Thorns and Roses

8

After what seemed like a whole month, Maleeka stood at the entrance of the hospital waiting to collect something from Khalil.

There, she saw her husband standing with his arms crossed on his chest. She smiled at the sight and started walking towards him.

"You are early." She said cuddling herself into his arms.

"I miss you too." He said instead of replying her.

"Maleeka..."Khalil said running towards them.

"Oh well! I am always here on the wrong time." He added pinching the bridge of his nose.

Both Maleeka and Nurrain chuckled at his expression. With her left hands holding her husband's, Maleeka stretched the other to collect a parcel.

"Thank you Khalil." She said with a smile. He responded with 'you are welcome' and dashed away.

"Shall we?" Nurrain said holding the passenger's seat door for her.

With a smile wide on her lips she sat in. The welcoming scent of him enveloping her. She inhaled in and waited for him to enter.

"I missed you...so much." She said placing her head on his shoulders. He pulled out a small bouquet of pink flowers and handed it over to her.

"You have no idea how the thoughts of you couldn't leave my head. You were everywhere I set my eyes on."

Maleeka closed her eyes with the bouquet hugged to her chest reliving the familiar feeling, the feeling of home.

Silence followed, it was a peaceful silence. The one that comes with nothing but tranquility and sense of pleasure.

"You know, I attended to a patient today, she was having a miscarriage." She muttered, her voice as low as it could ever be yet still audible enough for him to hear.

"That's sad." He replied inwardly.

"I know right. I wish it could be me. Even a miscarriage..." her voice came through. She tried so hard to fight her tears back but she couldn't. The thoughts of her not having a baby, something she has yearned for all her life plus the exhaustion that settles in between her bones.

Motherhood, to a younger Maleeka has always being a dream ambition. Whenever teachers asked, unlike other students, she will reply proudly with a wide grin on her face..."I want to be a mother in the future." The future that holds nothing but a medical profession.

Her life is perfection, having the most supportive husband and family, a really good paying job which she pays back with the exhaustion.

"My Leeka, you see, I will say this and will always say this. With or without a baby, we will be fine. If Allah has already destined our lives without a child so be it, I believe we have Taqwa, right?"

She responded with a nod which he felt.

"Good." He continued. "Now let's cheer up. We have EID prep to do."

The drive back to their house was a quiet one, with their favorite recitation playing on the background, her eyes closed and her head placed on his shoulder.

A hot bath was just something Maleeka needed to get the stress off her body so she did just that, letting the hot water wash it away. she massaged her muscles with the perfectly whisked shear butter. Her best option was to wear a long pink cotton pants with a paired shirt. She tied her hair into a messy bun and descended down the stairs.

"Hey Pretty Woman!" Nurrain's voice came through. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey handsome man."

"I cooked." He announced gently removing her hands from his neck. He led the way to the dining table and pulled out a seat for her.

"Sounds interesting, CHEF!" She teased.

Nurrain cupped her face, placing a quick peck on her pouted lips and then serve them.

The noodles sat prettily on their shared plate. To them, it's their signature noodles. Carrots, onions, bell peppers, fried liver cut into chunks and then fried chunked chicken also. So perfect like their relationship. With them gisting about Eid and other stuffs, they aye slowly.

"The youngest gets the last ten spoons." Maleeka said Picking up the plate. Ahmed rolled his eyes and sigh. He knows better than to follow her.
The last time this happened they ended up spilling the noodles all over their kitchen.

He pretended to not care about her eating the last portion and walked towards the sink where she stood to drop his fork, but spit on the food then he quickly stirred the food.

Maleeka looked at him with disbelief.

"You can't be serious right now!" She growled loudly dropping the plate on the kitchen island.

"Well! I never said I am a serious person!" He picked the plate up and devoured in.

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