Chapter 36: Chapter 36

The rain bore down mercilessly upon the heart of the city, pounding on the rooftops and turning the cobbled streets of the city district into a warren of slick stones and muddy waters. A startling low rumble rang loud in the cool fall air, the sky roaring with satisfaction.

Dalia looked at the clock as she ambled across the living room to the window to peep again for the umpteenth time at the moment. Her shoulders slumped when she didn't see any sign of them. They have been out for about two hours, now it was raining cats and dogs. What frightened her was the loud storm.

She plunk down on the sofa as she wondered what was taking them so long. Time flowed like cement. She glanced at the wall clock again for the umpteenth time. A minute had passed since she last checked two minutes ago, or so it seemed. Sitting there with nothing to stare at but the blank TV screen. She had watched everything but doesn't seem to work for her.

The house felt emptier than a crypt. She couldn’t just sit there watching the walls, no matter how pretty painted they were. Just then, the idea kicked in her mind. She scooped her phone and dialled her mother’s number. She had to call again before she picked it up. “Mama, why do I always have to keep calling before you pick up?” She go on about, making her mother to scold her. “Fisabilillahi, dalia why won't you change this behaviour of whining about little things. Okay, I am sorry, the phone wasn't close to me. How are you doing? How’s everything there?” Dalia grinned like a Cheshire Cat, though she was melancholic but everything changes the moment she’s speaking with her mother.

“Everything is fine, mama. Where’s Amrah? We haven't spoken in a while now. Why won’t you allow her to come visit me please? She should come at least during the weekend, please mama. Just do me this favour. I am mostly alone here and I have nothing to do. Like now, I am the only one at home.”

Amina sighed, it was resigned and weary. “You can be a talkative sometimes. And she will come when the right time comes, now stop disturbing me about this and face you matrimonial home and studies okay? And I hope everything is fine.”

Dalia furrowed her brows as she rolled her eyes. “His wife is sick so they went to the hospital for about two hours now and it’s raining heavily. I'm so scared.” She lamented, lowering her voice. Her exhaled again as she shook her head. “May Allah grant her a healthy recovery. Please my regards to her and your husband. I need to go now dalia, I can’t with your blabbering.” Dalia continued making a fuss before her mother finally ended the call. She smiled when she realised her mother has ended the call.

She kept the phone aside and stood up. She peeped out through the window again. It was passed nine in the night but they still weren't back. The rain soon turned to light droplets but the thunder storms were still there, not as it was before.

An hour later, she find herself already drowsing off when she heard the front door open. She briskly sat up right rubbing her eyes with her knuckles. She looked at the both as she rose up. “Welcome back,” she muttered staring at them. Muhsin gestured amira to head upstairs while he stood there looking at her till she left. He turned his attention to dalia. “What are you doing here?” He asked her. The question sounded ridiculous, she mused to herself. Wasn't this her house also? Or she doesn't have access to his living room anymore?

“I was waiting for you...”

“Why?” He fixed his irked eyes on her. Her face was something he finds painful to look at. “Look, by now you should understand that I don't want anything that has to do with you. I don't want you anywhere near me because I don’t wish to see your face... you should figure that out by now that I just don’t want to be seeing your face....”

“Then why are you still holding me here? Why don’t you set me free? To run where I am needed, a place I will be loved and cared for?” She cuts him off. That was the first time dalia talked back at him. For the passed months now, she has been too patient with his selfish behaviours. She loved him but she wanted to leave and have peace. “What hides behind the lies are truths that failed to get to the light. What lies behind your betrayal may have been honest at first sight. What concealed my pain is what keeps reminding me of you every night. I am so, so confused but I believe everything will come out when the time is right.” Words flew from her mouth that she never thought she’d even think, let alone say out loud. She knew instantly from the look in his eyes that they’d hit their mark.

She bolts out of the living room without a back glance. She was too infuriated to look at amira who was eavesdropping by the stairs for the whole time. She sashayed into her room and locked the door. She placed her hand on her heart to steady the heartbeat. She slumped down, her back resting on the bed. She closed her eyes, slowly taking deep breaths. She smiled, feeling pleased with her words. At least she had gotten it out of her chest now and she has never felt so proud of herself for speaking up.

She stood up and hopped in her bed after switching off the lights. She laid in her bed and covered half her body with the soft blanket. As her consciousness ebbed, her mind went into free fall, swirling with the beautiful chaos of a new dream.

**

Dalia’s head jolts upward letting her know she fell asleep. Her eyes grew wider than usual and take on a wild look around her room then her eyes dotted at him. For a few seconds, she feels confused. She could audibly remember locking her room before sleeping. How did he get in?

“Get up now, I want you to cook noodles for amira.” He started walking out of the room when her voice stopped him. “What do you mean by get up and cook? In the middle of the night? For what reason? What is she doing that she can't get up and cook herself?” He turned and beheld her gaze. “Amira is sick and that’s the only thing she can eat now. Get up now and go do what I asked you to do before I really lose my temper.” He needn’t to wait for her response. He breezed out of the room, leaving her with a stunned expression.

She shook her head tiredly as she got off her bed. She wore her fluffy slippers before stepping out of her room to the kitchen. The amount of patience she has lately was starting to astonish her. How did she change from being so stubborn to this? Or maybe it was the right thing to do even though she knew this was too much or rather, part of his unending punishments. She shook her head, disregarding the thought and finished cooking what he asked for.

The moment she was done, she headed upstairs with it and went to amira’s room. She knocked several times before he finally opened the door. He took the plate away from her without giving her a second glance. She stood there for what seemed forever before dragging her feet to her room.

The next morning, she was getting ready for school when he entered her room. “Meet me downstairs,” he informed her before closing the door. She heaved a sigh as she continued dressing up. She slipped into her hijab before taking her handbag with her. She walked out, thinking of what he had in store for her today. It’s been more than two months now and there wasn't any changes in his behaviour. Sometimes she felt like giving up or reporting him to his parents but something keeps holding her back.

She met him with amira snuggling more into his arm as she gave her a smug smile. Dalia looked away, ignoring her. “Babe,” she spoke sluggishly gazing at him. “Please tell her to stop using this perfume, I don’t like it. It makes me more feverish.” She turned her gaze to dalia. She looked so calm yet her insides were burning with anger and jealousy. “Why are you even using perfume? So because I asked you to stop wearing veils, you found another way to attract them right?”

She swallowed her anger and breathed out, still waiting to hear why he called her. “You called me.” She reminded him as she held a stoic face expression.

“It’s about my wife Amira, she’s pregnant if you don't know. And as from today you will be the one to do everything, I mean everything for her. And you will do all the house chores and cooking because you do know I don’t have that desire to hire a maid.”

Now every time he opened his mouth, she got angrier. “And before you cook, you have to ask her to hear what she wants to eat. I don't want to see her raise even a broom stick, got it?” She swallowed her retort and nodded her head even though she had so many things to say. It didn't help, it made things worse, she needed to say something.

“I hired a driver for you because I won’t be having any time to take you to school now. He’s waiting for you outside.” He looked away and turned his gaze to amira clinging to him. White knuckles from clenching her fist too hard, and gritted teeth from effort to remain silent, her hunched form exuded animosity that was like acid; burning, slicing, potent. Her face was red with suppressed rage as she stormed out of the living room.

She met the new driver waiting for her outside. He greeted her but she couldn't open her mouth to reply him. She forced a smile and nodded. He opened the back door for her before she entered and settled down. Then, she let the tears free. It was more than crying, it was the kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained with all hope. She looked through the window, though her tears blurred her vision.

She got more confused when so many thoughts rushed in her mind. She had so many things to be angry about and so many things to cry about. If she had known right from day one, she wouldn't have accepted him, she would've stayed away when amira warned her but she let her stubbornness get the best of her. Now who was at the bottom, she was. And she doubt if she’d have a way out of it.

“We have arrived, ma’am,” he announced, looking at her from the rear view mirror. She gazed at him before letting out a long sigh. She wiped the tears before dropping out of the car. She ducked her head as she ambled towards the garden. The last thing she would want was her friends finding out what was going on with her.

Entering the garden, a slight breeze rustles the leaves making them fall to the solid ground one by one. The air was warm, the beams of sunlight flowing on her pale face. Flowers were vast, and they conceal the freshly cut green grass. The pathway was nothing more than dirt littered with random rocks. She smiled a little as she looked around. Nature always had a soft spot in her heart.

She plunk down on the bench that has been her favourite bench to sit on. What made her more relieved, there weren't much people then. Perhaps she could continue crying without anyone noticing her.

She shook her, sighing; this was the only place she could get peace of mind now that her own home had turned to hell where she can’t be at ease. She looked at the sky to push back the tears that was threatening to fall. ‘With hardship comes ease.’ She reminded herself. And human responsibility is restricted with certain boundaries. All she could do now was to fulfil her duties and the best she could do in her circumstances and leave the outcomes to Allah.