DESTINED TO BE HIS GARMENT

Chapter 31

It's been a solid week since Najwa's confession. More like a profession of her love towards her husband. And exactly five days since she was discharged from the hospital. Because of her condition, coupled with her morning sickness, it had been advised specifically by her aunt, Mrs Hawa, not to be left all alone. She needed to be taken care of until at least she gets past her first trimester. With her husband always at work, there would be nobody to take ample care of her and so the family had unanimously agreed for her to continue staying with her mother until then. Where at least her health could be monitored, where she would not have to perform any chores that could bring harm to the creatures in her womb, and where she could absolutely be attended to by her doctor, A.J's aunt.

She so passionately had wanted to object to this somehow autocratic decision by her family. Because they literally had not solicited for her or her husband's take on the matter. But she did not. Because she could have only done so if her husband had held the same view as her. Which he had seemed not to. He had been quiet the whole time they were discussing what was 'good' for her and the babies. Nodding in agreement with them. In fact his body language had not been that of someone who wanted to object. He wouldn't even look her way, in her eyes for her to have signaled to him how much she had disliked the decision. He simply had been avoiding her gaze and she knew it. So she had finally swallowed any reservations she had about the decision. She couldn't even visibly frown to show her unhappiness about it all and had to force a smile throughout, causing her jaw and cheeks to start trembling in resistance. She had never felt so fake in her life.

If only Adam had objected. With his permission, she would have gone back with him to her matrimonial home. That's where she belongs. She longed to be there. She missed him so much and couldn't wait to be in his arms once again. But, unfortunately her husband had not objected and had not seem to want to argue with the decision of the elders. He simply looked unperturbed by it all while she was shedding tears deep within her. For once, she had wished they would allow them, to make such decisions as a couple instead of intruding all in the name of doing what's 'best' for them. Well, what's best for her is being with her husband, the only man she loves and they all seemed oblivious to it and not going back to her mother's house. Not to be taken in the wrong way. She loves her mother dearly but it's just she misses and needs her husband now more than ever. She was sure the babies in her womb longed for his presence too. That was why she was feeling the way she was feeling. Hormones? Maybe. But hormones or no hormones, she needs to be in his reassuring and comforting arms once again. She yearned for it. She was like an addict. But this is a good addiction. She had been irked by them for unknowingly trying to put them apart and the almost invisible pout on her mouth she couldn't help had been evident enough.

Currently, she laid on her bed, thinking deeply about her husband's attitude towards her and quickly wiped of tears that had swiftly escaped from her bold and lovely eyes as she reminisced the happenings after her profession of love to her husband. After the announcement of her pregnancy, they had cuddled and he had assured her of his protection of her and the ones in her womb. And that made her think he must have forgiven her for hurting him. But his demeanor changed right after her profession of love for him. She had seen the shock on his face at her pronouncement. She had surprised him. And that expression on his face had caused a squeeze in her heart. She never knew he would have been so affected by her words. Samira was right, she had done a great disservice to their marriage, herself and most importantly her spouse by not telling him what she felt about him. She had done him an extreme wrong by believing in Salma's words and not his. He had made his love known to her on countless occasions, but she had been blinded by the fact that he had initially wanted to marry her sister and not her, by her belief that first loves are always the truest forms of love, to see how serious he was. She had been blinded by her insecurity to acknowledge his feelings towards him. To acknowledge that they were the first loves of each other and thus, their love were the truest form.