Trust Me (An Islamic Love Story)

Chapter 31

I hear whispers—calm, soothing whispers. I can't make out what they are. I feel a needle inject into my arm, and a sharp pain shoots through my arm, and I float back into numbness...

"Shut up and leave," I hear someone say in an angry whisper.

"Azar, are you out of your mind? Is this the way you talk to your older brother?" I hear another voice louder than the first one.

"Ahmed, you are testing my patience. The way you are talking about her is unacceptable. You are my brother and you have a different level of respect, but that doesn't mean you can say whatever you want about my wife. Leave right now," Azar says in a low dangerous voice, rage bursting in his every word.

I can't focus. I can't understand. What happened? What is happening? What is Azar saying? My head aches as I try to clear my muddled thoughts.

I force my eyes to open. My lids feel heavy, and through my blurred vision, I see Azar standing between Ahmed and me, his back facing me.

"Fine," Ahmed snaps.

"Send Maliha here. I have to go somewhere very urgent," Azar says in a calm tone. I can no longer keep my eyes open.

"You think I don't know where you are going?"

"What do you mean?"

"Imam told me that you come to him every day apart from Salah, sometimes night too," Ahmed says, his voice softer than before. "If you really care about your wife so much, why do you go there? You just got married, bro. You are supposed to spend more time with her."

What? It can't be.

"Abeer has no problem with it, so you shouldn't have too," Azar retorts. "Ahmed, you think I am a fool? I don't know why you are doing this, but I am warning you. I will not stay quiet."

"I don't know what you are talking about, and I don't even want to know," Ahmed scoffs. "I'll send Maliha."

I open my eyes slowly, my head throbbing impossibly, and I look at Azar. My vision clears, and I see him pass his hand through his hair as he mutters to himself, "Oh, Azar, what have you done?"

I try to sit up, and Azar realizes I am awake. He helps me sit up and adjusts the pillows behind me. "How are you feeling?"

"Horrible."

There is an awkward silence between us as we both avoid each other's eyes.

I close my eyes and try to formulate my thoughts. Azar yelled at me. He said he goes to meet Mishal at night, but Ahmed said he goes to the mosque... Azar was defending me... Why was Azar defending me? What did Ahmed say?

Questions upon questions come to me, but I am too tired to ask them, too tired to argue, too tired to hear 'I'm not answerable to your questions'.

"Abeer," Azar addresses me, and I look at him, aware that it's something serious as he used my name instead of angel. "I wanted to say—"

He is interrupted by a knock on the door. It is Maliha. "Thank you for coming," Azar politely says to her, getting up from the bed.

"Come on, Azar, she is my sister," Maliha dismisses with a small smile. "You had to go somewhere, didn't you?"

"Yes," he confirms and looks at me. "I'll be back in an hour, okay?" I can't look at him. The shame, the guilt lowers my eyes.

"Okay," I barely mumble.

"Take care. Call your Mom if you want to," he suggests, taking his keys from the side table.

I merely nod and regret doing so. As soon as he leaves the room, Maliha comes and sits on the bed and says, "Abeer, it is your medicine time."