Echoes of Agony

Chapter Ten

Upon arriving home, Zaytun found that the maid had already prepared everything, even the soup. She made sure that the table was perfectly set before taking a refreshing shower and changing into a casual yet comfortable outfit. Her relationship with AbdulJalal's friends hadn't always been as close as it was now. At first, she had been hesitant and worried as they were strangers to her. However, with time, their bond had grown stronger. Zahra had been the first one to approach her. It was after their honeymoon that she had met them all when she visited AbdulJalal's parents. That night, she had prepared snacks and delicious food for them, which received many compliments, including Zahra jokingly calling her her competition because of her excellent cooking skills.

The second time they had bonded was when AbdulJalal visited Zahra's parents, and Zahra had insisted that Zaytun join them. AbdulJalal had agreed, and they had spent a great time together. The third time was when they had another dinner at AbdulJalal's parents. His parents had invited his cousins.

Zaytun had found Zahra to be a great woman, straightforward with her words and hilarious too. She was a mood-maker who could uplift anyone's spirit. Zaytun had enjoyed hanging out with her husband's cousin. Zahra had never made negative comments about her and had always included her in their conversations, making her feel comfortable and valued.

The laughter around the house grew louder and louder as Idris recounted the story of AbdulJalal's childhood and teenage years.

"No, but your husband was such a competitive child. That time, I said I was strong and could climb a tree no matter how tall it was. The next day, we found him on the tallest tree in the yard but couldn't get down." Idris' story was funny. "Usman then tried to help him. What was even funnier was the way AbdulJalal trusted Usman to jump only for him to land on his face."

Zaytun, who was sitting with Zahra, was almost doubled over with laughter, clutching her stomach in pain. Meanwhile, AbdulJalal was trying to deny the story.

"I did not fall on my face; it was my legs that got injured," he insisted.

"I had been present at the time; it had indeed been his face that had taken the brunt of the fall," Usman said, causing the room to erupt into even more laughter.

Ibrahim chimed in, teasing Zaytun about how mischievous AbdulJalal had been as a child, never backing down from a challenge. Zahra then launched into another story, bouncing up and down in excitement before even starting, causing everyone to groan and laugh at the same time.

As the night wore on, the group continued to joke and play around, enjoying each other's company and the lighthearted atmosphere.

But as the night grew later, after they took their leave, AbdulJalal retreated to his home office, claiming that he had a project to work on. He had been doing this a lot lately, shutting himself away for hours on end and sleeping in his office instead of spending time with Zaytun. Even when he did emerge, it was only to take a quick shower before disappearing back into his office, leaving her feeling neglected and alone.

The room was dimly lit, and the only source of light came from the kitchen. It was a nightly routine for her to prepare her husband's special coffee, which took almost an hour to brew. Zaytun was always happy to see her husband enjoying the coffee she prepared, even though she rarely drank it. She would knock on the wooden door of their top-floor room, and on the days her husband was in a good mood, he would allow her to enter.

She had perfected the recipe for the special coffee. She had poured it into a mug and carefully carried it to the top floor. When she knocked on the door, his voice had allowed her to enter. With a warm smile, she placed the cup on the table and said, "Hi. I've made your special coffee."