Sparkling roses

CHAPTER FIVE

Her ears were buzzing as she held on to his arm, trying to get to her feet. He grabbed her by her forearm and she could feel a bruise forming where his fingers gripped her in a not so gently manner. She stared into his eyes, he didn't seem to care and she wasn't going to beg for mercy. She couldn't even remember why they were fighting. What exactly did she say to spite him this time? It definitely had something to do with her family. The second slap forced her to the ground again, this time she felt dizzy and the buzzing in her ears doubled. She really wanted to die right there and then. He wasn't going to stop and she wasn't begging. She could see Marko staring at the wall with an angry look on his face. She thought him a coward, the number of times he stood there as Qassim beat her was infuriating. His brothers may not be the most honorable men but they would never watch a woman being beaten and do nothing. Her brothers, were they not the exact reason she was at this beast's mercy. She hated them at that moment. She stayed on the floor and didn't move as her husband let out an angry scream. It almost sounded like an injured animal , angry and in pain. She laughed softly through her busted lips. He looked at her and a sad look replaced the anger. It was as if he just realized what he did. She went on laughing through tears and he looked at her questioningly. Marko was gone, they were alone in his study. He sat down on the floor beside her and she could see the tears in his eyes. She knew that look all too well, the way he'd look at her with so much pain as if she did something to hurt him. Was she not the one with bruises and a bloody lip? Was he not the one who physically inflicted pain in her? Why did it hurt every time he'd shed a tear? She finally stopped her heartbreaking laugh and wiped her tears away. He reached for her hand and she didn't even flinch, she was too tired. He'd beg for forgiveness like always and buy her an expensive gift as if that will heal her physical and mental wounds.

"I am pregnant." She finally said after minutes of silence.

He silently sat there even after she left. Unable to move, his heart in a knot.

👑

Ahmad was at the hospital waiting room with Jamal and Mama Maya. He made sure the media knew he came to the hospital to see his sister. He knew Mama Maya blamed him for what happened but he really didn't care. It wasn't his fault those young men decided to burn one of Qassim's offices and it definitely wasn't his fault Warda happened to be there when it happened.

Qassim arrived at the hospital and greeted Mama Maya who smiled at him generously. He completely disregarded Ahmad and Jamal as he walked to his wife's room. She lay there quietly, her face in a frown as if she was stuck in a nightmare. He blamed himself for everything that happened. There was no point in hiding it, he fell for her the day he met her on their wedding day. He had seen her couple of times before that but never so close before. She was beautiful, the kind of beauty that leaves you staring and now as she lay there clearly in pain Qassim wanted to burn down Ahmad's strongholds and everything in it.

"Don't worry, she will be fine. She inhaled a lot of smoke but now she's doing better. She is a fighter." The nurse who was checking her IV said with an almost mechanical smile. Warda opened her eyes and scanned the room. She hated the fact that she was still in the hospital. She'd been there for three days now.

"Wardaty, how you feeling?" Qassim asked her softly with a small smile.

"I am fine. Can I go home now?" She asked no one in particular.

"The doctor said you should stay one more day for observations." The nurse said with that smile of hers again.

"My wife wants to go home, make it happen." Qassim said and smiled but Warda wasn't even looking at him. He could tell she was angry, he just couldn't tell why.

"Yes Sir." The nurse said and walked out.

"Where's Umar? How is he? No one is telling me anything." Warda finally looked at him and he could see anger in those brown eyes.

"He is well." He gave her one of his famous short statements that barely give information.

"Where is he then?"

"I fired him." He said casually.

"How could you? That man risked his life for me. He got me out of the fire." Her voice was slightly raised.

"Well if he did his job well enough then you wouldn't even be in the fire to begin with." He finished his statement with a smile. It felt condescending to her.

"He got burnt because of me, I saw him before I passed out." She was on the verge of crying.

"Like I said, he is well. It was just minor injuries. Nothing a big guy like him can't handle."

"He risked his life for me and you fire him!" The lump in her throat was making it painful to swallow.

"I pay him enough to take a bullet for you, he should have been with you. If he did his job right, you would have been safe the whole time." He said that with a finality but she wasn't one to give up.

"He has a wife and kids, for the love of God! His mother is sick, you can't just fire him." She pushed. "I want him back, I don't want another security. I want Umar. If you don't care enough about his family, then bring him back because I want him."

Qassim was in no mood for a fight, he rubbed his temples and closed his eyes for a second.
He looked at Marko who was standing at the door. He's always there and at first Warda found it unsettling but she eventually got used to it.

"Call Umar." He said and Marko nodded.

Warda felt betrayed, how could Ahmad send his goons to burn Qassim's office when she was there. She couldn't understand how her own brother could do that. She was angry at Qassim for even putting her in such a position.

"It will be good if people saw your wife getting involved in your work. People love a family man." His deputy had said and she was forced to visit his office at least once a week. There was no difference between her brother and her husband, she realized. They both did atrocious things to get what they wanted and she was stuck between them.

👑

Mansur entered his house exhausted from work. Salwa, his pregnant wife smiled at him as he walked through the door.

"Someone looks tired." She said, her voice filled with an undying joy. That's why he married her, she found good in everything. She always made him feel happy.

"Long day at work. The school isn't getting enough funds to run extracurricular programs anymore so I have to push those damned officials but they didn't budge." He said as he hang his coat on the rack.

"If you ask me I'd say you are doing bit too much. You are only one man. You can't be a teacher, an activist and help Ahmad at the same time." Salwa said with that smile of hers in place. "Drop one, preferably helping Ahmad."

Mansur sighed, he really didn't want anything to do with politics or the family business. His teaching job wasn't paying well but it was enough to provide for his family and once the baby was born with his mother's help Salwa could go back to work.

"Ya well, much as I want to, I can't." Salwa gave his hand a reassuring squeeze as his face dropped the way it does every time they spoke of that matter.

"Mm-mmh, well he is family." She said as if that will make everything less tiring.

👑

That night  Warda didn't speak to Qassim as they ate dinner and he didn't mind. They ate silently and both left for their rooms when they were done. They left so much unsaid that night and both were grateful for that. It was better than fighting, at least that's how they felt. Warda didn't know how to tell him that when she lost consciousness she got stuck in a never ending nightmare and he was the monster under her bed.