All For What!

41

"What did you say to Manal?" Was the first question Maryam asked immediately Sa'eed stepped a foot into the room. She couldn't believe he stopped her from reprimanding her daughter the way she wanted.

"I made her tell me why she fought with her mate. That was what you were supposed to do instead of yelling at her." Sa'eed remarked.

Maryam resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "What did she say happened? Why did she attack the girl?"

"Not for a valid reason." Sa'eed responded. "I think she's just stressed, but I have had a serious talk with her and I'm sure she will not repeat her mistake again."

"Stressed? Did you just say stress? Stressed by what? You've spoiled her way too much and that's why she's behaving this way now." She stated, matter-of-factly.

"So now the blame is on me?"

"Who else? You never allow me discipline her the right way. You always excuse her mistakes instead of punishing her. So tell me, how can she not misbehave? she is bound to."

"I only stop you from disciplining her only when you do it the wrong way and I'm doing it because I don't want Manal to dislike you. There is a way you can reprimand a child without raising your voice or threatening to hit them."

"You should have seen how angry the teacher was and how she talked to me and it's all because of your daughter." Maryam seethed. Manal's action irked her a lot.

"I have talked to her and she promised to apologize to the teacher, the pupil and you as well." Sa'eed remarked.

"That's it? Do you think apology solves all problems? I don't think so."

"Let's just drop this, habibty." He sighed.

"You don't want to hear the truth? Why? Because you're guilty." She accused.

"Guilty of what?" He asked, rubbing his head exhaustedly.

"You think sorry solves everything and that's why you deemed it fit to force me into resigning. You must have thought after stopping me, you'd come back and apologize to me in a loving way thinking I'd listen like a fool, right? Well you are wrong this time around. I will never forgive you for what you did. I never thought you'd ever do this to me. You've shattered everything I worked hard for." Maryam knew the conversation was diverting from Manal misbehavior and that was what she wanted. It had been on her neck all day long. She just couldn't wait for him to return and say everything she had in mind.

"I'm sorry." Was all Saeed could say.

"Why? Why have you deprived me from what brings joy to my heart? If I had known this would eventually happen, I wouldn't have married you!!" Maryam yelled at the verge of tears. Sa'eed had really broken her heart into pieces. Why wasn't he having any pity on her?

For some inexplicable reason, Sa'eed gave a small smile before walking out of the room and out of the room.

Maryam broke into sobs and covered her mouth with the palm of her hands. She couldn't stop crying. She couldn't take saying hurtful things to her husband anymore. She missed all the peaceful moments they had shared in the past. She wished she could bring those moments back.

She felt her legs trembling slightly. Her legs could carry her anymore so she sat down on the bed and more tears ran down her cheeks as she heard the sound of Saeed's car leaving the compound. "What have I done! Where is he going to? He just came back from work." She muttered in between tears.

Momentarily, she felt like letting everything go and living happily with her husband once more. She wanted everything to go back to normal for them, but her stubbornness wouldn't allow her do it. She didn't want to accept defeat so easily because she was sure Saeed would change his mind sooner or later. She knew he was having a hard time as well. "All these wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Manal." Her brows furrowed and her lips twitched. If it wasn't for Manal, Saeed wouldn't have known about the pregnancy and when she eventually decide to tell him, she would have thought of ways to convince him to allow her continue working, but it was too late now.

A new wave of anger surged into her and she stood up abruptly and sauntered out of the room and headed to Manal's. "Manal! Manal!" She called.

Seeing her demeanor, Manal instantly became scared and kept mum.

"Why are you quiet? Tell me exactly why you attacked that girl in school?" Maryam asked, exasperated. She was really angry with her daughter at that very moment and was refraining herself from hitting her.

"I'm sorry, ummi." Manal replied with her head hung low.

"Regardless of what was said to you earlier, you're still going to be punished for your mistake." Maryam scolded sternly. Without taking a second look at Manal, she sauntered out of the room angrily.

~~~~

Hours passed and Saeed wasn't still back. Maryam became very worried about him. She picked up her cellphone to give him a call, but dropped it back due to her ego. "Why should I call him after everything he did to me?" She huffed and lay down in her bed. No matter his hard she tried to fall asleep, her efforts proved abortive. She tossed around in bed repeatedly. Exasperated, she sat up and picked her phone once more. In spite of how hard to trued to ignore him, she couldn't anymore. She was too worried about his whereabout. She wouldn't be able to forgive himself of anything bad were to happen to her husband. With closed eyes, she clicked on the call button and immediately it started ringing, she ended the call. "What am I doing?" She questioned herself and threw the phone across the bed.

Her worry intensified when he didn't call back. It was unlike him. Maryam got up and went to the bathroom to perform ablution. Emerging from the bathroom, she picked up the prayer mat and prayed a nafl prayer. She prayed to Allah to keep her husband safe from all harms. She prayed in tears to Allah not to let any harm come to her husband. Folding the prayer mat, she heard the doorbell ring from downstairs. She heaved a sigh of relief before hurrying downstairs to get the door.

Opening the door, Saeed walked in and Maryam locked the door. She was about to turn back and ask him questions, but he was already sauntering upstairs. Maryam huffed and trailed behind him. "Where were you?" She inquired as soon as they got  into their room.

"Nowhere." He replied tersely.

"Nowhere?" She asked in disbelief.

"That was what I said."

Maryam gazed at him. "Why do you seem mad? Should it be the other way around?"

Saeed sighed. "I'm very exhausted, habibty. Can we just continue this argument tomorrow?"

"No! I want to talk about this now."

"Hab—"

"I'm not going to keep quiet anymore, Saeed. You have to make a decision right now! Are you going to allow me resume working or... Or... Or —" before Maryam could finish her statement, she was overwhelmed with a wave of dizziness. She couldn't even form a coherent word anymore and her vision became blur.

Before she could fall to the ground, Saeed caught her. "Habibty? Habibty?" He kept on calling, but all Maryam could hear was a voice from a very far distance. His voice floated and dissipated in the air. "What's happening to you?" Was the last sentence she heard before she was overshadowed by darkness.