Kameela

Chapter 22 - Heartbroken

Entering the room slowly, he first saw a sleeping Manal on her bed which was parallel to the door. Then a back that belonged to Sameer who sat on a single chair right beside Manal. Then Aunty Fatima and Kameela who sat on a metal double seat, facing the bottom of the bed.

He entered with a Salaam which got tired replies. By the time he got beside Sameer, he squatted and greeted Aunty Fatima then shook Sameer's hand then asked about Manal's health which was a positive.

He looked up and was able to catch Kameela looking at him before she looked away and kept looking at the bin. Her behaviour made a slight smile come upon his face.

He carried a stray plastic chair and placed it beside a worried Sameer but managed to cheer him up after they started talking about politics, sports and what not. Aunty Fatima excused herself to go visit another relative in another ward and Sameer followed suite to go back home and pick some stuff. The room was pin drop silent, well asides from Manal's light snoring.

"We need to talk." Ismail said as he turned his face to look at Kameela.

"There's nothing to talk about." She said in a scared tone.

"Yes there is and we're going to talk about it right here, right now." He whispered yelled.

"Okay fine. Go ahead." She said as she sat upright.

"Since the news of me getting married, we've been off. It's my fault. I was experiencing many things, many feelings. But I've set my head straight." He saw Kameela's glassy eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do it."

"Yes you can Kameela. I know you can."

"You don't get it."

"I do. I get it. I know where you're coming from."

"Do you think sharing your husband is easy? Someone that is supposedly your best friend. I can't even have you all to myself again, on top of you hardly being around cause of work. Do you know how hard it is to imagine that some other lady is just going to waltz into our home and have YOUR kids? You don't! So don't say 'I get it' cause you don't!" She said as she broke down into quiet sobs. Ismail immediately engulfed her into a hug. He didn't know how to comfort something he didn't understand. The least he could do was give her his chest to cry upon. Maybe one day he'll see it from her view.

Kameela was still in his embrace when Aunty Fatima walked back into the room. Kameela immediately pulled away from his body. Ismail was about to stand up but she signalled him to sit back down and she sat on the seat he placed beside Sameer's chair. They stayed in comfortable silence till when Kameela gasped.

"What happened?"

"The dinner?" She asked with concern laced in her voice.

"What happened to it?"

"You're going to be late." Ismail looked at the time, he had a time to spare.

"No I won't. I still have time."

"Well you need to go and get ready. By the time you get home, shower and get ready, I bet it'll be time already."

"Okay. But will you be fine?"

"Of course I'll be fine. I'm not the one giving birth." There was a tinge of sorrow in her eyes but it vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

"Are you sure?" He said as he rose up from the double seat.

"Yes." She said as she nodded her head in the affirmative.

"Are you hundred percent sure?" Ismail asked again, just to be sure.