Against The Tide (Formerly Two Tribes)

7: Inferiority Complex

Najah

Najah had just finished cleaning the sitting room. She was about to go to her room to rest when Jameel barged in; a huge smile tugging his lips. "Assalamualaikum! Hey."

Najah's brows furrowed at Jameel's incongruous mood. "Wa Alaikum salaam. You said you were going to return late today." She reminded; her gaze fixated on him. "You seem to be in a good mood."

Jameel's lips widened to their limits. "I'm not in a good mood, Najah, I'm in a phenomenal mood!"

Najah chuckled. Jameel looked like a kid who had just gotten his favorite candy. "Mind to tell me what the reason—" Najah squeaked when Jameel without warning, lifted her off her feet and began to spin her around.

"I'm the happiest man in the world today, Najah. You won't believe what I'm about to tell you."

"Jameel!" Najah hit his biceps for she had begun to feel dizzy. "Let me down."

Jameel complied; the smile never leaving his face even for a split second. "At the office today, I met...Afrah."

Najah's brows furrowed again. She only knew one Afrah and she was already dead. "Who's Afrah?"

"My Afrah," Jameel responded.

"What?" Najah chuckled. "How's that possible? You probably imagined it or—"

"Afrah is alive! She's in perfect health."

Flummoxed, Najah shook her head. "Afrah died in a car accident, remember?"

"She didn't die in any car accident. She was in my office, we talked and I even touched her. It wasn't an illusion. Her father—" Jameel gnashed his teeth. "That man faked his daughter's death because he doesn't like me and wanted to separate us."

Najah's chest tightened, and a ball of nerves got stuck in her throat. For many months, she had watched her husband wallow in wretchedness, she ought to be happy for him because he would no longer be miserable, but her heart wouldn't yield assent. "Really? She is alive?"

Jameel's eyes enlivened. "She's perfectly fine."

Although her heart was breaking into a thousand pieces, she smiled. "Wow!"

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her," Jameel narrated. "She hasn't changed at all. She's still as beautiful as I have always known her to be. I noticed she had lost some weight, but she still looks perfect regardless."

Heartbroken, Najah watched as Jameel continued to speak affectionately about the love of his life.

"I'm so happy, Najah," Jameel puffed out his cheeks. "I don't even know how to express it. It feels like now that I have found out that Afrah is alive, everything will work out just fine for me."

Najah smiled again. Although her heart was hurting, she felt a little happy seeing her husband happy. His smile was so genuine—unfeigned. She would do anything to ensure the smile never disappears again. "Were you able to speak to her?"

Jameel heaved a sigh. "We were able to talk, but only for a while. She didn't want to talk to me."

"Why? Does she know about me?"

Jameel nodded in the affirmative. "She is angry...and, I don't blame her. She has all the right to be angry with me because I didn't keep my promise. If I were in her shoes, I'd be furious too..." His voice trailed.

Najah hummed; speechless.

"I told her about her father's deceitful lie but she didn't believe me. She considers me an untrustworthy person now..."