The princess of bloom

53. Painful confession.

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When Abdul came back home, he didn't have any food. He sighed and cooked something quick before heading upstairs. He met Zahra praying again and she gave him a deaf was again. She didn't leave the praying mat even when she was done with Salah. Abdul was already tired, so he slept off and woke up for subh, he found her lying on the praying mat. He picked her up gently and kept her on the bed before leaving for the masjid. 

Being someone with a temper and busy too, Abdul decided to give Zahra some space to think but even after some days, it was like a demonic spirit was taking over his wife. The house looked peaceful but it was suffocating for Abdul. 

He came home by afternoon that day and froze, staring at the wall in their room. The paintings there were missing!

"Ameerah!" He called out holding his hips and it happened she was just entering the room. She scowled at him but sighting her, his anger diminished. She was wearing a stepped dark pink skirt with a matching veil, then a light pink shirt, and her face had light makeup. 

"What's with the call now?" She asked with a frown. 

"Where are the paintings on the wall?" He calmed himself down and asked. 

"Oh those," she slapped her forehead. "I didn't like them at all and threw them away." 

"You did what?!" Abdul's eyes widened as he yelped. 

"What's so surprising about it? I made them, so I can get rid of them." She shrugged. 

"But…" he gazes at her astonishingly. "Why would you do that Ameerah? You love those drawings and gave it to me as a gift. We agreed to place it in our room to signify….us. You just…" 

"There is no us here Khaleef. So don't make a fuse about it." She rolled her eyes and tried walking past him but he blocked her way. 

"I have no idea what's wrong with your brain but this has to stop." He said seriously. "You've become irresponsible, rude, and unfriendly. That's not like you. I've been asking you what the problem is but you seem to be following your crazy thoughts. Don't you like our marriage anymore?!" 

"Of course not!" She snapped. "I hate the marriage, I hate the sight of you. I hate everything!" She emphasized every word, making his jaw tighten. 

"This room suffocates me Khaleef. I am tired." 

Abdul nodded and said in a low voice. "We might have started on a bad note Ameerah but together, we solved our differences. I got married to you for a reason but I don't want it to break now." 

"I'm glad you know about it," she smirked. "This marriage was just a contract and I obeyed it just as you stated. I pretended to be a loving wife to you and you helped me solve some issues which I never begged you to. It's a win-win situation. You beat your enemies and now the company is yours to enjoy. The contract is over. There is no need to wait for some stupid six months,"

Abdul felt his words spinning as he locked gazes with Zahra. Her words were stabbing his heart and she had no idea how much pain she was inducing him now. He didn't realize that his eyes were teary. 

"So, in these months, you were just pretending and never for once felt any affection or attraction toward our union?" He inquired, trying to see any change in her eyes but she was impassive. 

"If you are living in some fantasy, then wake up. I will be more than glad if you just end this marriage right now." She stated calmly. 

Abdul smiled bitterly and shook his head. "If it were before, I wouldn't care Ameerah but now it's different. I love you Ameerah and I can't bear to lose you. I don't care what you say or what others will say, but what I listen to is my heart and all it tells me is the undying affection it has for you." 

Zahra froze as her heart palpitated with every word. She wanted to jump into his embrace and shout back, 'I love you too so much Khaleef and I can't bear to leave you but our relationship has been doomed from the beginning. I wish that nothing was wrong with me, I would have held on to you like a lifeline but it is…. impossible.' 

Zahra raised her gaze before she started laughing. "Who are you kidding Khaleef? What you feel right now is just a delusion and I don't care about it. It will be better if you forget about this." 

Abdul breathed and walked closer to her. "Look at me in the eyes and Ameerah and say that again. " He whispered. "Eyes don't lie and the affection that flashes from your eyes every day can't be hidden." 

Zahra curled her lips and matched gazes with him again. "I don't like you. Not even a bit. Be more mature and end this before I do something extreme." 

"What are you going to do?" He took a deep breath and inquired. "No one is against this marriage. If they suddenly hear about you wanting to break it, what do you think they will feel?" 

"Then let them deal with it. I don't care," she responded nonchalantly. "I am just an inconspicuous character in your life that is deemed to leave you someday. So do it, before it goes public." She threatened and walked away. 

Abdul stood there stranded and he just felt his cheek get wet. This seems like a dream, surreal. This is what he has been dreading all along. The perfect marriage he was hoping for collapsed before his eyes. 

Zahra's attitude became worse and they hadn't shared a bed since the argument. She would spend her time sitting alone in the garden or her store. The way she was treating Abdul was like an enemy, leaving him confused and depressed.

It was night and Abdul sat in his car, his head on the steering wheel. He used to rush to go home to meet his happiness but nowadays he was scared of going there. He hadn't mentioned this to Fadilat yet and from the looks of it, Zahra hadn't told her yet. He was scared of going home and not meeting her there again. 

All he knew right now was that he needed to take things off his mind. 

Meanwhile, Zahra was in the kitchen holding on to the counter as she waited for her breathing to settle. She kept her drugs back before entering the sitting room. Casually glancing at the clock, it was past 11 and Abdul wasn't back home yet. 

She had been portraying a lawless and selfish behavior just to make Abdul hate her but he wants bulging, just showing hurt. And that was hurting her more. She just wants to leave the house and free them both from this ordeal. 

Time was gone and Zahra started worrying. Even when she went upstairs, her heart couldn't calm down and she was reluctant to call him. What if he was in danger?!

Is Zahra's choice good? 🥺
What happened to Khaleef?