A Hidden Pearl

9. Blossoming Fervor

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم-
In the name of Allah, the most affectionate, the most merciful.

And if the grace of Allãh and His mērcy had nõt been on you, and that Allah is Relenting, Wise, He would have opened your secrets.
(Surah Al-Noor, verse 10)

~~~

He passed his hand in her hair, feeling her soft locks through his fingers.

His other hand on her back, rubbing gently against her cotton shirt.

The room was silent and cautious, the silence filling the content hearts of two humans.

It was beginning to feel normal now, days turned into months and they two souls were beginning to know each other.

Right beneath the surface but not in depth.

His mind was a filled with different questions. About her and about himself.

Her crying had died out but once in a while she would let out a sob and he would simply whisper a ssshhh.

It happened often, she would wake up crying and screaming and when they both woke up in the morning, they found the other beside them.

They were the strangest of lovers. Comforting each other in the darkness of the nights when eyes were weary but when wide awake, they was a silence that lingered around them.

Raabiya had adjusted seemingly to Huzaifahs routines and didn't mind his behavior. Sometimes she had this feeling like Huzaifah didn't want to be seen with her in public as they never went out together. All the times she had been out was with Cecelia.

In the first few days, she would wander around the streets and parks but Cecelia sort of warned and forbade her to leave the house without security claiming it wasn't 'safe.'

Raabiya had the feeling Huzaifah told her so.

She sometimes felt that perhaps Huzaifah was ashamed of being seen with her but she'd often push that thought scolding herself not to judge someone. Perhaps he was just busy.

She'd spent some days in the house, trying out some new recipes, reading new books or watching some television. She would often take a walk in the huge garden at the back of the house and water the plants and flowers or talk with some of the guards who were sprawled around the compound. In the beginning she had found it uncomfortable and strange to have so many guards in the same compound as her while she was the only woman there excluding the hours when the maid came but now she had become used to them.

She'd often chat with a few of them.

Some days Cecelia would come and they'd have a day out. She was probably the only friend Raabiya had so far.

Huzaifah only ate dinner at home which Raabiya tried to make as good as possible but most days, he'd finish up and not say a word to her.

~

As of now, Raabiya stood in the kitchen making dinner. By now, Hussain kaka had informed her where everything was in the pantry and kitchen but there was something she was missing.

She couldn't find any foil paper that she needed to wrap some chicken.

She looked in the pantry, in the store and in all the drawers in the kitchen.

She headed for the landline phone in the living room calling Hussain kakas house that was in the same compound but a distance away.

"Assalamu alaikum kaka. Sorry to trouble you but I was wondering if there is any foil paper in the house?" She asked politely.