Being Mrs Dantata

45

Hanan vomited more than thrice and the doctors assured the Dantatas it was a natural body response. She was throwing out whatever was left in her system, courtesy of the activated charcoal. She was going in and out of sleep when her family arrived and she weakly smiled at them.

"I'm okay." She told them, her voice merely a whisper. "I need to sleep for a little longer but I'm okay."

Linda burst into tears and Zainab who hugged her while Yusuf kept his hands on Hauwa's shoulders, offering her support while being strong for them all. Each time Hanan opened her eyes, there was someone new in the room. Zayd was the first person, then Catherine and Hussayna, then Jameelah and Luqman. Long after Asr, she turned her head to see that the other bed in the private room was occupied by Amal who was fast asleep.

"She's okay." Zayd told Hanan, smiling when she turned her head back to look at him. "She just needs to rest. It's been a very long day."

"You look tired too, Sa'ed."

His smile widened as he reached up to pat her head the way he loved doing when he sat beside her each time she laid in bed. "I'll be okay. How are you feeling?"

"Tired." She let out a small sigh. "They said it was poisoning. Amal didn't do it, Sa'ed. There has to be a mistake. She wouldn't do that."

His tears returned and he nodded. "Amal didn't do it, Hanan. I'll let you know who did it once you're stronger. I promise."

"You found who did it already?"

He nodded, still smiling although a tear slid down his cheek. "We did. It's the most painful thing, especially for Amal but her name has been cleared and that's what's important."

Tears began to well up in her eyes. "It's not someone we were close to, right?" When he said nothing, her heart broke. "Sa'ed, please tell me it's not someone we were close to."

He swallowed the lump in his throat and his smile was painfully tight. "Let's get you out of here first, Nehita. You're okay, the babies are okay and Amal's okay. Ramadan's almost over too so we should focus on those."

"Sa'ed..."

Watching her cry hurt him more than when Amal did. He helped her sit up so he could hug her just as tightly as he held Amal. He told her it was Asma who was behind it all. There was no use keeping it away from her. Every other person left the room, giving them privacy.

She cried herself back to sleep and Zayd did not let her go until Mas'ood came in to let him know Iftar was approaching so they had to head to the nearest mosque. Zayd gently laid her back and cleaned away the last of her tears. He woke Amal up next and when they had all broken their fasts, the women stayed back to pray together in the room while the men headed to the nearest mosque.

After Maghrib, they sat in a small circle, away from the earshot of those who stayed behind to supplicate or pray as they had missed the congregational prayer.

Yusuf asked the hanging question. "What now?"

They all turned to Zayd. He shook his head slowly. "I don't know, Dad. I've been thinking about it too."

"She has to pay." Umar said. "That's for sure."

Zayd's smile was sad. "I said that same thing this morning before Amal decided to go down to confront her. I said no matter what, she was going to pay. But when the officers walked in with me, all I could think about was how broken Ahmed was and how this was going to affect their kids. He loved her genuinely, having no idea that for her, he was just a substitute for me."

Mas'ood swallowed. "Zayd..."

"I think he should be the one to decide the punishment." Zayd said calmly. "He knows what she did is unforgiveable so he'll definitely chose something befitting."