All For What!

64

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Staring at the gate to her home, Maryam muttered various duas underneath her breath. She prayed to Allah to make her conversation with Sa'eed easy. She prayed to Him to make Sa'eed understand her the way he always did.

With trembling hands, she rang the bell and almost immediately, the gatekeeper opened up and gave way for her to enter after greeting her. Ignoring him, she ambled straight into the house. Sa'eed's presence in the loving room startled her. She had expected him to be in the room or somewhere else.

Maryam watched as he walked towards her and did what she least expected - he embraced her. After everything that had transpired between them over the phone, she expected him to at least demand for an explanation first, but he didn't. It surprised immensely.

"Where have you been?" He questioned, tightening his arms around her.

Momentarily, she forgot what she was there to do - she wrapped her arms around his waist and cried her heart out.

Sa'eed allowed her to cry, but didn't
Stop rubbing her back soothingly.

Realizing the position they were in, Maryam pushed him away aggressively. Not only Sa'eed, but Maryam as well was taken aback by her action. She resisted the urge to gasp and apologize for what she just did. "Don't come nearer." She warned as he began to take few steps forward.

"What's wrong, Habibty?" He inquired. "You can tell me anything, remember? Where is Manal?"

"Didn't I tell you we're leaving the country?"

"No." He replied. "You actually told me you've left the country."

"Doesn't matter." She heaved a deep sigh. "We're leaving anyways."

Sa'eed heaved a fatigued sigh. "What's wrong?" He asked for the umpteenth time.

"I..." She trailed off. "I told you I want a divorce." She blurted the words out with difficulty.

"Why?" He asked, curtly. He still believed there was something behind her sudden attitude. There had to be something.

"We're only going to go around in circles, which I don't want. Haven't I already explained my reasons to you?" She questioned. "I don't want to stay married to a man who can't support me in what I like doing - is this so difficult to grasp?"

Wordlessly, Sa'eed gazed at her in astonishment. Hearing her utter the words over the phone was one thing and hearing her uttering it right in front of him was another thing. He honestly did not think she could say the words to him face to face, but she did...

"Please Sa'eed." She beseeched in a very low, pained voice. "Just do it, for Allah's sake."

Sa'eed's brows furrowed. "For Allah's sake you say?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"I have a good reason for asking this of you, please grant me this wish of mine." She begged amidst tears. In spite of how hard she tried to control her emotion and put on the mask of a strong woman, she failed miserably.

"I demand to know what the reason is." He deadpanned. "Why should I do it?"

"Because you promised. You promised to grant me my wishes at the best of your ability." She reminded. "Why are you breaking your promise now?"

"Don't remind me of what I already know. Please. I did promise that, but what you're asking of right now is beyond me. I can't do it. I will never do it without a valid reason."