Chapter 37: Chapter 37
Dalia stared at her furiously and folded her arms. For over ten minutes she has been standing by the door, waiting for amira to finish her phone call but it seemed like she wasn't going to be done any time soon. And she knew amira did it on purpose.
She waited for five more minutes before interrupting her, “you clearly know why I’m here, yet you decide to act dumb with me.” Amira shifted her gaze to dalia. She ended the call as she settled down properly on the bed. She gaped at dalia before throwing her head back laughing. “You... you really want to play this game with me when you know I'm in control of everything including the husband you claimed to have. My advise is you better obey me else I can cause more problems for you, which means he’d hate you more, it’s up to you. And I'd like to eat spaghetti, add shrimp also.” She rested her back on the pillow before scooping her phone again.
Dalia looked at her to the baby bump that has grown so big and grimaced. She shook her head and breezed away. There were only two things that made her to do whatever amira wanted. One; to obey her husband even though she was starting not to see him as that. Two; because amira was heavy now and she knew amira needed her assistance. She knew even if they weren't going to thank her, at the end she’ll get good deeds.
An hour later after she was done cooking lunch, she went to her room to rest. Just when she was about to get some sleep, the door bell rings and she knew amira would never get up and get it, and muhsin wasn't home. She groaned, getting off her bed and sashayed out.
She slowly unlocked the door before she opened it. Her eyes gaped, mouth slightly open. “Surprise! Aren’t you going to hug me?” Her eyes slowly filled with tears, the anger at what amira had done to her forgotten. Before she knew it, she was hugging Amrah tightly, her tears dripping from her cheeks on Amrah’s white hijab.
“Why are you crying now? Like you haven't seen me in years.” Amrah broke the hug and wrapped her arm around dalia’s shoulders as they walked into the living room together. “Sorry, I didn't expect to see you. But I am so so happy you’re here.” She hugged Amrah again before letting her free. “You’re definitely going to gist me about everything. How’s mama doing? Why didn't she tag along with you?”
“Easy there, I'm only here for a week. Your husband called aunty last night and asked if I could come for a week and she agreed.” She gaped at Amrah, mouth agape with an astonished expression. Muhsin did that for her? So he does care about her. She couldn't help but beam at the thought.
Dalia led Amrah to her room before she came downstairs to the kitchen and set a tray of food and refreshments for her. She entered her room excitedly approaching Amrah with it. Amrah raised her head, looking at her. If she wasn't wrong, dalia had lost weight. She definitely had something bothering her, Amrah thought. Even the last time she saw her, she looked almost unhappy.
“Dalia,” she called out. Dalia kept the tray on the centre table before joining Amrah on the bed. “Is there something bothering you? You know you can trust me, right?” Dalia stared into Amrah’s eyes, determined not to look away first. She was certain that Amrah knew she was trying to hide something, but still she was determined to fool Amrah. She contorted her lips into an awkward, toothy smile, her cheeks were not so compressing. She could feel their reluctance to be modded falsely. When Amrah finally averted her gaze, her smile fell lifeless, allowing her face to return to its usual melancholic look.
“It’s just having a co wife that’s way older than you, nothing biggie.” Dalia puts on a fake smile to hide her pain from Amrah or anyone. The reason she does that was so she doesn't worry them, however the pain was becoming to unbearable. It hurts now. To even fake a smile. Amrah lifted her brow, then sent a quick distrustful look over her face. “So you allow her to maltreat you?”
Dalia sighed already feeling defeated but she dared not tell Amrah the truth. “Amrah, stop giving me that look. I told you, I'm fine, we’re fine. I promise if there was actually anything I would've told you.” Amrah shrugged off her shoulders and rise to her feet. “Whatever it is, when the right time comes, we will know the truth. I'm going to pray asr first before eating.” She slipped out of her hijab before walking towards the bathroom.
Dalia looked at her retreating back till she entered the bathroom. “Phew, that was close,” she murmured, placing her hand on her chest to steady her heartbeat.
**
The next day, dalia was in the kitchen together with Amrah as they prepared breakfast when amira barged in. She looked at Amrah before she swiftly turned her head away. They were never in good terms whenever Amrah visited dalia. Amrah always stood for her cousin no matter what. It irritated amira that she couldn't fight back and she has to call karima to fight back for her because Amrah knew more ways to hurt her than she knows.
“I thought I told you to cut some fruits for me.” She stood by the door, arms akimbo. She could feel Amrah’s daggers on her but she tried to ignore. “Wait are you really going to allow this woman to toy you around? Just because she’s pregnant or whatever she is?” Amrah spoke, glaring at amira. Dalia gave her a pleading eyes as she shook her head. Amira glared at her before she hissed and averted her gaze away from the both of them. “Don’t allow me to come downstairs again, you know the next person I'll send and you wouldn't want to be on his bad side even though you already are.” She turned on her heels and walked away.
Amrah couldn't help but laugh. “I have never seen someone look so ugly with baby bump like your co wife.” She threw her head back laughing, almost falling off the stool. Dalia suppressed a smile and shook her head. “Okay, I kind of agree with you. Whenever she’s talking to me I try so hard not to stare at her swollen nose, so big....”
Amrah laughed heartily, not only because of what dalia had said, but because Dalia was finally smiling about something. “When’s her due date even? She ought to have given birth by now because she looks like an elephant swallowed another elephant.” Dalia bite her lips to push back her laughter. “Amrah that’s enough. And I don’t know when is her expected date of birth but probably soon.” She continued cutting the fruits amira asked for while they conversed more.
Stepping out of the kitchen, she met him in the living room watching news. She sighed, averting her gaze from him and walked up stairs to amira’s room. On her way back to the kitchen, he stopped her. She slowly turned her head to his direction. “Come.” He gestured her to move closer. “Why is it that when my wife asks you to do something you don’t do it at the right time till you get her worked up?” He asked the question, eyes fixed on his phone. The more she hears his voice, the more she wanted to strangle him.
She opened her mouth to speak up but closed it. He raised his head to look at her and raised a brow. “Why don’t you get up and do it yourself if you don’t want her to get worked up.” She walked away majestically without a back glance. He smirked, staring at her retreating back. He wasn't astonished with her retort, it gives him joy whenever he annoyed and made her jealous. But, deep in his heart, he missed her.
He did feel joy without her, after what she did to him. How did he manage to fight his feelings for her for almost a year now? He felt relieved staying away from her yet there was a feeling beneath it all that says he’s missing her.
What amazed him was how she never for once confessed she aborted the baby, let alone apologise. What he got it all wrong? What if she wasn't the one that did it? He shook his head letting out a hurtful chuckle. If she wasn't the one then how did she take the pills? He looked at the kitchen door and looked away before he stood up and left the house.
Later in the night, dalia and Amrah were in the living room watching TV when they heard the door bell. Amrah stood up to answer the door instead. “Is that karima?” Amira yelled out from the stairs while she carefully walked down. Amrah let the door open and ambled away. Karima walked in, gawking at the two girls sitting in the living room and pretended like they didn't see them.
Amira hissed before taking the remote control from the centre table and switched the TV off. Dalia raised her head and glared at her. She was starting to get vexed with amira’s crap lately. “Why is it that you derive joy in looking for my trouble. Why can't you just mind your business like I always do. You never see me sticking my nose in your....”
“Amira? So this girl has grown two heads to talk to you this way and you stand there looking at her like a gallon of oil?” Amira breathed out of anger as dalia rise to her feet. Just when she was about to leave the place, amira lividly gave her an open smack across her fair cheek. With astonished expression, she gaped at amira holding her cheek.
Amrah scrambled up to fight back for her but dalia stood in her way. “Dalia you must be insane if you allow this fat lady to slap you. Just get out of my way, I must revenge for you.” Dalia furrowed her brows and shook her head. “That’s none of your business, Amrah. It’s between me and her...”
Dalia watched him amble into the living room as he kept asking what was going on. Dalia looked away and attempted to leave the place when he stopped her. Amrah hissed irritatedly as she stormed out of the place.
“What happened?” He asked again, looking at amira. The water works had already started working when he stepped in. Little did she know he has been standing there the whole time without them knowing. “I.. I just asked her to help my friend karima with some refreshments but she refused to and started saying hurtful words to me just because you weren’t around. Then her sister also joined her and....” She paused, as she sobbed uncontrollably. Dalia gaped at her, mouth open. He averted his gaze to karima, “Kindly leave my house, now!” Without a second thought, karima hurriedly stepped out of the house as she chanted curses on amira. “Is that true?” He asked dalia. “That was not what happened, we were just watching TV then she turned it off. I was asking her why then she slapped me, for absolutely no reason.” He knew dalia was right but there was no possible way he would back her up.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he sighed. Amira was about to protest when he interrupted her. “Whatever you did, you deserved the slap. And tell your cousin to pack her things the driver will take her home tomorrow morning. I can't have this kind of people stay in my house and disrespect my wife.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “What does my cousin have to do with your wife’s stupidity? You know the truth yet you decide to back her up? Don't forget Allah is watching you and he will question you for being injustice between us.” She breezed out of the living room. It hurts her so bad but she has already made up her mind, she was never going to cry again. She wasn't going to waste her tears on someone that only cared to make her upset.
Muhsin turned his gaze to amira, not caring she was still crying. “Why did you slap her? How dare you even lay your hands on her?” He questioned her. She jolted back a little. “But... I didn't she’s lying.”
“Oh please I saw everything! I just defended you because I wanted to. Let me warn you, amira, just because I allow you do whatever you want that does not give you the right to lay your hands on my wife like that. I don’t want to see such happen again. You do you and she does hers! Else we are going to have a serious problem.” With that, he nonchalantly walked away and left her standing there.
Dalia entered her room to encounter with Amrah packing her stuff already. She approached her as she bombarded her with questions. “I can’t stay here and watch this happen to you. I just can’t and I must tell aunty Amina about this. I know they're maltreating you but you refuse to speak up. I know you’re in pain, dalia. You think I don't hear you cry in the bathroom or when he’s yelling at you? I know this months back but I decided to mind my business and let you handle it but not anymore. I can’t let you turn into binta, no.” she continued packing her things while dalia stood there staring at her.
She swallowed the painful knot. She needed to cry, not because of them, but because Amrah was right. “Amrah you’re not going anywhere by this time. I can’t allow you to leave now because I don’t want mama to get worried about me. And please about telling her, that is not necessary. Please, I will find a way out. And it’s not his fault. Someone accused me of aborting my child and he believed it because I once told him I wasn't ready to have a baby. I don’t blame him for that too. Please don’t judge him and don’t question me for staying. I know there’ll be a way out... somehow.”
Amrah dropped what she was doing and stood before her. She held her shoulders. “Why didn't you tell me that months back? Do you know how worried aunty is? You think she doesn't know something is wrong with you? You know you suck at hiding your feelings.” Dalia chuckled softly before she hugged Amrah. “I will find a way to come clean and make things right with him. Just pray for me.”
Amrah broke the hug and beheld her gaze, smirking. “And it never came to your mind that your co wife might be behind the abortion. I mean come on.... The woman could pay to get you killed if she had the chance. And besides, the way this guy loves you there's no way he’d change to being a jerk without any reason.”
Dalia sighed and shook her head. “Amrah, I don't want any trouble. Just let me handle this, and promise you won't tell my mother.” She rolled her eyes before nodding. “You win, but only this time.” Dalia laughed heartily as she embrace her again.