KING OF THE NORTH

9:Pain

Oman and Malik had been married for a few months now, and they had grown quite intimate with each other. One evening, they were lying in bed, wrapped up in each other's arms. Malik's fingers traced patterns on Oman's back as they talked about their day.

"I'm so happy I have you, Malik," Oman said, looking up at him with a smile.

Malik smiled back at her. "I'm glad I have you too, Oman. You make me very happy."

Oman's smile faded a little as she looked at him. "But do you love me, Malik? I mean, do you really love me?"

Malik hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer her. "I care for you, Oman. You're my wife, and I want to make you happy. But love is a complicated thing."

Oman's face fell, and she pulled away from him, sitting up in bed. "What does that even mean, Malik? You care for me, but you don't love me? Are you saying that we're just going through the motions here?"

Malik sat up as well and reached out to touch her shoulder. "No, that's not what I'm saying at all. I enjoy spending time with you, and I want to be with you. But I don't know if I would call it love."

Oman looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Then what are we doing, Malik? If you don't love me, why are we even married?"

Malik didn't know how to answer her. He felt conflicted about his feelings for her. He cared for her deeply, but he wasn't sure if it was enough to call it love.

"I don't know, Oman. I just know that I want to be with you. Can't that be enough?"

Oman shook her head, her tears falling freely now. "No, Malik, it's not enough. I need to know that you love me. That you're not just with me because it's what's expected of you."

Malik stood up from the bed, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't know what to say, Oman. I just need some time to think."

And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Oman alone and confused. She didn't know what to do or how to feel. All she knew was that she needed to hear him say that he loved her, and she didn't know if that would ever happen. 

***

Malik returned home after a long day at work, feeling exhausted and drained. He walked into the living room where Oman was sitting, looking at him with a sad expression. He could tell that she was still upset about what had happened the night before.

"Hey," he said, walking over to sit next to her. "I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have walked away like that."

Oman looked at him and shook her head. "It's okay. I understand."

Malik took a deep breath and decided to be honest with her. "Oman, I need to explain something to you. I can never love any woman. I don't  even love my other wives. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but it's just how I am."

Oman's face fell, and she looked down at her hands. "So all this time, you've just been using me for my body?"

Malik reached out to take her hand. "No, Oman, it's not like that. I do care for you. I enjoy spending time with you and being intimate with you, but love is just not something that I am capable of."

Oman pulled her hand away and stood up, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't believe this. I thought you were different. I thought you were kind and caring, but all you care about is satisfying your own desires."

Malik stood up as well and walked over to her. "Oman, please don't think that way. I do care for you, and I want to make you happy. But love is just not something that I can give you."

Oman looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what to do. I thought I could be happy with you, but now I don't know."

Malik took a step closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Please, Oman, give me a chance. Let me make it up to you. I know I can't give you what you want, but I can make you happy in other ways. I promise."

Oman hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. "Okay, I'll give you a chance. But I need you to understand that I can't just be with you for physical pleasure. I need more than that."

Malik nodded his head. "I understand, Oman. I'll do my best to make you happy in every way I can."

Oman looked at him and sighed. "I hope so. I don't know if I can go on like this if I'm just going to be used for my body."

Malik pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "I promise you won't be. I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're happy and fulfilled."

Oman leaned into his embrace and closed her eyes, hoping that things would get better between them.
~
Oman woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing on the nightstand next to her. She groggily reached for it, squinting at the bright screen. It was a message from Malik.

"Hey Oman, just wanted to let you know that I had to leave the country for a few days. I'll be back soon. Miss you."

Oman smiled at the message, happy to hear from him, but also wondering why he had to leave so suddenly. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

A few days later, Malik returned, but he didn't seem happy to see Oman. She greeted him with a smile and a hug, but he seemed distant, almost cold.

"What's wrong, Malik? Are you okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Malik sighed and looked at her. "Oman, we need to talk."

"Okay," Oman said, her heart racing. She couldn't imagine what he could possibly want to talk to her about.

"I've been thinking a lot, and I've come to a decision. You're going to be moving in with my other wives," he said, his voice flat.

Oman's jaw dropped. "What? Why? I don't understand."

Malik looked at her, his expression hard. "It's just something that needs to happen. I can't keep you all separate forever. It's not fair to anyone."

Oman felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She had been so happy living with Malik, and now he was tearing that away from her.

"But I don't want to live with them, Malik. I want to be with you," she pleaded, hoping he would change his mind.

"I'm sorry, Oman. This is how it has to be. I'll make sure that your accommodations are comfortable, and you won't be mistreated. But this is the only way," he said, his tone final.

Oman couldn't believe what was happening. She had gone from feeling so happy and loved to feeling like she was being cast aside. She didn't know what to do or say, so she just sat there, feeling numb.

As Malik walked away, Oman knew that her life was about to change in a big way, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it.