The Wedding Tonight

Chapter 23: The Robbery. 🤦‍♀️

These decorators agreed, we stood up, shook hands as we finalised the deal and discussed a little on the theme. They looked fine and honest, they were just starting up new and will promote themselves as quicker they earn.

"What time is it now?" I asked, I was worried. I was suppose to be home by 9 or 10pm.  We even made a few stops to pray namaz and now it was time for Isha cause we were definitely past 8.

"Its 8:35pm. And thankfully we are done." Adam said cheerfully. He was satisfied and excited after meeting the decorators. The guy was in his mid thirties, he prayed five times a day, had a nice lengthy beard and wore white shalwar kameez. He looked nice. "Do you think black and white theme would be fine?" Adam asked. He was enthusiastic whereas I was worried about getting back home at time. The roads are dangerous at night, robberies and rapes were so common on the streets nowadays. "Samreen, what's wrong?" Adam walked over to me, his eyes bored into mine as he tried to read me. I don't know how but automatically upon seeing such a gentle and caring expression on his face, my eyes filled up with tears. "Sshh..hey what happened?" He couldn't touch me, I was married and not his either.

"Nothing," I wiped my tears away and got inside the car, Adam opened the door and sat inside. "Just take me home. I'm late." I said, trying not to sound raspy.

"I'm sorry. Its all because of me. I wouldn't have bothered you." He apologised.

"No it's okay, just drive me home." I said. Adam gave a brief nod and accelerated the car, we were suppose to come back here next week and let them see the restaurant so they would decided what goes with what.

"We haven't had food, breakfast was the last meal we had. You must be hungry." Adam said, I shook my head is dismay. "Lets just grab a burger from drive through?" He suggested, I was about to say no again but my stomach growled. I was so damn hungry, and we didn't waste time on food because we thought that the offices might get closed. "A burger will do." Adam added with a chuckle.

"You must be hungry too but.. I am already very late." I reasoned.

"I understand Samreen but this is a four hour journey, the road is also bumpy. We can't starve ourselves, I'll just grab us whatever is on the road and pray Isha Namaz." I nodded, I can't say no to Namaz.

"Okay."

We started our journey and stopped for about twenty minutes for both Namaz and food. The mosque was a couple of minutes from the burger shop near the petrol pump. Adam already had wudu so he was done with Namaz and then went fir the utters whereas I sued the bathrooms and then prayed.

"Let's go." Adam walked over to the mosque gate, handed me the burgers shopper and texted on his phone. We both walked towards the car together. I kept glancing at my watch and counted every minute that passed by. Just as we got inside the car I unwrapped the burger and handed over to Adam and undid mine before having a bite. Adam started the car's engine but we were confounded when it didn't start. The fuel tank was empty, we just had it full on our way here. "I think we have been robbed." Adam said. He was right. My purse wasn't in the car anymore and they also ran away with the fuel. I lost my phone, credit card, lipstick and all the necessities.

This time I broke into sobs. I can't contact Sohail anymore. I cannot use Adam's phone to tell him I was fine and was robbed. I lost my cards and a nice amount of cash from my salaries. "Things get worse when you lie, you end up lying a thousands time to hide one truth." I regretted. I did wrong and I deserved it.

"Relax Samreen.. I can call Sohail. I have his number.." Adam suggested but little did Adam know that Sohail didn't like him and would not like it if I use his phone. I cried my eyes out and shook my head.

"Don't, he'll kill me.." I sniffed and wiped my tears with my fist.

"Do you want me to call Ahmed?" He suggested. I nodded between sobs, at least someone should know what has happened.

Adam handed me his phone and got out of the car giving me some privacy. I waited for Ahmed to answer it. "Asalamualaikum Bhai?" Ahmed greeted Adam from the other side of the phone not knowing that I was the one calling.

I broke into another sob. "Uff Allah! It's you Samreen.." Ahmed sounded confused and worried.

"We were robbed.. I lost my purse, my phone, my credit cards. Could you call the company and report my credit card number?" I asked.

"Oh Allah, who was robbed. You and Sohail or you and Adam?" He asked trying to match the dots.

"Adam and I had some work, we are four hours away from home and Sohail doesn't know a thing. Last time at Mom's party..." I sniffed. "Sohail got upset when Adam talked to me so I didn't tell him that I'm with Adam." I heard him heave a deep sigh, I knew he was angry and since I was crying he didn't want to sound so rude.

"Your marriage is not going to work if you don't trust him. Anyone can doubt your actions and make up their own story without having you to explain and rationalise things." He paused. I knew he was right, he's always right. "Should I call him?" Ahmed suggested. My mind was too blank, I didn't know what to do and what not to do.

"I don't know, I am scared." I answered. "I don't know what to do anymore. Sohail knows my feelings for the 'A' guy." I told.

"Relax, what you did is wrong but we will sort it out. Just stay the night with Adam book yourself a hotel but don't come at this hour of night. It's unsafe." He warned.

"I cannot spend the night here. What about Sohail? He must be calling me on my phone." I reasoned.

"STAY! Don't be stupid. It's dangerous. I'll think of what do we do with Sohail. I'll tell him I picked you up from work and you're staying the night with us. Your battery is dead and you're asleep from all the work at restaurant." Ahmed suggested.

"Thank you so much. I really owe you a big time." I said.

"Yeah, don't be reckless next time. Now handover the phone back to its owner. I need to talk to him." I knocked on the car's window and Adam came over with a brief nodded. I mouthed a thank you handed over  the phone..

"He wants to talk to you." I said. Adam took his phone and walked away but I heard him say a bit about me.

"I owe you man, she was crying and I didn't know what to do.." Adam said, I chuckled and shut my eyes close and waited for Adam to finish talking so we could go to a hotel.