It was after breakfast, the sunlight was streaming through the partly opened wooden blinds. Daud was stretched on the leather sofa idly and flicking through the television channels. He was a content man. Perhaps, more content than he had been in all his life. The last two days were the start of his marriage and so far he had found a rare kind of companionship he had never thought he would ever be blessed with. In the past, Susan was a timid quiet woman but now she had become fiery and confident. He was being drawn to her fast. He grinned remembering how she had been there for him in the shower.
"Now tell me what help you need?" Susan had asked, hanging the bright yellow bath towel on the towel rack.
He leaned his right shoulder against the cool rust tiled wall of the bathroom, "You lead the way," he winked.
She bit her lower lip in an amused manner, "Maybe I should give you a bath like Yousef does. He is surrounded by his rubber duckies and toy cars."
He tilted his head in amusement and further prodded, "I don't need toys. I need only you."
Her eyelids lowered and a tell-tale scarlet colour swept across her cheeks. He was enjoying himself and he was damn sure so was she. For a matter of fact, he liked it a lot making her blush.
She loosely twisted her long light brown hair in a bun, "C'mon Daud, just don't stand there. You need to help me."
She stepped closer and carefully pulled out the t-shirt sleeve from his left injured arm. His eyes didn't falter from her face. When he took off his t-shirt over his head, his heart clenched thinking she had married a man who wasn't even capable to look after himself now.
The change in his stance as she helped him to take off the rest of his clothes was easily discerned by Susan. This wasn't like Daud not to speak or comment about something. She knew him this much at least. She peered at his face, he had a faraway look.
"Do you want me to bring you a chair? We can put that under the shower it will be far easier to take a shower then." She suggested.
He was uneasy but why? He had seemed comfortable around her when she helped him other times.
He shook his head imperceptibly, "Ya that would help."
"Okay I will bring the kitchen chair." She rushed off.
Within minutes, she was back with the chair. She placed it under the overhead shower in the cubicle glass shower room.
She stepped back, "I think this would do," she observed.
"Ya.... I think I will manage on my own." He said standing behind her.
She frowned and whirled around. He wasn't meeting eyes with her. "What is it?"
He grew rigid, brushing past her and he sat gingerly on the chair, "I am fine, Susan. I don't want to be a nuisance to you."
Her eyebrows drew together and wrinkles formed on her porcelain white skin. He was a proud man. He wouldn't want to hear any kind of pity from her.
She smirked and leaned forward, gently her finger tips brushing his naked shoulders, "Is that what you think?" She brought her lips near his ear, "And here I was enjoying the view."
Shocked, Daud's eyes grew large. Before he could reply, her hands went behind his head and she turned the faucet. She hastily stepped back as the water flowed from the shower. Muscle by muscle, hair by hair wetting him.
His eyes were on her.
He didn't blink.
He stared under the warm shower rain.
Susan didn't know what to make out of his reaction. But the next second she yelped as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her under the shower.
"There is one toy I need under the shower." He whispered.
Her face broke into a smile as she got wet, her clothes clinging to her body, she lightly pinched his nose, her eyes glinting with mischief, "You will go on time out for getting me under the shower."
"I am ready to go on time out for the rest of our lives as long you become my strength when I weaken." His voice thickened with emotion.
She cradled his face in her hands, tilting it upwards so that their eyes spoke even before she quoted the Quran description of spousal relationship, "Husband and wife are each other's garment." She went on, "I am here for you as you are for me. I will always be your supporting pillar through thick and thin."
His slightly trembling hand went at the back of her damp head and he pulled her down. Their lips met sealing the promise of lifetime companionship and beyond.
****
In the kitchen, Nawal stood in front of the cooker cooking a light lunch for the family. Seema had gone to an Asian Women Group coffee morning and Salman was busy in his study working from home. Since she had been home from the hospital, he had been working from home. Even though, Nawal had tried to convince Salman that she was fine now, he had brushed her off by saying that soon he will go back to work. Likewise, after great persuasion Seema had reluctantly went to the women's coffee morning that day. There was a time Seema unfailingly didn't miss any weekly coffee morning. It was a means of an escape from the mundane household routine and chores and to meet friends. However, since Rania's birth Seema didn't go for the sake of her granddaughter and daughter in law.
Now here, Nawal was alone with Rania in the kitchen. While the baby was contently laying on the pink bouncer, Nawal was stirring a pot of vegetable soup. She hadn't cooked in ages. In fact, no one was aware she was preparing lunch. If it was up to her family they would make her rest the whole time. But she was fed up now. She wanted to do normal chores as she did prior to her illness.
She turned to find fresh parsley from the fridge and jolted in surprise to see Salman standing with his arms crossed over his broad chest and his eyebrows scrunched.
"What are you doing?"
Nonchalantly, she walked to the fridge, "I am cooking vegetable soup. It will be ready in just a few minutes." She opened the fridge door and then peered inside to find the parsley zip locked plastic bag.
"You don't have to cook Nawal. Ammi will be here any minute and there is still time for lunch. I would have helped her to fix something up." he reasoned.
"I wanted to cook. Besides I wasn't doing anything," her voice came out of the opened fridge as she fished for the parsley bag.
He glanced at the baby, who was about to go to sleep, rocking on her bouncer. "I just don't want you exerting yourself Nawal. Your health is more important than any chores."
Closing the fridge door, she looked at him, "You know what the doctor said on our last visit, it's about time I start doing chores as I used to."
He nodded, "Alright then you may but now tell me how I can help?"
Her nose wrinkled and her lips twitched upwards, "this would be fun to cook together. May be we should try that next time. But for now everything is done. You can set the table now." She sprinkled the chopped parsley in the pot of soup and stirred it with the plastic soup ladle.
"Yes ma'am."
Within minutes, the table was set. Nawal placed the hot serving bowl of vegetable soup at the centre of the dining table. Just then, Seema walked in the room and sniffed, a smile broke on her face, "Something smells delicious. What did you cook Nawal?"
"You are right on time Khala jee."
"I will just wash my hands and join you. But you should have waited until I come back home. I didn't want you to start cooking."
"Oh please it wasn't work at all." She glanced at Salman who was placing Rania's bouncer in the dining room, "Besides Salman helped me too."
Seema's eyes sparkled with delight hearing how the two of them were getting close, a smile lingering on her lips seeing them sitting side by side. Happiness had finally fulfilled the desolate days. Her heart was full of gratitude for the Lord as she silently left the room to wash hands and giving some privacy to the couple.
Salman took Nawal's hand in his, "It's nice to hear you finally say my name without any hesitation."
She chuckled, "I have learned we need to be honest with ourselves and accept the reality with time."
Salman's smiled waned off. Honesty was still in question. There was still the dark past that hovered over them and needed to be revealed. Her trust in him gave him the encouragement and confidence to truthfully disclose everything.
But, was Nawal really forgiving for all his past deeds?
****
It was late afternoon when Ibrahim brought Yousef to the apartment. Susan had exclaimed her delight and opened her arms for the boy. She kissed his cheeks and hugged him tightly, "Did you miss Mommy?"
"Uh-uh! Me and Daada go to the beach," his eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Is that so?" Susan smiled at her son's enthusiasm.
He nodded vigorously, "We ate ice cream."
She narrowed her eyes, "I hope not too many."
Guiltily, Yousef squirmed out of his mother's arms, "Only two."
"Two cones?!?!" Her eyes widened.
Yousef rushed back to the sofa where Ibrahim was seated and talking with Daud. He grabbed Ibrahim's arm and hugged it, "Daada is my best friend."
Susan shook her head at her son's antics. Daud's lips twitched and he whined playfully, "I thought I was your best friend."
"You too," Yousef hastily replied.
Daud and Ibrahim laughed heartily at the little boy's determination to please everyone.
Ibrahim ruffled Yousef's hair, "He is a great boy. You can come and live with your Daada and Granny any time now, okay?"
"And ice creams?" Yousef prompted.
Ibrahim chuckled as he stood up to leave, "And yes more ice cream for our little Yousef."
He turned to Susan who was standing by the sofa, "We will happily babysit him whenever you want us to."
"I am not baby," huffed Yousef and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Of course not you are my big boy," Daud defended his son. A pleasing smile touching his lips seeing the vibrant energy of his son.
It was Ibrahim few minutes later who was even more overjoyed as he walked out of the apartment. At last, his son had a loving family.
****
In the corner of the room, Susan had laid the prayer mat and was praying the last obligatory prayer isha. Yousef in his pajamas was playing with his car beside his mother. He was careful not to go too closely while she prostrated and sat down on the floor to recite the specific supplications before completing her prayer.
Susan glanced at her son and he smiled back. He knew well now he could talk to his mother.
"Mommy, Prophets' story!!!" he exclaimed in excitement as he jumped on his mother's lap.
Susan giggled and wrapped her arms around her four year old son, "Now let's see what. What story Yousef wants to hear tonight."
"Baby Musa!! Baby Musa!!"
Oh yes! Baby Musa. There was a time in the ancient Egypt when the evil King had a dream." Susan started narrating.
Yousef shook his head, "No no a nightmare."
Susan's lips curled in a smile, "You remember you cheeky monkey." She playfully pinched his cheek. "Then what happened?"
His eyes grew large, "The king ordered to kill all boy babies."
"And?" Daud perched on the bed. He had been listening to their conversation and was in awe how Susan was introducing the Islamic history to Yousef through animated stories. He smiled in encouragement as Yousef turned to look at him. Instead of narrating the story, Yousef buried his face in his mother's chest, "Mommy you say it."
"C'mon Daddy wants to know. Tell him." Susan urged, nudging his shoulder gently.
He shook his head.
Susan sighed and continued, "And so Baby Musa's mother was worried--"
"She put baby in basket," Yousef interjected.
"And?" Her eyes shining with love and pride seeing how well he remembered.
And so Yousef narrated the story. Daud was flabbergasted to see how well Yousef explained the story. But more amazed he was that how Susan made Yousef understand the lesson from the story.
"So what do we learn from the story?" Susan asked.
"Believe in Allah" Yousef promptly replied.
She tilted her head, "Good and?"
He pouted his mouth and narrowed his eyes in thought, "And...and...and oh yeah nothing bad happens to you because Allah is taking care of you."
"Exactly, now how about we put this tired little boy to bed," Susan lightly poked Yousef's tummy. Rising to her feet, she held his hand and led him to the new toddler bed Daud had bought for Yousef.
"Why I sleep here, Mommy?" his voice shaking with nervousness.
"Because this is a special bed for Yousef." Susan pulled back the Spiderman print duvet for him.
"I wanna sleep with you." he stubbornly didn't move and definitely didn't take a step closer to the bed.
"Yousef, Mommy can't sleep with you." she pointed at the double bed, "And that bed isn't big for the three of us."
His lower lip wobbled and his eyes teared up, "I am scared Mommy."
"How about Yousef sleep with Daddy?" Daud suggested. He was still perched on the bed watching the turmoil Yousef was going through.
A delightful smile broke on his face, Yousef rushed to his father.
Susan straightened and crossed her arms, "Daud he moves a lot in his sleep. He may end up hitting your injured arm."
"No I don't." Yousef protested defensively, he turned to Daud, "I will be careful. Please. Please."
Daud ruffled his hair, "Alright for tonight you sleep with us," He glanced at his frowning wife, "But from tomorrow you sleep in your bed."
Daud was learning it was far better not to irk his wife. He definitely didn't want to get into trouble.
****
It was late at night, when Salman stepped in his room. Rania was fast asleep but he was astonished to find Nawal was still awake.
"Why are you still awake?" Salman said as he sauntered to the bed.
"I couldn't sleep so I started reading," Nawal was leaning against a pile of pillows against the headboard. Her legs curled under the duvet.
"Well you better sleep. You know how Rania wakes up during the night." Salman said getting into the bed himself.
Putting the book away and switching off the side lamp on the bedside drawers, Nawal slide under the duvet. She turned at his side and gazed at him. She scooted closer towards him. he had been incredibly busy working late hours from home and he would always peek in the room every now and then making sure she was alright and whether she needed anything. Never did he ask anything in exchange. It was time she expressed her love and bridge all the gap between them.
In the darkness, Salman eyes were fixed on the ceiling. His thoughts jumbled. He was guilty of not being honest with his wife. This niggling feeling was affecting his consciousness. He had asked her to be honest and start anew but he hadn't been honest himself.
He took a deep breath. Nawal touched his arm tentatively, "You are not sleepy?"
He turned to her and said quietly, "Nawal do you remember how I said I would like us to be honest with each other now. And there should be no secrets between us." he tucked a loose strand behind her ear.
"Hmm," she was eyeing him closely.
"What if I tell you that I haven't been completely honest?"
Her eyebrows drew together and she stiffened, "What do you mean?"
"At the start of our marriage, we were really not communicating and knowing how much you were against the idea to marry me and your feelings for Daud, it was hard for me to trust you."
There was an eerie silence in the room. Nawal didn't know what to expect. Her stomach twisted in knots, she knew one thing she wasn't going to like whatever he was about to reveal."
"Okay?" she said in a confused tone.
"The phone I gifted you, you remember?" The phone that had been damaged during the accident. And since then she hadn't bought a new phone. She had been so busy to bond her relationship with Rania to notice the absence of her phone.
She nodded in the darkness.
"I had a tracking app on it."
She shot up on the bed. The duvet falling to her lap as she sat up. "You were spying on me?"
Salman too rose to a sitting position and hesitated in answering, "Ya..."
But he wasn't able to complete whatever he was about to say next, she burst out, "Did you really expect you could win me over by spying at me? And were you aware of my whereabouts all the time?"
"It's not what you are thinking—"
"Where you even screening my calls and texts?"
"Nawal calm down," he touched her arm but she jerked away in annoyance. "You are not letting me explain."
"I think I get the picture. I cannot be trusted." She narrowed her eyes, "is this why you are not going back to work? You don't trust me and you think I will run off or even worse do something to our baby."
His eyes rounded in alarm, "Nawal stop it. You are coming to wrong conclusions."
"Right! Now I have become the insane one here." She pointed at his chest, "While you were the one tracking me."
Holding the pillow to her chest, she muttered, "Here I was thinking to kiss you goodnight and probably more. Bu now you can sulk in the bed all alone. I am sleeping on the floor."
"Nawal stop being unreasonable. At least hear me out." He implored. Why did he feel the situation was slipping out of his fingers?
"I don't want to hear anything right now, Salman." She rummaged in the wardrobe for the extra duvet.
She threw the pillow on the floor beside the baby cot and dumped the spare duvet beside it. She was going to sleep on the floor. No way was she going to be near him when he had infuriated her this much.
"Why are you even sleeping on the floor? It's not like we do anything but sleep." he was trying to bring her back to the bed. But as usual his choice of words infuriated her further.
She sank on the floor, "So now you will accuse me that I don't fulfil my marital duties."
"What is wrong with you? Did I complain to you about anything? I don't want to keep any secrets or lies between us and that is why I told you even though I know the truth is bitter and ugly."
Unfolding the duvet, she covered herself, "Good night, Salman."
"Is this how you will end this argument?" he probed.
There was no response.
In frustration, he turned to his side of the bed, his back towards her. He had only one thought on his mind for many minutes before sleep finally eluded his logic.
Would they ever live in harmony?
-----------
Just when things were improving... sigh Nawal and Salman!! When will they learn?
I really really want to update as I used to in the past. But these days nothing goes to plan. Inshaa Allah one more update before Ramadan and then the story will end during the Eid week inshaa Allah.
Until next time,
Assalam u alaikum warahmatullahi wabaraktuhu.