HER WEDDING NIGHT

CHAPTER 55

Oye drove into the hospital and parked the car roughly before running out to call the nurses, leaving the car door ajar. Akeela was at the back of the car with Jamal lying on her lap in a pool of his blood.

Akeela was still lamenting and shouting at him to open his eyes so they could talk things out.

She realized a lot of things at that instant. She realized the worth of life. She realized the worth of humans. She realized death makes us value the people we think are not worth it, this is because it comes with absence. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and death takes someone away, never to be seen again.

She cried when she thought of death. She would never forgive herself if he died. They have been through ups and downs in their marriage that isn't up to a month yet. Theirs wasn't rosy at first. It was bitter filled but she knew it would become better now.

Now that Jamal was changing, Fred and Sarah came to ruin everything. She was just waiting for the right time to tell him he has been forgiven.

She forgave him a long time ago, the very day her father spoke to her and she realized she didn't lose the baby because of Jamal. She lost the baby because it has been predestined to happen. She accepted her fate, forgave him even though it was hard, and went back to his house, pretending that she was still hurt.

The nurses rushed out with a carriage bed and they helped Jamal onto it. Akeela was just watching as they took him in. She was inside the car, not moving, not speaking anymore. She was just sitting there numb with emotions and with tears streaming down her eyes.

Oye noticed she was not behind him as he followed the nurses inside so he went back outside to help her out. Shock and reality coursed through her, making her numb. Everything felt like a dream.

After Jamal lost consciousness, she had called Haneefah but her number wasn't going through. She didn't know who else to call but Oye. She had quickly grabbed Jamal's phone to search for Oye's number.

His apartment wasn't too far away from theirs and within minutes, Oye was there to help her take him to the hospital. She knew she wouldn't be able to drive.

The siren heard earlier was a fake alarm, Akeela thought.

It was an ambulance going to rescue the gas explosion victims on the other side of the lane, thereby passing through the vicinity of Jamal's home and making Sarah and her thugs fled.

Suddenly, Akeela jerked out of her trance and emotions filled her up again. She freed herself from Oye's hold and ran after the nurses, shouting Jamal's name.

They rushed him into an emergency ward and one of the nurses stand back to calm Akeela and tell her to sit while they attend to him. She nodded with tears and Oye guided her to a seat.

She sat for a while, ignoring the consolation words from Oye. She stood up abruptly and began to pace the corridor, praying and supplicating fervently for Jamal's survival.

She saw his parents hurry in and she ran to their side before bursting into tears in his mother's arms. She was also in tears.

Haneefah came in afterward with Akeela's parents, asking Oye what happened. Oye couldn't provide any answer to their questions and they looked at Akeela for explanations but none was forthcoming.

She was too shocked to tell them what happened. She couldn't find her voice. She couldn't tell them she was almost raped by Fred and that he shot Jamal. Everything was just so hard to believe.

They decided to let her be until she was fine with revealing all that happened. They all stood in prayer until the doctor came out to give them the news.

Akeela was the first to stand up. It was as if she was waiting for him to come out and tell her that her husband is going to be fine. It was as if she had been expecting him to come out before she can talk to anyone.

"How is my husband?" She cried and ran to him. The doctor's gloves were stained and his face was devoid of emotions. Akeela studied him as he fell silent.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry...."

"Don't tell me he is dead", Akeela cut him short with bulging wide eyes and the readiness to throw herself down if that was the case.

He shook his head again and announced. "He is in a coma."

*****
It has been more than two weeks already and exactly a month since Jamal and Akeela were wedded to be man and wife and exactly two weeks since he has been in a coma.

Akeela had cried till there were no more tears to shed. She had starved herself till she couldn't hold it anymore. She had kept vigil nights in night prayers for God to bring him back to life but nothing was happening. Despite everything, she was holding onto the hope that he might wake up someday.

She was blaming herself for not being responsive to him. She wished she could turn back the hands of the clock so they could make things right.

"Have you eaten?" Jamal's mother asked Akeela as she entered the room where Jamal has been laying for two weeks. Akeela raised her head from the bed and answered in a weak tone.

"No, ma."

"You should eat", she sat beside her and watched her son's face. Akeela began to cry again when she saw the lone tear that slipped down her mother-in-law's face. Guilt washed through her again and the woman pulled her closer in an embrace.

"He will be fine", she muttered convincingly. "Let's keep praying."

Akeela nodded and after a while, she sobered up. The woman stood up. "Let me go and prepare you something to eat."

Akeela nodded even though she didn't know if she would have the appetite to eat. She barely ate since Jamal was brought into the hospital. Anytime she could no longer hold the hunger pangs, she usually takes yogurt to kill it off.

She watched Jamal's mother go before turning to Jamal. She held his hand and kissed it.

"Please, don't suffer me anymore. I have suffered enough. Forgive me and come back to us, oko mi", she murmured. Tears streamed down her eyes continuously.

"I have forgiven you already, Jamal. I have accepted this as my fate. I want you to please come back and let's start our new beginning right from this moment. Please, forgive me."

She sat still with his hand in hers until she began to doze off. She felt a movement and jerked up. Everything was still. She placed her head back on the bed to sleep with Jamal's hand in hers when she felt his hand move.

She jolted up with surprise and looked at the still hand. There was no movement from him and she thought she was dreaming and imagining things.

Before she could go back to sleep, he moved his hands again and called out. "Akeela."

Her eyes bulged out in shock. His eyes were open but she pinched herself to wake up from the dream.

"Akeela", he called out again in a hoarse voice that didn't sound like his.

The reality dawned on her that her husband was back.

With tears streaming down her eyes and mouth supplicating gratitude to the Almighty, she crashed her body onto his on the bed in a bone-crushing hug.

****
One more chapter left before we say bye-bye to HER WEDDING NIGHT💃

I promised to update yesterday but I failed due to some reasons. I had a hectic day yesterday, trying to meet up with a deadline but I still didn't meet up.

I decided to give it up just to give you guys an update today and also to end this book before Ramadan. I am going to update the last chapter today or tomorrow morning, In Sha Allah.

Thank you all for the support so far. Thank you for the massive votes. Thank you for the comments. Thank you to those always checking up on me when I am not updating. Thank you for keeping me going. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I can't thank you enough but I pray that the Almighty will grant all your heart desires soonest. May we witness many years of Ramadan in good health, sound mind, and happiness.

See you soon!❤