For Our Love

Forty Five

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Originally published: 29th August 2020

**This chapter is a bit dark, and is based on genuine fear faced by people at times.**

Jasmina

Paranoia. 

Once it gets inside your head, it's hard to get rid of.

It all started the week Fawad started having night duties, leaving me alone in our flat during the night. The first two nights it wasn't too bad, but then I attended a brunch with my mother-in-law and some of her gossipy friends.

We were all just sitting there, under a large sun umbrella in the garden of my in-laws' house, enjoying snacks with cold glasses of a variety of juices. It look like a normal early autumn day, with the sun beaming down on us and a cool gentle breeze lifting up our hair, indicating the first signs of the changing seasons. 

"Did you hear about Mrs Mazhar's daughter-in-law?" One of the women asked. 

"No, what?!" Another one asked, her eyes widened with the excitement of hearing gossip about someone else's family.

"She was expecting, but she had a horrible accident, and she lost her child." The first woman shook her head in mock sympathy. "Rumours had it that the couple was affected by an evil eye. They were a gorgeous, happy couple and they'd been excited about their baby, even though it was their second child." 

"Yes, and now the daughter-in-law has moved back in with her parents." Another woman chimed in. "Apparently, they started having problems in their marriage, and he asked her to leave. The last I heard, Mrs Mazhar is looking for another wife for his son." 

"Mrs Shehmir was after him for her daughter." The next door neighbour said. "She must have caused an evil eye on the couple." 

Fatima Aunty just shook her head, smiling lightly. "Ladies, can we discuss something nicer?" 

"Fatima, you remember Samina?" The neighbouring lady said. "She used to live across the road from us, and her daughter used to go to school with Fariha, remember? I heard the daughter complained about being followed by unseen creatures, and she always feels strange presence in her home." 

"A Jinn?" A lady gasped.

*Jinns exist, as per Islam. Known as 'genies' in English, they can either be good or bad, and can appear in human or animal form, however they are mostly invisible to the human eye. The rebellious jinns, could be considered as 'demons' in English terms.

"Yes." The neighbour shivered. "May Allah protect us from Black Magic and evil eye."

"Ameen." Everybody whispered in unison.

And then they started complimenting and praising each other's children like they hadn't been discussing the supernatural a moment ago. 

They moved on. I didn't. I thought about how I almost fell twice, and I felt goosebumps on my arms. 

Fawad and I were happily married and completely in love. What if the incidents with me were actually the result of an evil eye? What if there was a Jinn following me around?

***

I curled up under the covers that night, pulling the duvet right up to my chin. My skin was cold from the air conditioning and also fear. My eyes darted around the room, and in the gentle glow of the lamp light, it looked safe and comfortable. Inside the wardrobe, safely in their covers, were our copies of the Quran, and hanging on the wall was 'Ayat-ul-Kursi', the protection supplication.