Bowled Over By The Broken

Chapter 44: How much is too much?

8th July, 2018

I've been totally enjoying reading your comments, and what's interesting is that all of you have such different perspectives to the dimensions of this story. This is a short chapter, but to all of you who've been commenting enthusiastically, I don't think anyone has really figured out where this story is headed yet (I can't wait to reveal in sha Allah)! So, if you were the writer, tell me how you'd take this story forward AFTER reading this chapter, would love reading your thoughts :)

 "Indeed, this world is no more than temporary joys, and there is no temporary joy of this world that is better than a righteous wife."   

[Muslim]

Chapter 44:

How much is too much?

Anabya was a woman of few words, but if her thoughts ever found an escape in speech, then she'd never stop. She didn't think there was ever a time her mind paused, or rested, or took a break, even, because it was always preoccupied with feelings that'd never find justice in words.

After she was told, or commanded, that she had to stay here looking after her sick mother in law, she had grown awfully silent. Her mum had asked her what was wrong, and while she may have even sensed it, Anabya wasn't one to start her list of complains to her, almost fearing that her mum wouldn't be in her support, she never was when it came to her choices in this relationship.

So, when the sun in the sky was replaced with the moon peeking through the cloud, and after long hours Shamaaz and Anabya finally found a moment alone in the confines of their room, Anabya had absolutely nothing to tell the man in front of her, although her thoughts begged to be let out of the depths of her mind.

But this time, she was far more stable. She had been angry before when they had their fights, had even felt betrayed, but this time, she was just numb. If Shamaaz was not going to take her with him, she would not insult her self respect by asking him to; if he could so easily toss all their plans in the air because of his mother's orders, without so much as acknowledging what he was asking of her, she was not going to point it out for him. It was as simple as that.

She was telling her mind to stop expecting him to speak to her and address the matter, but a part of her was desperate to know what he felt about this whole thing.

And as if he had read her thoughts, he asked, "Do you have enough clothes here or do you want me to send some of your stuff that you've already packed back at home?"

You know what? If this is what he had to say, Anabya would have preferred he'd just keep quiet and go to sleep or whatever that he was doing.

She did not want to speak to him, did not want to argue with him and she kept chanting 'sabr, sabr, sabr' in her mind but the negligence and causality on his part just ticked her off.

"Which of those bags would you like to send across once you get back home tomorrow? I don't think I packed enough daughter-in-law stuff in the luggage," she replied, trying her best to match his 'casual' tone.

Shamaaz stared at Anabya, analyzing her behavior and finally said, "I don't understand why you are acting this way. I'm sure if it was your mother you'd more than willingly stay back."

And as those words reached her ears, Anabya wanted nothing but to put her face in her hands and scream out loud.

See this, this is what made her so mad.

Shamaaz, and his mother, made it seem like it was 'obviously' Anabya's duty to follow what they deemed as right. No one over here was asking her if she was okay with this, nobody was acknowledging her energy and efforts and plans she had made for this trip- not for her but for their relationship together, nobody bothered how she felt about the whole thing but all that they could see was that she was now the daughter in law of the family, and it was her 'duty' to stay back. Even though Tanzila had people to help her around and didn't need her, yet she had to stay, cancel her plans with her husband because her MIL thought it would be nice to have her around.