Chapter 8
"Happy birthday, my son!" Ihsaan shouted jovially as Mikaeel made his way towards their table.
"Thanks." He replied, thoroughly unimpressed with the spread ordered for him.
"So 25? You're a big boy now, ne." Ihsaan grinned at him. It had always been a long standing joke that Mikaeel was the youngest from all of them and had to wait months before he could join them anywhere.
"Hmm."
"Now that you're finally old enough to join all of us," Is'haaq actually moved away from his wife for their huge announcement, "You're celebrating with us on Friday."
"And where am I going?"
"It's a surprise." Is'haaq's wife Farah piped in, still drawing little circles on her husband's knee under the table.
"Can't we make it Saturday? I'm pulling an all-nighter on Thursday."
"Seriously?"Ihsaan asked, annoyance pulling at his voice.
"Fine..." Mikaeel shook his head. Better to give in to the whiny bastard. His moody face was just too pathetic to look at sometimes. "So what's all this rubbish you ordered?" Mikaeel looked down dubiously at the assortment of desserts on the table.
"Oh ya, I forgot you're abnormal. You don't eat dessert." Shuayb groaned.
"That's not my fault now is it?" Mikaeel chose the dessert closest to him before he picked up his spoon and began to dig in- reeling at the overly sweet taste in his mouth.
...
"Hey." Mikaeel peeked into the sunroom to make sure Hoori really was there. He didn't trust Nandi's directions.
"Hi." She looked up at him from behind her book.
"How are you?" He asked, sitting down on the chair across from her.
"Okay." She put her book down allowing Mikaeel to catch a glimpse of the title. He never thought she would be the type to read anything remotely similar to it but there it was- A copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula perched happily on her lap. "And how are you?"
"Good."
"You're writing on Friday right? I'm sorry to have troubled you today."
"It's fine." He brushed away her apology distracted by the ghastly thing around her neck. "What on earth is that?"
"This?" She pulled the little elasticated necklace away from her neck to peer down at it. "They're sweets."
"I doubt your uncle bought that for you."
She looked amused at his reaction. "My cousin's daughter brought it for me."
"I see..."
She looked around, feeling almost embarrassed when she saw Mikaeel stand up to leave. "It was your birthday yesterday right?"
"Uhm hmm." He stood up, looking down at her.
"Happy birthday." She smiled up at him somewhat cautiously.
"Thanks."
"Do you want this?" She gestured to the necklace feeling very silly altogether at what she had just said. "She gave me too many."
"Do I want that?" He looked almost repulsed at the idea. "No, not particularly." He opened his laptop case, hoping to distract himself from their disastrous conversation. "Here's your laptop."
"Thanks." She gestured for him to leave it on the side table. "Sorry again that you had to drive all this way to bring it."
"Your little stories couldn't wait. I get it."
She huffed, vexed at his constant patronising behaviour. "No, I guess they couldn't."
"All those kissing scenes definitely weren't based on personal experience were they?"
Condescending asshole.
"Does that bother you?" She looked up at him, surprised to see his stare fixed on her.
"No. But I think it bothers you."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not like those guys you write about." His gaze was steady, not leaving hers even for a second.
She turned her face away from his, seething at what he had just said.
"You've brought my laptop. Thank you." She looked at him for just a second before she picked up her book, dismissing his presence altogether.
She didn't even hear his steps till he was right in front of her. "Just one more thing." He leaned forward, bracing his forearms on the headrest of the sofa.
"What?" She set her book back down, wishing she could just get up and walk away.
"This," his words sounded right in her ear as he bit at one of the powdery sweets on the silly little chain. "is rubbish." His lips grazed her neck as he spoke, causing her body to shiver involuntarily. "You shouldn't eat it." He kissed the side of her neck once more before straightening himself.
He ignored her glower as he zipped up his jacket. "You can write about that."
"Nothing worth writing about." She mumbled as she picked up her book once again, unbothered as he walked out of the room.
He didn't realise that Naandi stood right outside the door until he almost tripped over her broom.
She was definitely not happy with him.
"You can see yourself out." She turned away, muttering dangerously under her breath as she continued to sweep the floors, contented in pretending he wasn't there at all.
...
He needed to know whether or not there was anything between them.
They had been married for a month and yet neither of them truly had their hearts in it. Their conversations were stilted at best and he couldn't handle the way she was so-
Boring.
She couldn't talk. She wasn't funny nor was she affectionate and her nose was always stuck in some damned book.
He had probably taken her by surprise. She was walking away to the kitchen but he had to do it before he lost his nerve. He had kissed plenty of girls before but they were always as into it as he was. To just spring a kiss on her... Fuck it.
He took her hand in his, backing her up against the wall as slowly as he could. She knew what he wanted- he could see it in her- but he didn't know what she thought about it.
He braced himself against the wall as he stepped closer to her. He could feel the material of her dress against his t-shirt, fascinated by the fact that the thudding against his chest was not his heart but hers. He moved his right hand slowly over her shoulders, causing her breath to quicken. His hand moved lower against her sides tracing over her waist as it came to a stop over the gentle curve of her stomach. He was sure her heart was going crazy as he looked at her, watching her eyes widen as his thumb gently stroked the area just above her belly button.
It was all a chemical reaction.
It's what she was feeling.
It was a release of adrenalin in response to his touch that caused her heart to beat as fast as it had. She looked confused and almost doubtful at what was to transpire.
He leaned forward, just barely brushing his lips to hers.
They were soft with her lip balm. It was the same one she kept in the drawer next to her side of the bed. He was pretty sure it was vanilla and he never did like vanilla. He felt her shiver in response to his kiss.
Another chemical reaction.
The shiver was only caused by the rush of hormones and neurotransmitters released in response to the countless nerve endings stimulated by the brush of his lips against hers.
He looked at her, knowing she had felt the exact same thing. She looked almost disappointed at the reaction.
He kissed her again and still he felt nothing. He just felt empty kissing her.
So he kissed her again, allowing himself to just barely taste her lip balm. He was surprised to find that it tasted of bubblegum instead of vanilla but that was it.
And so he kissed her again.
But he tried, he tried so badly to lose himself in it...
His gripped her waist, tugging her closer to him as he felt her arms around his neck. He needed to feel something. He couldn't stay married to someone he felt nothing for. He could feel her inexperience so he tried to be patient with her. He waited as she accustomed herself to the way his lips felt pressed against hers before he wound his finger around the ribbon on the waist of her dress, pulling her closer towards him...
No.
Shit...
Her eyes looked hazy as she opened them slowly to look at him. She leaned back against the wall scared she would fall had she been unsupported yet as she looked at him and he looked at her, they understood it.
They were both married for reasons other than marriage and neither knew if they would ever feel anything for the other.
The 20 minute drive to Kelvin was an odd drive.
He didn't understand why he always had to pick on her when it came to the nonsense she wrote. He was never petty nor was he petulant so he couldn't for the life of him understand why he did it. Perhaps she was just an easy target.
Or perhaps it was just her airy-fairy bullshit that ticked him off.
That's what pissed him off.
She was so damned naive. Life wasn't like her books. You don't just kiss and fall in love. Real life was different and it was hard.
Her head was stuck so far up in the clouds that he was surprised she hadn't suffocated yet. He knew what bullshit marriage could be. He's seen it with both Ilhaam and Imti yet nobody cared enough to stop pretending.
Nooreen loved Imtiyaaz for his money that she deluded herself into believing was still in existence. Meanwhile Imtiyaaz deluded himself into believing that the fact that she had him gripped by the balls was her pitiful excuse for love- prompting the sad bastard to believe that he loved her back. Mikaeel would rather not even think of Shaheen and Ilhaam who had an even more dysfunctional marriage than his. She was just a crazy bitch who acted like an arrogant, elitist snob to cover up the fact that her husband was so addicted to porn that she was on the verge of divorcing him.
That was marriage. Not that shit she kept dreaming about.
...
"Guys," They were gathered around a table in one of the more upmarket clubs passing around shots as if they had money to waste. "Now that Mikaeel finally has his big-boy pants on, I think it's time we celebrate properly." Ihsaan slid the shot glass towards Mikaeel, grinning like a bloody monkey.
"I'm not drinking." Mikaeel slid the shot back to Ihsaan. "You can have my share."
"Ah killjoy." Ihsaan shrugged. More for him.
"Mickey Mouse is still a lightie." Shuayb winked at his wife before wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her to sit right at his side so he could whisper all sorts of dirty things in her ears.
The lighting was too dark highlighting the red glowing bars that accented the club.
His head began to pound as the vibrations of the music playing on the ground floor seemed to reach all the way up to the third floor causing their chairs to reverberate to the rhythm. The music was low and it was almost sexy but the constant, heavy doof doof of the bass knocked at his skull causing his eyes to pinch close at the sensation.
He needed sleep.
That's what it was. He was exhausted after pulling two all-nighters for his last paper. And listening to Shuayb didn't help matters. Why the hell were they even friends with him? He was a straight-up asshole who seemed only too happy to shove his tongue down his wife's throat at every bloody available opportunity. Mikaeel really couldn't stomach him. and he wasn't the biggest fan of his wife either.
He looked at her outfit somewhat distastefully.
She was dressed like fucking Bavarian Fruitcake.
Simply put.
He did not need to see her panties everytime she shifted. And he really did not want to see Shuayb trailing his fingers up and down her thigh.
"I think I'm going to go." Mikaeel stood up, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair.
"Seriously?" Ihsaan looked up at him irritated at his moodiness.
"Ya. I'm tired."
"Are you 5 or something?" Is'haaq asked.
"Is it Shuayb and his wife getting it on right in front of you that's bugging you?" Ihsaan looked over at the couple, slightly disgusted at their show of affection. "Sies you too. Get a room!"
Shuayb's wife gave him the finger, her mouth much too occupied to say anything.
"Let's just leave them and go downstairs." Farah stood up holding her hand out for her husband to take before leading him down the large winding stairs that seemed to be the biggest focal point of the whole club.
Screw it.
Mikaeel stood up, leaving his jersey on his chair before making his way to the staircase.
He had locked eyes with her on the stairs.
She liked what she saw and he knew that.
She was a good dancer. Her body flowed like water as she danced to the sultry music that seemed to caress all those it touched. Her eyes were closed as she ran her hand through her hair and down her body knowing she was turning him on. She was lost in the music and in her dancing and almost jumped when she felt his lips against hers.
He was a good kisser. She liked kissing him- She liked kissing him a bit too much but just as she had begun to trail her finger up his spine, he backed away.
"I have to go." He said as he scrolled through the email on his phone.
She watched his back as he disappeared through the crowd...
"Want to dance?" She turned around at the voice. He was cute with his short, blonde hair and dark grey eyes.
"Okay." She grinned up at him, instantly forgetting the stranger that had just left her.
...
My parents want to visit you today.
Hoori looked down at her outfit feeling somewhat flustered at the message. It was definitely not good enough for her in-laws, especially her mother-in-law.
"Nandi."
"Ya?" She asked as she carried on dusting the cabinet.
"I need to change into a better outfit."
"Why?"
"My in-laws are coming over." Hoori looked down at her phone as she replied to his text. She didn't think she would see him so soon after his last visit and almost dreaded it. She particularly dreaded the fact that they would have to pretend to be on okay terms just to appease his mother.
"Oh. He's coming also?" Nandi's face twisted with irritation.
"Ya. They don't really know how to get here so he'll have to bring them."
"I see." She helped Hoori into her wheelchair. "Your jeans are fine but that top," She gestured to Hoori's jersey. "Huh uh."
"If you say so." She smiled up at her, happily accepting her advice.
"Hooriya." Her mother-in-law bent down to kiss her cheek. "How are you?"
"Good thanks and you Aunty Saadia?" She smiled at her politely.
"Good."
"How are you keeping? How's the physiotherapy?" Mikaeel's father asked as he sat down from across her.
"It's going well." She definitely liked her father-in-law more than her mother-in-law. She was intimidating at best and she knew it.
"Mikaeel, why are you just standing there? Come in." Saadia snapped at her son. Mikaeel stood at the doorway as he surveyed the scene before him. He almost felt Hoori sorry at the idea of having to endure his mother looking at her as if she were a specimen in the lab.
"Hey." He sat down next to her, knowing his mother would say something if he sat on the opposite couch.
"Hi." She replied, just as brusquely.
"How was your last paper?" His father asked, trying to break the ice.
"It was good."
"Good, good."
The lounge lapsed into silence yet again.
"Where's your aunty?" Saadia asked Hoori, feeling highly annoyed that there was no one there to see to them.
"She's gone to her daughter's house. They live just next door." Hoori replied quietly. She really didn't like talking to her.
"Isn't she supposed to be looking after you?" Saadia asked somewhat judgementally.
"She does but Nandi is here too."
"Oh. Nandi?" Her mother asked, sounding piqued.
"Yes. Aunty Mariam is a little old now so Nandi helps quite a bit." Hoori tried to explain.
"Then why did she offer to keep you?"
"Enough Mum." Mikaeel intervened.
"Sorry."
"So uhm, how's..." Mikaeel's father tried to change the subject.
"Oh Nazeer! You won't believe what I just heard today."
"What did you hear?" The older man sighed, barely even feeling annoyed at his wife's interruption. He was much too used to it.
"Your nephew is divorced." She sounded just a little too excited about this particular bit of information.
"Which nephew?"
"Riyaadh. Saarah phoned me this morning to tell me."
"Riyaadh? But-" He looked bewildered at the news if not a little devastated. They had all been a little surprised when he wanted to get married. He was only 20 and she was older... but he seemed happy.
Her nose crinkled in disdain. "That's what happens when you marry below your class."
Mikaeel looked at her, astonished that she could say something like that.
Really, Mum? Really? What in the actual hell?
It took all his willpower not to comment on the fact that his mother was dirt-poor when she married his father. By her twisted logic, they should have been divorced long ago.
"Really Saadia. The girl was earning at least 50 grand a month." Nazeer cut in, vexed at his wife's attitude.
"I wonder how she got that job..." She mumbled. "Anyways, at least I can be proud of you kids for one thing."
"Yes Mum?" Mikaeel sighed preparing to be blown away by her answer.
"You all married well and you stayed married."
Did that really just happen? Hoori closed her eyes as her Aunty brushed through her hair that night. She could still picture Mikaeel's expression in her mind whenever she thought of her mother-in-law's words.
At least she finally understood why Mikaeel stayed married to her.
If he even thought about divorce, she was sure his mother would disown him. But she couldn't be mad. She had her own selfish reasons for staying with him.
Her phone vibrated on the table pulling her away from her thoughts.
What my mother said was out of line. Sorry.
I must be dreaming.
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