Dried Ink

50

Karima

For the first time in a while, I slept till morning. For the first time in forever, I woke up in someone's arms.

"Time for Fajr sweetheart" Khalifa murmured in my ear. I could feel his smile on my cheek.

I suddenly got embarrassed and pushed him off the bed. Covering my body with the blanket.
He chuckled and went off  to the bathroom. He later left the room and went outside.

I quickly entered the bathroom and performed ablution after brushing my teeth.

I came out and found him waiting for me.

"Here's your hijab. Let's pray, time is going" I nodded slowly.
He proceeded to lead us in prayer and read the Qur'an after.
His voice was amazing as always and it made me sleep; like it usually does.

*
*
*
*
*
I woke up to a sound sleeping Khalifa right next to me. He looked so peaceful.

I got off the bed and arranged our stuff. I called room service for breakfast and tried waking Khalifa up.

"Uncle Khalifa, wake up. Breakfast is ready" I tapped him the third time.

"No. I'm not hungry" he whined.

"Just wake up. You have to eat something or you'll get an ulcer attack"

Just then, he pulled my hand and I fell on him.

"Then I'd just eat you instead" he grinned before placing his lips on mine.

I was frozen for a moment before I kissed him back. He swiftly turned us over as he hovered above me.

"Khalifa the food is......."

"Shhh" she whispered before attacking my lips again. His hands were everywhere and he was about to remove his shirt that I'd worn that morning, I suddenly panicked and held his hands.

"What?" He asked, breathless.

"I...uh"

"I'm not going to do anything " he said.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"If it isn't the blushing bride" Lara grinned as she saw me.
Her words earning me looks from the inhabitants of the room.

"What the hell is your problem?" I whispered as I sat next to her.

"Nothing. I'm just happy you're glowing. And I know you're definitely pregnant" she grinned.

"Dude keep shut. I can't be pregnant" I whispered to her.

"What do you mean you can't? Are you taking birth control? Or you people use......"

I quickly placed my hand on her lips.
"Mrs Announcer, none of the above. We just haven't gotten there yet" I explained.

She nodded in understanding. I let go of her mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're starving him? You know he's been married before right?" She asked.

"I just can't. I keep thinking of Anas, I feel like I'm doing something wrong" I confessed.

"Karima, Anas has passed" she said slowly.

I nodded in affirmative. "I know that. But for a while all I've imagined was living with Anas and doing everything with him. All of the sudden I have to switch from Anas to Khalifa?"

"What about Mujahid?"

"Please he's not even in the equation. I don't even know the devil that dragged me to him" I said.

"Do you want to maybe talk to Khalifa about it?" Lara asked. My eyes went wide.

"Are you kidding? He was jealous of the guy at the hotel reception this morning. How do I bring up Anas? Please we just made up. I don't want any more trouble" I explained.

Lara burst into fits of laughter. "I thought you said you guys weren't fighting? And you didn't run away from home?"

"I didn't run away. I asked his permission. We needed time to breath" I rolled my eyes.

"So you've done all the breathing now? That you came here when it's past 12?" Lara accused.

"Well, you were the one that gave me to him. He insisted we stay in bed and come by in the evening"

"Then I'd have made him a widower" she grinned and we both laughed.

"You know I can't keep calling this little prince Baby. Have you decided on a name?" I asked after collecting him from a woman who bathed him.

"Abdallah is the most indecisive person I know. We had a name up until his birth. Now he says the baby doesn't look like an Abdul." She laughed.

Karima could see how much Lara adored her little family.

"I'm going to name him if both of you aren't ready" I hissed.

"Abdallah called him Sultan upon his birth. So you can call him that before he decides on the name. I'm too lazy to interfere" she stretched.

"I wonder how he lives with you. With all 50 shades of wierd" I said.

"If I've got 50 shades, you've got a hundred and one" She retorted.

"Aw. Come on! Don't be a child when we already have one"

"That's true! We need to be more responsible now"

"Speak for yourself Lara, I've always been responsible" I said and we went on bickering.

Khalifa picked me up around 10pm and we went back to the hotel.

"Why won't we just go home? We're wasting money" I asked him as I pulled off my head scarf.

"Because I can't  see you or sleep with you without feeling embarrassed?" He looked at me like it was the most obvious thing.

"You'd feel embarrassed too? I thought I was the only one" I mumbled.

Khalifa stared at me.
"Do I have anything on my face?" I asked

He shook his head in negation.

"You just have no idea how much I love you" he replied.

I used my hands to cover my face. "Stooooop"

And I heard him laugh. "You were all over me yesterday saying how much you loved me and whatnot. Can't I do that too?" He asked.

"Or better still, show you?" This time, he was right next to me.

"When are we opening the envelope?" I asked.

"Whenever you're ready, babe" he answered.

I took the envelope and opened it. I was about to bring out the paper when I remembered something.

"Wait. Why were you so sure that nothing happened?" I asked looking at him closely.

"Are we checking the results or not? I'm nervous" he evaded my question.

"You either answer me or we're not checking them" I hissed.

"Okay! Um....if anything had happened, I'd have remembered or would have felt different" he replied.

"That's not an answer Mister!"

"It would have been my first time! I'd have definitely remembered" his voice rose a little and he looked embarrassed.

Awkward.

"You've been married. I saw how you and Ya kubra couldn't get your hands off eachother......"

"Kubra and I got married conveniently. We were pressured and we decided to just get married. But we couldn't find our bearing together so we called quits. You won't understand. Now can we please read them already?" He explained tiredly.

I brought the out the papers and went through them. I decided to play with him a little.

"Congratulations Mr. I would have remembered" I said and his face fell.

"Innalillahi! What have I....."

"You're not the father" I completed before busting into fits of laughter.