UNTIL I MET YOU

Chapter 31

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." – Oscar Wilde

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Please calm down, heedah. He will surely call you soon, perhaps he's been busy or distracted. Remember that he is not in Nigeria and may be preoccupied with other matters. Hafsat advises her to stay patient and try to remain composed.

"Busy to pick a call?" Shaheedah questioned, raising her eyes that were now wet with tears. "I know him better than you think, Hafsat. I can assure you, he is not too busy for me. Before this, he would call me early in the morning without fail, and if he couldn't, he would leave a message.he hasn't called me in almost a week, and he won't answer my calls. How can you expect me to stay calm when he's ignoring me like this? Maybe it's because of his wife... I said something and I apologized, but he still won't call me.

"Just stop calling him and give him some space," Hafsat said firmly. "You have to realize that Khalifa has a life beyond you. He has a wife and family that he needs to prioritize. You can't expect him to drop everything to cater to your every need." She paused for a moment, taking a breath before continuing. "This is your first affair with a married man, you have to understand that he's not going to be as available as Sameer was. You're going to have to be patient and understanding. I'm certain that Khalifa will call you once he has a free moment."

She took a deep breath but deep down she isn't Listening to Hafsat, she realized that she needed to get her mind off her troubles for the time being. Fadeela's henna party is just the distraction she needed, and it's already getting late.With that thought in mind, she stood up from the bed, her abaya already on. She grabbed her veil and dabbed a few drops of perfume before attempting to leave the room. Hafsat stopped her in her tracks, "Are you really going to show up with those teary eyes? You must be clearly stupid then."

Oh, I even forgot, wallahi!" she replied, making her way to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face, letting the water wash away the traces of tears.

Emerging from the room, she told her mother she's heading out, her voice more upbeat now. Hafsat gave her a knowing smile as they walked out the door.

As they merged onto the main road, Shaheedah's phone rang, the sound cutting through the buzz of the city. Her heart leapt in her chest, hoping its Khalifa, but she quickly saw it was another number. She picked up the call, her lips forming a smile as she brought the phone to her ear.

"Assalamu alaikum, sister-in-law," she heard Safna's voice.

"Wa'alaikum salam, our Lilly! How have you been doing? And how's our grandma?" Shaheedah replied.

Ah,can't say grandma's here with her shenanigans. She's been listening to the radio since morning, and I wonder what she's hearing," Safna shared.

Shaheedah chuckled extend my greetings to her, okay?"

Insha Allah I'll.she just spoke with your habiby right now As Safna mentioned Khalifa, Shaheedah's smile faltered slightly. "So, he's okay then?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"Of course! We just spoke, he's fine," Safna replied, unaware of Shaheedah's turmoil. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Alright take care too As the call ended, she stared at Hafsat, her heart sinking.In the silence that followed the phone call, Hafsat's gaze met Shaheedah's, the unspoken question hanging heavy in the air.

"He's ignoring my calls, isn't he?" She whispered, the truth sinking in like a blow to the gut.

"I think so," Hafsat replied gently, placing a comforting hand on shaheedah arm. "But don't jump to conclusions, maybe he's just busy."