Book I: My Muslim Man | COMPLETED

The End (Part 2)

Imran's POV

I slept knowing that I had to wake up early to the call of Azaan. Little did I know that my baby boy was the Mu'azzin. I woke up to screeching cries of Khalid who had also woken up his mother. Afaaf still laid on her bed as she pulled Khalid closer to feed him. She struggled for a few minutes with him but soon he began feeding. Her swollen eyes were droopy, as she looked down at the baby. Soon, she shut her eyes falling back into deep sleep.

I checked the time on my phone, I still had few minutes left for Fajr. I decided to not go back to sleep and headed to the bathroom to redo the wudu'. I didn't want to leave the house afraid if Afaaf would need something while I'm gone. Gladly, the mosque wasn't too far away. I came back from the prayer, still lethargic. Unable to move another muscle, I went back to sleep as soon as I laid down. It didn't feel like much time had passed, when I woke up again to Khalid's crying. Afaaf was quick this time to pull him up to her but he wriggled away from her. She tried to hush him but he wouldn't calm down.

"Imran, you left the door open", Afaaf said, drowsily, "It's getting cold in here", she said pulling the blanket closer.

I got up and went to shut the door. Only when I had gotten out of the sleeping bag did I realize how cold the room got. Afaaf tried to sit up. She grunted in pain and then she let out a cry so painful that it made me jump. I rushed to get by her side.

"What hurts Afaaf? Your back?", I inquired as I rubbed her back.

She breathed as a tear trickled down her cheek. "It's... It's the stitches."

"You shouldn't get up. Lie down. Let me know what you need and I'll go get it for you"

I picked up Khalid in my arms who was still crying. He didn't need to feed so I tried to hush him to get him to sleep.

"Ice bag... bring me an ice bag", she said. I didn't know what she was asking an ice bag for but I went to the kitchen to look for some ice. There was no ice bag so I had put the ice in a plastic bag. I gave that to Afaaf and she placed it where she had gotten the stitches. Afaaf needed time to heal.

"Feeling better?", I asked as I walked around trying to put Khalid to sleep.

"No yet", she sighed as she cleared the traces of tears from her cheeks.

"Afaaf, you have to get some sleep"

"But...", she looked at my arms.

"I'll try to put him to sleep"

Khalid had started to calm down, finally. Afaaf closed her eyes still struggling through the pain. Khalid went back to sleep only when the sun had started to rise. We struggled through that first of many sleepless nights.

****

I had come over at my in-laws to have breakfast. Aunty had made me a heavy meal of eggs, paratha, tea and sandwiches. My son slept with his mother in her room. Ayesha api had gone to work and Ali had school. It was just me and Aunty at the breakfast table. It had been a long week for both Afaaf and myself. Her slow recovery was excruciating for her. I had gotten into the habit of sleeping at my in-laws' place, then going to work and then going back home to change and rest for an hour and then head back to the in-laws to see my family and spend the night with them.

"I think Afaaf will need longer to recover than I expected", Aunty said, "She has another appointment today but you don't have to worry about it. Ayesha will take her to the hospital while I take care of the baby at home"

"That's very generous of you Aunty. May Allah reward you for helping this poor first-time father", I said referring to myself. 

"Well, Afaaf does has it harder but I could see that you were struggling too beta"