Chapter 79: Chapter 79

ABUJA, NIGERIA.

Kauthar grumbled seeing as there are new set of guests gushing through her doors at six in the evening. They are doing so as if they are coming to their home, some people are really senseless. Most of them, she doesn't know anything about them or sometimes, she will know one person who will bring their entire family along or neighbours. She is tired of smiling and acting all shy when she honestly want to just sit down, watch some movie before her husband decides to show up whenever he feels like. No, she is not at all missing him and would want him to stay there and not come back.

"Welcome." She forced a smile to the four ladies coming through her door and she continue to walk further to her kitchen to serve them refreshments and the snacks meant for the guests given to brides.

"Ma sha Allah, you are even more beautiful in person." One of them women said to her with a smiling face, she returned one. She looks to be around late thirties or early forties with nice smile and wrinkly eyes.

"Thank you." She smiled, she cannot help herself. There are some people that are genuinely nice, she knows them while others are just fake and want to gossip about what it is she has in her home.

Few minutes later, they request that she should put the snacks for them in a nylon, she did just that. She has enough of those snacks, she is sure it won't finish even after the guests come for a year more. Whew, she hopes there won't be more guests around for the day, she is tired already. Coming back from the military base with Fayha, she found some of the guests knocking her door so she smiled apologetically and gave them some skimpy excuse which they don't deserve. They are young ladies trying to pry through her life, she didn't like it but was polite throughout.

She locked the door and made her way to the room for an evening bath followed by a nap, she is not going to wait idly for her husband like those dotty wives. Her bath done, she made her way to the well stacked closet and wore a night shirt that stopped just across her calf nothing underneath but a cotton short. Her stomach grumbled while she was combing through her hair so she quickly finished, made a beeline to the kitchen for something she could eat. Is she supposed to cook for that man too? Oh God, she don't want Allah's wrath or she wouldn't have considered cooking for him too. The guy don't deserve an ounce of her kindness.

What had Fayha seen in him to have crushed on him? She should be lucky to not have ended with him, she would've cried everyday to her pillow.

"Good evening." Anyone could see how her whole stature changed after hearing his voice as they bumped at the doorway. Her eyes close instinctively to keep herself from glaring at him, a wife shouldn't do that to her husband.

Yes, some might not believe it but she is actually changing after what her aunt told her. Her view of the marriage changed after that though not really entirely, just a little bit after that preach then it changed again this afternoon. She went ahead to search up things a married woman shouldn't do to her husband in Islam, watched bunched of YouTube videos talking about the sins of women and how they are fuller in hell same in heaven. It didn't stop her from trembling hearing the peril that befell upon such women.

She has done everything prevented there, none of it she's kept aside and is thankful to Allah for not taking her life the night before, she would've gone to hell straight. She didn't make her husband happy, didn't give him his rights, didn't talk to him softly or showed any sign of respect for her partner. If only she's searched for all those before the marriage, she wouldn't have married him for she can't do that for the man she hates. Now she will be forced to do all that to the man she loathes, that will be real trial from her side. Can she do that without making him angry?

She won't be able to promise that.

"Evening." She forced a smile, squeeze her way through the end of the door, her back pushing against the hinges just so she won't touch him. Though a whiff of his manly scent sent her mind haywire, she made it to the kitchen.

She made quick spaghetti for the both of them, gliding around the kitchen as if leaving her prints everywhere she matched. That is the first time she used the kitchen to cook, she didn't have good breakfast except for cereal all thanks to Fayha and then lunch, she could only eat few snacks the guests leave behind. They just won't let her have peaceful time before the knock will echo throughout the house, she was about to scream in frustration. And to think this is the start of it, they are going to keep coming till they don't have legs anymore. The worst part, she cannot tolerate them at all!

Mujaheed stood by the door staring at his wife bashfully because the thoughts running through his head is something new. Yea, he is a man and human, he's had dreams about his wife to be and whatnot but carrying out those things look close to impossible. Especially with how things are between them, all tensed and maladroit as if she's caught him killing her baby. He has ideas on how to change their lives, a lot of them but she is one strong headed woman. Say more stubborn than he'd initially thought. He never expected her to not talk to him the whole two months but she carried it out without perturbation, it messed with his brain big time.

What have I done to deserve this? Is the question that keeps roaming around his head then he'll remember how he rejected Fayha then recoil back again. Would it have been different had it been he got married to Fayha? Then again, that is not what Allah has planned which is why he rejected her and she found her one true love. His brother is hopelessly in love so is she, even it they don't admit it to each other. Everyone's life is just perfect except for his, even his sister whom they thought won't be happy again, she is extremely so.

On impulse, he moved to where she is and wrapped his arms around her back in a tight comforting embrace. She tensed, stood there like a statue her hands under the faucet as if gush out water. He didn't move away, it was way too comfortable for him to do so and instead, he nuzzle his nose to her neck inhaling her scent like a darn wolf. His eyes closed, taking in her tantalizingly enthralling smell, so feminine and fantastic. He's never felt more comfortable than he did at that moment, his wife wrapped in his arms even though the hug isn't reciprocated from the other party, he doesn't mind.

He's had a long day coming up with another strategy to get the unknown ship disturbing Africa.

Kauthar closed her eyes willing herself not to turn around and smash something on his head or yell at him. She wants to keep her cool through thick or thin but the longer he stayed wrapped around her the thinner her patience and restraints becomes. Just when she is about to push him away, he reclined like a scolded kid and left the kitchen as if he wasn't there to begin with. She took deep calming breaths to keep herself calmer and refresh her peace of mind again. The man brings out the worst of her without opening his gob!

Taking the two plates, she took them to the dining room where she found him sitting absently. She rolled her eyes, kept the plate in front of him, reentered the kitchen to bring some tamarin juice for him. Not everyone likes tamarin but she does so she cares not whether he likes it or not, that is what she wanted to have.

After taking the first morsel, she lost her appetite since her thoughts had to drift to that hug he gave her minutes ago in the kitchen she is sighting. She could even see the position they were in as she looked at the place in distaste. She won't ever like that place again.

She wants to eat food but it won't just sit inside of her so she toyed with it, sipping her tamarin time to time not paying attention to the man staring at her.

"I'm sorry." That is the tick of bomb inside her was waiting for as her fork immediately made a loud clutter on the new plate in front of her filled with spaghetti.

"You are sorry? Sorry for what exactly, Mr. Danbazau?" She raise a mocking tone that looks to be professional, way too professional in fact. How can she address him as Mr. Danbazau when he is married to her? He is not even used to Mr, it has always been Major!

"For forcing this on you, going behind your back and seeking for your hand in marriage, making you angry at me because I don't have any romantic bone." He stopped to sigh while she stare at him with her jaw slackened since she didn't expect that from him, not now at least. And who told him he didn't have romantic bone? Yeah, Bushra the traitor!

"I know I have done a lot of wrong things to you which a man willing to marry you shouldn't." His eyes turn to stare deep inside of hers, as if conveying his deepest apology which she isn't seeing for she is blinded with rage.

"A lot of them, alright." She huffed getting her jaw from the table before it could mop the little drop of tamarin that hit the surface.

He took a deep breath again then continue, "But trust me, I did that because of my mixed feelings for you. I knew I had to have you after finding out your fiancée died, I couldn't help myself so as soon as I heard the news coming back from the special force, I did my own digging to see if you have anyone but found it void. Trust me, I tried going back to your father to take back my words on seeking your hand in marriage after all you said to me at my house but I couldn't bring myself to do it. That is when I realised that my feelings for you are deeper than I thought. It wasn't some petty infatuation or obsession, it is something more, something deeper, tender and raw.

"Of course like you said, I don't have a romantic bone in me so I sought out Amani to ask more about this inexperienced feelings of mine. She confirmed that it is love. She told me I loved you, I couldn't believe it because I don't know how it feels but then slowly came to terms that she is right, I do love you. I love you." He said the words quietly, gazing intently into her eyes not paying attention to her jaw as it mopped the floor thoroughly. It is as if he's gotten her where he wanted her to be, speechless to let him talk out his heart and feeling.

"Very stupid of me to say this again in an unromantic way but what could I possibly do? You don't want to give us a chance and I have to confess everything to you like this not over a dinner with candles showcased and flowers exhibited. Don't look too surprised about this, I have another confession to make." He bashfully admitted, his red tongue coming out to lick the seam of his lips in nervousness. Darn it, if his juniors or brothers will see him like that, there would be havoc and peril. Him, Major Mujaheed Abubakar Danbazau nervous? Ha, that is only in their dreams no doubt.

She is the only woman that could bring out that side of him aside from his mother, nervousness. His mother hadn't seen that side too in a very long time, more than decade but here he is looking like a school boy confessing his feelings to his five years crush. He swallowed, she is not saying anything but she is clearly listening to him from the way she reacts. He scratched the little mane taking over his head since what he is about to say is topmost secret only his sister, him and his Lord know about it.

"Amani helped me get that romantic bone. She borrowed me some of her 'romantic books' to read so I can learn a thing or two then downloaded some videos for me to watch. I don't know why I'm saying this but it helped, a lot more than I thought it would. I get to see the other side of married couple, the exciting part every girl is wishing to have. I don't know that part about married life, it would've been so unfair to you. I agreed to those things only because I want to make you happy, I don't want you to regret marrying me even though I know you already do. But still, I want to help one way or the other to get you to reciprocate my feelings." He is still nervous, heard himself stuttering in two or three places as he rocked his legs underneath the table. An act of anxiousness he couldn't get rid of.

All those things happened the day Kauthar came to their home and told him so many hurtful words he couldn't remove from his head. He sought out Bushra to help him and she did give him so many books to which he could only read two of them not having time for all the rest. While he was reading, a sex scene came up making his face heat up at the thought of his baby sister reading such things then remembered that she was married once and most probably experienced all those. It didn't stop him from feeling awkward about the fact that his baby sister read those kind of books. Who knows whether she read them before she got married? The books look pretty geriatric to him, you could never know.

He couldn't bring himself to stop reading nor had he stopped blushing reading throughout the pages. He got intrigued by each detail even rereading some parts to make sure he got them right. He was right when he said he didn't want her to regret marrying him, he wants to make her life like a fairytale. He's heard about her dreams, what she wants in a man, her marriage and all sorts from Bushra and he is working on becoming that man and will do same to their marriage.

His feelings on the other hand, he appreciates having a sister.

Kauthar could only blink at him, not at all believing what is coming from his mouth and reaching her ears. She had to blink so many times to make sure she is not daydreaming about the darn thing whole, she isn't. Her eyes focused on the way his lips move so she can read them and the words, no distraction but she got distracted by the pink plush lips looking a little patched but soft. She gulped, the man just had his way with words, alright, she will give him credit for that one.

Seeing as she is getting unnecessary thought, she swiped her tongue over her suddenly anhydrous lips, she glared at him with so much hostility that has him recoiling. He is a soldier but that glare from his wife is enough to send him looking for support from the chair behind him!

"You don't have to lie or say so many good things about yourself to get me to your bed. I'm your wife, you have every right to demand what is yours whenever you want so quit the sweet talks and do what you want to. I might not be as sharp as a soldier but I'm also a businesswoman, I can see right through the deals and contracts. I can get dressed and wait for you in the bedroom if you want?" She made a move to stand up but stopped when his large hand clasped hers on the table to seize her movement.

She is making up those excuses so she won't be held responsible for what she does. She don't want to believe him because in her head, she's already portrayed him as a bad person. A soft spot is slowly blossoming for him in her chest and she does not want that at all. She's wants to keep fighting with him for some odd, peculiar reasons. Why is her heart not following her move?

"I had a feeling that you won't believe me." She huffed, he closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger in frustration. "But all I said is the truth, you can ask Amani if you want but I would never lie to you. You might think of me as a backstabber, hypocrite or fraud but I am not a liar! I will prove to you that I love you in every sense and not want to take you to my bed. Just wait." With that, he stood up and left the table only for her to notice that he didn't touch his food too.

Hehe, that was totally unexpected!