"Aqsam, what urged you to come back?" Barrister Muhammad asks his son. After his wife - Rasheeda - developed high blood pressure because of him, he decides to show up? That's not done.
"I know I've not done anything good to you but I'm sorry, I'm here to make things right." Aqsam says confidently. If only he knows how late he is.
"Who told you something is wrong? Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfectly fine." Aqsam's confidence dissipates.
"Abbi..."
"Don't you dare!" Barr. Muhammad says, rage taking over his features.
"Just like your brother, you've always been intelligent, just that you were not smart, you always tend to act like a young girl in love." Barr. Muhammad has this faraway look in his eyes. He's reminiscing all the memories. Even of the day he finally had it in him to let Aqsam go to Dubai to start his university there. Oh, how much he regrets that decision now.
"Your brother was always smarter than you, knowing how to act in different situations. But you Aqsam, were just intelligent, far more intelligent than him, yet extremely stupid. I remember the day you almost got bullied, who saved you? Hamza did. Your brother, who happens to be younger than you by eight good years saved you.
"But that's not the point. If only I hadn't sent you to Dubai, you wouldn't have met with the influence of people. It was obvious they never liked you. But you never saw that. They were jealous of our relationship, which was not even good, but you never saw that.
"And when I pointed that out, you shut me out and left. I looked for you for two good years, questioning my upbringing and values. I even questioned your mother because of you!" Barr. Muhammad isn't here in spirit, he's elsewhere, only his body is here.
"Your mother, my Rasheeda, was sick, she questioned her motherly love, asked herself and even me countless times where she went wrong. For two good years, I had to force food into your mother. I had to force her to sleep. She'd stay up all night, asking Allah for forgiveness. She once asked me whether you found out and that was the reason you left.
"So we called you, saying your Umma was dying. Even though she actually was inside. When you came, we told you the truth, what did you do? You insulted me. I know I'm not your father but you insulted your own mother, someone that almost died in the hands of the monster who is your birth giver.
"That man used to beat your mother! He'd beat her then starve her. If not that she ran away, even you wouldn't have been in existence. So I don't need your apology, your mother does. And also, I don't want to know what your opinion about this matter is. But I've gotten you a wife." Aqsam clenches his fists, why would someone who's supposed to be a father figure to him try to make him get married forcefully. That's totally uncalled for.
But then remembering what he did to them, Aqsam realizes he deserves whatever is being dished out to him. Every single bit of it. But what about Fatima? She's right in the same vicinity as him, about to become his sister in law.
"Whoever she is, I'll marry her." Aqsam says without thinking twice. If he doesn't do this, he'll forever live with the guilt of turning down Fatima and all the other stupid things he's done.
"Good. Allah ya maka albarka." Aqsam mutters an Ameen.
"You need to go see her today. Hamza will accompany you." Aqsam nods and goes out.
He meets Hamza smiling goofily while typing away on his phone. No doubt, he's chatting with Amal, his fiancée.
"We're going to see her by 4.30pm." Hamza nods knowing exactly what he's talking about.
"Adda Nana what will you wear?" Amal asks plopping on the bed. Fatima isn't even paying attention to her. She's looking at Afnan, Afnan has been acting extremely weird lately and she doesn't know why. She'll talk to her at night.
Fatima ignores her and stands up. It's almost Asr and Aqsam isn't here yet. She suspects he's coming after Asr so she goes inside the bathroom and takes a warm bath. She comes out in a frost rob and matching frost towel tied on her head.
She picks a grape material high neck gown made of chiffon and slips on. After rubbing her lotion, she blow dries her hair and oils it before packing it to a ponytail. She wraps it in a watermelon silk veil and slips on grape Louboutin D'orsay shoes.
"Adda Nana they're here. Bae... Hamza just called." Fatima shakes her head at her sister. Bae.
"Let's go." Fatima says and Amal gapes.
"Is this how you want to go? Looking pale and lifeless? Apply something on your face, add a little spark to your dressing." Amal pulls out a stiletto and Fatima sighs.
"I'm only dusting my face with powder and applying Kohl. Nothing more." Fatima says and Amal nods frantically. They finish and walk down the stairs to the canopy where the cars are parked. There's a space for receiving fresh air. With a large rectangular plastic table and four plastic chairs around it.
Fatima takes her seat farthest away from Aqsam but yet, opposite him at an angle. He glances at her, their eyes meet and he blushes. Why the hell is he blushing? Fatima asks herself and unconsciously hisses. Amal hears the hiss and smiles at Hamza.
"Baby let's go to the car, I have something for you." Hamza says and they walk away.
Fatima hisses and turns away from Aqsam. He's not deserving of her or her attention.
"Fatima." The talk Fatima had with her mother all comes back to her.
Innayo follows her daughter into her room.
"Fatima, answer me sincerely; are you happy with this?" Fatima thinks; is she really happy with this. Honestly, even she doesn't know what she's doing. She's just going wherever takes her.
"Ammi, frankly speaking, I don't know. Surely I won't lie I loved Aqsam, maybe I do still love him, but I'm not willing to embrace it because he rejected me the first time, and anger isn't allowing me to love him freely. And I don't want to get married to him and be like a forced wife upon him.
"I don't want to be treated less than what I worth. But if he's happy with the marriage then why not? But the fact that he clearly showed he's not into girls with spiritual issues the first time is the problem. I don't want to be treated as such; a girl with spiritual problems." There. Fatima has said all what she feels.
"Fatima, if he shows even an ounce of dislike towards you, let me know. I'll tell your father and he'll cancel everything." Fatima smiles, her mother doesn't get it.
"No! Ammi you don't get it. Even my younger sister is getting married but I don't even have an admirer. I'm sure Abba is tired of seeing me moping around the house like an unfortunate person, which I am. I just want to do this to make him happy." Innayo closes her eyes. What did she do to deserve such a sweet daughter? Alhamdulillah.
"Aqsam whatever you'll say won't make a difference now. So tell me sincerely, do you want to marry me or not?"
ČTEŠ
BFFs: finding love again
SpirituálníThird of the BFFs series. *** Fatima Abba Sulayman has always been the one to follow her heart. But after what happened to her while in senior secondary school, that event as she calls it that changed her life for the worse, she turned off anything...
