The Mechanic's Wife (Preview)

CHAPTER 5: MAMMA'S VISIT

"No Habibty, you will not go and that is final." Hajiya Ajwa stood firm in her decisions. They've been at it since last week, it was time for Zeenah to see for the rest of her preparations, as the wedding date was fast approaching, now counting in months, they were three months away, and she's got some window from work. That was the only available time she had till the wedding, and now her parents were insisting she wasn't traveling, this was not the first time she was traveling across the seas alone, she'd done so a gazillion times especially when she was in the Uni, she wondered why they were suddenly not okay with it now, well she knew why but they needed to let her some slack.

It wasn't like she was going to zone out and the plane would take her to a different country or something. She didn't always have the 'episodes, she hadn't had one for almost a year, till the one that happened the previous week, they were all protective of her suddenly, all her brothers had been calling non stop.

Ashir had to leave work to come and see her. She got it they loved her, but she had a life too, they had to eventually leave her live it her way.

"But Ammie how am I going to finish all the pending prep? Most of my things are there I have to go and see things for myself, I can't leave Sister Fa'iza with all the work."

"Let her manage what she can, but I am not going to let you travel, not now." It was unspoken but it hung between them. 'Not now when it was back.'

"Ammie, I am not going to break. I am not a fragile vessel."

"I know, but prevention is better than lament. You are not traveling alone. I will assign Abdul Aziz to go, he can plan that in his schedule."

"But how can he buy women stuff?"

"Then your fiance definitely knows your taste he should help."

Zeenah grunted, taking a handful of her messy hair in her fists. She knew her mother was looking out for her, but that was ridiculous how could her would-be-husband shop for her? Some crazy things she only saw in her family.

"Okay, we can postpone the wedding." She said gruffly.

"Don't be stubborn Zeenah," She finished placing the date plate she was nibbling, on a side stool. "Ah, I almost forgot. Mamma said they will be on their way two days from today, are you on a leave?"

Zeenah barely let the news sink in, before she answered, "No, I called in sick, but I will be on call two days from today." She left the room teary-eyed.

Hajiya Ajwa was worried, now she'd started to think if her daughter's illness had not progressed to an MPD, She was beginning to see some cracks in her. They had to see Dr. Hassan immediately, no matter how stubborn her daughter might be.

*****

Zeenah shook her head embarrassingly, "Oh no Ammie, please! I know I won't be late In sha Allah. Okay bye."

She blew out a quick breath and turned to look at Sa'eed, who was intently looking at her, "What?" She muttered the beginning of a smile forming on her face.

She saw something shifted in his eyes. Something akin to pain, it was ridiculous. She knew the man, what? One month and she'd started to read into his mood swings?

"Umm, you must be close right?"

"Who, Ammie?" when he nodded she beamed.

"Yes, very close. But, she sometimes gets her Mummy paws on me. Almost all the time and when you're a grown twenty-eight-year-old woman, that gets em... creepy. Abbie is quite sweet though, even though when I was little I was closer to him than i was with Ammie, he doesn't keep calling all the time to tell me to eat my food or come home early or get a man and babies..." She bit her tongue at that stopping herself from rambling.