he has to say.

“What have done to you to deserve this? You should've stabbed me in the chest with a knife rather than aborting the baby because I think that would’ve been much more easier for the both of us. You were my beloved wife! Now you’re nothing more than a mere slither of worthlessness. I trusted you! I cared for you! I prayed to Allah that you remained healthy, happy and strong. But this is how you repay me? This! Aborting my baby, after all the effort I've put to make this less hard for you. You’ve betrayed me and now you are nothing to me anymore. You have lost all my trust, weakened your status. You are dead to me!”

She felt dead inside. Her tongue felt dry. Her throat felt as if someone thrust a handful of itching powder inside. Her eyes were glossy and any moment, the tears would fall. “What are you talking about? You keep mentioning abortion that know nothing about. What have I done to you? Why are you saying all these hurtful words to me?”

Anger boiled deep in his system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction, and he knew its too much for him to handle. Fires of fury hatred were smouldering in his small narrowed eyes. “You slashed at me with betrayal. I will parry with my vengeance.” And with that, he stormed out of the room.

Dalia laid there for about an hour shedding tears for something she knew nothing about. By what he had told her, she had lost the baby? How? Why would he think she aborted their baby? The desolate tears came rushing down again when she recapped his hurtful words to her. He hated her now and she was nothing to him. What did he meant by that? He’s leaving her?

What she had been afraid of her whole life, a failed marriage and now she had fallen into one. She curled herself in a ball and sobbed uncontrollably into her knees. Only God knows the truth about what happened but she knew she had nothing to do with such thing he accused her of.

She heard a soft knock on the door before the intruder sauntered in. Dalia raised her head up to see her mother in law. “Dalia, subahanallahi. Come, get up. Muhsin told me you had a miscarriage. I know exactly how you feel. I know it hurts like hell to lose your child But it’s not the end of the world. Surely Allah knows best and you should put it in mind that this was already written and we can’t do anything about it. This is part of your Qadr.”

If only aunty knew why dalia was actually shedding her tears, she wouldn’t have said that to her. She cried as if her brain was being shredded from inside. Emotional pain flowed out of her every pore. She hugged aunty tighter so that her violent shaking would not cause her to fall off and from her eyes came a thicker flow of tears than she had ever cried. The whole world had vanished for her, now there was only pain enough to change her beyond recognition.

**

And so days went on. Flying by without any recognition from their inhabitants. The grey skies and low clouds clung to his body and soul as if infectious, as he lay on his bed, day by day staring at the window. It was the only light in his room, illuminating the walls in its bleakness, spilling over his face. He walked around his room, having so many thoughts about what had happened days ago, barefooted, covered only in his pyjamas, his hair was messy, holding a cup of coffee. Even then all he tasted was ash.

His phone rang for the umpteenth time that moment but he never felt the need to answer it. He couldn't remember the last time he touched his phone, left alone to communicate with anyone. He breathed heavily as he plop In his soft bed. He rubbed his tired eyes before closing them. If only he could get a little sleep maybe he would feel less depressing and aggrieved.

His phone rang again but this time, he looked at the phone sitting on the bed side drawer. He sluggishly sat up before scooping it. He answered the call and spoke into it. “Muhsin? Where have you been that I've been calling your line but you weren't picking? What is wrong with you? You abandoned your wife in the hospital and never cared to come check up on her for the past ten days now. Are you alright?” A chill ran through his spine when he heard his mother yelling. He couldn't say he had ever heard his mother that angry. She was always calm no matter the situation but because of someone that had ruined his future, his one dream, she was angry? “Haba muhsin, what do you want her family to think. Her mother visited few days ago and I knew no doubt she must be wondering why her daughter was here instead of her own house.”

He let out a sigh before he managed to gathered some courage and opened his mouth to protest but she cuts him off. “No buts, you better come pick your wife today. If you don’t show up in an hour, we are going to have a serious problem.” With that, she ended the call.

He dropped the phone same time he heard the door swing open and amira showed up. She smiled at him as she ambled towards his bed. “Babe, you refuse to tell me what’s wrong. Have you seen yourself? You look....” She trails off and scanned his face as her heart pounded fast against her chest. Maybe she had gone too far, but on the other hand, what she did was nothing. And no one would find out she was the one that aborted the baby.

He brushed his hand against her cheek, smiling for the first time in days. “You look really worried,” he spoke as he continued to touch her face. She nodded her head, beaming, “because I am worried about you, babe. You always doubt the love I have for you. Tell you what? I have something to tell you and I am sure you'd love it and it will cheer you up.” He raised his brows, smiling. He doubted if anything could make him happy at that moment. “What’s that?” He asked. She adjusted her sitting position on his laps as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She ran her hands through his messy hair and kissed his lips. “I decided that... I want us to have a baby, I mean start our own family. I'm ready to make you happy and do whatever you want. I want to change, for good, I promise.” It took time before her words sink in his head. He gaped at her in awe. Amira was really the person saying those words to him? The woman said her career is much more important than starting a family. “You mean it, babe? For real?” He asked her. She slowly nodded her head, smiling. “I mean it, just as long as you promise to love me.” Muhsin lands a gentle kiss on her lips, smiling. “Who said I don’t love you?” She smiles back and leaned in to kiss him again. He pulled out almost immediately and hugged her closer. “You were right, it really did cheer me up.” She giggled and hugged him also. A perfect way to finish off her plan and send Dalia packing.

“I wish this doesn't have to end but I have to freshen up quickly and go pick up dalia at my parents house.” She loosened her hold, rolling her eyes. “Why do you have to mention her name?” He chuckled softly as he freed her. “I only told you what I was going to do now, that’s all. And besides, what’s my own with the girl? I'm just going to go pick her up. Or you want to tag along?” She nodded briskly and stood up from his laps.

“I'll take a quick bath now and meet you downstairs.” He saunters into his bathroom and left her in his room. She squealed the moment he shots the door close. She laughed happily as she danced her way out.

After he was done getting ready, he prayed maghrib first before stepping out of the room. He met her in the living room watching TV. She turned her gaze to him, smiling. He stared her in hijab, that was new to him. Amira was wearing hijab today? “Why didn’t you go out to pray?” For a moment he could swear dalia was the one that spoke because never in his life had amira told him to go and pray or anything that has to do with their religion. “I don’t feel good that’s why I couldn't go to the mosque. Let’s go.”

She blocked his path, holding his cheeks. “Why do you have to go out then? She can wait till tomorrow or when you feel better. We can’t go out when you’re sick.” He held her hand that was still on his cheek and rubbed it. “I took some drug, I'll be fine. We should get going now.” He walked passed her to the door. She groaned lowly and followed his retreating back.

After a short drive, they arrived at his parents house. He met his father outside together with his brother. They headed in together after they've exchanged pleasantries. Muhsin followed his father into the living room while amira went in to aunty’s room. Aunty turned to look at the door after she heard the greetings. “Wa’alaikumus Salam, amira. You’re welcome.” Amira smirked and greeted her as she settled down on one of the chairs in aunty’s room as she gawked at dalia that was laying in the bed.

Dalia never raised her head left alone to she attempt greeting amira till aunty told her to. “Where’s your husband?” Aunty asked, shifting her gaze from dalia to amira. “He’s with baba,” she answered nonchalantly as she typed away from her phone. Aunty shook her head and turned away from amira.

A short while later, he entered the room. Aunty glared at him before she answered his greetings. Dalia sat up right before she greeted him. He eyed her before answering coldly. If it weren't for his mother being there, he would've ignored her. He settled down beside amira on the chair. Aunty wanted to ask him so many things but seeing amira there, she shrugged it off for another day. “Let me send the maid with food, you’re not leaving here without eating. Have you seen yourself?” She lamented looking at her son. He smiled, scratching the back of his head unable to utter a word.

She heaved a sigh, shaking her head. After she left the room, amira turned her gaze to him. “Babe, after we leave can you get me some ice cream and pizza, that’s what I want to eat tonight.” He forced a smile at her and nodded. “Anything you want, babe.” He held her hand before he kissed it. She chuckled before pecking his lips.

Dalia sat there on aunty’s bed, not bothering herself to gaze at them but she knew what they were doing. She heaved sigh already feeling sorry for herself if her husband would start treating her badly like he had started showing her already. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes. The last thing she would want to do was cry in front of them especially her co wife. Her throat ached as the tears threatened to cascade down, but she wasn’g that weak, she was stronger than that.

Aunty came back together with the maid. She averted her gaze from amira glued to muhsin’s body to dalia. One look could tell something was wrong with dalia but she refused to speak up. Aunty knew something wasn't right; for no reason would muhsin abandon her after how aunty has seen the love he had for dalia. Whatever it was she prayed for their peace and a stronger bond between them because she had never seen her son so happy till dalia came into his life.

After a while, they left the house. Amira sat on the front seat while dalia entered the back seat. Their whole drive, amira was the only one blabbering about having a baby. He hardly spoke the whole time amira was talking.

After they had arrived home, dalia went straight to her room without waiting for anything or anyone. She looked around the room, everything was as she left it. She heaved a sigh and walked further in. She dropped her bag on the bed and collapsed. She closed her eyes thinking how her life would change into something that has been her greatest nightmare; having a bad relationship between her and her husband.

She sat up and rested her elbows on her knees, palm under her chin. It was her tears that kept her soul alive in the furnace of the pain. Whenever the tears comes, she lets them flow to let her soul be at ease from the pain she felt. The pain and sadness comes rushing back whenever she remembered the hateful look he gave her, the words he spat at her and how he abandoned her for days without caring where she was or how she was doing.

She inhaled, closing her eyes before wiping the tears away. This was just a trial and she would surely pass the test. Everything was going to be back to normal as long as she tried and endure whatever comes her way. And whoever told her husband she aborted the baby would surely pay back the debt.