Against The Tide (Formerly Two Tribes)

45: From Darkness To Dawn

The room was engulfed in an aura of melancholy as Najah sat on the edge of her bed, hunched over, her once radiant spirit now dimmed. Her eyes, once filled with hope and dreams of a happy future, now stared into the void, haunted by every word Jameel had hurled at her.

There was a heaviness in the air, an unspoken ache that surrounded her. Each inhale seemed strained, each exhale, a release of a jagged breath escaping her shattered soul.

Najah had never seen Jameel so angry before. He did not even give her a chance to explain why she did what she had done. It was unfair to her.

"Najah!"

Jameel's voice startled her, but she quickly regained her composure. In that instant, she prepared herself for whatever he had for her. She refused to show him her vulnerability. She would not explain anything to him either.

Najah remained unmoved as Jameel walked into her room. She could feel his figure hovering over hers for a couple of seconds before he took a seat beside her. Wordless.

The silence that enveloped the room was deafening, broken only by the sounds of their shallow breaths, echoing in her ears. Najah's heart pounded in her chest, matching the rhythm of her breaths. Indisputably, she knew Jameel was about to destroy the efforts she had been building with just a mere kick.

"Najah," Jameel started, sending an uncanny sensation crawling over her skin.

A few seconds passed and Jameel did not utter another word.

With each passing moment, Najah's fear intensified. Every rational thought became entangled in a web of irrationality, leaving her trapped in a labyrinth of her own dread.

"You shouldn't have slapped Afrah," Jameel spoke. "You made a mistake. A very big one. I still can't believe you have that in you. I'm disappointed. I'm so angry because I didn't expect that from you."

Najah tried to mask the cracks in her shattered heart behind a stoic facade, but amidst the guise, a flicker of vulnerability remained, a poignant reminder that even the strongest souls can crumble under the weight of heartbreak. "She triggered me."

"That's not reason enough to slap her."

"You-" a lump suddenly got stuck in Najah's throat, breaking her sentence.

"Did you forget she is pregnant? You could have put her in a difficult situation. There's nothing you can say to justify what you did."

"Okay." Sadness engulfed her like a suffocating fog, stifling any glimmers of hope that dared to emerge. "Say what you came to say to me."

"You're not going to give me an explanation?"

"Of what use will the explanation be?" She hummed. "You said there's nothing I can say to justify my action."

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't like to know what transpired between the both of you."

"Afrah must have told you all you need to hear. I don't have anything to say to you. I admit, I'm a bad person. I'm the vilest person on the surface of the earth." The tears that welled up in her eyes reflected the brokenness of her spirit. "I'm an abuser. I slapped Afrah because I felt like it."

"It is true that you can never truly know someone. I used to believe you were the nicest person I have met, but I was mistaken. All these while, you've been putting on an act. At least Afrah doesn't know how to pretend."

Najah let out a humorless chuckle. "Right. She doesn't. Afrah can do no wrong. I'm the witch obstructing your love story. Maybe it's about time we went our separate ways. That is the reason you came here, am I wrong? Say what you have to say. I don't care anymore. I'm tired. I. Am. Exhausted," she enunciated each word as drops of pain cascaded down her cheeks. "I'm prepared for anything."