Chapter 66: Chapter 66

It's been a week, a week that she felt as if she was the bravest woman that ever lived on earth. It hurts seeing him crumpled on one of the chairs, it hurts seeing the looks he was flashing her whenever she walk pass him, it hurts seeing the grief through his eyes. She've loved Al-amin, but that wouldn't stop her from letting him know her worth. She want to forgive all he has done for her, but with a single glimpse of him; everything comes back to her in a rush.

She rolled and rolled on her bed, unable to focus on the book she have been reading that she choose to let it sprawled carelessly on the bed. Before she entered her room, his room's door was creaked ajar, and she could see him holding his lower abdumen like he was really in pain. She knew he must be in pain, because she heard how the meeting with Hajia ended, Laila was never going to relent.

She felt tears slowly dripping down her cheeks, they weren't tears of pain; rather, she was hurting over Al-amin's condition. A part in her tells her to go to him, clear off his tears and at least give him what is his. But whenever she tried pulling herself off from the bed, all she could hear was his hurtful and piercing voices; as he uttered those words that annihilated her soul to a point of never mending.

She scavenged for her phone and dailed Meeno's number; she was confused, and the only person she could trust and confide in is Meeno. She picked at the fourth ring, they exchanged pleasantries before Meeno sensed glumless in her voice, she was used to the new forlorn Ummi; but at least after the pregnancy she was a bit okay.

"Aysha, what happened? You sound down," Meeno asked, she began to get worry for her best friend. As a married woman that is in her second trimester, she shouldn't be disturbing herself and getting worried over little things like this.

"It's Al-amin." She whimpered and broke into tears. She missed him, she loves him, and couldn't imagine him falling sick because of what they've done to him, or worst; leading him to the path of shaytan.

"What happened to him? Aysha!" Meeno clamoured, agitated at how Ummi's voice sounded, she hope it wasn't something bad that happened to him, because Ummi will surely go nuts.

"I love him, Meeno, I really do. He's hurting, He's always in pain, he forgot what a halcyon life means-all his life revolves around pain and grief. I want to jolt him out!" She was crying profusely now, all she could think of was their best memories. The times they spent laughing and playing, the times they spent cuddled with each other as they would watch a movie, their outings, the late night combos, the pillow talks, the cookings....it's just too much!

Meeno heaved a sigh and a smile slowly graced her lips. What a beautiful creation of Allah; that is a woman. You might cause her pain, and that wouldn't stop her from crying for you when you're in pain also. You might drown her in the ocean of melancholy, but she can do all it takes to lounge you out of a depression state. She's the type of creation that could smile admist tears; to please her loved one. To make them think there was nothing hurting her. She might cry the whole night and could plaster a bright smile on her lips in the morning. She was an amazing creature, a master piece that has no contradict, and she was a Woman.

"Alhamdulillah, Aysha I've been waiting for a day like this. I've always prayed it would come soon, so you could understand the grievous sins you've been embroiling yourself in. I knew all that Al-amin did to him, but what you did to him was so uncalled for. I wanted you to realize it first, you should tell him about the pregnancy, he deserves..." Ummi cut her off, because she realized Meeno didn't even know what she was talking about. She told her all that has been happening over the past two weeks, their encounters with Al-amin, Laila throwing her in the pool and Hajia's visit without omitting a single information.

"Innalillahi! Aysha! I didn't know that's what you did, it even surpassed the fault of not telling him about the pregnancy. I'm not talking to you again! Now; it's an order, Aysha Abbakar Mashi I'm not playing, it's an order. Go and take a bathe, apply make up to conceal all those bags under your eyes, smell nice; and go to his room. Kinsan bala'in da kike jama kanki kuwa? My friend, yallah! I don't need to hear anything from you, I'll call you tomorrow." Meeno was talking in a high pitched tone, she has even forgotten that Ummi wasn't her younger sister-what she's feeling in her heart, she can even smack her head if they were together.

"But Meeno my stomach, it has started pulling out a little," Ummi protested, she had that thought in mind, but she didn't want him to notice her slightly bumped belly.

"Aisha zanci maki fah. Your stomach din gidanku? Is it not his child, move my friend. It's an order kuma. Bye!" Meeno ended the call before Ummi could even suggest any problem.

Ummi breath out heavily and palmed her face. She's now regretting calling Meeno, and she couldn't rebel to Meeno's words. It's just a natural feeling in her, not even when Meeno sounded so serious like she've never sounded before.

She walked to her bathroom, bathe and combed down her nested hair. She applied her lotions and spritzed perfume all over her body. She wore on her loosely night gown and walked out of her room with a thundering heart, she peeked into his room and didn't saw him_she thought he was in the living room, that's why she descended down.

Ummi could feel his gaze while she was descending down, but he took off his eyes from her the moment she was in the living room. She gulped down her ego and his words that started ringing in her brain before she walked over him. She sat down beside him and he looked at her briefly before he fixed his gaze back on the television, she was sure he wasn't concentrating on what was happening on the television, considering how his Adam's Apple was bubbling up and down.

"How are you feeling?" He has to look at her for a moment before he realized she was really talking to him. He searched through her eyes and found the sincerity he was looking for.

He wanted to smile at her, but it was as if his lips were held tight. He squirmed on his seat and glanced at her before he gulped down a lump. "I'm feeling much better, thank you for asking." She wasn't the only one that felt tears pooling the brink of her eyes. Funny how they were those soulmates, those inconsolidated lovers that never imagined they could be broken apart, but now; they talk as if they were strangers, as if they weren't those bestfriends that turned to lovers then to a couple.

She blinked back her tears and took his hand in his. They both felt an electrifying feeling that made them shuddered. He fixed his yearning eyes on her face and she has her eyes glued on their entwined hands.

"I miss this." She croaked, lifting up their entwined hands. She brought them to her lips and kissed them slowly_they closed their eyes at the same time.

He was just staring at her, unable to decipher that feeling that has been ebbing in her crumbled heart. Guiltiness? Love? Or regret?

She looked at him with glassy eyes and smiled fleetingly, she knew how he acts when he's heartbroken, guilty and feeling lamented. And this was the Al-amin she missed.

"Let's go, you need to take a shower." She smiled and stood up, lifting him off. He stood up and wrapped his hand around her shoulders, which made her looked up at him, their eyes met and they looked away. Like the broken couple they were.

He guided them to his room without sharing a word. She entered his bathroom and set the bathtub for him before she came out. "Let me get us something decent to eat," She spoke softly, fidgeting with her fingers, unable to look into his eyes that were roaming around her body.

"Your breathe," he reminded. She looked up and their eyes meet, she shook her head with a painful smile.

"I've been cooking for the past four months, today wouldn't harm me." Her words were spoken softly, but they held numerous emotions hidden in them. They screamed agony and pain. They let him know she was the one that cooked for herself for the last four months, but he never asked.

He nodded softly and walked to the bathroom. Ummi wiped away a strand of tear and walked down to the kitchen. She prepared a spaghetti bolognese for them and arranged the table before she sat down in the living room, watching a movie that was being played on the tv.

Laila walked out of her room, stifling a yawn. She glanced at the dining table and stood midway, she was about to talk when Al-amin descended down and Ummi stood up without them sharing a word, they walked over the dining table and sat down. Ummi served them the food and they sat opposite each other_munching on their food without any of them uttering a single word.

"How's your work going?" He asked out of the blue moon, she looked up at him and nodded her head, gulped down a drink and answered.

"It's moving fine, Alhamdulillah. And yours?" This conversation was hurting her, it was lacerating each and every organ of her body. How could they be talking as if this is the first time they saw each other? So much like strangers?

"Hope you haven't been depriving yourself from sleeping, reading those books?" He asked again, and Ummi knew he wanted to start up a conversation.

He supposed to have known this. He supposed to have known that their child growing in her has made her a sleepy head. She always sleeps early and wake up late. She sobered up her feeling and smiled fleetingly.

"I haven't. There wasn't new books in the shelve, and I've glt tired of rereading the old ones." She spoke normal and dipped more into her plate. She could feel his gaze on her face, but she choosed to ignore him.

They finished eating their dinner and they took the utensils to the kitchen; walk passing a stiffened Laila that was watching them over the sofa. They did the dishes without sharing a word.

Al-amin held her hand and they walked over to his room together, she sat down at the edge of the bed; her eyes falling directly on the spot she was slumped on the day he left her in his room together with his Lily; the mother of his noorul ayns. She clenched her eyes shut, but her face was still facing that spot she almost gone made at.

She didn't know when he sat beside her until she felt her hand being taken into his. She opened her eyes and her gaze fell on Al-amin's crying face, she bulged her eyes out, was he really crying?

"Why didn't you let me suffer as much as I've made you suffered? Why didn't you let depression overcome my soul just like I've drained out your heart? How can you be this amazing? Do you really have a soul in you that could forgive me this easily?" He whimpered, he has his knees on the ground, he was facing her with their hands entwined_tears cascading down his cheeks.