Beyond "I Do"

2- Tensions in Paradise

The following day, a longing for the warmth of family drew me to the decision of visiting home. Craving love and connection, I took extra care in dressing before descending to the kitchen for breakfast, the clock ticking towards 11 am. Saturdays meant brunch in our home, a leisurely affair that often found me lingering in bed longer than my husband. It's so weird to see that I am actually a wife with her own home creating our own habits and rituals.

"Good morning," I greeted as I settled across from Muhammad at the dining table.

"Morning," came his reply, his tone neutral. "You're up and dressed early."

"Uh, yeah. I want to go visit my parents and Fefe," I explained.

"Okay," he acknowledged, his response devoid of further inquiry.

We fell into the familiar rhythm of silence as we ate, punctuated only by the clinking of utensils against plates. While he remained engrossed in his meal, I absentmindedly scrolled through Instagram, my attention captured by Hannan's latest post. She had just unveiled her new collection of party abayas, each design showed her creative flair and dedication. As I admired her work, a surge of pride swelled within me, prompting me to leave a comment beneath her post.

A'isha.YM: "Designer Extraordinaire, you SLAYED! You outdid yourself, and I'm proud of you!"

I put my phone down, noticing that Muhammad had also set aside his device and was staring off into the distance.

"So," I began, breaking the silence, "do you have any plans for today?"

"Yes, I'm going to see Baba, and then at 7:30, Umar is coming over. We have a match."

"He's coming over here?" I inquired.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Okay, I'll be back before then, in shaa Allah."

"Did you tell the driver you were going out?" he asked.

"No, not yet. Is he not here?" I glanced around. "We need to get you a car."

"Why? You own five cars already," I remarked.

"Yeah, MY cars that I won't let you drive because I don't trust you," he teased.

I laughed, playfully defending myself, "I'm a great driver. I can even drift."

He turned to me, amused, "Where did you learn to drift?"

"There was this guy in the UK during my uni days, Eddy. He fancied me and was part of a race team, so he taught me some tricks."

"Eddy," Muhammad repeated, his tone tinged with disapproval.

"Yeah, anyway, you let the driver drive me around in the Prado, so..."

"Yeah, but you should get a car that you want so that it's convenient for you to move around when you want. So you don't always have to wait on him. I mean, you can get your own cars, and he'll still drive you around. That's not a problem."

"Okay, that's fair. What do you suggest?" I asked.

"Eddy didn't teach you about car types?" he quipped.

"He did, actually. He taught me a lot of things," I said, smiling and pretending to reminisce.

"I don't want to hear about your 'white driver' anymore," he retorted, and I chuckled. "Fine."

"So, any car in mind?" he continued.

"The 2021 G-Wagon 63 Amg model in black, maybe with a brown or cream interior. Not black, though, it's too basic," I mused.