Asaal

•28•

THIS CHAPTER HAS NO POV!!!

It was a Saturday afternoon when Khadijas mother was feeling sick so she decided to go to the hospital to visit her, she got dressed and went to her husbands room to tell him but he wasn't there, she knocked on umaimah's door but she wasn't inside, looks like this is an alone visit then, she went downstairs and she heard laughter from the living room, she went there and she saw Ahmad and Umaimah watching a movie together and laughing in each other's arms, when has Ahmad ever done that with her? She was pained but couldn't say anything, cause umaimah was her best friend, she smiled and went over to them
"Hello" she said smiling at them
"Oh Khadija" Umaimah said
"Ya Naga kin sa kaya Ina za ki je?" Ahmad asked
"Dama I came to tell both of you that my mom is sick, I was wondering if any of you wanted to come with me to see her" She said
"Oh dear, I wish I could come, but I'm busy today, I have so many things to do" Umaimah said
"That's fine" Khadija said
She turned to Ahmad hoping he would come, she hasn't spent time with him in a while
"I have work to do, but I'll come and meet you later in the hospital" He said
Khadija nodded her head and gave both of them a weak smile
"Allah Ya ba ta lafiya, I'll call her" Umaimah said
"Sai na dawo" I said
"Oh and take the kids with you, let them see their grandma" Ahmad said
She nodded her head and left them in the living room, she called her maids and told them to get the kids ready, Salma and Usman weren't at home then, they were in boarding school in Switzerland, Nurain was the oldest then, followed by Na'eem and then Ruqaya, they all came downstairs after 15 minutes and then they entered the mini van and then Khadija entered the black jeep, and they were on their way to the hospital, Khadija was hurt from what had still happened inside, she tried not to cry, especially not in front of the kids, meanwhile umaimah and Ahmad were at home still cuddling and watching a movie together then his mom came to visit them with her best friend and her daughter
"Umma Ina wuni" they both said kneeling down
"Sannu" she said
"Ina wuni auntie Asmau" they both said
"Mm sannu" she said
Ahmad sat down and umaimah went to the kitchen and got them refreshments, Umma hated Umaimah and liked Khadija instead
"Ina Khadija? I want to introduce her to Sadiya, so that she can get a new friend" Auntie Asmau said
"She went to the hospital to visit her mom" Ahmad said
"And you're here?" Umma asked
"Umma I'll go later, I have work" Ahmad said
"I can see the work, watching only God knows what, while your mother in law is in the hospital?" Umma asked 
"Umma even Khadija is okay with it" Ahmad said
"Says who? No woman would be okay seeing her Co wife with her husband when She's going somewhere, and you both lied to her face? Shame on the both of you! Especially you Ahmad as her husband!" Umma said
The both of them kept their head down
"Go and get ready, we're going to see her" Umma said
Ahmad stood up and left the living room then umaimah also tried to leave
"Ina za ki je?" Umma asked
"To get dressed" she said
"You're not going anywhere, stay at home" Umma said
"Umma I'm her best friend" She said
"You didn't know until now? As her best friend you'd drop everything you're doing and go and see her mother with her" Umma said
Umaimah couldn't say anything she knew umma was right, she'd apologise to Khadija when she came back, Ahmad finally came downstairs and he left the house with Umma, Auntie Asmau and Sadiya, they got to the hospital and they saw Khadija sitting outside the ward, the kids were screaming and she was just staring into blank space while the nannies were trying to get them in place and Nurain was no where to be found, they went closer to her and stood close to her but she didn't acknowledge their presence she was in her own world until Ahmad put his hand on her shoulder, then she snapped back into reality
"Inalillahi, Dan Allah ku yi hakuri, Ina wunin ku" She said bending down to greet umma and auntie asmau
"Ba komai Khadija, Ina maman ki?" Umma asked
"She got a seizure so the doctors had to observe her" Khadija said
"Inalillahi" All four of them said
"Why didn't you tell me it was this serious" Ahmad said
"I didn't know too, until I came here" she said
"There's clearly something bothering her mama" Sadiya whispered into her mom's ear, auntie Asmau nodded in agreement, Ahmad held Khadijas hand and led them to the corner
"Is everything okay Khadija?" He asked
"Yes everything is fine" she said
"No, you're lying to me, when we came you completely zoned out, the kids were literally screaming and you didn't even notice"  He said
"Ahmad there are so many things going on in my head, I can't just think straight" She said
Just then her phone started ringing, it was Usman, she answered the call
"Hello Mom" He said
"Hello usman " She said
"Where are you?" He asked
"The hospital, I'm here with your dad, do you want to speak to him?" She asked
"No I already spoke to him and ummi earlier" He said
"Oh" she said
"Anyways why are you at the hospital?" He asked
"Mama is sick so, I came to to visit her" Khadija said
"Oh toh dama just called to check up on you, greet everyone for me" He said
"Greet Salmaa for me too" I said
"Toh za ta Ji" He said
"I love you, take care" She said
"Love you too" He said
She ended the call and put the phone in her bag, she was trying her best to hold her tears in, there was no one to talk to, her mom was sick, she couldn't tell her mother in law what she was facing, if not umaimah would get in trouble for no reason and Ahmad her one true love would probably not help her situation but just say she's overreacting and he'll just bribe her with another trip, she needed help not a trip, she needed a friend to talk to, even her own kids were starting to get distant, she totally forgot Ahmad was still with her as she zoned out, he held her hand again
"Dija, are you sure you're fine?" He asked
He hadn't called her that in so long, she just bit her lips and nodded her head and left him there and went back to Umma and auntie Asmau
"Mhm, Khadija meet my daughter Sadiya" auntie asmau said
She looked at Sadiya and waved at her smiling, Sadiya did the same thing too, umma and Auntie asmau left the both of them to talk
"My mom talks about you all the time I can tell she really loves you" Sadiya said
"She and umma come to the house almost all the time to gist with me, they're like my elderly friends, I enjoy their company most of the time" Khadija said
"Same, I'm always with them too" she said
"Don't you have friends of your own?" Khadija asked
"No, just my younger sister Aisha, you?" She asked
Then Khadija thought about umaimah, her only friend and best friend, but at this moment was she really her friend?
"My best friend, umaimah" Khadija said
"The one at home" Sadiya said
Khadija nodded and gave her a weak smile
"You saw them ko? No one was actually busy ko?" Khadija asked
Sadiya nodded and Khadija sighed
"I honestly don't know what I've done wrong to deserve this type of marriage" Khadija said
"Maybe you should talk to them" Sadiya said
"I've tried, that's the issue, they all take it for me being jealous, and if I tell umma, umaimah will get in trouble" Khadija said
"Then get pregnant, secure another baby with him, the attention will go back to you" Sadiya said
Khadija looked at her and she was actually impressed, why didn't she think of that
"I like you, give me your number, let's become friends" Khadija said
Sadiya smiled and she gave Khadija her number, from there they became best of friends, they did everything together, until Sadiya got married to the prince of sokoto a year later, Khadija was sad, her friend that actually listened to her had left for sokoto, but they always kept in contact.
One faithful evening, when Umaimah and Ahmad went out, Khadija fell ill and went to the hospital, were she found out she was pregnant, she couldn't wait to surprise Ahmad, she went home and saw Ahmad waiting for her in the living room, he looked quite angry and Umaimah looked quite upset
"What happened?" She asked
"Where did you go to?" Ahmad asked
"I went to the hospital, to collect something" She lied, she didn't want to tell Ahmad yet
"Is that why you left the kids at home alone?! No one to watch them, Gashi Ruqaya got burnt with hot water?!" Ahmad shouted
"Inalillahi, where is she yanzu?" Khadija asked genuinely concerned
"Don't pretend as if you care, don't! You went to the hospital to collect only God knows what! I left you at home with the kids to look after them! And you went out" Ahmad shouted
"Ahmad I wasn't feeling well, I had to get medicine" Khadija said
"Right, you're never feeling well, probably because it's not your child that's why you couldn't care any less" Ahmad said
Her face flashed with disbelief, she couldn't believe what Ahmad said
"Ahmad, in our 16 years of marriage, I've never differentiated between my kids and anyone's kids, I treat all of them equally, and now you're saying all this? So I can't get sick anymore, I should be your personal stay at home wife that takes care of the kids, when has umaimah ever stayed at home to take care of the kids? When was the last time you ever went out with me alone, and left umaimah to take care of the kids? My mom was sick, you made me carry the kids with me, I'm always the one with the kids!" Khadija said finally talking back
"Take you out? Have you seen your self? You look like a mess, I thought you'd probably get a hold of your self after giving birth to Na'eem, but you became worse, always zoning out, crying before you sleep, Khadija fix yourself" Ahmad said
The words that came out of Ahmad's mouth broke Khadija into two, she couldn't even talk
"Baby that wasn't nice-
"I don't need you to fight for me now, or ever umaimah, I don't need your sympathy, I'm in a mess because of you and Ahmad, the both of you made me this way! What would have been my fault if I had just become like Halima and lived far away from both of you, I decided to stay cause I loved both you, but it looks like I was the only person doing the loving, I did everything to make the both of you comfortable and happy, even though I was unhappy, I'm unhappy in this Marriage! And Ahmad you know it! Don't even pretend like you don't, I'm only here cause if Na'eem and Usman, they deserve to be in a home with a mother and father, but the both of you have officially made that impossible, Ahmad please divorce me, I want to leave" Khadija said crying
"Dija no, you're not leaving" Umaimah said holding her arm
"Leave me alone! My kids, my marriage? Take it all, after all everything has always been about you" Khadija said
"That's not fair" umaimah said
"As if you have been? I know you love Ahmad, more than you even love yourself, let me go umaimah, tell Ahmad to divorce me, he'd do anything to make you happy" Khadija said
"This wouldn't make me happy!" Umaimah shouted
"I couldn't care less, you deserve to be unhappy at least once, that's even if Ahmad doesn't make you forget me, by making love to you" Khadija said
"Khadija now you're being childish" Ahmad said
She looked at him
"Cause I stated a fact? Ahmad Dansari, please divorce me, Ka ishe ni, you and umaimah both, please" Khadija begged
She pushed umaimah away from her and went upstairs to her room and started packing her stuff, she was going back to her father's house, this pregnancy Ahmad could forget it, she thought to herself, just then Ahmad entered the room, and held her hands
"Dija" He said
"Don't call me that, I'm tired of your manipulative behavior and your emotional blackmails, stop it Ahmad, just divorce me let me and this baby go" She said, she realized she told him by mistake
"Baby? Dija what baby?" He asked
She rolled her eyes and ignored his question
"Is that why you went to the hospital? Oh Dija I'm sorry for shouting at you, I really am I didn't know that's why you went to the hospital, and what ever i said downstairs i didn't mean it I swear" He said, lies and lies Dija thought
"Leave me alone" she said
"Dija what do you want me to do, I'd do anything" He said
"Anything?" She asked
"Yes" he said
"I want to go the US, and have this baby, I don't want to be anywhere near Umaimah, just get me out of here" she said
"We can leave this week, I'll tell my agent to us tickets, please just don't leave me, please Dija" he said
She thought for a while and nodded her head, Ahmad was so happy, but Dija not very happy, that night Ahmad stayed in her room, the next day Umma and Auntie asmau came to see her, they were happy with news and even suggested that auntie Asmaus younger daughter Aisha should follow Khadija to America to help her with the pregnancy and they'd come in the last 3 months, Khadija was okay with this and everything was settled, she was leaving this week with Ahmad, she told her mom and dad and they gave their blessings, it was just one person left to say goodbye too, Khadija was thinking of whether to do it or not, just then Umaimah entered her room
"Are you here to cry or what?" Khadija asked
"No, I heard you were leaving tomorrow, you weren't even going to tell me" Umaimah said
Khadija scoffed
"Are just remembering we are or should I say we were best friends? You pushed me to the wall enough, you ended this a year or two ago but i didn't, you remained my best friend no matter what, looks like that didn't matter to you, all that did was Ahmad and now I'll fully blame myself for introducing Ahmad to you, all because I wanted to live with my best friend, how stupid and foolish of me, no wonder mama kept on telling me no" Khadija said while putting her stuff in the box
"Dija don't say that" Umaimah said
"I've said already said it are you going to hit me? Cause you're fully aware if you do, Ahmad would kick you out, and please spare me the victim rubbish we all know who the victim is here" Khadija said
"Goodbye Khadijah" Umaimah said
"Alhamdulillah, go away" Khadija said
"Me and you mun gama, from today you're just my co wife and nothing else" Umaimah said crying
That hurt Khadija but she didn't want to say anything
"I agree, leave my room" Khadija said pointing at her door, umaimah left crying and Khadija sat down on her bed, her childhood best friend was now gone from her life, the only person that knew her inside out, then Na'eem ran inside the room
"Mommy, Yaya Nurain said you're traveling, is it true?" She asked
"Yes my baby, but you'd come and visit me and I have a big surprise for you, a big one okay?" Khadija said
Then Na'eem started crying, so did Khadija, she didn't want to leave but she had to for her own sanity after all she knew umaimah would take care of her like her own, Na'eem slept with her mommy that day and the next day it was time for Khadija and Ahmad to leave, she said goodbye to all the kids as she was leaving and told Nurain to be the best big brother, she passed umaimah like she didn't exist and she left the house with Ahmad and they left for America.