Falling Innocently

Chapter 20 -Absence

Chapter 20 –Absence

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other and because they spend (to support them) from their means."

                        Surah An-Nisa, verse 34.

Less than an hour later, Jade was knocking on Waliya's door. Jade was shocked as she took Waliya's appearance in. Waliya was a mess –and that was putting it lightly. Her eyes had dark half moons underneath them, her hair was untidily bound in a flimsy bun and she looked as if she had lost some weight. Worse than that, was looking into her eyes. Although they were red from all the tears Waliya had shed over the week, they were glassy from the unshed tears, but more than that, they looked lifeless. It made Jade panic for a while, until she shut the door behind her and pulled Waliya to the couch. Waliya sat down robotically as Jade joined her.

"What happened love?" Jade asked comfortingly wrapping an arm around Waliya's shoulders.

"I don't want to feel this way," Waliya cried. "I don't like that he is ignoring me!"

"Love," Jade said softly, soothingly. "He is probably working very hard," she tried to soothe Waliya. "He wouldn't ignore you without a reason."

Waliya rolled her eyes at Jade. "I hope so, Jade. I miss him, really I do. It has been way too long since we spoke."

There was a sadness in Waliya's voice that was never there before, there was a vulnerability visible in the way Waliya slumped into the couch and hid her face from Jade, which showed Jade just how broken up Waliya was over Aahil not being able to talk to her. It made Jade angry that there wasn't much she could do to help Waliya. "Listen love, don't think the worst of him. There are one thousand and one reasons why could not talk to you. His phone could be broken and therefore in for repairs, he could have a very important task that he has to complete, so he is unable to talk to you because he has to focus. He could be in a conference meeting for the past few days. There could be no reception where he is. He could be sick and unable to call you," Jade sighed and hugged Waliya closer to her.

"I think you're right," Waliya conceded as she hugged Jade back.

"Good, because if he doesn't have a solid reason for ignoring you, Wals, I will hunt him down and hang him up by his ears as I skin him alive," Jade laughed.

"Or you could strap him down to an electric chair," Waliya offered with a weak smile.

"And then skin him alive after each shock!" Jade grinned.

Waliya gasped. "I can't let you hurt him like that," Waliya said with a grimace. "Maybe you could like, I don't know, hunt him down?" she said instead.

"And make him fearful for the rest of his natural life?" Jade asked sceptically. "I think I like that idea. I wouldn't want to kill him easily and let off the hook for hurting you the way he has. He needs to suffer the way you have!"