The Unloved Wife

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 27

Islamabad was getting colder with each passing day. It was the start of January. The coldest month in the city. It was midnight and the sky was cloudy, ready to precipitate at any moment. The wind was blowing, I felt tingling as it touched my face.

I closed the door of my car, put my hands in my coat's pockets. The cool breeze stiffened my facial muscles.

I walked inside the building and got the comfort when I entered my apartment where in the lounge my wife was sitting on the sofa busy knitting a sweater.

She looked up at me and smiled.

"Aslamo alaikum" Her sweet voice greeted me.

"Walekum salam" I closed the door behind me and walked to the sofa where she was sitting. I removed my coat and laid it on the sofa before sitting down.

"Why are you still awake. I told you to go to sleep" I muttered, sitting next to her. I had messaged her about my late arrival.

"I couldn't get asleep" She replied.

I just shook my head. It was of no use telling her to fall asleep. She waits for me every time I come late as if I am going to run away from her.

Wherever I would go at the end of the day I had to come to her only.

"What are you doing at this time of the night?" I pointed at her hands.

"I had nothing else to do at this hour so I started finishing it. I had completed most of the work today" She showed me the pattern she was knitting.

I glanced at the sweater which was in the making process.

"It's not time for this" I showed dislikness.

"How is it?" She ignored my comment and asked for my opinion on the sweater she was making.

She was no doubt very talented. The sweater she was knitting was a fine work of her. I liked it.

"It's good" I told her.

"I am glad you liked it. I am making it for you" She added at the end.

"Thank you" I moved my hand to touch it and my hands collided with hers.

"You're cold" I held her hands in mine, freeing her hands from the yarn she was holding. Her hands were cold as ice.

"I don't know why" She muttered.

"Mehrbano! It's not rocket science. You will get cold if you sit in the cold. When the heating system isn't working wy are you then sitting here?" I asked grumpily. She always does things that make me angry.

"I like to work here" She gave her lame reasons.

"What's so special about it?"

"It's cozy"

"Come on! Nothing is more cozy than your bed in winter" I mocked her.

"I don't believe it" She shared.

"Leave all of this right here and get into the bed right now. Enough of the madness!!" I instructed her seriously. This woman gets on my nerves sometimes.

"Okay" As usual she didn't refuse me.

When I entered the room after changing my clothes she was already tucked in the bed like a baby kola.

I turned off the heater, switched off the lights and joined her in the bed. It was so cozy. My tired body got some comfort. I held her hands under the quilt. They were still cold as ice.

"Next time if I say something. Just do it Mehr! Don't test my patience" I said to her.

I didn't like her sitting in the cold, waiting for me. The inverter in the lounge had some issues and instead of getting into the bed. She entertained herself in the cold.