All For What!

6

I'm sorry for hiring Nafisa without informing you beforehand." Maryam apologized in the evening when they both returned from work and was getting ready to retire to bed.

"I forgive you, but I still don't want her working here." Sa'eed stated fervently. Indisputably, he didn't like the idea of Nafisa staying in their house, even for a minute - he didn't bother hiding his genuine feelings from her.

Maryam furrowed her brows. "Why are you so against her working here?" She couldn't quite grasp the answer to that question.

"You should have hired someone older. Someone who is matured enough to take care of a kid and not a kid herself. She cannot take care of Manal the way we want." Sa'eed whinged.

"Her age doesn't matter, habibi. Nafisa is really a nice girl. She will be like an elder sister to Manal. Please allow her work here. Please, habibi." she pleaded earnestly.

Sa'eed didn't want to agree - she knew, but she would not stop pleading with him, until he eventually agreed and besides, she hadn't done anything provocative to him. He would have to give her a chance to prove herself to him.

"Alright," he finally complied hesitatingly.

"Thank you, habibi. I love you." she hugged him.

"I love you."he kissed her temple.

Maryam suddenly remembered Sa'eed's mother was coming to visit. She untangled her arms from his waist. "Why isn't mum here yet?" She inquired.

"Oh! about that; she called in the afternoon and informed me her driver is sick, so she has to postpone the visit." He replied.

"May Allah grant him quick recovery." Maryam prayed.

"Ameen." He replied. "Do you know anything about the girl you hired? I mean the new maid."

Maryam shook her head in contradiction - thinking of it now, she realised she had not bother to ask her some personal questions before allowing her into their home. The only thing she knew, was the little she was told.

"For all we know, she may be a thief, a kidnapper or -"

"Habibi!" Maryam said incredulously. "How could you even think that of someone's daughter! What harm can a girl of seventeen do?" She couldn't understand why Sa'eed was so against the innocent girl. Why he hated her so much already, even without getting to know her first. It wasn't fair to her.

"I just have a really bad feeling about her." Saeed voiced out.

"I get why you don't like her. It's because she mistakenly made Manal fall, right? You should give the girl a chance to prove herself and besides, she needs money for her brother's medical care." She explained.

"Why don't we just help her for Allah's sake?" He questioned. "And after that, she should leave."

"You need to understand this, habibi. She doesn't just need money. She needs a job to take care of her family back in the village." She replied, heaving a fatigued sigh.

"Fine. Goodnight." he lay down on the bed with his back turned on her. Maryam could tell he wasn't still comfortable with Nafisa and the reason was inexplicable to her - it couldn't be just because he was getting bad vibes from her.