The princess of bloom

37. Abdul's anger.

That daily drink. So it was poison. He wanted to kill her. He actually wanted to kill her! Zahra trembled as the memories flashed through her eyes. She thought it was natural, from Allah, but it turned out to be man-made. Someone close to her!

"Zahra. Did someone poison you?" Doctor Hebrew asked carefully. Only someone wicked will poison another slowly and watch them suffer and die.

Zahra closed her eyes and breathed for a while. "Can you give me stronger drugs to alleviate the symptoms?" She asked in a low voice.

Hebrew shook his head in disagreement. "If someone did this to you, just say who and they might have the antidote. They need to be sued."

"Just forget about it," Zahra said and sniffed. "I know what I feel doctor and it can't be cured. If I want surgery, I will surely die before the transplant. You can't find that person and even if you do, how are you sure that the antidote will work?"

Hebrew clenched his fist. This was an unknown poison and he thinks that Zahra was used to test it. Even if they had an antidote now, her heart was already destroyed.
"You can't lose hope on the surgery Zahra." He insisted.

"Please, I need just the drugs," Zahra said with a deadpan expression.

Doctor Hebrew sighed and went out to get the drugs.

Zahra held her fingers crossed as she waited. She removed her phone from silence and saw several missed calls from Abdul!

Contrary to what Zahra thought, Abdul came back home early after Asr. After checking the room and outside and not finding his wife, he checked his mother's room and she wasn't around too. Abdul called his mum and she told him she was working. He didn't tell her that Zahra was missing and started calling her.

Abdul was really worried that he didn't stop calling and finally it entered.
"Ameerah. Ya Allah, where did you go to?!" He exclaimed in relief.

"I…" Zahra could feel the worry in his voice and wondered why he had to come home early today. It's just a bad time.
"I'm in the hospital." She said truthfully and Abdul trembled. "Hospital? What are you doing there? Did something happen to you?" He asked quickly.

"Nothing serious Khaleef. I was just feeling sick, so I came for a check-up. I'm coming home now." She said.

"And you didn't tell me Ameerah?" Abdul gasped. "Wait for me. I'm coming over." Before she responded, he ended the phone. He breathed and was rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Zahra bit her lips in confusion and waited till Doctor Hebrew came in with her new drugs. He explained the dosage to her and warned her of any more stressful thoughts or work. Zahra thanked him and stood up to leave.

Just outside the ward, someone had thrown a bottle from the other room, and water spilled on the floor. Zahra didn't notice the spill and slip. Her ankle almost twisted as she released a yelp. Luckily, doctor Hebrew was there and quickly grabbed her arm before she fell.

"Get your hands off her!" An angry yell suddenly sounded. Zahra was surprised and turned her head to see Abdul. His eyes were literally spewing fire as he glared at the doctor's hand holding his wife.

Zahra quickly pulled her hands out when Abdul stormed towards them. He didn't even look at Zahra and pushed Hebrew back.
"How dare you touch my wife?" He demanded.

"Your wife?" Doctor Hebrew was surprised because he didn't expect Zahra to be married.

"Oh, you didn't know that she is married?" Abdul smirked. "Is that why you are allowed to touch her?"

"Khaleef stop it." Zahra pulled his arm. "Doctor Hebrew was just helping me."

"Wait." Abdul shook his head and looked at Hebrew. "I remembered you treating my wife before and now you want to meet her."

"I told you that I was sick," Zahra emphasized seeing that he was misunderstanding things now.

Abdul turned to her and his gaze made her swallow hard. He pointed at her and warned, "Don't say anything, Zahra." Zahra's lips trembled when he called her real name. Abdul held himself from showing any pity and warned the doctor too.
"Just pray hard that you keep your job."

"Khaleef you can't do that!" Zahra shouted and he immediately grasped her arm tightly. "Let's go." He said and pulled her.

Zahra tried struggling but Abdul wasn't going to stop.
"You are hurting me Khaleef." She pleaded. She was already sick and had just broken her leg. Such actions and his anger were further hurting her.

Abdul acted like he didn't hear her and dragged her to the car. He closed the door and drove home quickly.

"I don't know what you are thinking Khaleef but it's not what it seems like," Zahra explained.

Abdul just smirked fuming inside because all that was in his head was what he saw.

Zahra knew talking to angry Khaleef while he was driving would be dangerous, so she crossed her arms angrily and waited till they reached the house.

Abdul opened the door and surprised her even more as he pulled her out of the car.

"Stop dragging me!" She shouted but he didn't listen.

Abdul snapped the door shut and released Zahra.
"Can you truthfully now tell me what you were doing there and what I saw?!" He asked with gritted teeth.

"Do you think that I am lying now?" Zahra returned unbelievably.

"Oh really now?" Abdul raised an eyebrow and approached her. Zahra didn't know when she started stepping back until her back touched the wall.
"Stop it now Khaleef. I don't have the energy to fight with you now." She said but he grabbed her arm again and hollered, "When I was over there worried about your health, you are there allowing another man to touch you? Not only did you not inform anyone that you were leaving the house, you also…."

"Stop accusing me of nonsense Khaleef!" Zahra shouted back and tears welled up in her eyes. "I went to see the doctor because I was sick. What's your problem?"

"What is my problem?" Abdul hummed. "Why will you go over to some nonsense doctor without informing me?"

"I owe Doctor Hebrew my life, so you aren't allowed to insult him," Zahra said angrily. This just made Abdul more hurt and angry.

"Is that why you allowed him to touch you?" He added. "What sort of behavior is that? What if someone else has seen you?"

"You are crossing the line now Khaleef. I told you that I slipped and he was helping me." Zahra explained.

"That doesn't justify anything." He said.

"So, you'd rather I fall?" She asked staring into his eyes.

"Yeah. It's better if you fall than allow someone to touch you that way." He muttered.

Zahra smiled bitterly and used her other hand to snatch herself from his grip.
"Keep thinking what you want to but I know nothing happened intentionally. Just in case you have forgotten, this is a contract marriage and not a real one and I have to listen to you all the time. I didn't do anything wrong and you aren't allowed to accuse me." She said hurtfully and pushed him back before heading for the bathroom.

Abdul held his hips and glanced at the door before leaving the house. Zahra sat on the bathroom floor and she tried her best not to cry. The pain in her heart was doubling but she wouldn't shed a tear.

"Why will he suspect me? Why?" She muttered silently. There was hurt in Abdul's eyes but his anger clouded everything. He doesn't let his anger take over his actions, so Zahra was confused about why he changed today.