WHISPERS OF ENCHANTÉ

61: whispers and wishes

Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Siyama stared at her phone as Mahmud's broad frame filled the screen, his familiar features instantly sending a swirl of emotions through her. She noticed the bustling activity behind him. Some men were lifting weights, and the coach was barking orders.

He was at the training ground. Despite the noise and movement, he'd stopped everything to answer her call. How had he even known she would call?

Mahmud had made it clear to one of his teammates who wasn't training that day that no matter what he was doing, if Siyama, Yasmin or his mother called, he was to be stopped immediately. No excuses. And so, here he was, dropping everything to answer her call.

"You should get back to training before the coach complains." She whispered softly, her voice tinged with unease.

She placed the phone on the vanity table by the window, angling it so he could see her. There was no light and their room was usually very dark. Yasmin just left to go meet her in-laws and his family also left few minutes ago.

"He won't complain." Mahmud replied, his voice low and tired. He looks weary too. "He knows I've been waiting for this call for a long time." 

The weight of his words hung in the air as they stared at each other through the screen, neither saying what truly needed to be said. His gaze held hers, filled with something she didn't want to name and she found herself unable to look away. 

"I..." She started then trailed off, unsure how to navigate this unfamiliar territory between them. It's been so long that things are so awkward. 

He sighed, running a hand over his face before resting it on his knee. "Seema, I..." He paused, as if searching for the right words. "I'm sorry. For everything." 

Her chest tightened at the apology. For a moment, she wanted to lash out, to remind him of everything he'd done, of Zainab and the mess he'd dragged her into. But the sincerity in his eyes, the heaviness in his tone, made the words catch in her throat. 

"Sorry doesn't fix everything." She finally said, looking anywhere but at home. They both look so miserable.

"I know." He admitted readily, his gaze never wavering from hers. "But I still had to say it. And I'll keep saying it until you believe me." 

She didn't respond, her heart torn between the lingering hurt and the part of her that still cared for him. That loved him. The silence stretched, filled with words neither was ready to say. 

"You should go." She mumbled again, breaking the moment. "You have people waiting for you." 

"They can wait." He replied without hesitation. His voice softened as he added, "You're more important." 

Siyama stared at her husband. Yes! Her husband!

He looked utterly miserable, his usually composed features weighed down by exhaustion and something deeper. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and his normally confident posture seemed slumped, as though the weight of the world rested on his broad shoulders.

Even the tension in his jaw betrayed the frustration he was trying to hide. The faint stubble on his face added to the worn-down look, making him appear like a man who hadn't had a decent night's sleep in weeks.

Even as he stared at the screen, his gaze was heavy, his eyes searching hers for some kind of reprieve from the storm inside him. But Siyama doesn't know if she could give him any sort of comfort right now. He is not meant to know they were married.

"I've read your messages..." She murmured softly, her voice laced with warmth, as though trying to wrap her words in something that would make him feel as happy as she is right now. Even though he had no idea why.