Aaban

12. D A R K H A N - H E A R T B E A T

The day had passed and the sun had set, darkness filled the sky. Haniyah sighed as folded the praying mat, and made her way towards the window in the room.

Her husband was in his office that was connected to their room as he refused to be around when ever Haniyah would get up for salah and that was what confused Haniyah. She had been married me Aaban for almost a month now and not once had she witness Aaban praying a single prayer. She had seen the small congregation that her father-in-law would hold in the living room with a few of the Muslim guards while her husband locked himself in his office.

Haniyah tried, but no matter how much she tried to get him to pray at least one of the five prayers he refused, he would either leave the room or turn around and sleep.

Haniyah was brought out of her thoughts as she heard a crash from the office. Her eyes widened in panic as the sound of glass breaking and things being thrown on the floor filled the room. She walked towards the door that connected the bedroom with the office.

"Aaban?" She knocked, she tried to turned the knob but realized he had locked it. She began to knock again, "is everything okay?" But her calling went unnoticed as the sound of things breaking overpowered it. Fear consumed her, and tears filled her eyes. "Aaban!" She continued to call out. After what seemed like hours the sound of crashing finally stopped. Haniyah knocked once again and called out for her husband again, worried about his safety. That's when she heard it, it was quite but clear, a sniffle, and then heavy sobs filled the room. The tears in Haniyah's eyes finally fell as she heard the heartbreaking sound leave from her husband's mouth. Haniyah's body slid down until she was sitting against the door. "Aaban?" She quietly called out. Her head snapped up as the sound of the lock being unlock filled her ears.

As he walked out his face was blank and it held no emotion.

He just stared down at his wife with a blank look, but suddenly, tears started pouring down his cheeks.

He was crying.

He slid down next to where Haniyah was leaning placed his head in his lap and he cried.Haniyah felt herself begin to panic as she felt wet drops on her lap as she ran her hand through his hair. She played with his hair, trying to calm him down the way her mom used to when she would cry.

After what seen liked hours Aaban calmed down. He stopped crying, but was sniffling here and there. He laid there in his wife's lap as she played with his hair he slowly he fell asleep.

The  vulnerable and broken look that was on Aabans face broke Haniyah's heart

What happened that it has made you so broken, my love?

_

As morning came, Aaban's head still laid in Haniyah's lap, as soft snores left his slightly parted lips.

Haniyah's hands played with his hair, the same way they had the night before.

Slowly his eyes fluttered open, his green eyes were void of any emotion. Haniyah's have widened in panic as she noticed the dried blood on her husband's hand, she lighrly grabbed his hands, she held on tightly as he tried to remove his hands from his wife's grip. Haniyah dragged her husband towards the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit. Her husband spoke no words as he sat on the chair by the vanity in their en-suite. Walking over to her husband she pulled out alcohol and a cotton ball, soaking it. Kneeling down she grabbed Aaban's hand, the strings of her heart pulled everything Aaban slightly flinched as the alcohol stunted his wounds. Once the blood was all cleaned up, Haniyah pulled out the gauze and began wrapping it carefully around her husband's hand, placing a soft kiss on it when she finished.