This chapter is dedicated to Syd_Vee . Enjoy every part of this I love you 🖤🖤
On the cold foggy morning, Nasreen woke up with a severe bout of nausea, her head was spinning around, she shook as she emptied all the contents of her stomach.
She had been feeling quite queasy these few days, throwing up lately, and she had a fair idea of what was wrong with her. She thought she was almost on her period. She checked her flo app on her phone. It indicated in the next three days. "Perfect."
She scrutinized herself in the mirror, she saw the way her face reflected in the mirror with iridescence. She smiled and touched her high cheekbones.
******
Irfan had left for work already, he kept a note for her as usual before he left for work.
She smiled deeply as she read the lovely note before she put it in her collection of all his notes. She got ready to leave for work also. She was lecturing her students when she suddenly felt the urge to throw up.
No nooo, this can't be happening she said in her mind. She excused herself from the class. She came back a few minutes after she had revived herself, still feeling light-headed, she couldn't stand properly. She sat down. Her students were wondered, it was the first time Nasreen was sitting down in her class.
"Don't mind me, I am tired of standing." She informed them as if she knew what was on their mind. And the lecture went on and on...
*******
"Ya Sultaaaaa... She almost pushed her elder sister down as she ran to the bathroom.
"What is wrong Nas?" Sultana asked.
"I don't know I have been throwing up a lot lately."
"Seriously why?"
"Nothing, I like to throw up." Nasreen rolled her eyes heavenwards.
"Stupid kawai... I think I know what is wrong with you."
"You don't think am pregnant do you?"
"Nasreen it is possible that you may be pregnant."
"I am not pregnant," Nasreen said demurely.
"Don't worry I have test kits let's get you checked, then we would know yeah?" Sultana said with an inquisitive look at her sister.
Nasreen was a bundle of nerves, she kept fidgeting with her fingers and biting her lower lip.
"So Nasreen you can be shy and quiet like this? As she noticed her sister's antsy mien, don't fret, it is only a test, and FYI you are lucky mom or dad is not here unless you will feel like evaporating out of your existence."
"Ashe ba dadi, so it is not nice." I take back those days when I used to tease you, and why do you have test kits Yaya?"
"I thought I was pregnant again." "Are you?" "Nah, I am not."
Nasreen waited for Sultana to bring the test kits. Her heart lurched even faster as Sultana came downstairs. This was scary now, what if there was a baby?"
"Here, pee on it."
"Eww!! that's gross." She collected it anyway and sauntered to the bathroom, Her heart throbbed intermittently. She smiled thinking of her and Irfan's baby, how it would feel like to have a baby made out of their love. When she was done and saw it, she threw it in the trash, washed her hands, and came out of the bathroom.
Sultana's heart was all over the place. "Yaya!!" Nasreen brought her out of her fretful state...
"You look so frazzled," Nasreen said with relish.
"I know, I am sorry, I am nervous for you, and here you are, looking all relaxed how far?"
Nasreen bowed her head, and smiled bashfully. She couldn't contain her smile, That was all it took for Sultana to realize. She engulfed her in a warm hug.
"Congrats Nas, I am so happy for you may Allah bless you with a healthy baby."
"Amin thanks, She said lightheartedly, tearing up.
"Sit down I don't want you stressing yourself."
"I am fine MOM!! this is why I am not going to tell anybody."
"Seriously they will surely find out, one way or another."
"Yeah, that is when they see me one day with a bump, I give you and Hal lauds, for telling mom and dad about your pregnancies."
"Don't go and start wearing big clothes up and down because you want to hide your bump."
"You are so on my mind." Sultana told her what to expect, the morning sickness and all.
"So when are you going to tell Irfan?"
Nasreen blushed thinking of her lemonade. "Tonight."
"I am so happy for the both of you, may Allah continue to bless your marriage and protect you from evil eyes."
"Amin thanks, I love you, please don't tell ya Imran especially, and Afrah... If she hears now, she will start disturbing me." "But she would be the happiest, and why not ya Imran?"
"Oh please, I rather you told dad than him, I wonder how Irfan is going to look him in the eye for getting his sister pregnant."
"Whatever Hal is someone's sister too." "Most definitely." They laughed merrily. "Yaya stop looking at me like that I feel shy."
She stayed for a while and helped her sister with some chores.
"Don't you think you need a helping hand?"
"I need wallahi, I will talk to Hajia Ummah, even if as Sultan helps, there is still so much to be done, I remember when it was just us," Sultana said with an exhausted sigh.
"Please talk to her for me too, I think two of them would do."
"You are mad oo, even me it is one I am getting talk less of you."
**********
On her way home she desired to have ice cream, Haagen Daaz in particular, she had been craving it, for a long time.
She stopped at a supermarket and got the cream and cookie flavor she had been longing for.
She was about to slide in her car when heard a familiar voice that stilled her.
She turned around, not believing who she was seeing, As Hazelnut eyes clashed with black eyes.
She looked at him and her heart dropped.
"Nasreen!!!" He called.
"Habeeb!! What are you doing here?"
"I have been following you, you gave me no other choice than to follow you, you seem to have forgotten me so easily you blocked my number Nasreen."
"Look I don't have time for this."
"Ironic it is today you don't have time for me, what did I ever do to you?"
Nasreen was speechless she wanted to speak but the words wouldn't come out, and she needed not to explain any damned thing to him.
She spun around to enter her car when he held her wrist forcefully.
She looked at him and then looked at her hand where he held.
"Release me!! you are in no position to touch me."
"Nasreen it's me, Habeeb.."
"Yes, you Habeeb, so what!! the world doesn't start and stop with Habeeb Bilal."
"How soon you have forgotten me," He sniggered. "You betrayed my trust and love Nasreen in the cruelest way possible."
Nasreen's eyeballs bulged out than it was already, and she did what she had been dying to do for over a year.
Without wasting any time, she slapped him so hard that his head jerked backward, and then she slapped him on the other cheek.
"That is for humiliating me, and this is for the trash you are saying to me."
"Nasreen why didn't you tell me you had somebody else to marry why did you play with my emotions, why did you get my hopes high?"
"Have you gone mad Habeeb? what the hell are you saying, if we are playing with emotions I think you should win the best act, you toyed with my emotions, you humiliated me in the worst way possible."
"What are you talking about Nasreen?"
"You are asking me?"
"Yes, I am asking you, tell me how I humiliated you?"
"I don't have time for shenanigans, I am out of here." She turned around to leave again.
He spun her around forcefully, "Do you know how long I have been looking for you and trying to contact you these few months, how wonderful it is today, that the girl that shattered my heart is in front of me."
"I beg your pardon, you shattered your own heart by not showing up the day you promised. Habeeb my entire family waited for you... we waited for you to come but you never showed up, you never called, you made me feel useless in front of my whole family."
"What do you mean by that, my father came that day, he gave me his word, he came, and your family said that you had another person that you were getting married to and that I was not fit for your status."
"Your father burned you, cause no one came, no one explained anything to me or my family, you never called for once after you left, I got married after six months."
"That is a lie Nasreen my dad told me you got married a month after their visit, he said your family said I should forget about you and move on."
"That is your problem with your father, please leave me alone, you know what, I am glad that you never showed up."
"Nasreen Habibin ki ce fa..it's your Habeeb."
"Habibi na sai meh, my Habeeb so what."
"You can never love another man that is not me."
"Allah sarki Habeeb, I thought I couldn't, but when I gave my heart a chance I found a love that I never thought existed, people change Habeeb, so goodbye, never follow me again, thank you."
"Nasreen let us run away!!!"
Nasreen turned around and quipped at him.
"I was wondering if you were mad, now I understand that you have gone completely mad, that ship has sailed."
"What do you want me to do now Nasreen?"
"You can take a trip to hell." She moved away from him to her car.
"Nasreen I will die without you."
"Don't worry Habeeb, Lots of people die alone."
She zoomed off leaving Habeeb rooted to where he was thinking about his life, all his life was a lie, his father lied to him.
Nobody loved him, nobody cared about him. He shook his head, that was why he knew the right thing to do.
He was going to deal with all of them one after the other for hurting him this bad. It had been his plan, the moment he found out that she betrayed him, he planned to destroy her life the way she destroyed his.
******
"Did you take the pictures?" Habeeb asked.
"Yes, I did." He showed the pictures to Habeeb.
A sardonic smile spread across his lips. "See how nice and happy we look in the picture, no one will know I was slapped twice. Nasreen Bature Sulyman I will ruin your life like you have ruined mine, I promise you."
*****
Nasreen was devoid of any emotions and was still shocked about Habeeb. There was nothing she could do now. Even if there was something she could do, it would be to love Irfan over and over again.
If she was told to choose between Irfan and Habeeb, she would pick Irfan a gazillion times over Habeeb.
Her mouth curved into a small smile as she thought of the new being inside of her. She curled her hand around her stomach. "Let's go meet daddy."
She came out of the bathroom, when she saw her phone ringing she swiped the Sleek screen of the phone and answered the call.
"Hello Nasreen!!"
"Inalilahi, Habeeb are you a witch, stop calling me don't ever call me again, or else I would do something you wouldn't like you to know me.
May Allah protect you and grant you what you deserve, goodbye."
"Nas... nas.. don't hang up."
She did, and threw the phone on her bed, and blew out a tiring breadth.
****
"You know you have a wife waiting for you right?" She said to Irfan who was in his sturdy busy with some work on his Mac book.
"I came and my wife was spending seven hours in the bath."
"Am I changing my skin," She said sitting on his lap, "How was your day?" Nasreen asked.
It was very tiring, but you know what, I was thinking of you and it made it less tiring."
"Aww, can I blush?" She said pouting her lips.
"Hope no student stress and all.."
"Am cool IR, there is there is something I want to tell you."
"What is it, Nas?"
"Finish your work first then I'll tell you." But sometimes delay could be dangerous.
"Alright, babes, is it me or what, you feel heavier today."
"Heavier!! so you mean to say I am fat."
"No... no.. no I didn't say so my love, you know I'll always love you as you are, skinny, or fat, that is not what I fell in love with, I fell in love with your heart, character, and soul." He kissed her knuckles,
"Aww." She kissed his side Of his cheek. Tracing her long finger down the nape of his neck.
Irfan adjusted her properly before he took her in his mouth, in one swift movement, he molded her tight to him, as he sent kisses that were as deep as nirvana. Nasreen's body vibrated to the splendor of the kisses.
After the three minutes of heavy make-out, she felt bile rising her throat. She hastily ran to the bathroom.
"I am sorry babes, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I am perfectly fine."
"No you are not, you have been throwing up lately, first thing tomorrow we are going to the hospital."
"I am fine IR, go and continue with your work, go!!" She pushed him away. And he went away, continued with his work. The work was sweet, cause he was stealing a glance at his beautiful wife that was sitting on the sofa reading a book.
The moment he looked at her again her eyes were shut. He called her name to make sure she was joking with him.
When she didn't respond he knew she was asleep.
He hurried with his work on his computer so they would go to bed.
After he was done he carried his trim wife upstairs and laid her on the bed gently, covered her with the duvet he kissed her forehead.
He recited the sleeping dua's and blew it over them, before falling into a deep recess of sleep also.
In the morning one thing led to another, Nasreen was unable to tell him again. He was in a haste to leave for the office "Bye IR I love you." "I love you too Nas."
****
"Look what do you want from me, I have told you to leave me alone there is nothing that can ever happen between us again, so please I beg of you don't ever call me again." Nasreen fumed and threw her phone on the bed.
A happy Irfan was coming to meet his wife, His hand stilled on the doorknob.
"I have explained to you already that is from your parents, please leave me alone, Goodbye Habeeb with every breath I take my faithfulness lies with my husband."
"Nasreen don't hang up on me." She ended the call and blocked the number again. That was what Irfan heard.
She rested her back on the door and exhaled. Wondering what he was up to, and what he wanted from her.
Nasreen jolted when Irfan came in.
she wondered if he heard her conversation.
"Who was that Nas?"
"No one Irfan, how was your day."
"Don't tell me no one, I heard you yelling at someone on the phone."
"It's no one important Irfan, leave it alone." "Just tell me who it was Nasreen."
His voice laced with seriousness.
"It's... it's... Habeeb." she stammered.
"What!! Habeeb!, why is he calling you?"
"I don't know Irfan."
"Should I be worried about anything?"
"You don't have to be worried Irfan, why are you asking me such a question." She muttered in annoyance.
"Give me his number I am going to teach that dirtbag a lesson."
Nasreen gave him her phone and he copied the number. He excused himself from the room.
He dialed the number, flailing around the room. Waiting for Habeeb to pick the call. He picked on the second ring.
"Am I speaking with Habeeb?"
"Yes, you are speaking with Habeeb who is this please?"
"It is Nasreen's husband, baka san matar aure ce ba don't you know she is a married woman, that you are disturbing her with your calls?"
"Eh, na sani sai meh I know, so what?"
"Look I am going to break your bones if you ever call my wife again, I will kill you with my bare hands just call her again and see."
"Nasreen will never be yours, she is mine, she has always been mine."
"Wallahi, zan baballa ka, Inyi raga da kai.. sai dai kotu su raba mu! Shege! Dan wahala..sai nayi maganin ka... I swear I will break you, deal with you, it's in court that we will be separated bastard."
"Karyan ka wallahi you are lying I swear, you don't know what is between me and Nasreen. You will never understand. She might be your wife at home but what about when she leaves your home, you don't know who Nasreen is."
Irfan's heart plummeted. What was he talking about?
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Irfan ended the call.
He dropped the phone carelessly on his bed. He rubbed his hand all over his face in distress. What did he mean by that statement? But he trusted his wife a hundred percent.
Just then his phone pinged indicating a message. "Check your WhatsApp."
Irfan was vexed already. His forehead creased in confusion as he opened the message from the number.
What he saw made his vision blurry, his head spins around.
His wife locked in a passionate embrace with her past lover.
His eyes widened further as he saw another picture of Nasreen and Habeeb standing and talking. He held her hands.
He was shocked cause this was the dress she wore yesterday.
The phone suddenly became very heavy for him to hold.
As his eyes roamed over the screen.
His eyes were seeing what his mind was not ready to accept, what he was seeing again.
Nasreen came inside the room. She saw Irfan sitting on the floor. His eyes downcast.
"What is wrong with you Irfan?
No response from him. Irfan speak to me.
When he rose his eyes up to her, she saw that his eyes were red.
Talk to me Irfan what is wrong." Nasreen was starting to get into a dither already.
"Why did you do this to me?"
"What did I do to you Irfan?"
"You are asking me what you did!! Nasreen quit it."
"Quit what Irfan I don't understand what you mean."
"Stop fucking lying to me is what you do when you go out?"
"What!! what has gotten into you, what are you talking about?"
"You want to know what has gotten into me? He raged.
He unlocked his phone and showed her the picture of her and Habeeb locked in a passionate hug.
Nasreen's heart summersault a million times as she saw the picture.
"Irfan please stop making a big deal out of this, this picture was taken a long time ago."
"Oh, really Nasreen you want me to believe you, how can you then explain this then huh?"
He brought the phone close to her face and she saw the picture of herself and Habeeb yesterday, As they talked. He showed her the picture of her and Habeeb. She was surprised when she saw the picture how could Habeeb have taken pictures just how... And it didn't look as if they were in a repartee in the picture.
"Nasreen tell me this was also taken a long time ago?"
Nasreen was finding it difficult to speak she could not apprehend what was going on.
Until he held her arms tightly, "Speak to me damn it!!"
His eyes searched for truth in her eyes, but he was unable to see it cause his eyes were filled with rage. "Answer me."
Nasreen nodded. "Yes Irfan it was yesterday, but believe me I didn't know he was going to be there, I told him to leave me alone, he insisted that we should talk, and I should tell him why I betrayed him. I told him what happened and that was all, then I left I don't know how he took pictures of us."
"Nasreen why didn't you tell me?" "I am sorry I thought it was a trivial matter, and I was going to tell you anyway."
"You thought it was trivial!? Nasreen how do you want me to believe that these pictures are also not recent. She was wearing a black abaya in the picture so it looked recent. One would think it was recent because there was a recent one.
"Why are you saying these things to me Irfan, you are hurting me, you know I would never do such a thing."
Another message pinged again. "Please take it easy on her, and did she also tell you we have been in contact for more than a month."
Irfan was speechless. "Please tell me he is lying Nasreen."
"He is lying Irfan it was only twice he messaged me but I didn't reply."
"Since when Nasreen?"
"Three months ago."
Irfan staggered, almost tripping on the bed. "Nasreen how could you, why did you do this to me, you kept all this away from me, what else don't I know?"
"Irfan hear me out, I didn't do anything please."
"Just get out Nasreen, get out!!"
"No, I am not getting out, you need to listen to me." "I said get out now I don't want to see your face."
He yelled making Nasreen shriek away in fear.
When Nasreen left Irfan kept trashing things here and there in his room, his heart was torn into countless pieces as he looked at the pictures again.
He looked at the one where she was locked in a passionate embrace with him. his heart bled, how is it possible that Nasreen could put such an act like this, was she lying when she said she loved him, was it all a lie."
Nasreen on the other hand went to her room. She slid down on the floor, Her back resting against the door.
She cried her heart out. "Why are you doing this to me Habeeb what did I ever do to you, I curse the day I laid my eyes on you."
She could hear Irfan trashing things... she was scared very scared what if he hurt himself. She cried harder.
She felt bile rising her throat. She ran to the bathroom and spilled out her guts...
This was not how she envisioned her life to be considering the fact she found she was pregnant.
Ahem.. so this is where it all begins... What a hot mess, hot mess!! What is going to happy to our dear Nas.iR.. we hope truth will prevail soon. Just vote comment, and share I love you guys so much 🥰🥰