NORTON

Talaq. Talaq. Talaq.

CHAPTER 15

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Talaq. Talaq. Talaq. Ayaan would have to say this word to her three times for Kim to be free from him. Kim new that if the tables were turned and it was Aayan who wanted a divorce, then it would have been over a long time ago. He's a man and he doesn't require her permission to divorce her but she on the other hand, needs him to be on board or she is stuck with him for life. One would've thought Kim openly cheating on him would have pushed him to demand an official separation but Aayan wasn't planning on making her life easy. Kim knew Aayan will never touch her again but he wanted her back only to punish her for her evil actions. It was for this reason that Kim was adamant on continuing to live in sin with Mercy forever. The social worker's unexpected visits weren't as bad as she had initially thought and Kim was confident that she and Mercy would be granted full custody of the children. With that part of her life sorted, Kim got started on the process of convincing Aayan to talaq her three times so they would be over for good.

Mercy was working extra hours to rebuild trust with his employer after being unexpectedly jailed. Zam was back at school, Pumla was at work and Kim was taking a trip to her least favourite place. She stood still after stepping out of the taxi and regarded the big white building with a big wooden door at the top of the stairs. There were a few pairs of shoes on the side of the door which meant there were a number of people inside who had come to pray. She approached the entrance and noticed the shoes all belonged to men which meant the women and children's prayer room was empty. That's where she'd go sit and wait. She could hear the Imam leading the few in prayer and she wondered if someone she knew was also in there. She silently prayed that Aayan wouldn't be present because he would make her meeting with the Imam difficult. She wished she could tip-toe then peek through the male side but she quickly called herself to order. She had never been in the male prayer room and she wasn't about to break that rule. Men and women are kept separate for a reason at mosque. Prayer and meditation are significantly important to connect to higher power and she as a woman; is a distraction and temptation to men. If one of the men in there saw her by mistake, then she would be responsible for distracting him from prayer.

She sat on the carpet and looked around the light room filled with morning light; consciously breathing in the air coming through the window and blowing the light white curtains. She almost took her phone out to fiddle with it but felt that too would be inappropriate. She had never heard of a no phone rule throughout the time she was a devout member but she also had never seen anyone using their mobile at mosque so she assumed that meant they weren't allowed.

Her spirit started singing the Hare Krishna mantra and she felt her soul rise with delight and appreciation for the song. She had not listened to anything religious in months and her heart felt empty. She wondered how she was going to fill her spirit when she is finally free from her Muslim man and Muslim lifestyle. She still needed something to believe in but Christianity seemed as foreign as Islam was when she first met Aayan. She remembered how her mother's holy bible had told her of the love of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who gives comfort and whose blood washes whiter than the snow. Would it be easy to go back to that belief or had she truly been converted to a point of no return? Christianity had been easy to follow. All she had to do was confess with her mouth that Jesus is Lord and she was saved. She asked for forgiveness every time she felt she had sinned and she was forgiven. She went to church and prayed for everything in the name of Jesus and that was pretty much all her parents required of her. Her experience in her husband's faith demanded more and she dived into the lifestyle because she wanted to be worthy of Aayan's love. The sacrifices she made in exchange for freedom, happiness and career choice, exceeded any challenge she had ever had to make as a Christian girl growing up. Her mind then drifted to the worst thing she feels she had to go through and tolerate to try and fit in her new family.