Part 26 - Emotions
'I love you, Maleeha.'
'I love you, Maleeha.'
'I love you, Maleeha. Your mother is my mother and I am going to do everything for her that I possibly can. I know you are stressed about her and that you are confused by what she has, but we will figure it out together.'
Maleeha's head spun with Zaakir's proclamation of love. All she could focus on was his admission, even as her father spoke to her directly. She gave him a half-hearted answer and then gave more time to her thoughts. How could Zaakir love her? Well, how could he not? Why would he love her? Does he really love her? Or, does he merely think that he loves her? Was his declaration only a slip of the tongue? Was it meant to be comforting to her because of the fact that her mother was ill?
Did he mean it?
With an exasperated sigh, Maleeha gazed down at the pepperoni pizza in front of her. Several pieces of pepperoni were crammed on her single slice of pizza with a generous helping of extra mozzarella that created a spider web of cheese strings as it broke apart from the others. It was a downright delicious masterpiece that still steamed with heat from her black side plate she was using. A tall glass of cranberry juice sat beside her plate, but Maleeha had no appetite to eat the pizza.
The conversation between her father and her husband flowed easily and steadily. They were discussing sports and her mother's medical condition, and as much as Maleeha loved her mother, she could not bear to hear anymore about Multiple Sclerosis. It was, for the time being, much too much for her to even wrap her head around. Along with Zaakir's 'I love you' and her mother's Multiple Sclerosis, she could not eat. She blocked it out, until she heard her father's voice. "What did you do with Zaakir over these last two weeks?"
Her eyes were unfocused, then cleared as she looked at him. "Jee, daddy?" A dark blush covered her skin.
Binyameen gave his daughter a wide grin. "What happened with your rather quick honeymoon? Considering you and Zaakir left before the reception."
Regaining her composure, Maleeha smirked and answered, "Oh, Zaakir decided that he wanted to begin our honeymoon and surprise everyone by that fact!"
Zaakir gasped as her father choked on his laughter. "MALEEHA!" Zaakir scolded. "It was a joint decision!"
Her eyes twinkled with mischief. "But you coerced me into joining you!" Maleeha broke out into a fit of giggles at the look of Zaakir's outraged face. Hiding behind her hand, she winked at him before her father looked at them. "I'm teasing him, daddy," she quickly clarified.
Calmly, her father picked up his glass of Pepsi and took a long sip while his eyes were on Maleeha. "If you say so," he told her with a knowing look glittering in his brown eyes. "But where did you go to? What did you two do?"
Sensing Maleeha's hesitance, Zaakir spoke up. "It was nothing romantic, just a short getaway." Zaakir's eyes went to Maleeha as she finally picked up her pizza and took a bite out of it. He was glad that she managed to eat. He had noticed throughout the night that she barely ate, just picked at her pepperoni and it worried him because it was one of her favourite pizzas. "It was short notice and I didn't have much of a plan," he dismissed their trip easily. "But when I proposed the idea to Maleeha," his eyes briefly slid to Maleeha as he spoke, "she agreed with the plan and that was why we went on the trip."
Maleeha giggled and then choked on her pizza, causing Zaakir to fuss over her, by standing up and going to rub her back until she was able to breathe. Zaakir's big hand was warm against her back. To him, she felt extremely fragile after their elopement, and it worried him. Maleeha should not be model thin, in his eyes. She was absolutely stunning when she had her curves. It was then that she fitted perfectly in his arms. He worried over how he could feel each curvature of her vertebrae as he rubbed soothing little circles in her back. "Breathe," he commanded her gently in her ear. "Relax."
Unbeknownst to both of them, Binyameen had observed their interaction. Truthfully, he wasn't surprised by with the tender manner in which they interacted. As much as both Maleeha and Zaakir wanted to deny their feelings for one another, both sides of the families knew that they would be married one day. There was an intensity in the way that they treated one another, long before they even knew what love was. From the time that they were young, Zaakir and Maleeha were adventurous and loving towards one another. It was as if they had a side saved for only one another. Maleeha was always cautious and concerned for Zaakir, always wanting to include him in everything. Whereas Zaakir on the other hand, treated Maleeha like a delicate doll, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
Most fathers would hate seeing someone look at their baby girl with love when she was barely a teenager, but even though it was painful for Binyameen to admit it, he knew that Zaakir was the man who would take care of Maleeha the best, after him. The way that Zaakir looked at Maleeha when she was younger, was exactly the same way that he always looked at Maleeha; as if she was the reason that the sun rose and set every evening, as of she were the one who painted the sunset each day, as if she were the reason that the ocean was endless. Zaakir looked at Maleeha as if she were a fairy tale waiting to be read.
In Binyameen's eyes, Zaakir and Maleeha were a fairy tale. Both were stubborn mules, each set in their own ways but they both loved fiercely and protected what was theirs until their last breath. They were unconventional and impulsive and spontaneous, but they had always loved one another in their own creative and rebellious ways. Despite all the separation in their youth, their differences and their distances, they managed to find their way back to each other.
Over the years, Binyameen worried that his daughter would have ended up marrying fools because of her stubbornness and refusing to back down, even if she was wrong. However, he could see the few short weeks that she spent with Zaakir had caused her to lose weight, her skin looked a bit dull and grey, she was exhausted, but she was more quick witted than ever before and even though she was a bit distant, he saw that she was smiling more. She was happy, and whatever had happened on their trip seemed to help both of them become closer. It would seem that marriage was good for her.
Zaakir quickly poured Maleeha a glass of water and passed it to her, while still rubbing her back in small, soothing circles. Binyameen smiled and settled back into his chair with a satisfied feeling in his bones. At long last, his life - Alhamdulilah - was peaceful. After years of worry, he finally knew what was wrong with his wife. Knowing that she had MS meant that they could work on her health and how to treat it, since there was no cure. His eldest baby was married and had her own baby on the way, and lastly, the princess in his life. Maleeha was happy. She didn't know it yet, but he could see that Zaakir was the right man for his little girl.
Still smiling, he spoke. "Are you two love birds done?"
Red faced and bashful, Maleeha answered her father while Zaakir dragged his chair closer to her inconspicuously. "I was nearly half-dead, and you didn't worry about me. You let Zaakir pound on my back like some escaped gorilla!"
"If he was being Tarzan, I let you be his Jane," her father smirked teasingly at the couple. If it were possible, Maleeha turned an even darker shade while Zaakir ducked his head in shame holding back a chuckle. Binyameen shrugged and said seriously, "Sometimes, parents need to see how their children interact with their spouses to gauge whether or not they taught their children well enough and whether or not they took care of the amanat that Allah bestowed upon them."
Maleeha glared at her father, before picking up her pizza to take a bite out of it. "Yeah but..."
She was cut off by Zaakir. "My dearest father-in-law, as wonderful as you and your wife are, your daughter looks like she escaped a zoo." Both men guffawed heartily while Maleeha pouted angrily.
Finishing her slice of pizza, she lividly pushed her empty plate away from her and stood up to go to her room.
"Maleeha!"
"Maleeha!"
"Come back!"
"Where are you going?"
She ignored them and stomped her way through the house until she reached her bedroom. Her angry trudging up the stairs echoed throughout the silent home. Just as she threw herself on her bed, she smelled Zaakir's intoxicating scent surround her. Despite how much she enjoyed his natural scent fused with the perfume he wore, Maleeha kept still and ignored Zaakir. Seconds later, she felt his warm palm on her shoulder, rubbing it downwards to her lower back. The feeling it left behind was not sparks and fireworks that books and movies sold, but to Maleeha, it felt calming and soothing. It was home to her. Zaakir was now her home. He was her safety net, her heart, and he was hers. For now, and always.
Maleeha was glad that she married him, even if she would not admit it out loud. She enjoyed the way he had one of his hands brushing the length of her hair. It was comforting to her, lulling her into a calmer mood. "Why did you rush out of the kitchen?" he asked her softly, gently trying to coax the answer out of her.
Snorting, Maleeha turned to glare at him over her shoulder. "Like you don't know!" she hissed. "Like it wasn't due to your contribution!"
Unable to help himself, Zaakir chuckled as he continued to stroke her hair. "But why are you getting angry at my teasing, Maleeha?" Lovingly, he stared at her. He was content that she was his, with all her faults and imperfections. Zaakir loved the way she got worked up over the little things, the way her eyes sparked with anger, the way her back was curved out in front of him, the way her hair was spread radiantly all over her back and pillows on her bed, the way that she always knew what to say to get him fired up. "Don't you know that it is only in jest? That I do not mean to hurt your feelings intentionally?"
Instantly, Maleeha flipped over and stared directly into is mesmerising chocolate eyes. "But it was still hurtful!" she hissed, although she found that the longer she that she looked at him, the quicker her anger was fading. It annoyed her how easily she was able to get over her negative emotions when she looked into his eyes. His beard, thick but not overwhelming, his high cheek bones glistening with no additional effort, just his good and clear skin. Zaakir was unfairly gorgeous.
His eyes softened, and all sense of teasing disappeared as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple first, then to her cheek and just stopping at the corner of her lips. "I'm sorry, my Maleeha." He pressed another kiss to her temple as he stroked the hair that rested on her neck when she flipped over. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I never meant to hurt your feelings. Please forgive me."
She huffed stubbornly and glared at him. "Come on, sweetheart, your dad is downstairs probably stressed out of his mind and now you are here in your room acting like a brat. I don't think that is being fair to him, do you?"
He was playing unfairly, he knew that, but he had to get her out of her bad mood - even if it was only for the sake of her father. "Do you want him to get sick as well?" Zaakir pressed.
"Stop being right!" she growled as she sat up and pushed him out of her personal space. Maleeha rolled her eyes at him as she finger combed her hair and straightened the top that she wore. "You're such a smug little monster," she hissed as she passed him.
Zaakir didn't care that was insulting him, only that her father would not look as stressed out as he did earlier. All he wanted was peace in her family, in her life.
On Friday, straight after Jummah salaah Zaakir walked in to his flat filled with Maleeha's friends. Part of him was irritated. He wanted her all to himself but there was another part of him that was glad to see her genuinely smiling with her friends. She was sandwiched between a dark skinned girl he knew to be Cassandra Mokoena and her other friend, Savannah. Savannah was resting her head on his Maleeha's shoulders while Cassandra held onto her other hand and kept it on her lap. The men of her group, as well as the only other Muslim man there, were seated across them. Unable to help himself, a distasteful look crossed his face as he saw Hector. Her other friend was seated next to Hector, George. Then the Muslim guy with a black kurta on. Zaakir did not even know who he was.
The Muslim guy stood up first. "Assalaamu alaykum," he greeted. "I'm Omar, Nura's husband." He jerked his head to the kitchen, where Zaakir presumed his wife must be. With another survey of the room, he realised that Pooja was missing as well.
Zaakir replied to the greeting and went immediately for Maleeha. The smile that graced his face surprised everyone else who watched it. Maleeha disengaged herself from her friends and stood up, walking towards him with a smile. When he reached her, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple and tugged on her hand, pulling her to their bedroom. "How are you?" he asked her immediately.
She looked up at him, taking a step back so she didn't have to crane her neck that badly. "I'm okay," she shrugged. "Are you hungry? Nura and Omar brought over pots and pots of food while you were at work. Then I made Portuguese chicken and salad and the other girls brought desserts and cakes. Hector and George brought so many different flavours of cold drinks, I don't know what we are going to do with it."
He laughed and pressed a kiss to her head. "Relax, princess. We will see. Don't stress, okay?"
She hugged him and squealed slightly. Maleeha was feeling lighter being surrounded by her friends. There was an atmosphere of happiness that she couldn't deny, as much as it took of her to be happy. Yet, being around them and laughing and smiling was like second nature. To make things even better, it seemed as if Zaakir was going to be hospitable and be a good host. Alhamdulilah, things were looking up for her. Even if she had three weeks of university work to catch up to.
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A bit of a short chapter... but In Shaa Allah, plans from here are to make things better!
So. Just some pictures to give you feels for the way Zaakir looks at Maleeha 💕