“Just like you suggested, Sadiqah will be joining the family soon ins sha Allah.” He started that evening, it was so unlike him to come early home, he had not been doing that for the past two years and it felt seeing him that early.
And as soon as those words came out of his mouth, she felt a rush of sadness felt on her, yes, she had known this day will come? At least he had been having a haram relationship with her for more than two years and seems to have abandoned her totally!
She wanted him to be a better man and hence why she suggested that he let her join the family, he is financially responsible to do so and rather than indulge him in a relationship with a non mahram which is the road to the biggest fitnah of all, he should just make her haram and she hope he will be just! Even though she didn’t even know if she is sure he will do that!
She took a deep breath as she try not to cry, of course she want to! She is going to have to share him with the one who seem to have taken over his attention for more than two years, the one who seem to have the control of his heart! The one who had made him forget all his responsibilities in the house… aside from the financial aspect anyways! He still fulfil his financial responsibilities aside from that a few intimate moments they had together, he was not the loving husband she got married five years before!
He had failed woefully and very woefully at that.
“Humm, ma sha Allah! Sadiqah? I hope she is as truthful as her name… hummm and sound almost like Musadiq.” She said and that made him want to chuckle and then he heard her sniffed in something that sound like a tears and before he could look at her eyes, she turned away from him swiftly.
“Are you….crying?” He asked and moved closer to her, they were some few meters apart on the large sofa that they had sat on and he touched her shoulder but she still had her back at him.
“What is this now …. Aziza, I thought this is what you wanted… you told me that yourself .” He said to her and wondered if what he had said that moment make sense.
“Yes, I said that not because I wanted it… “ she said as she turned to face him.
“It is what you wanted.” She said and cleaned off her tears as she looked at him.
“You made me look like a bad wife! She barely talk to me all these while, you come home only to sleep… I know you would have slept in her place … or perhaps you…” She said.
“I didn’t do what you are thinking of… I will never do that and you know…” he said shaking his head.
“Then what? You made it seem like it is all about her…” she said and realised that she might feel better after the outburst.
“Now, you are over reacting… you told me to bring her in… you said that yourself.” He said to her.
“Who was the one who would be in seclusion with a woman from closing time late at night?” She fired back at him and he swallowed hard.
“Can you tell me, I am lying? I know you close for work after Asr and you don’t come home until ten every day. When we got married, you don’t go out during the weekend… now you go out seven times a week.” She said.
“That was when got married… sometimes I go to work… “ He said.
“Of course…” she said sarcastically and he swallowed hard, not knowing what to say.
“But must it be every weekend? There are twenty four hours in a day, you leave this house as early as seven in the morning and you don’t return home until ten in the evening, which is you spending fifteen hours outside the home! And that is me getting to see you for just nine hours! And out of which you spend long hours on a phone call…. and the few hours we have left was for sleeping… Tell me, how was I over reacting?” She said to him.
“It’s not that bad.” He said.
“You just think of it… what man of the Deen who understand the Sunnah will be comfortable with having a dealing with a non mahram? I just told you to save you from falling deep into the fitnah not because I wanted it.” she said to him and stood up from the bed.
“Is she going to be in the next flat?” she asked looking at him and he nodded.
“Toor… no problem…” she said and went into the bedroom.
And he just sat there,
He could not think clearly, it is painful having to listen to someone recount all you excesses in details without mincing a word and he cannot even defend himself; he was guilty as charged.
He wiped the sweat forming on his head, his heart was beating faster.
He stood up from the sofa and walked into the bedroom and it was empty and he realised that he must have been in Abdul Bashir’s room, he changed his clothes slowly and several thoughts came to him and that was when his phone rang from the living room and that moment, he remember that he had dropped it on table as soon as he came home and he realised that all what Aziza had said were all true!
He had abandoned her!
The phone stop ringing and a few minutes later, it started again, he know who the caller is; it was Sadiqah, she must have been waiting for his calls, he promised to call her as soon as he get home but he didn’t ... he forgot.
He sighed and walked back to the sitting room to receive the call.
“You promise to call me… it is been one hour and thirty minutes.” He heard her say from the other end.
“I am sorry, something came up…” he said and saw his wife walked back into the room and his heart missed a beat.
“Can… we talk later…please?” he asked looking at Aziza who had sat down on the sofa staring hard at him and he felt so uncomfortable and the feeling he had that moment was that of someone who was doing something wrong.
“Later ke? What is happening there?” she asked him.
“I will call you as soon as I can ins sha Allah, if you don’t see my calls this night then tomorrow ins sha Allah.” He said to her and without waiting for a reply he hang up He disconnected the phone which was so unusual of him and he started at his wife who was glaring at him.
“Why are you staring at me?” He asked and she could sense he was feeling uncomfortable.
“You are staring at me too.” She said to him.
“I am sorry for everything I have done … “ he said and swallowed hard.
“I didn’t intend to hurt you …” he said
“Hummm, “ she sighed
“Would that make you stop that marriage?” She asked him and he looked at her in surprise.
“Yes… but on a second thought, I think you should just go ahead with it because I know you will still continue with … whatever you are having to do together …” she said and stood up to go to her room and he watched her leave, he was stuck on following her or calling back Sadiqah, he know she would surely be fuming that moment but he could not do without not talking to his wife, she looked so sad and made him feel guilty … of course he is guilty , he has not been a good husband to her.