Against The Tide (Formerly Two Tribes)

49: Cold Sweat

With a deep sigh, Afrah sat up in her disheveled bed, feeling the weight of her dissatisfaction overshadow the tranquility of the morning. Her brows furrowed and a subtle scowl settled upon her lips as she surveyed the room and realized Jameel wasn't there with her but with his other wife.

Reluctantly, she got out of bed and walked to the window.

The curtains drawn apart intensified her displeasure as Jameel's car wasn't there anymore. That served as a reminder to her that she wasn't as important to him as she used to be.

Deciding to shake off the feeling and not make a big deal of that, Afrah made her way to the kitchen to fix some breakfast for herself but each step she took, resonated with the underlying disappointment and disbelief of what Jameel did.

Getting to the kitchen, Afrah's heart skipped at the sight of Najah lounging over the counter—slumped and defeated.

Afrah couldn't see her face as it was hidden but the sounds that escaped her lips were a symphony of suffering.

From the bottom of her heart, she wanted to approach her and ask her if she was alright, but she immediately decided against it. For all she knew, Najah was faking it and besides, she had decided to stay completely away from Najah. If truly she was in pain and it was serious, she would ask for help. Why should she even help the same person who lured her into the marriage that has constantly caused her restlessness?

Afrah went ahead to cook and although she was uncomfortable as Najah's whimpers persisted, she ignored and continued with what she was doing.

A few seconds later, Najah began to walk out of the kitchen.

Afrah turned around to look at her. Every movement of hers seemed excruciating. As if each step was a herculean effort. Her body language spoke a tale of anguish, shoulders slightly hunched, and slow steps.

A heavy sigh escaped Afrah's lips, intermingled with a frown, accentuating the gravity of her worry.   She tried to shake it off by eating but the restlessness wouldn't go away. Her conscience kept poking her to do the right thing but her at the same time, her ego was discouraging her.

Afrah set aside the food and returned to her room as her appetite was already lost. Lying down, she thought she would finally get some peace but she kept tossing and turning in bed.

An hour had passed and all attempt to get some sleep was futile. Her memory of Najah in the kitchen was stuck in her mind. She just couldn't get it off. "What if she wasn't pretending? What if she's sick and it's serious?" She mumbled to herself.

Shifty, without giving it a second thought, she picked up the phone from the nightstand and dialed Jameel's number. She needed to be sure Najah was alright when he left in the morning. Left to Afrah, she wouldn't have called as she was still very mad at him for spending the night in Najah's room and leaving for work without seeing her in the morning. The fact that Najah was also his wife didn't make it less painful for Afrah.

"Are you missing me already?" Came Jameel's voice immediately he picked up.

"I hope you arrived at your workplace safely."

"I did, Alhamdulillah," he answered. "Were you worried about me? If I am not mistaken, this is actually the first time you are calling to ask me that."

Afrah rolled her eyes. "What's the big deal? I shouldn't have called?"

"No, no...of course not. I like it. I wouldn't mind you calling me every day like this."

Afrah hummed. She had no idea how she was supposed to bring up Najah's topic. She really wanted to find out if she was okay in the morning so she could finally get some peace.