Eye For An Eye

Nineteen.

It's been over a month and I haven't heard a word from Tariq in two weeks, three days, 7 hours and 45 minutes.
To be precise, since the 4th September at 10:45pm, calculate it, it's going to give up the exact time I calculated.

Why?
Why is he not texting me?
I've texted him over a hundred times since that day and I'm not even exaggerating, might be more than that. My calls keep getting forwarded, I've bought and called him with over 6 new SIM cards but it tells me the same thing.

Not only that, Jazeel and I are officially divorced. Since I left his house I've been living with Aisha, Fareed's mother. But Ya Umar is coming next week to have a discussion with Jazeel and his guardian, I think he wants to make us reconcile and with Tariq's sudden unprecedented disappearance that doesn't sound so terrible.

Maybe I was hasty asking for a divorce, I should have lied to Tariq and continued with my marriage until our relationship had gone further but ultimately I decided to call Maya.

"Hello, what do you want?" Was the first thing she asks when she picks up "Make it quick, I'm busy".
I sigh "And I'm not? Have you talked to Tariq recently?"

"No, I haven't."
"Can you call him for me?"
"No, I won't".

I groan "Just this one favor."
"Look, I can't. Hayaan has forbidden me to get tangled in your mess again".

I roll my eyes "So if he forbids you to talk to your parents, you'll listen".
"Of course not but then you're not my parents, you're irrelevant to me, not talking to you affects my life in no way, maybe of course the stress and annoyance you add to it. Don't call me especially if it's to ask about Tariq".

Her voice annoyed me to my core, she always had this tone of superiority and it pisses me the hell off.
"Does Jazeel know you're the reason I left?"

She bursts into laughter "Wow. Actually, I'm not surprised. Now that your beloved is ignoring you, you want to go back to Jazeel and what? What are you going to tell him? That I told you I'd convince the man you've been obsessed with to talk to you if you divorce him? You think he'll take you back?"

I scoff "He will, Jazeel loves me and that's all that matters. His whole world revolves around me, he's forgiving and kind so I have no doubt that he'll forgive me unlike what you might think".
She was silent for a while "The Jazeel you and I know—that Jazeel never existed or at least, we—you and I wiped him off the face of the earth but you can try your luck, I would advice you give up and go back to France—forget about the meeting with Ya Umar and just walk away—don't try to fight".

I nod "Really? And you think I'll listen to you?"
"I know you won't. Honestly, I'd rather be doing anything else right now. Don't call me again. Good—" I hurriedly end the call before she finished and hang up on me first. I know it's petty but I'm a very petty person.

While I try to track down Tariq, I need to talk to Jazeel—I can't end up with nothing. I won't let that happen.

This whole thing is starting to make me feel lightheaded and thirsty, the stress is really starting to get to me.

•

So, I went to see Jazeel. Try to gain his sympathy and get my husband back, the three months hasn't completed so I still have time to make my move and convince him to take me back.

I knock on the gate so many times my knuckles started to hurt. Where the hell is the stupid security guard?
I sigh looking at them, already red and sore.

"Madam?"
I turn around and see him standing with his hands on his waist "This is a surprise, I didn't think I would see you again".

I shrug "Isn't my husband around?"
"Your husband?" He asks looking confused. I guess Jazeel must have told him.
I nod "Yes, my husband—where is he? He's always at home by this time, I need to talk to him".