Against The Tide (Formerly Two Tribes)

6: Confrontations

"About that..." Jameel's voice trailed. "I don't love her. I only got married to her because—"

"Enough!" Afrah shouted; totally fed up with him trying to justify all of his actions. She could no longer suppress her raging emotion. "Don't you dare give me that! You should be ashamed of yourself. How comes I didn't see this side of you?" She shook her head in disbelief. "You really aren't the person I thought you were. You promised me that you would never get married to someone else and I naively believed you. I went against my parents because of you! I regret crossing paths with you, Jameel. I don't want to see you ever see you again. Get lost!"

"Please hear me out," Jameel beseeched, blocking her path. "I just want to explain my side of the story to you. If after I have explained to you and you still don't believe me, I will let you walk out."

Afrah remained silent.

Jameel took that as his cue to go on. "A few months after we talked, when you asked me to give you time to convince your family, I returned to your house and your father informed me that you had died in a car accident while returning from your village... I wouldn't have believed it if someone else had broken the news to me, but it was your father who told me so himself. I know he doesn't like me, but I never thought he would tell such a lie about his own daughter."

Afrah opened her mouth to say something but ended up closing them because no words could emerge.

"Do you know shattered I was, Afrah?" More tears glistened in his eyes. "I almost lost it. For months, I lived like a dead person. Do you know the pain I went through? The pain inflicted on me? Not a day goes by without me thinking of you, Afrah because you're the only one my heart recognizes. I can't believe you're really standing in front of me." He blinked, making the tears roll down his face. "Is this another dream? Will I wake up and realize this is just an illusion? Please say something, Afrah... am I really not dreaming?"

Afrah took a few steps back, shaking her head. "You're lying to me. My dad would never say that." 

"Why would I lie to you?"

"Because you want to justify the fact that you broke the covenant we took," she gnashed her teeth. "You got married to someone else! Own up to your fault and no one will kill you. Stop being a coward. This is the last time you will involve my father in your shenanigans."

"Do you really think I'd lie to you like this?"

"Why not?" She rolled her eyes. "If you could remorselessly break a promise, you'd tell a lie just as easily."

Jameel closed his eyes and reopened them in an instant. "I'm telling you the truth, Afrah, but if you don't believe me, ask your father. He told that lie because he wanted to separate us."

Afrah wiped her tear-stained face and forced a smile. "Let's assume you're telling the truth, Jameel, let's assume that I had indeed died. So this is how you'd have moved on? So easily? After taking a covenant with me? I trusted you, Jameel. I never expected this of you! If I were in your shoes, I would not break my promise. Everyone keeps pressurizing me to get married. They mocked me," she chuckled, wiping the corners of her eyes. "They called me stupid for still keeping my promise even when you broke yours, yet I didn't give in. I fought for us. I expected you to do the same."

Jameel lowered his head.

"In front of my family, you've made a mockery of me..."

"I'm sorry," Jameel mumbled, then got down on both knees; no words spoken.

"I don't need your apology," Afrah stated. "It's of no use to me. You've chosen the path you want for yourself. Now, I will choose mine."

Jameel looked up at Afrah. "I only got married to Najah because of my mother...I really didn't want to break my promise to you, but you see, my mum is the only closest family I have. She is hypertensive. I didn't want to do anything that would make her leave me. I thought you had left me, I didn't want mum to leave me too. I shouldn't have broken my promise, I know...I'm very sorry, Afrah. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I'd never intentionally do anything to hurt you, you know that. Najah and I may be married but we don't share that type of relationship. She understands that I can never give my heart to her because it already belongs to you. She's very understanding and—"