Everyone was ecstatic when Naima and Tawfiq told them they were expecting a child at the end of the first trimester.
Naima had insisted they tell everyone at the end of the first trimester because by then they'd be certain there would be no problems.
It was almost midnight when Naima got up from bed to visit the washroom.
Tawfiq wasn't on the bed when she got up.
Where was he?
So after doing her business, she went out of the room to look for him.
When Naima got downstairs, she found him sitting on the floor with crossed legs and his back lying at the foot of the couch.
He was reading something. Naima walked closer to him, and she realized it was the Quran.
"You're up." Tawfiq stated.
"Yes, I woke up to use the bathroom and you weren't there." Naima explained and sat down by him on the floor.
"Sorry, just had the urge to read, tonight." Tawfiq said.
"You understand it? My Arabic isn't really good so I don't understand a lot of stuff." Naima yawned.
"I do understand. But the Quran's Arabic is a little different from the ordinary Arabic. Don't worry though. I will teach you next time." Tawfiq smiled at her.
"Thank you." Naima mumbled to him and placed her head on his shoulder.
"I'm not yet done. You can go to bed." Tawfiq insisted.
"Not yet. I feel like listening to you recite the Quran." Naima said lowly.
"If that's what you want. But lay down, the posture you are in isn't really good for you." Tawfiq helped her lay down and place her head on his laps.
"You good?" Tawfiq looked down at her.
"Better." Naima assured.
Tawfiq started to recite the Quran from Surah Rahman.
His intonation was so soothing that it made Naima cry in between. He wiped away her tears and continued.
By the time he had finished a few surahs, Naima was already fast asleep.
"What would I do without you, Habiba?" Tawfiq whispered to a sleeping Naima.
He picked her up from the ground and sent her up to their room for her to sleep.
He checked the time. It was almost 4 am.
"Ya Allah, please protect Naima and our child from whatever will come their way. Please help me have sabar (patience) in dealing with my mother. Aamin." Tawfiq prayed incessantly before he fell asleep.
**
"But I just want sweatpants!" Naima whined.
"But your mom said no sweatpants for you. Just long oversized maternity dresses." Tawfiq smirked.
"It will make me look fat." Naima groaned.
"Whether you look fat or not, I'll still love you. That's all that matters right?" Tawfiq questioned.
Naima just gave him a funny face.
"Then I will take yours." Naima suggested.
"My sweats are too big for you." Tawfiq chuckled.
"We'll see about that." Naima smirked.
"Let's just get the stuff, Kay? We have to get stuff for you and the baby's nursery. So far, we only have one baby shoe." Tawfiq noted.
"Which was way overpriced. It's just for a baby! Like how is a little shoe like that be much more expensive than half the stuffs in my wardrobe." Naima commented.
The shoe was nice but too expensive, according to Naima. Tawfiq had insisted they buy it.
Tawfiq rubbed his face. Money wasn't a problem but Naima still couldn't understand that. She still had a 'budget before everything' mindset.
"Look, babe. I know you think it's expensive but it's not worth anything compared to our child. Just pick anything out without reading the price tag." Tawfiq concluded and he and a reluctant Naima entered the children's store.
Which sane person bought stuff without checking the price?
Only Tawfiq was that insane.
〰️
After the shopping, Tawfiq ended up carrying everything out all alone. Naima was just eating her ice-cream like an innocent child. She had tried to help out but Tawfiq had declined.
Two of the shops workers helped them pack the stuff up into the car they had brought. The bigger stuff would be delivered to their house later on.
Naima was really tired. She was almost 6 months pregnant so her stomach had become bigger and she had developed funny cravings.
Like eating strawberries in the middle of the night. She still hated it though. She just felt happy eating it.
She also couldn't eat her own food anymore. She only ate food made by Tawfiq. And somet
~
"Why can't you eat your own food any more?" Tawfiq asked with a chuckle.
"I don't know. It smells funny. I like yours better." Naima said innocently.
"Whatever you want, babe." Tawfiq replied.
~
Naima was sleeping when felt something wet trail down her leg and pain at her abdomen.
It was dark so she couldn't see what it was.
It couldn't be her water breaking right? She was just 6 months in. Pre mature labor? Questions after questions coursed through her brain.
She quickly turned on the lamp by the bedside and raised the comforter.
It was... Blood.
"Tawfiq... Tawfiq!" She nudged him urgently.
"Hmmm..." Tawfiq hummed sleepily and opened his eyes to see Naima with tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Tawfiq asked cautiously.
"... Blood." Naima managed to say.
"No! Fuck. Hold on." Tawfiq said quickly.
Where was the blood from? She was past her first trimester. What was this then?
"Oh God, please protect my baby." Naima cried.
Tawfiq picked her up, carried her in his arms and ran down to the garage.
His hands were shaking and blood was getting all over him. He took a random shirt and scarf from the living room and wrapped the shirt around Naima. When they got to the car, he wrapped the scarf around her head for her.
"Tawfiq, the baby." Naima cried. She was getting dizzy by the second.
"I don't want anything to happen to our baby." Naima cried.
"Don't worry, Habiba. Calm down. Everything will be fine. You and our baby are all going to be fine." Tawfiq consoled.
He wasn't even sure himself. Bleeding during pregnancy as far as he knew was never a good sign.
He forgot he wasn't even wearing a shirt himself. But the pain etched on Naima's face alone, was enough to make him forget he left even his heart.
Naima was still crying and Tawfiq was literally over speeding. He didn't care what speed limits he crossed.
"Come on!" He banged the steering wheel.
"Hold on, Habiba. For me, hold on please." Tawfiq pleaded.
She was getting quieter and her eyes were drooping.
"No! Habiba, don't close your eyes yet. Please, just hold on. We are almost there. Don't close your eyes. Please!" Tawfiq pleaded with tears streaming down his face.
"But I'm so tired." Naima mumbled incoherently but Tawfiq caught it.
"I know you are, babe. But keep your eyes open for me, will you? I want to show you something amazing. Just don't close your eyes, love. For me." Tawfiq continued to plead with her.
He over took most of the cars and sped straight to the hospital.
"See, we're here already. Come on." Tawfiq turned his head to the back seat and smiled reassuringly at her.
He got out of the driver's seat and moved to the backseat, opening the door.
"Look after my baby for me, Tawfiq. Don't let anyone hurt our baby." Naima held Tawfiq's face in her hands.
"No one will hurt our baby. I promise you that, Habiba." Tawfiq smiled lightly and carried Naima into the hospital.
"Someone help me. Please. My wife! She's pregnant and she's bleeding!" Tawfiq screamed to no one in particular.
Everyone was just looking at him, shocked...lost.
Wasn't this a hospital?
"Please! She could be dying." He begged.
Just then, nurses came rushing to him with a stretcher and took Naima from him.
He tried to follow them but they stopped him midway.
"We'll do everything we can to help her. Just stay here, sir." One nurse said to him.
His eyes were teary and he felt confused so he just paced up and down the hallway.
A nurse came up to him with his shirt.
"Your wife wanted us to give this to you. Even in pain she's still jealous." The nurse handed him his shirt with a smile and left.
He wore the shirt and continued pacing up and down. Biting the inside of his cheeks.
He took his phone to call Aunt Faiza.
〰️
"I-i don't know w-what happened. One minute, I'm asleep, the next, t-t-there's blood...everywhere. She's still inside..." Tawfiq said over the phone to Aunt Faiza.
"Don't worry, Tawfiq. Have faith in Allah. In Shaa Allah, everything will be fine. I'm on my way there. I'll be there in a few hours. Take care." Aunt Faiza ended the call.
She prayed hard that it wasn't a miscarriage. Naima had suffered too much in life for that to be added to her pain.
Tawfiq called Dean because he was the only one who knew how to make him calm down excluding Naima.
"Dean." Tawfiq said, the moment Dean picked up the call.
"I don't like the sound of my name." Dean replied.
"It's Naima. She's in t-the hospital. She was bleeding. I t-told h-her every thing will be okay b-but I'm not even sure myself." Tawfiq managed to explain.
His eyes were red and puffy from all the crying.
He had been there for 3 hours and no news yet from anyone to tell him what was going on inside.
"Shit. I'm on my way there right now. Where are you?" Dean asked.
"Bridgeys Hospital." Tawfiq answered.
"Hold on, T. I'm on my way." Dean said to him and disconnected the line.
〰️
About 3 hours later, Aunt Faiza, Dean and Belinda were in the hospital with Tawfiq. Tawfiq was sitting on the floor with Dean. He had his head bent downwards.
"Take this. It's coffee." Belinda offered them coffee.
"Thank you." Tawfiq hoarsely replied.
He needed coffee right now. He wasn't going home till Naima was awake and healthy.
After drinking the coffee, the doctor finally came towards them.
"Are you the family of Mrs. Abdul Rahim?" The doctor asked.
When Tawfiq heard that, he quickly got up and walked towards the doctor.
"Yes. I'm her husband." Tawfiq said.
"That's fine then. Can I talk to you in private." The doctor asked.
Tawfiq gave his family a questioning look.
"Go ahead. We will be right here." Aunt Faiza urged him.
"Thank you." Tawfiq smiled and followed the doctor who led him into an office.
"How's my wife?" Tawfiq asked impatiently.
"Your wife is fine. She lost a lot of blood but generally she is fine." The doctor smiled.
"ALHAMDULILAH!" Tawfiq exclaimed and released a sigh of relief.
"What about the baby? It's fine. Right?" Tawfiq questioned further.
If anything happened to the baby... He wouldn't know what to do.
The doctor gave him a neutral face.
"The baby... The baby... When she first came in, we all thought it was a miscarriage. It wasn't. That's the thing. The bleeding didn't even affect the baby in the slightest. We had to monitor her and the baby. It appears the bleeding was caused from stress and psychological problems. Did she have any trauma during her childhood?" The doctor questioned.
"She hadn't accepted her mother's death for a long time. She had a really bad phobia which I believe is connected to her mother's death." Tawfiq explained.
"Oh okay. Something must have triggered her to remember it. But she's fine now. The baby is also fit. She just needs a lot of rest. I wanted to suggest bed rest till she gives birth but she needs the energy so she can move around but not too much and make sure she isn't stressed out too. Visit her gynecologist once every two weeks to see how far things are going. You can see her now, but one at a time. No stress. " The doctor advised.
"Thank you very much." Tawfiq thanked the man.
"Don't worry. It's my job." The man smiled.
Tawfiq left the office and made his way to where Dean and the rest were. When he got there, Zain was already there.
"How's my sister?" Zain questioned anxiously.
"ALHAMDULILAH. She's fine. The baby is also fine. She's awake now. But we have to see her one at a time and no stressing her out, guys, please." Tawfiq smiled.
"I knew everything would be alright. Naima is a fighter and my little niece or nephew is just as strong as well." Belinda commented.
Aunt Faiza smiled at Tawfiq and nodded her head at him whiles Dean tapped his back.
"Go ahead, Tawfiq. She must be waiting for you." Dean said to him.
Tawfiq smiled at everyone and walked towards Naima's room after asking the nurse where it was.
When he entered the room, Naima turned her head to look at the person who had opened the door.
"Tawfiq." She smiled with tears in her eyes.
"Habiba." Tawfiq moved towards her.
"I'm so sorry. I did this. I should have been more careful." She cried.
"Shhhh... It's no one's fault. Don't cry. Alhamdulilah, you're fine, the baby is also fine too. The doctor said you just need to be stress free and everything will go fine." Tawfiq explained as he caressed her cheeks and wiped her tears from her eyes.
"I'm sure you won't let me go back to work again." Naima said with an innocent smile.
Tawfiq just chuckled and shook his head.
"You know me so well. Everyone else is waiting to see you. I will go for your mom to see you." Tawfiq offered.
"No! Don't go. Let her come. But don't go." Naima muttered sadly.
"Let me ask the doctor if I'm allowed to be in here then." Tawfiq said with a smile.
Just then the doctor came in.
"How's mother and child doing?" He asked.
"I think we are both fine. Thanks for asking." Naima answered.
"Doctor, can I stay here whiles everyone else comes in one at a time?" Tawfiq asked.
"If it makes the patient calm, why not. I will just check a few stuff and be on my way then. I could call in the older lady for you if you want." The doctor said whiles checking out a few things.
"That would be amazing. Thank you." Naima said.
"No worries. Take care of yourself. No stressful stuff for you." The doctor ordered.
"Yes sir." Naima smiled at the man.
"I best be leaving now." He quickly left the room.
"You gave me a scare." Tawfiq revealed and kissed her knuckles.
"I'm sorry." She muttered.
"It's all in the past now. Let's forget about it." Tawfiq kissed her forehead before he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." Tawfiq said and Aunt Faiza came in.
They talked for a while before she left for Belinda to come in and then Dean came, then Zain was the last to come in.
It was early in the afternoon that everyone left the hospital and later in the day Naima was discharged.
⚜️
At home,
"I hate hospitals." Naima noted.
"How can you hate hospitals? Don't you work in a biological lab or something?" Tawfiq raised an eyebrow.
"But there aren't any sick people there. Being surrounded by sick people makes me feel sick when I'm not." Naima shivered.
Let's not forget she wanted to become a doctor at one point.
"I was going to lock you up in the room till you were in labor because I know how stubborn you are. But the doctor said you need energy so we are making a schedule. You will go with me for my morning runs now turned walks." Tawfiq smirked.
"No, I'm not. I'm not walking anywhere that early. I'm sure as heck not working out with you. You do some mad stuffs." Naima gave him a face.
Tawfiq worked out in the gym room downstairs every morning after his regular runs. He had invited Naima with him to some of his runs but she had downright refused every single time.
After Fajr, she just went back to sleep. Her system wasn't designed to run after Fajr.
"It's not an option. I'm not asking for your approval, babe." Tawfiq cocked his head.
"We are just going to walk around a little. You aren't going to work out. Even when you weren't pregnant you couldn't work out with me what shows you can now?" Tawfiq questioned.
"Are you daring me?" Naima's mouth opened in shock.
"We will see about that. After I give birth, I will start working out with you." Naima pledged.
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say. You are still going for the walk with me. Starting from tomorrow." Tawfiq concluded.
"Argh... You are so annoying. Who goes for walks that early when everyone is asleep?" Naima wondered.
"Half the population. You are just blessed that you don't become fat because you know what good food to eat. If not you'd be 200 pounds by now." Tawfiq joked.
"I just study the food I eat. I just don't eat anything because I know I can't exercise that much thus I replace it by eating healthy foods." Naima said proudly.
She'd rather check her calorie intake than exercise.
"Goodnight, food doctor. We have an early day tomorrow." Tawfiq said with closed eyes.
"Fine." Naima huffed and turned away from Tawfiq who just ended up pulling her to him.
"Love you, baby girl and little one." Tawfiq muttered into her neck.
"We love you too." Naima smiled and let sleep take over her.
〰️
"She can't take care of my grandchild. The second she gives birth, you'll come back with my grandchild." Ayisha ordered over the phone.
Tawfiq didn't know how, but his mother found out about Naima being sent to the hospital. She had people watching them. He was sure of that.
"She has as much right to our child as me. I'm not taking my child away from Naima. It wasn't her fault that she was bleeding. And what do you know about taking care of children?" Tawfiq said through gritted teeth.
"Watch yourself, boy. Remember who you are talking to. I'm your mother. You can't disrespect me because of some simple girl." Ayisha warned her son.
"Then stay out of my life. Remove all the spies you have on us. If I get even one of them, I'm sending them to jail and making sure they pay for it." Tawfiq said back to his mother.
Just then Naima stirred and turned to face him because he was standing.
"Who are you talking to?" Naima asked.
"Just work. I was settling a few stuff. Go back to bed, babe. " Tawfiq smiled at her.
" Umm...Okay. Tell whoever it is to wait till tomorrow. It's late. " Naima insisted with a yawn.
"Don't worry. I will be there in a second. " Tawfiq assured.
"Did you wake up your darling wife?" Ayisha taunted.
He just smiled.
"I have to go, we'll talk later. It's late. Good night." Tawfiq said with a forced smile and disconnected the call.
"Sleep." Tawfiq muttered to Naima who had already fallen asleep.
"Ya Allah, help me. Provide me with Sabr in dealing with my mother." Tawfiq mumbled to himself.
⚜️⚜️⚜️
#VCS
Dedicated to AnitaKoppeuh
HafsaRashid4
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@everyone who takes their time off to read my book. Thank you. If I didn't add your name I'm sorry but know that I dedicate this chapter to you all❤️❤️yes you reading this.
❤️❤️❤️
Much love.
Salam
Ciao