Afrah's eyes flicked to her room's wall clock for the zillionth time. Jameel had promised to return early, but it was already late and he had not shown up. He was not even picking up her calls or responding to her texts.
As Afrah sat by the window, her anxiety seemed to intensify. She couldn't pinpoint why he didn't deem it for to call and inform her of his whereabouts, knowing how worried she tended to get.
Afrah's hands trembled as she clutched her cell phone, hoping it would ring. Her only desire was to hear that Jameel was okay. That was all that mattered at the time. Every sound of a passing car made her heart skip a beat in anticipation, only to plummet back into hopelessness as it drove on.
Darkness was setting in. Fawaaz had fallen asleep and the house was eerily quiet. Afrah's fear intensified. Her gut feeling was hinting that something was wrong somewhere, but she just couldn't put a finger on it. "Where are you, Jameel?" She gulped a ball of nerves in her throat. "Where are you?"
As Afrah continued to wait for his return, or at least a call from him, her thoughts drifted to Jameel's mother. Although they weren't on good terms and she probably wouldn't pick up her calls, Afrah decided to swallow her pride and do it for the sake of Jameel. But immediately, she shook her head, dropping the phone on the bed. Her pride just wouldn't let her. She did not want to have to ask Hajiya for any favor.
"What am I going to do now?" She asked herself, as she paced restlessly in the room. Images of possible accidents played in her mind. She tried to distract herself by washing the dishes that had been in the sink the whole day, but her thoughts kept returning to Jameel. The knots in her stomach tightened with every passing second. "Please be safe," she muttered under her breath.
Afrah reached for her phone again, in hopes of a missed call or text message from Jameel. But nothing!
With a quivering hand, she finally gave in to the urge to reach out to Hajiya. She had to mentally convince herself that she was solely doing it for Jameel. As she fumbled through her contact list, the realization struck — she had erased Hajiya's number in a fit of rage a long time ago. "Oh no! Why?" She whispered to herself helplessly.
Afrah's mind continued to race with a multitude of scenarios, painting a bleak picture of the unknown fate that had befallen her husband, the father of her only child. Despite her attempts to reassure herself that nothing had happened to Jameel and he probably had his phone on silence, the gnawing worry in her chest could not be silenced.
She heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the sound of the gates opening. She felt even more relieved when she saw Jameel's car advancing into the compound.
As quickly as she could, she ran outside; her eyes glistening with tears.
Jameel stepped out of the car, a weary look on his face. He looked very unhappy. Afrah could tell by a single glance.
She waited for him to approach her.
He stood in front of her, saying nothing.
"What happened?" Afrah mustered the courage to ask, for Jameel seemed like he rather be somewhere else. He wasn't even smiling at her. "You didn't answer my calls and text messages. You didn't call me even once, knowing that I would be worried."
"My phone was on silence," he answered, walking past her and into the house.
Afrah's jaw dropped to the ground. Did he just walk away? Without a proper excuse?
Frustrated, Afrah followed inside, determined to get answers to all of her questions. He was acting funny all of a sudden and she wasn't having it. Not after the emotional trauma he put her through.
As she walked into the living room, Afrah met Jameel seated on the couch.
She stood akimbo in front of him. "Why would you keep your phone on silence without telling me beforehand? I was worried sick about you. You could have at least sent me a message to let me know you were okay. But you didn't! Is this how it's supposed to be?"
Jameel heaved a sigh and looked up to face her. "I'm sorry about that... I was dealing with a lot and needed space. I didn't mean to make you worry. You're right, I should have at least called."
"Dealing with a lot?" Afrah scoffed. "Did you even stop to think I'd be put in the same situation if you didn't call? Of course, you didn't. As always, you were only thinking about yourself!"
"Afrah, please," Jameel beseeched. "Not now."
"What do you mean not now?" Tears blurred her vision. "Do you know the ugly thoughts that were running through my mind? I was so scared."
"I'm fine, you can stop worrying now," Jameel stood to leave.
"We are not done talking, Jameel. You need to give me a good explanation. I almost had a heart attack, thinking Fawaaz had lost his father at this early stage."
Jameel chuckled humorlessly. "Really? You weren't worried about losing your husband...you were more worried about Fawaaz losing his father. Great," he remarked sarcastically. "Just great!"
Afrah furrowed her brows in confusion. "What are you on about? Of course, I was worried ab—"
"Save it, Afrah. I have gotten the confirmation I needed."
"Why are you picking a fight with me? What have I done? What happened? I would just stand here and allow you to transfer aggression on me."
"Since you want to know so badly, I will tell you."
Afrah couldn't help but notice the sadness in his eyes. It seemed to her that he had been crying.
"Are you ready for the big news?" Jameel gave a smile that did not quite reach his eyes.
Afrah's confusion grew even bigger. What was happening?
"Finally," he chuckled. "You've gotten what you've always wanted."
"What have I always wanted?"
"You know better."
"I wouldn't be asking if I knew. Are you going to tell me or not?"
"Najah and I aren't together anymore. I divorced her."
Afrah's heart race escalated. Everything finally made sense to her.
Jameel was acting funny because of the divorce. The sadness in his eyes was because he had lost Najah.
He was transferring his frustrations on her.
"Okay, and?" Afrah asked; her brows furrowed tightly.
"This is the point you jump for joy. Your prayer has finally been answered."
"What?" Afrah's anger was building up in her. How dare he blame her for a decision he took himself!
"Congratulations!" He clapped. "You've won."
"Stop it, Jameel!" Afrah warned. "I don't like how you're sounding right now."
"Don't even try to pretend that you're sad. I know you never liked her. You've always had a problem with Najah. Well, congratulations, you've finally gotten rid of her."
Jameel's words rendered Afrah speechless. She looked at him, shocked. His words cut deep.
"Are you happy now?" He asked, widening his eyes. "You should be."
"Jameel—"
"Another thing," he cut her off, raising a finger. "And don't lie to me. You've been lying to me but I need you to be honest this time."
Afrah's heart fell. He sounded so serious and authoritative at the same time. She had never seen him like that before.
"What did you say to Hajiya to make her leave the house?"
Afrah gulped; her windpipe blocked. Her eyes bulging. "I —"
"DID YOU THREATEN HER?" He boomed. "I already know the truth...I just want to hear it from you."
Afrah's body began to tremble as she could see Jameel's vein straining through his neck. She could only nod, unable to speak. She was so terrified of his reaction that she had to close her eyes.
"You threatened my mother," Jameel stated; his voice filled with venom.
Afrah swallowed another ball of nerves in her throat. She was visibly shaking, but even so, she knew she had to regain her composure. "I did that because she threatened me first! Do you know the vile things she said to me?" Afrah violently wiped away her tears. "You saw how badly she treated me in this house."
"Listen here," Jameel pointed a finger at her. "My mother is not one to disrespect. No matter what she did or has done to you, you have no right to talk back at her."
"I only defended myself. As I have been taught by my parents."
"So you've been taught to disrespect your elders? What a good home training you got," sarcasm dripped off Jameel's tone.
Afrah balled her fists. "I won't allow you to question my parents' upbringing. Say whatever you want about me, but leave my parents out of this."
"Of course I will," Jameel responded. "Why? Because I know my limits, but you?" He shook his head. "You're despicable. I'm not even going to try and sugarcoat anything. You're a despicable person, Afrah."
Afrah's heart shattered into uncountable pieces. She couldn't practically hear the sound in her ears. Were her ears deceiving her? She couldn't fathom what was happening anymore. She felt like screaming her frustration out for everyone to hear. "You also have no right to judge me, Jameel." She replied with a hazy vision. "Your mother treated me like trash," she cried. "I just couldn't take it anymore. You have no idea what I have had to endure, so don't you dare call me despicable!"
Jameel scoffed. "Oh please, spare me that. Do you think you're the first person who isn't liked by her mother-in-law? A lot of people face that challenge, Afrah. You're not the first and you won't be the last. That shouldn't excuse your behavior and the way you treat people."
"So that makes it okay?" Afrah's voice quivered. She couldn't Jameel's mentality. "I guess I'm the villain in our story."
"The point is, you stood in front of me, lied to my face, and I foolishly believed you," Jameel yelled. "I foolishly believed you because I saw how close Hajiya and Najah were and I thought they were indeed ganging up on you. I foolishly believed you because I trusted you! You took advantage of that and broke my trust. Isn't that a despicable thing to do? I have told you severally that my mother is off limits. I have warned you to stay clear and not disrespect her, but apparently, my words hold no water."
Afrah knew she had indeed crossed a line, and she regretted her action. She had been feeling guilty for a while now, but having Jameel say those words to her made her feel the urge to defend herself. "Have you ever tried to talk to your mother about how she treats me?"
"Have you ever made efforts to make her like you?" Jameel shook his head. "I'm disappointed in you, Afrah. Highly so. Despite what people think about you, I used to believe you had a clean heart, but now, I doubt that. Maybe...just maybe," he nodded his head. "They are all right about you. You are a narcissist. All you care about is your ego. Even the family you claim to love, you don't care about them. You certainly don't give a hoot about me either. I have always just been a pawn in your antics.
"You turned me away from people who truly loved me. I have divorced Najah. She wants absolutely nothing to do with me anymore. She doesn't even want to see my face anymore. And Hajiya, she insulted me in a manner she's never done before and sent me out of her house," Jameel's eyes were filled to the brim with tears. His sorrow was palpable. "I sincerely hope you're happy now. I'm miserable, and it's all your fault."
Afrah felt her heart break even further at his words. Jameel was hurting so badly. It had never been her intention to cause him that much pain, but it seemed like that was all she was doing in his life.
"I shouldn't have held onto this relationship," Jameel continued, sending a punch to Afrah's guts. "I should have accepted the fact that you don't love me but was trying to use me to prove a point to others and yourself as well. Maybe I am indeed stupid as Hajiya implied, because I should have known that you had something up your sleeves when you suddenly became caring and affectionate towards me," he smiled, sadly. "I'm indeed stupid, aren't I? It must have been so easy playing with my emotions."
Afrah's tears wouldn't stop falling. She wanted to speak and invalidate his false claims, but words failed her. All she could do was listen and cry helplessly.
"I have done nothing but love you. I did, against all odds. I defended you. I trusted you. But you shattered my trust. I don't know if I will ever be able to trust you again. You've done a lot of damage. You singlehandedly turned a mother and son against each other. You took the woman who genuinely loved me away from me. The same love I had for you, Najah had for me. Congratulations on destroying relationships. I hope you're able to sleep well at night."
•
Assalamualaikum/hello 👋
How are you all doing?
May Allah accept our fast and prayers during this month of Ramadan and beyond.
Let me know what you think about this chapter in the comments.
Whose side are you on?
Jameel's or Afrah?
Do you think he's unnecessarily taking out his anger on her?
Do you agree with Jameel that Najah loves him more?
Vote and share ❤️
Until next time✌️