Falling Short

Two

"Life is the most difficult exam. Many people fail because they try to copy others, not realising that everyone has a different question paper."
- Jeremy McGilvrey.

After the day in which the divorce papers arrived, it was quiet. Too quiet. However, Noor did not pay it any mind; she was on cloud 9. She was enjoying her time torturing him, if not physically, then emotionally. She thought it was the best revenge to satisfy her broken heart.

It's not easy to remain in one household with a lying perpetrator. It was like a prison, built to suffocate you in every part of it - torturous and inescapable. That's why, she thought, that taking advantage of his disability would suffice, and she would eventually find her life again. One that doesn't include Salih. She knocked on her head as if punishing herself for thinking so psychopathically, though, still grinning from ear to ear. To others, it'd surely sound like a second or third wife being absolutely despicable for her husband's wealth. But in reality, it was far from that. She was anything but despicable. She was a victim in all senses, and that isn't even the start of the story.

Thuhr salah came by. As Noor completed her prayers in a separate room, she sat on her mat, raising her hands in supplication. She couldn't help but cry at the turn of events in her life. She left her parents' house to go off to a palace, as she viewed it, of dreams and happy endings. However, it was far from a palace; she was just a mere servant doing her job to get by. She was some sort of peasant enchained and imprisoned by a heartless beast. This is no Beauty and the Beast; this is her wretched reality. Her palace still awaits, away from this hellhole, and beside her Lord (the exalted) who had all control over mankind. Albeit, she was a mere step closer to the freedom she desperately yearned for; an unmarried woman in the flow of a chilly breeze, unscathed by her everlasting nightmares and secure from a deteriorating and paralysing future.

As she wiped her tears, she noticed a figure within her radius. She looked towards the door and caught the gaze of her husband sitting in his wheelchair. She jolted up and pointed a finger at him. "How long have you been there for?!" This time, it was he who ignored her, pretending to have been passing by. She refused to let him see her vulnerable side. Not anymore.

Shortly after, the doorbell rang, for which she was grateful. She made her way to answer it. "Afternoon, ma'am. You must be Noor Karim?" I nodded. "You happen to be lucky with this fabulous bouquet," The mailman extended his hand. "Good day."

Noor thanked him and shut the door behind her. She arched her neck to observe the flowers, subsequently getting a whiff of them. As if being enchanted by them, she proceeded to exhale with her eyes shut, enjoying the effect of their refreshing scent. She hoped for a note of some kind to be tucked within. There was none.

The next day, a quite similar event occurred. Another delivery, except this time, it was chocolates. Noor had a sweet tooth - a soft spot for sweets. "By any chance, do these deliveries have tracking numbers or names to them?" She inquired, now feeling the curiosity pile up within her. Who would possibly be sending all these? It couldn't be her parents, since they barely knew how to use their phones, let alone order for delivery.

The deliveryman shook his head. "It was an anonymous call."

"Oh, alright then. Thank you for your service, nonetheless!" Despite the anonymity of this generous secret admirer, if one considers them to be, she was profoundly grateful to them.

This thought halted when, later that night, she heard her husband making a call for pastries. Though his voice was muffled, she heard, "That's correct. 1 pm. Yes. Thank you."

With eyes widened, she rushed back to her room and shut the door softly, leaning against it. They were from him!? She glanced at the flowers and half-eaten chocolates and cringed. How could I be so naive again? How was it not obvious that they were from him? I don't have relatives which would take time out of their day to feed me with happiness. Sullenly, Noor smacked her head multiple times. And to think she was finally out of her habit of randomly accepting things, she was wrong.

The next day, she regretted to find that, indeed, the aforementioned pastries were delivered. Before turning around, she heard shuffling from the lounge room. With heavy stomps, she prepared herself a lengthy confrontation with he who deserves it. She didn't want this from him, or anything for that matter. She just wanted to unchain herself from his grasp filled with wicked intent. But why couldn't he let loose?

"You really thought I wouldn't realise?" She dropped the box onto the coffee table, causing her husband to flinch.

"I knew you would, but you seemingly enjoyed them," he responded without bluff. His gaze remained steady upon her blazing ones as if one was ready to pounce at the other, with the other preparing for a challenge. He had it in him, she couldn't help but admit to herself, the fierceness and confidence to seize control over a conversation, immediately having the upper hand. She hated that she liked that about him, despite it evidently not being in her favour.

"I don't need this rubbish from you! I'm only here for the sake of your stupid mistakes! How much does it take for you to understand that there's no going back to how it was? Khalas! This is the end of it, of us, if that even existed in the first place!"

"I'll do better, I promise! I was stupid, and I admit to it!"

"Stupid? More like a deceiving b*stard! Don't even dream of being better, as if you can ever achieve it. It'll make me hate you much easier because I know you're doing it to ruin me even more!"

"You don't have to do this-"

"You forced me out of my job to be a housewife, and you're still telling me what to do?! Did you know how much I dreamed of being a nurse, and when I achieved it, now being nothing but a dusty certificate, you told me not to? You could've married one of those sl*ts you slept with, but no! You chose to ruin me! And I had no choice but to let you..."

Her tears crashed down, unstoppable. She was shaking all over, choking back on the words yet to be heard. Noor had no idea she had this degree of rage built up until she let it out. She thought of why she would ever think of remaining by his side. Had it not been her parents' request, she'd be out without a second glance.

She stormed off before she could splurge out anything else, leaving a speechless Salih tense and overflowing with shock.