TREASURES AND THORNS

Chapter Fifteen

RUKKAYYA

<Empires and Late nights>

UNEDITED

I had been in embarrassing situations but none of it came close to the one I found myself in. I had tried so hard to endure but the spasms shot through me like missiles. It kept coming like a live firing squad built inside my stomach.

I woke up after six to find my husband rooted to the chair opposite mine. He had helped me up the stairs to the living room upstairs because it was getting late. I hated how weak I felt after waking up. I have always extra sensitive around that time of the month especially around the opposite sex. I wished the ground would open up and swallow me but it remained firm under my slow steps. The pain had reduced greatly but my strength was yet to be returned to me.

Dinner was served before Ya Ahmed left to pray Isha prayers. I watched as Atika and her girls had set the dinner on the centre table. Food was the last thing on my mind but I knew my husband wouldn't hear of it.

"You haven't eaten," Ya Ahmad said.

"I was waiting for you." It wasn't exactly a lie but I knew he wouldn't let me skip dinner.

Before I could awkwardly start serving. The man had already carried the serving spoon.

"Please let me do that!"

He chuckled. It was the calmest one I'd ever heard. I envied how calm he was all the time. It was always a tornado within me whenever he was around. I hadn't been close to much guys in the past. They were all siblings and close relatives so that contributed to my nervousness.

"Ya Ahmad,"I urged when he refused to hand over the spoon.

"I have always been good at any job I take up, I won't let you get in the way."

That was how he got his way. Atika's girls returned an hour later to clear the table.

"Aha! I have something for you," Ya Ahmad spoke. He disappeared in to the hallway that leads to his room. Shortly he emerged with a bag.

He opened the bag and fetched a small box. "I was supposed to give you this since we got back."

He fetched a phone from the small box. The apple logo behind the phone confirmed that it was an iPhone.

"Do you want to start using it now?"

I didn't really have a choice but It was nice that he asked anyway.

"Okay."

I looked on as set up the phone.

"Let me try some thing," he said more to himself.

"What? You saved my contact as 'Ahmad Kabir Modibbo?' Ya Rahman!"

I looked at him unsure of what I had done wrong. However when the corners of his mouth twitched in to a smile, I relaxed.

"Its so unromantic!" I knew then that the Modibbo's had an unusual but cute sense of humour.

"Aha...This is a whole lot better," he turned the screen over to me, 'HUBBY DEAREST' was written in block letters. I could not help the laughter that came afterwards.

"You should laugh more often, the dimples are so Ma shaa Allah,"

I blushed and lowered my head.

"In fact I'm renaming your contact!"
I could never have guessed that my husband had a playful side. I became convinced because it was the second time I had seen him act playfully. The first when Haneefah had visited.