The Halaal Way

CHAPTER EIGHT

#laughs# I don't mind you babysitting me like this. I can even become a new born baby so that you'll do your job very well. Call me baby hundred times with a cup of smoothie for each call and I'll gladly say ‘yes’ #grins# Anything for a cup of smoothie.

And like that, she had continued to tease him. As he recalled all these things now, a big smile was plastered on his lips. He reached for the two cups and the paper beneath it. Then he  headed for the dining table. He settled down on one of the chairs and opened the small piece of paper. Only a happy smiley was drawn on the paper. He moved his thumb over the happy smiley as a small smile graced his lips. He had anticipated to read something from her since its been a while since she last wrote him something. It was always a happy smiley.
Last night, she had sought for permission to go make her hair after closing from work and he had given her an approval. That was before he took his last smoothie for the day. After taking the smoothie, he had written,

I look forward to seeing that hairstyle #smiles#

And he had dropped the note. He didn't know why he wrote that but he was sure that was what he wanted to write so he didn't even try to stop himself.

Now seeing only this smiley, he was a bit disappointed. He had gotten so used to seeing her writing that seeing only that smiley made his heart twitch. It has been like that for a while and he began to wonder if all was well with her.

He gulped down his smoothie and got a piece of paper from his room. He wrote.

Hey if you keep on smiling like that, your facial muscles will hurt you.

He neatly folded the paper and placed it in its position. Then he went back to the living room and slumped on the sofa to rest for a while. He closed his eyes gently as he drifted into thoughts.

Nihlah. She was all he thought of. He had realized this since the first few days of their marriage but he didn't know the reason why it was like that. He knew he thought more of her than he did of Sumayyah and it was scaring him. He always reminded himself that it was Sumayyah he loved and if she had accepted to get married to him two months ago, he would not have been passing through what he was passing through now. Yeah, as much as he didn't want to admit, he felt something for his wife. He didn't have a name for that feeling now but he knew it was something strong, an almost irresistible feeling that consumed him. And he was scared that sooner or later, he would drown in that feeling.

Why are you scared? Don't you like that feeling? 

A voice in him asked and he shook his head. Again, he reminded himself. It was Sumayyah he loved and no one else.

He reached for his phone that was in his pocket and dialed her number. She picked up on the last ring.

“My love” He beamed.

“Hey” She said casually.
Kamal felt something was off about her voice.

“You okay? How are you?”

“I'm good”

“Sure?”

“Yeah”

“Oh” He said and was quiet for a while.

“Have you had lunch?” He asked.

“Not yet”

“Let's eat then. I'll come pick you up now”

“I'm not hungry”

“But you've not eaten”

“I. Am. Not. Hungry. Kamal” She said stressing each word and Kamal was surprised. She sounded irritated.