Bismillah.
Chapter Forty – Three: Stay Away
Isaac's POV
I had a bad feeling upon seeing my wife's note posted on her computer monitor. My gut feeling was telling me to leave and find her. And I did. With the tracker on her phone, I was able to follow her on our home subdivision. I looked for her inside the house but she wasn't there. By the time, I arrived at the Butterfly garden, I saw my wife's back, facing Suga who looked very angry, with a ring on his hand.
"What's going on here?" I said then walked hurriedly towards my wife.
The moment Fatima saw me, she hugged me tightly. I stared at Suga who only got angrier. As I held my trembling wife and continued staring at Suga, I can only guessed with the ring he was holding what happened.
"Let's just go please," Fatima whispered to me, as if she was scared of Suga.
"Okay," I told her.
I held her hand and together we left the Butterfly Garden. I dared not to look back. I don't wanna fight with Suga with my wife around. I don't want her hurt or traumatized. As we got inside my car, Fatima sighed in relief. Her hands were still shaking.
"I.. I didn't' expect... How could Suga... it was so... unreal and I ... I... I was scared he would... do something to hurt .... To hurt me ..." Fatima said, stuttering.
"Ssshhh, shhh, there, there," I told her, holding her hand, calming her down.
"It was as if Suga was a different person," she explained.
"Calm down baby. You're safe now, okay?" I told her.
"Are we going back to the office?" she asked hesitatingly.
"Later. Let's date first," I answered and winked at her.
Fatima smiled a bit and that's a start for her to relax. I drove in silence until we reached our destination. It was a clif with the ocean underneath. I parked the car and we both climb down. The sun was still quite up but the heat was bearable. Hand in hand we walked towards the edge until we were standing overlooking the great open sea.
The breeze that brushes our skin was warm. The sky was white, and the sound of the sea was calm. I looked around and saw a log where I invited her to sit. We were sitting side by side. Then after few minutes of silence, Fatima encircled her arm around my arm. She rested her head on my shoulder, making me smile of her nearness.
"Why are you so good to me?" she asked.
"Because you're my wife and I love you," I answered.
"Don't you hate me?" she asked.
I got her hand and had it intertwine with mine. Birds from afar began soaring in the sky. I played with her finger before giving her my answer.
"I hate what your blindness and deafness to the truth had almost cost us our marriage, but I don't hate you," I answered in all honest.
She sighed then I looked at her. She looked into my eyes and then close her eyes.
"Tell me all about my wrongs, tell me all about my faults, make me realize," she uttered in a gentle voice.
A tear trickle down her face.
I know for a fact that among the seven, Suga was the most special to her. I was jealous most of Suga lately.
I kissed the forehead of my wife and began telling her of her misdeeds.
"It was wrong for you not to lower your gaze. It was wrong for me to let you be with them. It was wrong for you to spend alone time with them too. It was wrong for me to just have let you," I told her as gently as I could.
"No, you did try to stop me. I was just being stubborn," Fatima admitted.
I wrapped my arms around her and her close to me.
"I'm sorry for lacking the ability to stop you when you're in the wrong," I told her.
Then she started crying, sobbing.
"I'm so so ashamed of myself," she kept on repeating again and again, covering her face with both of her hands.
I tried to hush her down. Then I realized, she needed this. She needed to internalize her mistakes and openly express them to me, to wash away the guilt. So I let her cry until she was done crying.
"Feeling better now?" I asked her.
She bit her lip then nodded at me.
I pinched her nose.
"We'll be alright Wifey of mine," I comforted her.
Fatima opened her arms and I smiled at her sweetness. I embraced her and made a funny joke to make her giggle.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you more," I answered.
"What do we do now?" she asked as we both watched the beautiful view of the sky and mountains.
"We pray Asr first," I told her.
She looked at me with admiration and content. Something I have wanted to see from her eyes again.
"They have been neglecting their fardh salah Isaac and I have too," she said, guilt and sadness on her face.
"Then ask for tawbah. Allah is Oft – Forgiving, Oft – Merciful," I told her.
"I've missed you. I've missed this so so much," my wife said, her voice cracking in the end, her eyes getting teary – eyed again.
I stood up and held her hand to make her rise up. Standing face to face, as the sun shines on us, my heart burned with so much love for this woman. The woman I will always love no matter what her mistakes are towards me.
"I'm your husband Fatima. I will always have to guide you. You just have to take my lead okay? Can you do that?" I asked of her.
Because deep inside me, I still am scared of the coming days and the things that could happen.
"I will," she answered.
"But I need you to be prepared in one thing," I told her, touching her shoulder.
"What?" she asked.
"Be prepared to hurt them. Be prepared to leave them. Be prepared to push them away from your life and mine," I said with firmness.
It took a few seconds before Fatima nodded.
"I trust you," she told me.
"Thanks but you have got to trust yourself too," I said to her.
"Now, I want you to answer one thing for your own self. You won't need to tell me the answer," I added.
"What is it?" Fatima asked.
"How do they make your heart flutter? How do they make you weak? Once you understand how, I would need you to find your own solution that can kill that weakness of yours," I explained to her.
"Their music, their performances, their compositions, their attention," Fatima answered while looking at the ground.
Then she looked at me.
"And the solution to that is..." she spoke.
I waited for her to answer.
"The solution to that is to stay away," she said very slowly.
"Good you figure it out on your own. In shaa Allah, you can do it," I assured her.
"You think I can?" she asked with a skeptical expression.
"Of course you can," I said to her.
"You're Fatima Maryam Khalid. The only woman who captivated my heart instantly and you're that woman who rejected my proposal again and again, remember?" I told her, recalling our past memories.
Those were the good old days. We both chuckled and I hugged her to me.
"It takes two to make a marriage work. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah," I uttered.
We went to a nearby masjid and prayed Asr together. Then we stroll around the city, just spending time with each other. We prayed Maghrib at another masjid. Afterwhich, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant. We enjoyed each other company. She held my hands and would kiss me on the cheek even. It made me hopeful and strengthened my belief that I can make things for the better for us. In shaa Allah.
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Jin's POV
We all got back at the mansion for dinner. I cooked beef stew and spaghetti. When the table was set, the boys gathered around and ate except Suga.
"Jungkook, call Suga upstairs," I instructed him.
Jungkook ate a fork of spaghetti first before wiping his mouth with a tissue. Then he headed upstairs.
"NOOO!!!!" we heard a loud scream, that seemed to be from Suga.
Automatically, all five of us ran upstairs. We reached Suga's bedroom and the door was ajar. Upon coming in, we saw vases and cd tapes scattered all over the floor. Suga was holding a painting and before we could even stop him, he threw it across the floor. It was a million pesos worth of painting he bought at an auction. How could he be this reckless? Jungkook on the other hand was just seated at a couch. Both hands on his head, as if contemplating and panicking.
"Suga what's going on?" RM demanded.
"Jungkook, are you alright?" I asked Jungkook.
Tae and Hobi were already on each of his side.
Jimin and RM were trying to stop Suga who was about to knock out all of his trophies and plaques. Those things were precious to him.
"Leave me the hell alone!" Suga screamed at Jimin.
But Jimin won't let him go. Suga began to launch at Jimin, shocking us all. It was then I run towards the three and removed Suga from the two.
"Suga Yoongi!" I yelled.
"What? She's a fake! She didn't keep her word! So let's just throw every piece of shit in this house and burn it!" Suga told me, his eyes bulging.
My hand formed a fist and with all my might, I punched Suga in the face, making him stumble down on the floor. He then gave out a sarcastic laugh.
"Suga, what did you say?" Tae slowly said, going towards us. Behind him was Hobi. Jungkook was still staring from afar, contemplating as if he wasn't aware of the commotion around him.
"Fatima's leaving us? Why? What happened?" Hobi asked.
I was curious too but as the eldest, I had to keep the group together.
"Hobi, get the first aid kit," I instructed Hobi.
Hobi didn't want to but still he left the room and headed towards the kitchen where we store the kit.
I went to Suga and offered my hand. He looked at me first and I could see him breaking apart. He was hurt. Whatever situation we are in, even if it means losing the girl we love so much, I cannot let one girl ruin us seven. Suga eventually got my hand and RM and I assisted him and brought him to the couch.
Tae and Jimin started cleaning the entire place, picking up the broken pieces, sweeping and throwing the trash and shreds. Hobi returned shortly after. After all was clear, we all sat down on Suga's couch. Jimin, Tae and Hobi on the floor facing me, RM, Suga and Jungkook. Jungkook seemed to be back at his senses.
"Okay Suga, tell us what happened," RM began.
Then Suga told us the details. After he finished his statement, silence enveloped the entire room. Jungkook inhaled and then stood up. He faced us all.
"I think it's time for us to leave this place," Kookie said, shocking us all.
"No I won't!" Tae and Jimin said in chorus.
"What for?" Hobi asked.
"Let her miss us," Jungkook answered.
"Will that work?" I asked.
"It will," RM answered for Jungkook.
"What do you think Suga?" I asked him.
Suga got something from his pocket. And we saw that it was a diamond ring in the shape of a butterfly wing.
"The only way she'll miss us is if we leave right now, without saying a word. Let's disappear altogether," Suga said then placed the ring on the glass table in front of us.
"And go where?" RM asked.
"Big Hit Entertainment," Hobi and Suga answered in chorus.
The guys were silent for a moment. I get it all now. It all makes sense. The plan makes sense.
"Then let's pack up our things," I said, standing up and clapping my hand twice.
Maybe Jungkook was right, we have to leave to make her miss us. And if she doesn't, then maybe it's better to just get lost in doing the wrong because without Fatima, nothing would ever feel right. Nothing.
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"If Allah doesn't like it, why would you think it will bring you happiness?"
- Adapted Quote
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