Love Incarnated.

• 10

Asiya.

I enter my bedroom and find Abdullah taking the pillows off the bed, ready to sleep.
"What are you doing here?" I ask annoyed that he's in my room "We sleep separately, remember?"

It's been a few months since we got married but somehow I still get mad looking at him.
"Well—my bed is soaked because I left my bedroom window open and as you know it rained"

I groan "Then why my room?"
"Because the mattress in the guestroom affects my back" he says still taking the pillows off.

"You have over 15 pillows on the bed, for what?" He asks confused.
"Not your concern, I don't want you in my room"

He scoffs "You mean in my house? I'm not going anywhere, if it bothers you the living room is available"

I gasp, something I do when I'm speechless. I honestly couldn't believe he was talking to me like that, it surprised me. He always just respects my feelings.

"Excuse me?"
He nods "Look Asiya, don't get me wrong you're gorgeous but I want you to understand I didn't want this either, probably a lot more than you do. I was separated from the woman I loved to fulfill my parent's wishes and not because I wanted to marry you"

I scoff.
"Whether you choose to believe me or not is entirely up to you but I'm tired of making myself uncomfortable and stressed because of you. You've not only been rude but haughty as well and I'm really tired. If you don't want this marriage then do us both a favor and leave" he tilts his head "You tell everyone that comes to this house that you feel like running away then why don't you?"

He sighs and sits on the bed "Or we can come to an understanding because I love my peace especially in my own home so—are you finally going to accept reality so we can come up with a more reasonable and realistic plan on how to live together?"

I can't deny that he made a point.
"Okay but I should remind you that my heart belongs to another"
He chuckles "And he can keep it. I just don't want to go to sleep everyday arguing, okay?"

I nod.
"Good. Better. You'll like it too because I've lived miserably at my parent's house, I don't want that here too"
I smile "Me too. It was hell on earth"

"And it doesn't have to be the same here, what do you think?"
I nod "Sounds logical enough"

"Great"

::

Abdulhameed.

Immediately I walk in Atika runs over and hugs me. "How's my baby girl doing?" I ask throwing her in the air as the girl giggles.

"Ina Mami (Where's your mother?)"
"Kitchen" she says barely.

I nod.
Since it's been all good lately I guess going to tell her I'm back won't hurt either of us.

I find her chopping something on the kitchen counter.
"Shouldn't you use a chopping board for that?"
She says nothing.

"Halima?"
She turns around her eyes puffy and red like she's been crying all day.

I walk over to her "What happened?"
She just stares at me.
"Is something wrong?" I ask again.

"You tell me"
I roll my eyes. She's back to her arguing mood and I'm really not up for it.

I pick up my phone about to walk out.
"Asiya Abdulaziz or is it Asiya Rimi, are you two back together?"
I guess someone might have seen us.

I turn and shake my head.
"You're lying. No wonder you changed, so it's because of her"
"I never said it wasn't"

"I found her file in your study, are you two working together?"
"No but we're going to"

She scoffs "Why?"
I shrug "Because she's looking for a job"
At this point she was already crying, thing is I hate seeing women cry because I get confused and disoriented.

"Just—don't cry"
She laughs sarcastically "Each time I start crying you look so worried, why? It's not like you love me so why does it bother you?"

I stay quiet.
"I thought after all these years you'd love me"

I look at her sadly "Don't blame me for your unhappiness. Remember when I went to visit you exactly a month before our wedding? I told you, I told you I would never be able to love you not even if I wanted to, do you recall what you said?"

She was now looking at the floor blankly "I don't care, as long as you're mine"
"So—I didn't make a fool of you. You saw it coming and I told you that I'd always love her, I'm just sorry it pains you"

She scoffs "Stop pretending like you care!" She says at the top of her voice.
"Halima, do not raise your voice at me"

She takes a deep breath walking over and grasping both my hands "Please, just forget her. She's married, do you know what people are going to say?"
"No, she's a widow. She's been a widow for almost a year now"

At this point tears were streaming down her face.
"So you're going to marry her?"
"I want to but I'm not sure she does"

She laughs hysterically "So while I'm chasing you, you're chasing someone else and we're both left hanged, doesn't sound so bad now. I guess it's just karma"
I just stare at her.
"Now you're quiet? Is it not true she doesn't want you back?"

I nod "Yes, her husband meant the world to her. At first I wondered if something was wrong with me—the man didn't want to marry her either but somehow they made it work, I wondered why we didn't but I realized I was just unlucky and being left hanged isn't my karma Halima, you are" I walk out.

::

Aisha.

A few months back Nasir sent me to buy him a new phone, let's just say since then I've been able to track his whereabouts.

Oh God! I love that man but somehow he hates me with a passion. I think the only reason he's still married to me is because of the children and because his family is most likely going to cut him off.

He told me he's going to Enugu for a business meeting and just a feeling made me decide to check his location only for me to see him still in town at the same hotel we stayed when we were renovating the house.

I can't deny that it pained me, seriously.
It hurt me badly so I called my best friend Kubra and told her while crying my eyes out.

She and I have been friends since our secondary school days, she's now a successful event planner.
She told me to calm down and that I shouldn't go but I can't help it.

I want to catch him in the act.
In the middle of it all.
So I told her I'd go after picking the children up from school. She tried to convince me but I had already made up my mind.

On my way to pick them up I bought juice boxes and meat pies, for them to eat while I confront the pathological cheat I call a husband.

"I'll be right back, okay?" I say before I rush in.

Immediately I get on the elevator my phone rings, his name flashing on the screen.
"Hello babe?" I answer trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Been trying to reach you but the network has been a mess"
"There in Enugu?"

"No, I'm back. I wanted it to be a surprise but I decided to just tell you incase you plan on going out"
The elevator door opens and I walk out "So you're on your way back home?"

"Actually I'm at that hotel we stayed at last year. I have to meet with a client, I'm eating lunch here so you don't have to include me when you're making dinner"

I stop "Oh, okay"
He ends the call.
I felt so stupid.
I rush back inside the elevator before he spots me or worse the children waiting in the parking lot.

Ya rabb, what kind of life is this?

::