N A D A' S P O V
It hurt. A lot. Hearing his words. Why did he have to be so rude? And the worst part is that I felt bad when I snapped at him. But why am I feeling this way? I shouldn't be. Before also I used to fight but now some things have changed.
And I started realising that when Fahad announced everybody that I am his wife, it gave me little satisfaction. I knew he didn't mean that at all but still he stood up for me. I know that I should not be feeling this way.
And now his words, pierced my heart.
"Uméma please hold Alizah." I requested Uméma. I don't know why my voice was quivering. She took Alizah from me.
"Dear, he didn't mean all that." Aunt Naaz consolidated.
"No Aunt, every time he cannot come talk to me like that and go away." I tried saying as polite as I can be. I don't want to be rude to her because of her stupid son.
"No! Actually it's because of me! He has became like that!" She cried.
"Mom! It's not your fault." Umèma kept her hand on Aunt's shoulder.
"Why are you saying like that Aunt?" I said wiping my cheek, which I didn't know when they got wet.
"Yes, my son wasn't like that before. It all happened when his father divorced me a month ago." She continued and I gasped.
"Yes Nada I remember you asking me that what changed in him. The divorce changed him. He has given up on the concept of 'love'." Uméma said when a tear escaped from her eye.
"I- d-didn't know." I mumbled.
"From his childhood his father never used to come home my children used to see their father twice or thrice a year. I knew he wasn't interested in us and he did find someone else, but every time I used to tell my children, convince my children, that their father loves them. But in reality he left us on our own. Fahad knew that it was unfair but he believed my words and loved his father dearly. Then he grew up, started earning and now my son has grew up his own faculty. His perspective changed when his father came and divorced me which happened a month ago. That was the last straw. Before, he had a little ray of hope that his father would come back but after the divorce his whole demeanour changed." She said breaking down. God, I never knew their misery.
Guilt is all I felt, I never knew his backstory, yet I said all those words to him. Such an idiot I am.
"I am sorry Aunt. I hurt your son. I am sorry." I said which came out as a whisper.
"It's okay." She said smiling through her tears. "Actually it was his duty to confront his wife about his past."
"Huh wife?" I scoffed. "He doesn't even consider me as a sane person, wife is way long."
"Allah has the most beautiful plans." Aunt Naaz said and sauntered in her room. I decided to say something against it but I thought to shut my mouth.
"I still ship you guys." Uméma said wiping her tears, which made both of us chuckle. This girl is still pretends that nothing happened.
"Remember one thing. I love you. You can always share your problems with me." I hugged her trying not to crush Alizah in between. I felt like doing that. We pulled back when Uméma had tears in her minty blue eyes. Her smile said a lot of words which her mouth couldn't comprehend the words.
After that I went inside my room, I miss my Mom and Dad. Very much. I called my Mom and talked to her and I felt very nice talking to her.
Then I remember it's Alizah's lunch time.
I went to Uméma and asked her for Alizah.
"Her parents are missing this." Umèma told sadly as I started feeding Alizah.
"I know right. They are missing a huge part in their life." I bewailed.
Soon the time passed and it was time for Fahad to come home. He usually comes home by eight o'clock but today he didn't maybe he has some work to do. Or he is purposely doing so.
Aunt Naaz informed that we should eat our dinner as Fahad called her and said that he would get late. Ok then.
It didn't feel good sitting alone. I mean yeah, Umèma and Aunt Naaz were present but Fahad wasn't which didn't make me feel any better.
I was back and shifted my belongings in Fahad's room, of course requested by Aunt Naaz.
I changed Alizah's diaper, played with her and gave her medicines, it had taken an hour or so when she went asleep. I was patting her head when Fahad entered the room and straightaway went inside the bathroom.
I laid Alizah on the bed and turned towards Fahad who looked very tired.
"Shall I heat up the food?" I asked him who busy drying his hair with the towel.
"No need." Ugh what's his problem.
"Fah-" He cut me off by opening the door and going downstairs.
Why is he ignoring me like that? It's ok Nada, he must be real tired or he is still upset with me. I should apologise him. Yes. I should.
I went downstairs and searched for him, when I heard the microwave's beep sound. Oh so when I offered him to heat up the food he denied.
I went inside the kitchen when I heard Fahad wince.
"Fahad what are you doing? You are not supposed to touch that bowl with your bare hands." I rushed towards him. Such a grown up he is and still don't know how to heat up the food without getting hurt.
"Look how red it has become." I grimaced looking at his fingers of his right hand which had turned into a deep red color.
"It's nothing. You go." He snapped, snatching his hand away from me.
"What? You say it's nothing? Stupid, it has turn into such an ugly color. Come here." I scolded him taking his hand and ran it under cold water.
I flinched thinking how much it had pained him.
"I told you Fahad that I will heat up the food, then why didn't you listen to me?" I spoke softly drying up his hand with a towel.
"Why will you do my work?" He spat harshly.
I opened the fridge, took some ice and made Fahad sit down, forcefully.
"Because I am your wife." I spoke quietly once I was moving the ice across the wound.
"Oh please we both know that it's temporary."
That shut my mouth. It was enough to keep me quiet. I thought of leaving the kitchen but then I thought how will he eat his food so I decided to take the food from the microwave with the glove, might I add, and placed it front of him.
"It's okay. I am not hungry anymore." He lied trying to get up. Fine I'll do things my way then.
I took his hand made him sit down again, took a spoon of food and pushed it in mouth.
"Nada?! Are you stupid or something?" He bellowed.
"No. Actually I am very sensible, unlike you."
"Nada I am fed up. Let me go."
"No, I won't let you go outside this kitchen with an empty stomach." I widened my eyes at him trying to be intimidate him.
"Now shut up and open your mouth." I said bringing again the spoon in-front of his mouth.
"What? Shut up and open your mouth? I knew that you were a brainless girl but thanks for proving it today." Fahad chuckled. I was missing him teasing like that.
"I thought you had brains, but thanks for proving me wrong. It was understandable that what I was trying to say. If only you had brains." I insinuated as I pushed the spoon inside his mouth.
After that there were no sound, absolute silence, only the clinking of the spoon and bowl was heard.
"Fahad, I am sorry." I don't know why it came out as a whisper. "I- I shouldn't have said all that to you. I am s-sorry." My voice quivering at the end.
"Good you realised your mistake." WTH?!
"You are not gonna apologise to me?!" I deadpanned.
"Ok fine. Ms Nada Maham Hashmi I am sorry. Happy?" He said exasperatedly.
"Very much. Actually I am not usually like this but because you said all that, I snapped at you."
"What?"
"Yes you said that I am just stuck up girl who doesn't face the reality and is always in denial. What do you even know whether I have faced many things or not? Sorry if I sound rude." I lamented.
"And let me ask you, what all did you face? Sorry if I sound rude." He asked curiously .
"I also lost my father." It came out as a whisper. "Just like you." And a tear escaped from my eye. "But not in the same way." I continued.
"What?" He jolted. His hazel eyes widened.
"Yes. He died in a car accident when I was ten year old and that's when we shifted from Florida to Los Angeles, here." I explained.
"Whenever you brought up the topic of 'fathers' you always talked bitter about it but every time, I used to not like that so I used to oppose you. Everyone is not the same."
"First of all, I am sorry. It's not sympathy but empathy. I know how it feels to grow up without a father's love. But what was I supposed to do? At least your father loved you when he was alive. Mine didn't even spare me a glance." He gritted.
"We both didn't get father's love, Fahad but still mine and your perception is different."
"So what do you expect me to do? Love that person who didn't love me, my sister and my mother and left us for an another woman. I am sorry but I don't have that much of a big heart." He gritted his teeth at me.
"I know what he did is wrong, but forgive him, it will only help you to ease the pain." I tried to state my point.
He looked at me, in the eye, for a good one minute and his eyes started to distract me. Those light brown swirls surrounded by coffee-coloured rings and those caramel tinted specks in between were enough for me to spend my hours staring at them.
"You surely have a big heart, eh?" He smiled at me.
"Yes of course because I didn't die out of a heart attack after staying with you every day and night." I laughed off.
"Back to square one now."
"Yes, you know I cannot leave without taunting you." I grinned.
"I know else than that what do you know?"
"Many things. If not that, at least I know that one is supposed to wear a glove while taking the food from the microwave." I stuck out my tongue at him.
"Whatever, I was stressed okay?" He reasoned out.
"Oh really? I don't think so that's the correct reason. That injury happened because you don't use your brain. Huh."
"As if you use your brain."
"Yes more than you."
"Oh is it? Then tell me what's the third law of Newton?"
"I think Alizah is crying I should be going." I said trying to get away.
I hate physics. But he doesn't know that.
Assalamualaikum and hello people! How was the chapter? Comment about it and do vote. Until then, bye, stay home, AllahHafiz and take care ^_^
Also, let me know your favourite part of the chapter.
31-03-20
04-06-20