MARRED

CHAPTER TWENTY- EIGHT - AN INTERLUDE II

Ahmad

I was driving back to the office when Amanah's call came in. The more I thought about my woman and her resilience, the more certain I was that I was doing the right thing.

I couldn't trust that she would stay out of all these, if she knew. And the last thing I could handle was her being at risk. I took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Assalaam'alaykum babe."

"Wa'alaykumussalaam Salaam Wa RahmatuLlaah." Came the soothing balm to my headache.

"Did you go have lunch without me again?"

I didn't want to lie to her. "I am so sorry Sugar, but you were so busy when I left. I didn't want to distract you." I succeeded in evading the question.

She sighed. "Ahmad Amjaad Yaasir. I can't take your feeding escapades these days. Tell me where you are right now?"

I chuckled. "Feeding Escapades?" Her diction licence surely had no limits.

"Don't try to change the subject."

"And the subject is?" I couldn't help baiting her a bit.

"Ahmaaaaaad?"

"I just drove into Kusan Street. Chill Sweet. I will watch you eat whatever for however long."

"You know it's not about that."

I sighed. Yes I did. It wasn't just about my presence. It was about the habit of eating together drifting away so soon.

"I am really sorry Hun. I promise to make it up to you, In shaa Allah."

"You had better. I will be in your office."

"Why not the cafeteria?"

"And have all eyes on you?"

That got me laughing. "They can look all they want. I have eyes for only one."

She puffed. "Ten minutes Sir. I will order from your desk." And she ended the call.

My Amma understood placating more than any other. She also knew when to not let it distract her. But I meant it. I was going to make it up to her, In Shaa Allah, after all these were soughted out.

***

Amanah

Long after I dropped the phone, I couldn't stop smiling. Ahmad was best at patronizing me after he had done something wrong. And we both knew leaving me to have lunch alone was wrong.
It just wasn't right though. He had been doing that of recent. He also left work without even his PA knowing where he went.

I didn't know if I was being paranoid and unnecessarily keeping tabs on tabs on my husband or if I actually had a cause to worry. Sometimes now, I just got the bad feeling that something was going to happen to him.

I shook my head, and sought refuge in Allah from the Whispers of the Shayateen. Anxiety and grief is from the shayateen. Only Allah can grant peace. I went straight into his office and into the restroom and made wudu'. After two raka'at, I asked Allah to protect my husband and marriage.

As I was concluding, the door bell rang. The delivery was here.

I set the table, rushed into the bathroom and had a quick shower, and checked my makeup. I wasn't the make up type. And I usually felt I looked beautiful without it on, but as I looked into the mirror, I felt ordinary. Plain. "TabarakAllaahu ahsanil Khaliqeen" I quicky said an appreciation to Allah, the One who created in the best of ways. I was not condemning my looks, a'udhubiLlaah. I just felt that maybe I needed to re-kindle whatever fire was dying in our relationship and maybe the same old would have to change.