Hearts On Fire

25: Jealous or Nah?

She hated the mere sight of him, lest alone to seat opposite him as his eyes wandered on her face. She scanned the hall for empty seats and walked back to the back of the hall while her eyes were fixed on the floor. She knew his eyes were on her back even as she walked, and he might be surprised or not. But whatever it was, she didn't want to associate herself with him anymore, she had had enough of his monster self.

She sat down quietly at the back of the hall and after some time, someone sat opposite her, it was a man again. She looked up with rage seething from her eyes, ready to spurt out her fire when her eyes met Aliyu, and she smiled. "Good evening, Barr Aliyu." She greeted.

He smiled back and took two mocktails from a waiter passing by and placed one i front of her. She smiled thankfully at him and began sipping her drink as he replied her. "I've been looking around to see if I could spot you on the dance floor, such a surprise when I saw you sitting alone with your phone on hand."

She chuckled softly, glanced over at their heap of friends dancing and she smiled before she turned her eyes to him, "What made you think I dance? Because I rarely dance in occasions like this, mostly in my room, alone." She laughed at herself and her sickling dancing steps. The truth is, she didn't know how to dance one bit. But when she was extremely happy, like the day she got into Law school successfully, that day she even let Ammi saw her dancing moves.

"I just feel like you love to dance, considering people like you have that part of them."

"Extroverts like me? What if I told you I'm an ambivert? That the combination of the two right? Intro and extro-vert. Even if I knew how to dance well, I can only do that when the mood strikes in, and now isn't one of those moments." She smiled softly at him and through her peripheral view, she could clearly see how Al-mustapha had fixed his eyes on them, anger evident on his face. And she couldn't like Aliyu more for coming over to her table.

"I'm extremely extroverted, even though there were times when I was an introvert to the extent that it could take me a whole day to speak a word out. But please, I love life now." He raised his hands up in a dramatic way of showing how much he loved life and Fatima Zarah couldn't help but laugh so loud at that. She threw her head back in laughter while speaking in between at how funny he was.

She hadn't seen him walking over to him, only when he was standing furiously above her head and he had her handbag in his hand, her wrist in the other. She looked at him angrily and he forcefully made her stood up and he dragged her out of the hall. Once they were out, she shrugged off his hand from her wrist and stared at him with eyes brewing with anger before she yanked her handbag from him.

"What was that?!" He clamored, and she didn't know when a chuckle escaped her lips. She could see her laughter had angered him more and that was exactly what she wanted. For him to feel exactly what she felt the day he brought that girl home and laughed it off as though it wasn't something serious. She wouldn't judge him for being jealous becuase it was a feeling we all aren't able to control. You shouldn't necessarily be in love to be jealous over your spouse, that was a natural feeling.

She stood straight, hands on hips and asked, "What was what?"

He was furious and trying to hold it back, she could see it from the way he was rubbing his hand on his temple and making a fist out of his hand. "How could you sit down with a total stranger and be laughing and talking freely at him? Don't you know that you're married?!"

Even though the music blasting from the hall was nearly deafening, he had raised his voice to the point that she didn't have to try so hard before she could hear him. It came off natural. She smiled and stared directly into his eyes, he had once mentioned that he didn't know whether you're serious or not unless he stared into your eyes, right? Then she would give him the chance to.

"Why are you so bothered just because I spoke and laughed with a stranger? I thought we can freely do that, umm, mr she will let me fill that white linen?" She threw her head back and laughed. "Anyways, that's not what we're talking about, but he's not a stranger, he's someone I know for almost a year now, so calm your horses if all you're concerned is me speaking and laughing with a stranger." She emphasized on the 'laughing' and wished she could laugh enough at his expression, even though her skin was boiling with all the rage she had bottled up because of him.

He rubbed his palm over his eyes and looked sideways before he fixed them back on her, "That doesn't change the fact that you're married and talking to someone that isn't your mahram, laughing as freely as that." He accused.

"Are we now resorted to being married thingy? Well, I'll tell you this too, make sure that malnourished crumbled bones you brought to my house left before the sun rises tomorrow, if that balances the equation for us."

"My house, not yours. And for your information, she won't leave. With whose permission did you even come to this kamu?"

The look she flashed him was full of fire that Al-mustapha felt it burning the hairs on his skin. "Get a grip of yourself, just get a grip of yourself, Al-mustapha. When have I ever asked you before going out? Look, just because I talk to you freely now as if nothing had happened doesn't make me forget all you've done to me, from day since, making me sleep in your filthy station. I told you I will never forgive and I'll take my revenge, just don't rile me up to an extent!"

"Whatever it is, do your worst if you can, Fatima Zarah! And also, you need to get back home, now!" He roared, pointing at her car that was parked in the parking lot.

"I'll leave, not because you asked me to or you're intimidating enough to make me leave, but because the atmosphere had already already being mixed with impurities I wouldn't love percieving.  Can we stick to our not seeing each other please? Just the mere sight of you disgusts me and have my skin crawling up. And I also stick to my words, that girl should leave!" She spat out and walked furiously to her car without glancing at him. She was so fed up with him, it's time to burn him with the fire she had always told him she had prepared for him, but how?

Even as she drove out of the building, she could feel his eyes on her until she was completely out of eyesight and she mused to herself, "It's payback time, Al-mustapha Muhammad Maccido."