Affianced By Force

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE - Event-Full

The anticipated day of the event finally arrived. As Umamah was getting dressed with Faisal in the restroom, she suddenly felt stomach cramps and without warning, she felt blood trickle down her legs. No. It wasn’t… it couldn’t be today! She almost cried. She had been so busy that she didn’t even keep tabs on her circle.

Quickly, she hurried into the restroom and checked her first aid drawer. How? How? There wasn’t any more sanitary pad left. She had planned to replace them last month, but had become too busy. First, the trip and then, the book launch.

Faisal heard the scuffle from the inner compartment of the restroom and wondered what his wife searched for so frantically, then suddenly, it dawned on him. Was it that time of the month?
 

He knew she was usually frantic with mood swings these times. Plus, her cramps had seemed to increase in the past months. He went into the room and called the maid to bring some warm water upstairs.

When he waited for her and she didn’t show up, he was about to go back into the restroom through the other door when he saw her phone blink. A text message appeared on the screen. It was from an unknown number and it read,

By Allah, that night in Egypt when I saw you, I had to fight to keep my distance, reminding myself that you are now a married woman. Ummie, I am ready to let you go, but please… tell me you can get me back my land.

In that moment, the bedroom and restroom compartment door opened. Umamah walked into the room in a disheveled state with her hand over her stomach and their maid walked in with a jug of warm water.

“Ya Salam!” the older woman exclaimed! “What is wrong with you?” she dropped the jug in concern and walked towards Umamah.

Faisal regained his composure then. He hurried to Umamah’s side. “Is there no more sanitary pad there?” he asked. She shook her head and without and other word, he grabbed his car keys and rushed out of the house.

Umamah had washed up and was taking the warm water Ummu had brought when Faisal returned with her favorite Virony Sanitary Pad. He had bought a whole carton of it.  She took one pack form it carton and rushed into the restroom. After changing, she returned to the room. Ummu had been excused by Faisal and he tucked her under the bed.

Slowly, he rubbed the lower part of back and she began to relax. He teased her then, “You literally looked like an old woman a moment ago.”

She grunted her displeasure at his remark and he chuckled. “Look at you, all mouth a few minutes ago, now so humbled by menstrual cramps.”

At that, she smacked his hands away from her back and pointed towards the door. “Get Out!”

But Faisal only chuckled. “Why? My darling is quite feisty when blood flows.”

As much as Umamah wanted to be in a light mood, knowing that was his intent, she couldn’t find the mood. She made to say something, but another bout of pain hit her hard. She doubled over in the bed as Faisal went under the spread with her.

Hated seeing her like this. It made look even more weak and fragile than she already did.

“Why… doesn’t the adzkaar ever work for me?” Umamah asked as Faisal pulled her to him.

Faisal had to pause to think about what she meant, then he realized that she spoke about the adzkaar for body pain. He smiled and whispered teasingly, “perhaps because your Imaan isn’t there yet?”

She shot him dagger glares and hissed in pain, “by Allah, I will hate you for life, if you make another of your dry teasing remark!” Then, in a half-yelling tone, she said harshly. “Get out. I need more warm water.”  Faisal wanted to tell her it wasn’t just a teasing remark. It was true. The adzkaar only worked for those whose Iman are firmly in the right place as they make it, but he thought against it.