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.
"What's on your mind, JaFrah?"
"Hmm..."
"Are you perhaps mad at me because I left without saying bye to you?"
"I—"
"Let me explain," Jameel cut her off. "I stopped by in the morning after fajr, saw your prayer mat still on the floor and you were soundly asleep in bed. I wanted to wake you up so badly but I didn't want to disturb your peaceful sleep."
"Oh."
"Are you still mad at me? Don't be. I will make it up to you when I get back."
"Don't make such promises." Afrah heaved a sigh. She hated it so much when that was said to her. Why tell her in words and not actions?
"I guess you're still mad at me. I really would have waited for you to wake up but I had to be here at the office very early as I have a lot to do today and I wanted to start early."
"I understand."
"Thank you, baby. Have you eaten though? I hope you don't plan to skip."
"I have...a while ago. How about you?" She asked. It was her chance to know if Najah was the one who made breakfast for him in the morning. "Did you have something to eat before leaving?"
"Yes."
Afrah was disappointed by Jameel's curt reply. She hummed again.
"I will try to finish up early and return home as soon as possible."
Defeated, Afrah replied; "Alright."
"Don't miss me too much. I know you're already doing that. Say Salam to my baby for me."
"Bye." Afrah ended the call and exasperatedly threw the phone on the bed.
"Why am I so restless?"
Afrah found it strange that the house was that quiet. It was as if she was the only one around. Najah wasn't making any sound around the house and it was worrisome.
Not able to bear the guilt of not asking her if she was alright earlier, Afrah left her room for the kitchen but met Najah's absence.
She contemplated going to Najah's room to see for herself if she was alright and this time, her conscience won over her ego.
With a shaky fist, Afrah knocked on the door. No response was gotten. She knocked for the second time and still didn't get a response. That invoked more unsettling feelings in the pit of her stomach.
She pushed open the door. Luckily, it was not locked.
Afrah was welcomed by the drops of blood on the floor. Her hand flew over her mouth and she let out a gasp. Najah wasn't in the room.
Afrah's gaze darted to the bathroom door which was ajar. Her legs immediately carried her there.
As she approached, her eyes fixated on Najah on the floor, writhing in agony. Her face contorted, etching lines of torment that spoke volumes. Her furrowed brows, tightly pursed lips, and clenched jaw emphasized the severity of her pain.
"Najah!" Afrah screamed and fell to her knees; her lips quivering as she spoke. "What's happening to you?"
"My...my baby," Najah forced out the word; her arms clutched around her stomach tightly. "My baby," she cried.
Afrah's heart raced, and her eyes widened in horror. A gut-wrenching sense of helplessness washed over her, her breath catching in her throat. "Don't worry, Najah... you're going to be alright. Your baby is going to be fine."
At that moment, every fiber of Afrah's being was consumed by empathy and a desperate urgency to alleviate Najah's suffering. Her hands trembled as she contemplated how to intervene, instinctively reaching out as if to touch and reassure Najah that she would help her. Yet, her actions were suspended, frozen by a mix of fear and the weight of witnessing such distress.
"Please save—" Najah grabbed Afrah's hand with her bloodied one. "My baby...please sav—" Before she could finish her sentence, she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Najah!" Afrah screamed at the top of her voice. "Please don't do this," she tapped her face continuously. "Please wake up." She cried. "SubhanAllah! What am I supposed to do now? Ya Allah, please help me."
As Afrah's panic intensified, so too did her determination to save Najah and her baby. A surge of bravery propelled her to help Najah up, conquering her initial fear.
Although Najah had regained consciousness, the bleeding hadn't stopped.
"I'm losing my child," Najah whimpered. "My baby!"
Tears prickled Afrah's eyes. Seeing Najah in so much pain was not something she had ever imagined. Especially the pain of going through a miscarriage. Afrah felt extremely sorry for her. She wished there was something she could do to ease her suffering. She would do it in a heartbeat. "Please save your strength, Najah," Afrah beseeched amidst sobs. "You are not going to lose your baby in Sha Allah. You are going to be fine too. I'm taking you to the hospital."
"Jameel...call him. Help me, Afrah. Please help me. I can't lose this baby. I can't. Get Jameel here!!"
Afrah swallowed a massive lump in her throat. Najah's cry was shooting right into her heart. She had to do everything in her power to save them. Calling Jameel at that crucial moment wasn't important because it would take him a while to get there and take Najah to the hospital. Afrah had to take decisions into her own hands.
She helped Najah into the car and rushed to Jameel's room to look for the key to his other car. The search for the key took a few minutes. When she finally found it, she picked it up and ran out of the house, almost slipping and falling down the stairs.
"Afrahhhhh!" Najah's scream startled Afrah.
"Open the gate!" Afrah yelled at the gatekeeper as she got into the car. "We're going to the hospital. You're going to be alright."
"My ba..by." was the last thing Afrah heard Najah say before she slipped into unconsciousness again.
"Please hang on, Najah." Afrah cried; adrenaline coursing through her veins. She wanted to call Jameel but every second seemed crucial, Najah's life hanging in the balance. She focused on the task ahead, determined to get Najah the help she needed.
The urgency in the air was palpable as Afrah swiftly maneuvered through the chaotic city streets. The blaring sirens and flashing lights of her vehicle added to the sense of urgency surrounding her. She just wanted to see herself in the hospital by all means. Every red light felt like an impassable obstacle, each second ticking by turned into an agonizing torment for her.
Najah had still not regained consciousness.
The weight of responsibility settled heavily on Afrah's shoulders as she weaved through the traffic, praying for an open path. "Hang on, Najah," Afrah urged. "We are almost there."
The hospital loomed into view, a beacon of hope amidst the tension.
Afrah alighted from the car and sprinted towards the entrance of the reception. "It's an emergency! Please help! She's in the car."
Medical personnel rushed to meet Najah, ready to take over the critical task at hand. The urgency in their eyes mirrored Afrah's. More tears welled in her eyes as she watched Najah being put on a stretcher and driven away, but at the same time, she felt a bit relieved by the seamless transition from her care to the capable hands of the medical professionals.
"You have to wait here," one of the medical personnel told Afrah as Najah was taken into the emergency room.
"Please," she sniffled a sob. "Save her and the baby."
"The doctors will do their job the best they can." He replied and shut the door in her face.
As Afrah finally took a seat on one of the benches there, she couldn't help but reflect on the intensity of the experience. The last time she saw someone in a lot of pain was when her mother was in labor and gave birth to Jinan before they could get to the hospital.
She could only pray for Najah to be safe. Her baby as well.
"Jameel!" She suddenly remembered she hadn't called to inform him about what was going on. Fortunately for her, she had remembered to take her phone amidst the chaos.
Without wasting a second, she called him.
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Please vote and comment if you liked the chapter 🥺🙏 the number of votes and comments on the previous chapter wasn't encouraging at all.
Will Najah lose her baby?
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