Afrah couldn't cease the smile on her face as she watched the way Jameel held Fawaaz close to his chest; rocking him back and forth gently. For her, it was a sight to behold. She couldn't help but marvel at the way his large hands seemed so delicate as they cradled the tiny head, and his eyes were fixed on the little bundle of joy with a look of admiration and love.
A sense of peace and contentment washed over Afrah. This was exactly what she wanted. A helping hand. She was glad that Jameel listened to her and was finally doing the right thing. "It's as if you've been waiting your whole life for this moment. Your movements are so smooth. You made him go back to sleep in such a short time."
"I told him to go back to sleep, and he listened. From all indications, Fawaaz is going to be an obedient child." Jameel smiled.
"I think he likes you more..." Afrah voiced. Despite spending many hours everyday feeding, changing, and caring for him, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he preferred his father for he didn't give him a hard time at all, plus, he looked so peaceful sleeping in his arms. "He does nothing but cry whenever I hold him."
"You think so?"
"Yes."
"I'm likable, that's why?" Jameel smirked. "Isn't that the reason you fell madly in love with me and chased me?"
"I did? Me? Afrah huffed and chuckled. "You were the one who fell in love with me first. I had to accept you after you begged all my friends for my number, chased me everywhere, and even kept texting me on WhatsApp even when I never replied to your messages."
"You're right," Jameel said, gently putting Fawaaz back in his cradle and sitting on the bed. "You did give me a tough time."
"You were obsessed with me." She said a playful smile on her lips.
Jameel's eyes crinkled with laughter as he threw his head back. "You were like a wild bird, always fluttering out of my reach. I had to apply my superpowers to be able to get hold of you. From the very first day I set my eyes on you, I knew that I had to have you. I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and trust me," he smirked. "I was able to get you to feel the same way about me in just a week. You couldn't resist this charm for too long."
Afrah sat beside Jameel on the bed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "When I saw you for the first time, I instantly developed a liking for you, but I had to play a little hard to get."
"Oh!" Jameel exclaimed. "That was it?"
Afrah chuckled. "You didn't expect me to accept you so easily, did you?"
"The truth is, I did...I was so used to getting love confessions from girls and rejecting them. And for every girl I approached, I never got a no from any. At first, I thought you were like the rest. I thought you were going to be all over me, but you proved to be different when you refused to give me your number. I tried to get it from your friends but it still didn't work."
Afrah shook her head against his shoulder.
"Everything about you was unique. From the way you walked to the way we conversed. I loved everything."
"I don't like the use of past tense."
"I love everything," Jameel corrected. "And I love you. So much. You're my life, Afrah."
"I love you," Afrah kissed his shoulder. "when you're not annoying me."
"Does this mean your love for me is conditional?"
Afrah hummed her response.
"That's unfair because even when you nag and nag and nag, my love for you doesn't go away. I even end up apologizing to you even when I'm not wrong."
"So all the times we've had misunderstandings, I'm always the one to blame? Is that what you're saying?"
"Ninety percent of the time, Afrah," Jameel replied.
Afrah rolled her eyes. "In your heart, you know that's not true. You're the one who always has to have the last say."
"You're the one who can never admit when you're wrong."
"This must be a joke. You're the one who's always trying to prove a point, even when you know you are wrong, and you know it, Jameel."
"You're the one who is always so quick to push me away."
"You're the one who always frustrates me."
"You're the one who always blames me for every single thing that goes wrong in this house."
"You're the one who—"
"You're the one who I can't get off my mind, despite the headache you give me."
At his last sentence, Afrah couldn't stop herself from blushing. Jameel truly did have his way with words. He was able to turn the argument into a playful one before it could degenerate into a fight. Afrah realized it was not even an argument, it was a dance of affection, a way to express their frustrations without causing any real harm.
Jameel continued; "You're the one who's refused to release me from the shackles of your love."
Afrah chuckled. "You're something else, Jameel. I can't with you."
"And you're to blame for it." Jameel laughed, drawing her into his embrace.
In their embrace, time seemed to stand still. Their bodies molded together, fitting like puzzle pieces as if they were made for each other. Afrah's lips curved into a smile for she knew that whatever the case might be, their love would always triumph over any argument.
"I pray Fawaaz doesn't wake up in the middle of the night today." Afrah sighed, pulling away from Jameel.
"Hopefully."
"It's getting late already, you should go."
"Go where?"
"Where," Afrah narrowed her eyes at him. "you're supposed to be."
"I don't need to be reminded."
"Oh, you do. It seemed you had forgotten."
"I didn't."
"Good night then."
"You were the one that complained to me about not spending enough time with you and Fawaaz," Jameel rose to his feet. "now that I'm here, it seems you don't want me around."
"That's not it, Jameel. Of course, I want you here, but not when you're supposed to be somewhere else. You have other responsibilities." The way Afrah had accepted that Jameel was not hers alone surprised her immensely. She no longer cared the way she used to.
"I know."
"Okay."
"Hmm..."
"What is it, Jameel?"
"You've changed...a lot."
"For the better? I know. It's a good thing, isn't it?"
"I'm talking about an entirely different thing, but it's fine. Sleep well."
As Afrah watched him walk out of the room, she wondered what he was talking about.
She shrugged when she couldn't find an answer to her question.
•
The morning sun slowly began to cast its warm glow upon the room, gently coaxing the darkness away. Afrah lay nestled in the comfort of her bed; the duvet still wrapped around her body. A sudden shrill cry pierced through the silence, shattering the tranquility that had enveloped the room.
Afrah's eyes fluttered open. Exhausted, she pushed herself up and left the comfort of her bed.
Her steps, though weary, carried her swiftly towards the source of the cry. The sound grew louder and more urgent, as she approached the cradle. She reached down; her hands trembling with a mix of fatigue and tenderness as she gently scooped Fawaaz into her arms and began to cradle him. Replaced by an unwavering devotion, her exhaustion seemed to dissipate into the air.
As Afrah continued to rock him back and forth, his cries slowly subsided.
"Thank you," she mumbled, placing a tender kiss on his forehead. "You decided not to give me a tough time today."
Just as Afrah was about to return him to his cradle, a knock on the door interrupted her.
Without having to be told, she already knew who it was.
Najah.
Jameel would never knock.
"The door is not locked. You can come in."
Najah walked in, holding a tray in her hands. "Assalamualaikum, good morning, Fawaaz's mummy." She greeted with a huge smile on her face.
Afrah was a bit taken aback because it had been a while Najah cooked for her. They hardly even crossed paths despite living in the same house. "Good morning."
"I woke up very early today to prepare a proper breakfast for all of us. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of tea and bread every day so I decided to make these delicious yam balls and salad."
"Thank you, Najah. I really appreciate this."
"It's nothing, Afrah," Najah replied, dropping the tray on a stool. She extended her arms, inviting Afrah to pass the baby into her embrace. "Can I hold him?"
"Of course," Afrah answered. She did not hesitate to hand over the baby to Najah. "He just woke up."
"I heard his cry from the door. He doesn't allow you to sleep, does he?"
"At all," Afrah yawned. "But he behaved today though. He only woke me up once in the night."
"He has grown so big and more beautiful," Najah cooed. "See how big his eyes are. I think he is sleepy. His eyes are closing."
"Yes," Afrah collected him from Najah and returned him to his cradle. "I pray he sleeps for a long time."
"I will be back. I forgot to bring the salad."
"Alright."
Afrah smiled to herself. She was glad that Najah was not depressed anymore, even though they were not friends.
Afrah turned around to look at the tray of food Najah had brought. The door creaked open, and Jameel stepped into the room. His presence was felt even before she turned around to meet his gaze. She could already tell it wasn't Najah because there was no knock on the door and the door wasn't closed back. Jameel was fond of entering her room and leaving the door a jar.
With each step Jameel took, the floor whispered beneath his weight, as if announcing his arrival.
Jameel wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her earlobe. "Good morning, JaFrah," he whispered; his voice a soothing melody that resonated deep within her soul.
She turned around, her gaze meeting his. A soft smile danced on her lips. "Good morning, Jameel."
"Jameel?" He frowned. "That's unacceptable."
Afrah rolled her eyes. "Why are you suddenly acting like a baby?"
"Am I not your baby?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest and jutting out his lower lips in a pout.
Afrah shook her head and attempted to walk away, but before she could succeed, Jameel lunged towards her, grabbing her by the waist and playfully pulling her towards the bed.
Afrah gasped as she stumbled backward, feeling the mattress beneath her.
Jameel climbed on top of her, his hands roaming over her body as he tickled her sides. She squirmed and wriggled, trying to escape his grasp, but he held her firmly in place. "Jameel! Stop. We are going to wake Fawaaz and—"
"Jameel again? Huh?" He continued to tickle her. "You haven't learned."
Their laughter filled the room as they playfully wrestled on the bed.
Unbeknownst to them, Najah had entered the room. Her presence was only noticed when she cleared her throat.
With all the strength Afrah could muster, she pushed Jameel off her body and sprang up; her eyes darting nervously around the room, avoiding Najah who was standing by the doorway, her expression a mix of shock and anger?
Jameel, on the other hand, did not get up from the bed.
The silence in the room was deafening as the three of them remained there, unsure of what to say or do next.
Awkward.
"I'm sorry," Najah began. "I didn't know—"
"It's fine," Afrah cut her off.
"Here's the salad."
"Thank you, Najah."
Najah didn't respond. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
•
Assalamualaikum/hello!
100 votes and comments on this chapter or nothing!. I really want to know what y'all think about this story so far. The number of comments not encouraging at all 😔
Do you think Jameel really has feelings for Najah?
Would you rather have Najah as a co-wife or Afrah or none?? 😂🤣🤣🤣
What would you have done if you were Najah?
deey_jah
～♡♡