Innocent Imaan

Chapter 18

Imaan was puzzled as she observed more of her husband's designs, all were incredible in their own way that she suddenly felt jealous and also amazed!

'Maybe he'll let me pursue my dream!' A sudden thought excitedly crossed her mind remembering her of the dream she always had and still has deep in her heart.

As she was thinking about how to bring this sacred topic up to her husband an agitated voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Imaan what are you doing?!" Wahid asked trying to calm himself clenching his fist ready to throw a hard punch to the first person her saw, most favourably his wife.

Imaan was startled and the sketchbook from her hand fell with a loud sound which irritated Wahid even more.

"I-I was just l-" Imaan's stuttering was harshly cut down by Wahid's rage as he had no control over what he was going to say not caring about the future.

"Shut up! Just shut up! How could you always do this? Messing up everything! Sneaking into other's business!? Didn't your parents teach you manners? Oh, you only have your father who probably doesn't want you around so he just married your stupid self to me! An idiot!" Wahid was breathing heavily at the end of his harsh speech.

He had no regret whatsoever as he glared at the broken almond eyes that belongs to the girl he loathed.

He grabbed the sketchbooks and went outside the room to calm himself leaving Imaan alone with her miserable self.

Tears started to come rolling out of her face as the harsh words of her husband registered in her head.

'Why do I always do this?! Why do I always mess things up?' Imaan asked herself sniffling as she hugged herself close sitting on the floor.

The sight was filled with misery and agony, as she cried silent tears trying to muffle her sounds as she desperately stuffed her hand in a fist into her mouth in a desperate attempt.

She didn't mean to sneak into his things, it was that she was merely curious and it's not like she did the worst thing she could ever do.

If she had known before that her mere curiosity will have led to a disastrous impact she wouldn't have even stepped inside the room!

After crying her tears out she silently sobbed and thought about how to fix her marriage now as she was sure he husband doesn't want to be 'friends' anymore.

~

"I can't believe that girl! how can she go through my things" Wahid muttered angrily as he clutched his hair and was sure he was going to go bald soon because he clutched his hair too much.

Grabbed his sketchbook from the table he glanced at the sketches longingly,

Imaan was his greatest inspiration not that he would ever admit it.

He first realised his ambitions when he stole one of her sketches and glanced at it in wonder when he was 13 and visited her home,

He wanted to sketch beautifully just like her and he was successful on the first try that made him love her even more and that was until he confessed of course,

As Wahid was randomly observing each of his sketches his stomach grumbled loudly remembering him that he hadn't had lunch and that if an apple is considered breakfast then he had breakfast.

He placed his hands on his stomach and was going to go downstairs to have his lunch when the sudden realisation dawned on him that Imaan too didn't have any food from the morning and he didn't even bother asking her!

He hesitated before leaving the guest room and reluctantly went inside his own room and the sight before him haunted him.

Imaan was sleeping on the floor having a nightmare, tears were streaming down from her eyes as she muttered in her oblivious form,

"I am sorry! I am sorry' please don't leave me!" She pleaded desperately her body was shaking as she trembled.

Wahid quickly ran to her side and nervously shook her hoping she'll snap out of it.

"Imaan! Imaan wake up!" He demanded roughly shaking her.

Imaan's eye shot opened as she got up and stared at him in shock her face was filled with both wet and dry tears as she used her hijab to wipe them even though the latter was difficult to wipe off.

Imaan hugged him close catching him off guard,

"You didn't leave me..sorry sorry sorry," She said again and again clutching onto him, hoping that he'll forgive her and not divorce her as seen in her nightmare.

Wahid was disturbed by the harsh truth that her nightmare was caused by him, it was shocking how he had a large impact left on her because of his words! But he couldn't make up the words to say that he forgive her or even apologise.

He hoped that this situation never happened but he couldn't do anything as he helplessly saw her staring at him with wide innocent doe-like eyes and asked with ask desperate voice.

"Di-d did you forgive me?" Imaan asked hoping her nightmare will not come true and she had already fallen deeply in love with him to leave him,

"No" Wahid replied blankly as he helped her to get up although she refused and tried to do it herself.

"Let's have lunch," Wahid said as he dragged his wife downstairs while Imaan silently agreed to him and her stomach.

~

They both silently sat on their respective chairs as the maids placed their plates on the table.

Imaan quickly grabbed her plate and began happily to munch on her Rice and peas while Wahid looked at her in shock,

He could not believe her! Just five minutes ago she was begging for his forgiveness with tears in her eyes and Now she was happy having her lunch as if nothing ever happened before.

Wahid drank his water as he glared at her without his glare wavering.

He hastily wiped the excess water outside his mouth and gulped down the water slowly trying to control his mouth that was so close to insulting her about her forgetting everything and eating her food like a starved monkey.

Despite his efforts, few words came out of his mouth.

"You-*gulp* how- *gulp* monkey *gulp".

Imaan raised her head from her food and met his agitated stare and laughed looking at him,

He looked weird with his eyes raised and had a funny look on his face as he tried to gulp down the water.

At this moment not able to control himself anymore Wahid took a whole spoon of his rice and stuffed it inside his mouth trying to tune out her laugh which was almost impossible.

"What happened?" Imaan asked innocently making eye contact with him while going for another mouthful of rice.

Wahid quickly chewed down his food before blankly replying,

"Nothing...mind your own business"

Imaan flinched at his words before continuing to have her lunch no other words were exchanged as Wahid scolded himself internally for not trying hard to control his mouth.

He was afraid of what she was going to do next,

First. she cut her hand because he refused to take her out.

Second. she bawled her eyes out when laughed at her.

And third, she had a nightmare when he yelled at her.

He hoped she won't do anything as stupid as the first one as he scooped down more rice onto his plate.