Falling Short

Three

Nevertheless, she was his knight in shining armour.

Noor parked her car at the Halal Supermarket to buy some more ingredients for a soup. Salih was still sick in his sheets. Even though they had doubled the tension last night, she still had to serve him until her time is up and she can finally leave. Until then, she strolled through the isles knowing exactly where everything was.

Finishing off at the register, her senses brought her back when the Muslim woman at the register followed up a greeting with, "You're Noor, aren't you?" She smiled, proceeding to scan her items.

She pulled out her wallet and let out a curt, "Yes."

"Ah, it turns out I do recognise you. My husband and I were talking about you recently," Noor looked up at her perplexed. "No, no, don't get me wrong. We heard your husband got into a car accident. He hasn't attended the mosque for over a month now. Hopefully, he is well?"

Though she despised the topic, she nodded. "Yes. Do pray for him to get better, Insha Allah," So that I can run away sooner, she thought. After paying, the lady motioned for her to come closer.

As she did, the woman whispered, "I heard he was seen entering a woman's home before he got into an accident. Are you aware of this?" Noor immediately pulled away and grabbed her hand.

"Let us be respectful to each other and not gossip about other families' lives, okay? Allah is watching, so don't go spreading such rumours!" Her voice remained steady, as she had learnt to from a youthful age. Noor, however, made sure to tame her with her words. She made her salaams and quickly rushed away, not sparing another glance at the shocked Muslimah.

As she sat in her car, she thought, why was she defending him? It's not like she's wrong. Ah, it was because she, too, had a reputation in society. What would people say if they found out the truth? Her parents would be insulted! Allah knew she wanted none of that. Noor recited some duas to calm herself down before driving home.

Home.

What a foreign word it had become.

Whilst unloading the car, she jogged inside, slipping off her shoes in the process. The first thing she saw as she entered was an unconscious Salih sprayed across the kitchen tiles. She dropped her shopping bags and knelt beside him in panic.

"Salih! Salih!! Wake up! Can you hear me?!" She repeated the chant in his ears while listening for his heartbeat. She touched his forehead to realise it was burning to an extreme degree. She noticed the cracked glass and running tap water in the process of relocating him to his bedroom, struggling greatly with his weight.

Speedily, Noor wet a towel and placed it on his forehead, stripping off his shirt. She checked his head and body for any injuries but she didn't find any, apart from his bloodied hand from the cracked glass cup. She muttered some duas under her breath while slipping the towel into more cold water.

Running to the kitchen to inspect the mess, she shut the tap and cleaned the area, a few pieces of glass injuring her in the process. Though, she paid no mind to them as she had someone to take care of.

Noor retrieved the first aid bag, her husband's medicine, and a cup of water, then headed back to his bedroom. His eyes were now fluttering open, and she was relieved that she didn't have to call his doctor again.

"Noor..."

She shook her head in response. "Don't worry, you're fine. Open your mouth." She lifted his head and assisted him in drinking down his prescribed pills.

She moved to treat his bloody hands. Dampening a towel and pressing softly, Salih flinched in pain. Soon, his hand was free from the glass pieces. She proceeded to apply a slight amount of alcohol, and then carefully bandaged his wounds. The entire time, his focus was on her, as she winced at his pain, stressed for him, and cared for him. He loved to see this selfless side of her. If only he realised this sooner.

Or was it that, maybe he did, but wanted to take advantage and gain more? Unfortunately for him, he ended up losing it all instead. He moved his face away from her view when tears slid down involuntarily. He was too embarrassed to show her his broken self, but he knew that she was aware of him. She was always aware, and he should've given more care to his now-collapsed marriage. Regret written all over his face, Noor felt dejected and decided to leave him be.

However, he didn't permit her to, instantly grabbing her hand with his bandaged one. "Are you serious?! It's going to hurt even more!" She raised her voice, her heart clenching at his carelessness towards his injury. She always hated when people got hurt because of her, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud. Sighing, she stated, "I'll go make you some soup. Here's your phone; call me if necessary."

With that, Noor was out of his reach.