LOVE TRIALS

xi

Other people are not medicine.

-Anonymous

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"Assalamualaikum," Hamza said, knotting his tie when he saw Sophia in the full-length mirror, she shifted to lay with her arms stretched above her head. "How are you feeling?"

Sophia nodded, simply as she sat in bed, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes, "What time is it? Are you leaving?"

"It's almost 10."

Sophia quickly removed the covers belatedly realising she was late for her classes.

"Keep sitting," Hamza came to her with his coat draped on one shoulder, his tie done. He leaned down to lift her legs onto the bed, again as Sophia smoothed the collars of his crisp shirt.

"You're taking a day off, today," Hamza whispered in her wife's ear. His bearded jaw scraped her cheek when he distanced from her and surprised her with a kiss to the corner of her lips.

Sophia's eyebrows drew together when she eventually composed herself, "Am I?"

She shouldn't have been surprised, Hamza Hassan Omer was an affectionate man. Her flesh tingled where his lips had been as her cheeks caught fire. His hair still wet from his morning shower, sat comfortably on the right side, combed away from his forehead and he looked incredibly handsome in his navy blue shirt and grey pants.

"Yes and I will try to come home early today," Hamza told her, drawing the back of his knuckles on her cheek, lightly.

Sophia didn't argue, he helped her lay down in the bed and tucked her in, nicely. She switched to her side, a hand under her cheek as she reclined in bed. She was still looking at him when he walked out of the room, softly closing the door behind him.

True to his word, Hamza returned earlier than usual but he didn't expect to find Sophia's mother in the living room waiting for him.

"Assalamualaikum, Ammi." It slipped from his mouth with unease. Hamza left his bag on the couch to go to his mother-in-law who had risen from her seat and lowered his head to take her blessings.

"I have been waiting for you to come," Habiba said, patting Hamza's head.

Hamza frowned once he straightened to his full height and noticed the absence of his wife, "Is everything okay?"

"InshaAllah (if Allah wills)," Habiba offered, cryptically. Her eyes danced with mirth."I'll visit, again with Sophia's father, soon."

"Please, sit for a while," Hamza said to his mother in law. "Sophia. Ammi aai hain (Mother is here)," He hollered but she didn't come.

His heartbeat rose in his chest, his past fears coming alive. Sabeeha left him without any warning, he met her in court 3 months later. Did Sophia leave him, too? Hamza shifted on his feet, he itched to go look for his wife.

Hamza noticed when Habiba's eyes crinkled at the edges, visible through the slit in her niqaab reflecting the unconditional love for her daughter in the mossy Greens speckled with Blue and Gold.

"Don't worry. I'll visit, again. Khuda hafiz (Bye)."

As soon as Habiba left, he briskly walked to his room when he didn't find Sophia in the kitchen. He found her sitting in the bed, the only light in the darkened room came from the setting sun outside their window.