MAKESHIFT HUSBAND (COMPLETE)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Zainab pretended she couldn't see the frown on his face or the invisible yet loud DO NOT DISTURB vibes emitting from his body when she thrust Amir into his arms.

He jumped and caught the child.

"What are you thinking of so much that you were lost in thoughts and didn't hear me talking?"

Kamal sighed and shook his head. "It's nothing serious. I was thinking about work"

"Okay" Zainab smiled and headed to the kitchen leaving Kamal a bit confused.

If it were the Zainab he knew, she would neither believe him nor let go of things so easily.

"There's just two more months left abi?" Zainab called from the kitchen.

"Two months for what?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten" she appeared wiping her hands on her apron. "Just two months left  to divorce the other woman and our lives can go back to normal" she beamed.

Kamal should have been smiling with her. He should have released a sigh and say "yes I can't wait"

But he didn't.

She ignored the way his frown deepened after she mentioned it and went back to the kitchen.

What if the man from the other was right? What if Kamal didn't want to divorce Maryam? What would she do?

She couldn't go on pretending like she didn't have a co wife like her older sister Husna did.

Zainab felt she would rather die than let the other woman remain. 

Seems like she needed to call her mom again. This pretending not to care game wasn't yielding the desired results. If anything, it seemed to push Kamal even further away.

*

Two months down the count since his fight with Maryam, two more left to divorce her.

Why was he feeling unwilling?

Kamal was sure he didn't love her but he cared for her.

He was comfortable around her, he felt free with her, he could put down all his defenses and still feel normal with her despite the short time they spent together.

He was even willing to work things out. He was willing to not divorce her, to keep her as his wife but she turned into an ungrateful thing and sent him away with spiteful words.

'She was right though' a small voice in his head countered. You don't love her and you really felt she was a good fuck buddy, most certainly better than your wife.

"Shut up!" He whispered hotly to himself and startled his son. Amir's cries stopped whatever was going through his head at the moment and he forced himself to focus on the important things which presently was soothing his son before Zainab started throwing a fit again.

Surprised, he was, at her sudden change of behaviors but that didn't mean he wanted her to go back to tantrum Zainab.

Again, his thoughts were slowly drifting back to Maryam.

How had she been?

Was she okay?

Was he doing the right thing staying away from her?

She was still his wife and islamically he owed her to ho check up on her himself to be sure she was doing alright.

"Zainab!" He called and settled Amir on the floor. The boy was learning how to crawl and decided to have no more still moments.

"Is it urgent? I'm making miyan soye here."

"I'm going out for a bit." He grabbed his keys and pulled a struggling Amir away from the TV stand. "You should put Amir in his baby sitter to keep an eye on him."

He blew on the baby's stomach and pearls of laughter soothed his troubled heart a bit. "This young man might tear down the whole house if we looked the other way for a minute."

Zainab couldn't help but get caught up in the father and son moment. She laughed and took Amir from his dad.

"So where are you going to?"

"Outside"

She forced a smile. "Don't be late and bring back ice cream."

Kamal gave her a kiss on her lips which ended abruptly when Amir pulled his beard.

"Okay big guy" he laughed and kissed his son too " you have mommy all to yourself for now"

Zainab watched his retreating form and wondered if she was imagining things or if there really was an excited jump to his walk.

As soon as she heard him drive out, she sat on the couch and dialed her sister's number.

"It's not working" She said as soon as Husna answered. "He's still thinking about her and he just left to see her right now which he hasn't in two months."

Husna hissed. "Did you wake me up at 2.00 clock just to tell me your husband's going to see his other wife who he stayed away from for two months?"

Zainab stayed quiet.

"Did Mama raising you as the last born do something to your head? I also have a co wife so why am I not freaking out?" Husna scoffed. "She's his wife too and just like you, she has equal rights over him. Zainab, Kamal is a man and a strong headed one at that. You can't tell him what to do or how to do things."

"But he married her to help her. He doesn't love her."

"Pftt" Husna laughed and Zainab wondered if calling her big sister rather than their mom had been a good idea.

"Listen to me Zee, the other woman is a woman with her own assets. If he married her to help her, then what makes you think he can't choose to help her for the rest of her life? If he didn't love her when he married her, then is there anything that says he can't love her as time goes on? Besides, how many couples have stayed together for years without love?"

Husna's voice lowered to a considerably low tone. "Not every woman is lucky to have love in her marriage. If she does, then she's lucky and you are one of the lucky women so don't spoil that. Just let the other woman be the other woman. Keep ignoring her and pretending she doesn't exist. You don't even live in the same street so there's a chance you might never need to see...."

Zainab hung up and hissed. In a fit of anger, she nearly threw her phone and yell but she restrained herself because her son was there.

She didn't call Husna to hear her preach what was right or wring to her. She needed help getting the other woman away and since Husna wasn't providing help, she would turn to the other person she knew would do so.