Forgiving You (Dublin Sisters #2)

Chapter 45

It was an ordinary late winter evening where the darkness spread across the skies early and the age old stars shone throughout the night. The new moon peaked through the heavy grey clouds that were threatening to pour any minute. But in the Siddique household, nothing was ordinary tonight. In the luxuriously decorated spacious living room, Adil Siddique's tired bones were wearier at that moment as he gazed at the stressed faces of his family.

Ghazala and Seema both sat beside on either sides of Salman whose stern face showed no sign of mercy or compassion. Shabbir stood by the window with his hands behind his back, his shoulders hunched clearly indicating the burden that he was carrying for the happiness of his daughter. Muhammad quietly sat in the corner observing the events unfolding in front of him. Nawal was in the far end of the room curled on an arm chair. Her eyes lowered and tears continued to fall down her cheeks. She was abashed for what was revealed in front of her parents and Dada jaan.

"Salman beta, you are being irrational and you are very angry. I am sure you don't mean what you said earlier," Ghazala pressed as she gently touched Salman's arm to emphasize her point.

There was silence. No one spoke. Everyone held their breath waiting for Salman to react.

When Salman had proclaimed divorce, Muhammad and Seema both had been shocked. Seema tried to speak to Salman but he never even answered the quiet knocks and cries of his mother outside his room door. Muhammad had then decided to call Nawal's parents. Nawal had been paralysed, she had sat on the floor in front of her room in the hall the whole time. It was not until Ghazala had roughly shoved Nawal off the floor that Nawal had stood up. The physical abuse from her mother didn't hurt her as she was hauled down the stairs to the living room because the pain her heart was bearing had surpassed any pain her flesh could endure.

The lurid details of Nawal's meeting with Daud was revealed making Ghazala clench her jaw and deathly glare at Nawal. Shabbir was shocked at the secrets of his daughter. How could his princess commit such a sin? He wasn't able to meet anyone's eyes and instead had sauntered to the window trying hard to digest the information that was learnt.

Salman had been transfixed. He was numb to all the pain, shock and hurt. He had finally opened the door at his Khala's insistence but in the last hour not even a word was uttered from him. Now here his wife, their parents and his grandfather awaited his verdict.

When there was no response from Salman, Seema made an effort to fill the quietness and the awkwardness, "Of course he doesn't mean it. He is just angry. Such matters are not valid when one is angry."

That is when Salman shot up to his feet and without glancing at anyone in particular.

"I don't go back on my word. Nawal can go back to her parent's home. I have nothing to do with her." He spun around and his eyes darted at Nawal who was too ashamed to look up. "As far as I know she is my ex-wife now."

Salman was ready to run away from the suffocating presence of Nawal and her parents. He wanted to distant himself as much as possible from her. It hurt too much to look at her and be reminded of her betrayal but Dada jaan's words stopped him.

Adil deeply sighed, "It's not that easy to get rid of a wife in Islam, Salman. During her iddah she will stay here under your protection. If you change your mind and both of you reconcile during that time there will be no divorce."

"How long is the iddah?" Salman snapped impatiently. He couldn't stand her for mere minutes imagining her to stay longer for the next few days was troubling.

"Three months—" Adil started to explain but Seema interrupted him, "Actually Aba, Nawal is pregnant."

Ghazala gasped. Adil rose his grey busy eyebrows and Shabbir's hands fisted in alarm. Adil rubbed his temple in thought, "Well in that case, she will be living here until the baby is born."