The crickets stridulated in the darkness of the late spring night. There was quietness in the apartment. The children slept in their beds peaceful. Darkness filled each room. The clock ticked shattering the silence in the apartment. There was serenity after a busy day where children ran around screaming or the baby crying for endless needs. But Faraz and Samreen were awake. Both resting on their sides, facing away from each other. He was discreetly watching on his phone. The explicit video was on mute. While she was lost in deep disturbing thoughts about her husband. Fiza's words had stirred a storm within her. Everything was making sense. His denial of being close to her. His lack of interest in her. Most of all their non-existent intimate relationship since the birth of their youngest baby. He had to be cheating with another woman. But who? Was it someone at work? Or somewhere else? How long had he been in this affair?
As her thoughts drifted to desolate assumptions, she felt the bed moving subtly. Her eyebrows scrunched. Faraz was asleep, wasn't he? Why was bed moving in quick rhythmic movements? She rolled to her other side hastily facing his back.
Faraz stilled as he sensed her stirring behind him. His hand froze in fear in his pants. They had been in bed for last two hours, how was it she was still awake? A cold hand touched his shoulder, "Faraz?"
He immediately closed his eyes and feigned sleeping, controlling his ragged breathing. His heart hammering in his ribcage. The hand on his shoulder slid down his bicep and pressed, "Are you awake?"
He didn't reply.
She waited a long moment and then let go. He was moving but he stopped as soon as she spoke. What was going on? Was he dreaming?
There were too many unanswered questions. She will get to the bottom of this soon. She needed answers to salvage their relationship but most of all she was determined to solve this mystery for her own sanity. She aspired peace and if this continued she feared her soul will be damaged irrecoverably.
****
The events of last night were still swarming in her mind at the predawn prayer –Fajr. After salah, she went straight to her bedroom, glancing warily at the wall clock and the bathroom door and on an impulse, she grabbed Faraz's phone. He was busy taking a bath and it will take a while before he will emerge out. It was sufficient time for her to search his phone. With trembling fingers, she unlocked his phone easily. She hardly used his phone but knew his password. She was dreading what she will find but she was unwavering as she clicked on the phone log. First, she scanned through the contact list and the phone log. There were no calls from any mysterious new numbers or new names saved on the phone. Then she skimmed through the messages but there was nothing. Frowning, she clicked on What's App and again there was nothing. Slowly, she set the phone down on her phone.
Perplexed, her eyes scanned absently around the bedroom, going through all the events in the last few months, scrutinizing if there was any cause of suspicion in Faraz's attitude. She wasn't able to put her finger on what was disturbing. He was never late from work. He never ignored her calls. During weekends, he was always at home, not even going out with friends much. But ... but ... he was withdrawn from her and the children. He preferred solitude. Why?
Just then Faraz stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing the towel on his wet dark hair. His heart leaped as his eyes landed on the phone that was next to Samreen on the bed. He hurriedly picked it up and rushed out of the room.
Phone? What was so secretive about his phone?
Samreen gaped at his skittish behaviour to take possession of his phone. Her jaw clenched. He was never like this.
From this day forth, she will have to monitor who exactly he was chatting or calling to. His phone held the answers and she will find them.
****
Weeks passed and still Samreen was no closer to finding out what was going on. Faraz wasn't intimate anymore. He was being distant day by day. There was something terribly wrong. But what? He was very protective of his phone. He tried his best never to leave his phone unattended. She had never seen him chatting or calling on the phone. Baffled, she let it go thinking it may have been due to the work stress. Besides, she had enough worries of her children. Countless chores that took all of her day and by nightfall she would be fast asleep way before Faraz entered the room for the night.
They seldom spoke on any matter. It seemed there was nothing to discuss or talk about and if she spoke about their children, he would grumble that she should find the solutions to her problems. He expected her to become the supermom and be part of every aspect of their lives. He, on the other hand, was only there to play around with them for few hours during the weekends but never ready to take responsibility towards their upbringing.
It was Samreen who cooked, fed them, washed them, bathe them, and put them to bed. She helped Liyaanah do homework. She did their laundry. And many times she had to even sit with them and play so they don't fight amongst themselves.
Because of her continuous hectic schedule, she wasn't able to take part in her sister in law Nawal's wedding planning. The wedding was just a few weeks away now. She felt guilty, not able to help out with all the small chores leading up to the wedding. Her mother in law, Ghazala reassured her that it was alright and her young children needed her attention more. Besides, Shahbaz and Fiza had moved in her parents in law home so that they can help out with all details regarding the wedding. It was Ghazala's idea that the children shouldn't be disturbed by moving out of the apartment during the wedding days. Samreen was very grateful that Ghazala was empathetic, unlike typical desi mother in law.
It was one of those days when everything was going wrong. Since morning Salim was being cranky, Samreen suspected his first tooth was coming out now that he was six months old. Today was Nawal's mehndi ceremony (henna party) and she was in a rush to complete all the chores and leave for the event prior to its starting so she can help out there. But a grumpy baby was slowing her pace in her chores. She had just given all the children bath and had them ready. She was preparing a quick meal for Faraz since he would be home as the event was only for ladies.
Slicing an onion on the chopping board, lost in her thoughts, Samreen carelessly sliced as she heard Liyaana screaming that Daniyaal had taken her doll. She looked up the chopping board but her hands continued to the task she was working on. That's when the piercing knife jabbed her finger. She clenched her teeth tightly as fierce pain throbbed on her bleeding finger. Ignoring Liyaanah's cries, she pressed her finger tight to stop the bleeding and ran to the kitchen tap to clean the wound.
Irritated, Faraz emerged out of their bedroom. Scowling, he complained, "Why is Liyaanah screaming so much?"
"They are arguing again," Samreen sighed as she wrapped the paper towel around her finger. The white tissue paper turning crimson.
Faraz's gaze flickered on her finger, "Put on a band aid. I will go and check Liyaanah," he said in a monotonous tone and strode to the children's bedroom.
Bleakly, she watched her husband disappear at the children's bedroom. Her finger injury forgotten as the blood slowly dripped. Her hand going numb. I am not important to him anymore. But there was a time when even a small cut on her hand meant a lot to him.
It was her parent's 25th wedding anniversary. She always celebrated in style. A secret party, gifts for both parents and expressing her love and gratitude for them. Her brothers were never enthusiastic but they went along with her. This was the first year she was away from them at their anniversary and she missed them terribly.
She had come across the seas to study in one of the best universities in Europe but at the cost of being far away from her parents. She was especially homesick tonight. Wandering in the empty flat on her own, tears had trickled down her cheeks. She missed her Dad's loving pats on her back or her mother's affectionate hugs. If only she had wings, she would have flown back home tonight. But it was impossible. She still had two weeks left in her semester before she would visit her parents. Nouman had promised to take her out for dinner once he was back from work. But he was running late as usual.
Her desolate feelings led her to print one of her parents' pictures and she placed it in a new photo frame that her friend had gifted her. Just when she was about to mount the photo frame on the wall, the doorbell shrieked in the flat. Startling her, she delicately set the photo frame on the coffee table.
Assuming that Nouman was finally home, she hastily and carelessly opened the door without peeking through the peeping hole. The sight of a very tall man who had been haunting her dreams in the last few months was unsettling. She hurriedly draped her hijab around her head. But not before Faraz's mesmerizing gaze scrutinized her, heating her face.
He was shocked to see her without hijab. Until now, he had never seen her without it. She took his breath away. Gorgeous, Beautiful. He had often wondered how she would look like without hijab but never had he thought in his wildest dreams that she transformed completely without her hijab. Her silky straight hair style in dark brown waves down her shoulders framing her delicate face. He wanted to slide his fingers through her hair. And when she rushed to wear her hijab, it was only then that he forced himself to look away.
This infatuation was getting out of hands now. How many times he had caught himself daydreaming of her. Or the times, where she conquered his sleep during the darkness of the night. When he was away from her, his heart was discontented and being near her, it wasn't enough. If it was in his will, he would break all barriers between them. But propriety didn't allow him to act rashly.
She stepped away letting him come in the flat, "Bhai isn't here yet. He should be here in any minute now. Why don't you come in and wait for him?" she murmured as her eyelashes swept downwards, fanning her high cheekbones.
He curtly nodded and hesitantly sauntered to the living room. She followed him and then once he was sitting on the sofa, she again carried the photo frame. Feeling uneasy to hang it in front of him in the living room, she decided to hang the photo frame in her bedroom.
After scanning the walls in her room, biting her lip, she decided to take down the abstract painting from the wall beside her bed and hang her parents' picture instead. She slid the painting to the floor and tried to hang the picture on the wall. She thought she succeeded and let go of the photo frame but instead of securely hung on the wall, it glided down towards the floor. In a panic, she reacted on instinct and tried to grab the photo frame but it was too late as it crashed on the floor. The shards of the glass frame flew around the room cutting through her hand as she still was pursuing to save the photo frame from crashing.
A yelp escaped her trembling lips as the pain shot through her hand. Faraz rushed in the bedroom when he heard the crash and following Samreen's scream in agony.
"Samreen?" he voiced his concern and his eyes widened when he saw blood dripping from her hand.
Grabbing a discarded hijab on the bed, he immediately wrapped the wound with it and pulled her closer to him, "It's okay I will just clean it ok? And then bandage it."
She whimpered, turning white in pain and shock. He lightly patted her arm, "Sammy be strong it's just a—"
"What is going on here?" Nouman's voice boomed from the threshold of Samreen's room his eyes on the man who held his sister's hand and had the other arm around her. His nostrils flared and his temples throbbed. How could Faraz betray him like that?
Samreen and Faraz froze as Nouman stormed inside the bedroom and grabbed Faraz by his shirt collar, "What the hell you think you are doing with my sister?"
He dragged Faraz out of her room. Her wound forgotten, Samreen ran behind them, "Bhaiya listen please you got it all wrong."
But it was too late. Nouman was beyond reasoning. He didn't want any ne taking advantage of his sister even if that is his best friend. Samreen's explanation fell on deaf ears. Nouman was not ready to calm down until he threw Faraz out of the flat. Faraz didn't defend himself and let Nouman haul him out of the flat.
Little did Nouman knew that his aggression will make Faraz realize that it was time to take action regarding his relationship with Samreen.
****
Nawal's mehndi event (henna party) had been successful. Liyaanah had decided to stay with her beloved phuphu while Samreen had driven back with her two boys. It was very late, the apartment was quiet and dark. Faraz must have been asleep. She soundlessly put her sleepy boys to bed. She was about to go and change her fancy dress of the evening when she noticed that Faraz was holding the phone in his hand as he slept. Gently, she extracted the phone from his hand. He was in deep sleep to realize that his phone was out of his hands.
Her eyebrows scrunching, she unlocked her phone to view what made her husband busy before he slept but she did not have to probe further. As the phone unlocked a website popped up and her eyes rounded as she stared at the contents of the website.
Her husband had been watching explicit hard core porn videos.
Eid Mubarak everyone!!!
Dublin sisters 3 has been published as well... its Sana's, Saad and Amal's story. Check it out!
Samreen finally found out. What will be her reaction? Find out in the next chapter!!!
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Assalam u alaikum warahamatullahi wabarakatuhu.