Haleema had taken an immediate liking to Ameerah. She found her really sweet, and wished that she would come to meet her again soon. It had been six months since she had come from Kuwait, and she hadn’t made a good friend in this time. She did socialize with people, but she didn’t have anyone, that she could call her best friend. She felt different from everyone else, but she was happy with her life. She had Allah and her mama and how could she forget, Salah.

She had so many assignments to complete. After Ameerah had left, she prayed Asr, and then sat down to do her homework. There was a knock on the door, and she got up to open the door. There stood Salah, looking handsome as ever. Her heart skipped a beat, whenever she saw him. She was surprised to see him at her door suddenly.

“Assalam u alaikum. Why do you look so shocked?” He asked in Arabic.
aleema looked down shyly, and replied to his salam.

Salah kept his finger under her chin, and lifted her face up to look at her.

“Can I not come to see my wife when I miss her?” He asked softly.

She laughed lightly. “Still getting used to hearing the word wife,” she said and lead him inside.

He laughed heartily. She looked at him lovingly. Tiny wrinkles formed at the corner of his eyes when he laughed. She found it extremely cute.

“I will have to call you wife more often, then,” he smiled.

She was getting more comfortable with him as time passed.

“yes, wife and many other loveable names.”

“With pleasure, darling. Can you teach me some?” he asked in a teasing tone.

“No sweetheart, you will have to learn them yourself,” she replied and poked his nose, unconsciously. She immediately pulled her hand back, but he caught it, and held it between his hands.

She looked at her hand, held between his hands, and smiled shyly.

“Did you have lunch yet?” He asked looking at her.

“No, I had late breakfast.”

“Let’s go have lunch. We’ll bring some for your mom too.” She got excited and got up happily.

“Okay. Give me five minutes to get ready.” She sent a quick message to her mom, asking her permission. She knew she would say yes, so she got up, and wore her abaya and hijab.

“Let’s go,” she said, and started moving towards the door. He got up and followed her.

She locked the door. Salah held out his hand for her, and she held it. They looked at each other and smiled. The way he looked at her, made her heart flutter with happiness. She wanted to close her eyes, and sigh out loud, but she controlled herself.

Salah looked down at their interlocked hands, and felt contentment in his heart.

She was his, he thought, happily.

He was hers, she thought, smiling.

Ameerah had asked Zarak to drop her home.

On their way, she told him about her meeting with Haleema. He noticed that she was chirpier than before, and was glad.

She didn’t tell him about her knee. She didn’t feel like getting into a discussion about it. She had many other topics to talk about.

She told him about her decision that she would talk to her father. She would tell him to leave them in peace, and divorce their mom, if he wants to choose the other woman over them. At least her mom wouldn’t have to deal with him so much after that. She was heartbroken, but she and Aabira would be enough to take care of her.

She entered her house, and was greeted by a crying Aabira.

She came running towards her and hugged her younger, stronger sister.

“Thank God you came. Dad’s home. I can’t deal with this.” She tried to calm her down and went inside.

She entered the room. Her mom was sitting on the edge of the bed, with her head in her hands. She was crying hysterically.

Her dad was sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, looking down.

Ameerah sat next to her mom, and hugged her from the side.

“It’s okay, mom,” she soothed her.

Her dad got up and moved towards her. She had prepared herself to talk to him. She had thought about what she was going to say to him exactly, but she had forgotten everything now because of the anger boiling inside her.

“Ameerah, I want to talk to you,” he said to her.

She looked at him angrily. “I don’t want to talk to you right now. I will talk to you when I want to talk to you.”

“Ameerah dear,” he kept a hand on her shoulder.

She pushed his hand away, and got up.

“Dad, we don’t want you here right now. Please go. Leave us alone. I will talk to you, but not here, not now.”

Her dad was extremely hurt by her words, it was evident from his eyes, but Ameerah was not looking at him.

She was looking down, and crying silently. She never thought she would see her family this broken apart. Her mom this lonely, and her dad this heartless. Could life be more cruel?