FLAWED SOULS

CHAPTER 45: DARKNESS

"... What do I do when the darkness looms over me? Do I scream out and hear the echo of my voice then listen to the darkness's mirthless laughter at my loneliness?..."

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Amirah caught herself biting her nails -a habit she despised- she quickly stopped, few minutes later her foot was making a tap-tap sound on the tiled floor and the secretary gave her an annoyed look so she stopped that too but she couldn't stop the racing in her heart.

She had arrived a little bit early for her session with Tara and she had to wait for her, she was in with another patient. The waiting room suddenly became hot and Amirah wished she could take off her ankle length hijab, she'd worn it because she didn't have the energy to dress up.

Her foot resumed their tapping and just as the secretary opened her mouth to say something, the door to Tara's office opened and a middle-aged man came out. Amirah shot up startlingly even herself, she briskly made her way into Tara's office much to the displeasure of the secretary who took pleasure in being the one to invite the patients in.

"Amirah," Tara said in a pleasant tone. "You look... Different."

Amirah straightened the creases on her hijab. "Yeah." She said lamely.

"Please sit." Tara gestured to the seat and Amirah sat down.

"How're you feeling? I was a little worried when you missed your last sess..."

"I have a child!" Amirah blurted, Tara's face expressed surprise.

"Oh you do? That's nice, how old is your child?"

"She's four."

"Oh and this child, is she for your..."

Amirah shook her head fervently, Anisa wasn't Muhammad's daughter.

"I see. Tell me more about her? What's her name?"

"Anisa, she's the most beautiful person I've ever seen." Amirah began with a smile on her lips, "she hates dolls, dresses and yoghurts. She likes to think she's grown up and when we talk, she asks 'Umma how are you?' so that I won't ask first.

Her caretaker is her favorite person in the world, I come second. She's a little tomboyish and very... God! She's perfect." Amirah said her voice choked with emotions.

Tara smiled knowingly. "I'm going to assume Muhammad does not know about her."

"No!" Amirah snapped, then lowered her voice, "you won't tell him right?"

"Of course I won't Amirah, whatever you say here is between the both of us and no one will ever know, not unless you tell them because if I do, I'll be losing my license." She said the last part in a playful tone and Amirah smiled and relaxed her tensed expression.

"So tell me, how've you been feeling as of recent?"

Amirah shrugged. "Fine I guess, definitely better."

Tara smiled. "I'm glad. I'm going to ask you some routine questions to conclude on your diagnosis, is that fine with you?"

Amirah nodded.

Tara walked up to her desk and rifled through before coming back with a small notebook in her hand, she opened it.

"Do you usually have troubles sleeping or frequent nightmares?"

Amirah nodded, "yeah I do."

"And in relating with your mother and brother I assume?"

"Yes."