Chapter 21

The moment she steps foot into the house, Mammy grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to her room. She threw her in the middle of the room. "Get up before I lose my temper!" Mammy roared. Nadia quietly stood up massaging her elbow. Mammy’s hand cracks across her face, snapping it back with the force of her blow and causing Nadia’s head to reel sickeningly as it slams into the wall behind her. When black dots quit covering her vision she is standing in the middle of the room holding her arms tightly behind her back, the pain of her hold causing Nadia to let out a startled little gasp of pain.

"Listen to me very carefully. I did not give birth to you and raise you to bring any poor brat to this house as your husband. You know the type of man I want you to marry. If you can't get that man then I choose for you! And I swear if I see you with him again, you will regret ever meeting him!" Mammy stopped there and locked the room.

A single tear slid down from her warm, Amber eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed it's way down her pale cheek, releasing the sadness and sorrow that has been held inside of her for all this time but still she did not make a sound. 

The darkness swirled around her curled form on her bed, tendrils of inkling bleak reminders of her solitude. The silence echoing in her ears was the constant white noise that never shut up. Her head swam in the fire burning inside, the only smouldering embers of a time where there had been other presences with her, around her, in her. But now, the void had been slowly filled with a cold, howling storm of fear that refused to ever let up. She was completely and utterly alone in her mind, body, soul, and most of all, entirely alone in the world.

She knew her mother was strict but she loved them. She wants what's best for her and her baby brother but sometimes she does things out of hand. Sometimes she doesn't sit and think if her child really wanted that thing. She missed her father. If he was alive, this wouldn't be happening. He would simply accept what she wanted and pray for her. Unlike her mother. If she doesn't like something nothing would change her mind. She cried till she slept off on her soft carpet.

Meanwhile Mujahid stood there unable to reply Maryam's question. "You're cheating on me?" Slow desolate tears ran from her unblinking eyes and dripped steadily into her pink dress. He held her shoulders, "I'm not cheating on you Maryam. She's just my coworker. She brought some blueprints for a contract we're working on." 

Great sobs racked her body, as she trudged away. He grabbed her hand but she snatched away and walked back to her car. He stood there looking at her, dumbfounded. He didn't know if to worry about Nadia's mother disapproving their relationship or Maryam finding out about Nadia. 

Why are things suddenly wrecking down all at once. He walked in sluggishly like he was a sick person. He went into his room. He undressed himself and rested on the soft bed. When the tears weren't even half way done, Mujahid was empty. He couldn't have cried even if he wanted to. He never experienced that feeling before. The sadness was still there and raw as ever– now it was an empty unhappiness - the kind he didn't think would easily lift. He stared around his room as if he was in a dungeon. His surroundings were exactly the same, but they gave him no emotion. How could that be? He needed emotion to feel alive, to feel love. He needed Nadia. 

His phone rattled from the side drawer, getting his attention. He sighed and reached out for it. It was Nadia. He answered and placed the phone on his ear. "Mujahid." Her shoulders shaking with grief, tears were streaming down her already wet cheeks. He rapidly sat upright, bombarding her with questions. "Nadia? What's wrong? Why are you crying? She still said no right?" 

"No, she didn't even give me the chance to explain. She locked me up in my room but luckily, she must've forgotten to seize my phone. I know she would keep an eye on me as much as she can to separate us but I promise, we would get through this. Don't give up!" 

"But how? Your mom is pretty serious about her decision. I don't think she would change her mind." He heard her laugh a bit. "Baby just trust me. Whatever she says I will not leave your side. I'm not giving up on us and you shouldn't too. We would get through this together." 

Before he could say another word, she ended the call. He sighed and dropped the phone.

••

She was all alone in the house. Her parents were out of town. She had no one to complain to. No one to cry to. She went to her mother's room instead and plumped down on her bed. A pair of tears raced down her cheeks. Crying is how She understand herself best. When she cried, she  knows who she really is. She cries when others are hurt as well as herself . She cried as the brutal world news and stupid soft movies. It's her strength and her weakness. Strong because it brings understanding and weak because who wants the listener to weep when they are looking for a strong shoulder? She wished she could turn her tears off. Her emotions swirl like ocean currents, deep and strong. Sometimes she's scared to dive in Incase she doesn't make it out again. 

She imagined how much in pain she is. Like he stabbed her with a knife; The knife sat precariously on her skin, soft enough to not pierce her neck, hard enough to enforce the intended message. The harsh metal should have been cold and raw against her bare skin, but her numb body could not feel anything except for the excruciating pain of his betrayal. Her throat and heart held in a great pain at the thought of that. All she could do was imagine lifelessly at the brown eyes that held the blade and a terrifying coldness she had never seen before. She had always thought his eyes were golden, but imagining them now, she could see no trace of the vibrancy they once held, no trace of the man she once thought he was.

She felt a blackness come over her. Like a blanket, but not a blanket of warmth but a blanket of coldness making her shiver. But somehow it's making her eyes feel heavier and heavier. She finally close her eyes finally sending her into a dreamless sleep.

She woke up as if it's an emergency, as if sleeping had become a dangerous thing. Her heart beats fast and there is a buzzing in her brain and together they are as panic with jump-leads. She sighed and checked her phone. Several missed calls from Mujahid. She dropped the phone and sauntered into the bathroom to perform ablution. It was past Asr time. 

After praying she went downstairs to the kitchen. The maid informed her she had a visitor and he had been waiting for her for the past twenty minutes. She hesitated before moving to the living room. She groaned in annoyance. "Yaya Mujahid, what do you want please?" She said, eyes shut while she massaged her temple.

He gently stood up and walked over to her while he talked. "I just want to make things right and apologize to you for what you saw." He gently embraced her shoulders with his hands. 

"That woman you saw means nothing to me, baby. You're the one I love. The one I chose to be with. Cmon baby, you know how much I love you..."

"I met her once...." she cuts in. "I will never forget her face. She came over to me and asked you're Mujahid's sister right! And I got confused...."

"Babe," he interrupted. "I love you." He said, looking into her eyes. She looked back at him. His eyes always did the magic. "I love you," he repeated to make the magic happen. Her heart softened. She sighed and hugged him. He embraced her tight and kissed her head. He smiled feeling relieved. He wasn't done with her till he gets his Nadia. What if he loses the both. He had to keep Maryam just Incase something went wrong with his Nadia. 

••

Before the day has started for the masses she was already out at the parking lot, fully dressed and ready to go. Outside it is as black as night, only by the clock she can tell the difference between the time to sleep and the time to rise. The dawn will come as she walked to her car. "My boss said I will be the one driving you from now one!" Someone interrupted her reverie. "What?" She wore a perplexed expression. 

He never smiled or laughed. He was Mammy's personal bodyguard because of his huge well built up body. She looked at him from his head to his feet. "You're joking right?" When he didn't move an inch she knew there was no joke. She was about the curse him when something caught her attention. 

She spotted her mother right out the balcony, watching them. Her glare sucked something out of Nadia. She briskly handed the car key to him before Mammy's first clipped word was uttered. She knew it's either she loses her career or she follows her mother's ridiculous rules. He opened the back door for her and she hopped in, murmuring things under her breath.

As they started driving, she relaxed and closed her eyes. The drive to her boutique didn't take time. She woke up early to go spend time with Mujahid before going to work but her mother ruined her plans. And she clearly knew whatever she'd do or how much she would pay him, he would never cross Mammy's commands. 

The moment they reached to their destination, he hopped out and opened the door for her. She also came out and started walking towards the entrance. All her workers stared at her in awe. She had never showed up that early before. They greeted her but she never cared to look at anyone. She heard footsteps tailing behind her. She stopped right at the elevator and turned. "Why are you following me?" She asked annoyed. 

"My boss told me to follow you everywhere you go and protect you!" He replied her. She hissed and entered the elevator. The elevator that opened directly into her private office, a huge room occupying the corner of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows giving views in two directions: Fifth Avenue to the east, Central Park just a few blocks north. The two remaining walls contained a door, a low bookshelf, and several oil painting - a vase of flowers by Vincent van Gogh.

The black glass surface of her huge desk was equally uncluttered: a computer, a leather notebook, and a framed photograph of her father in his military uniform. Explains why they had much securities in their house. 

When she noticed he didn't follow her in, she hissed and cursed him. She called her assistant to make coffee for her while she relaxed on her soft office chair. 

Her phone, vibrated indicating a phone call. She smiled and answered the call. “Baby, I thought you were coming over this morning?” 

“Yes, I was but my mother’s bodyguard is here with me to keep an eye on me just because of you so.... haha, I didn’t know what to do but to follow my mother’s ridiculous rules before she gets you killed.” She said stressed out. She doesn’t even know if what she said made any sense. “But can I come see you now?” He asked feeling down casted. “Baby that’s what I don’t know. This huge guy does not look like he would spare your life.” 

“I don’t care. I’m coming over to see you now!” He said and ended the call Before she could stop him. “Mujahid has no idea who this guy is!” She whispers restlessly. 

Soon her assistant bought her coffee and a plate of Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. She was supposed to have a meeting that morning but she canceled all her plans for that day. She was physically and mentally stressed. She rested her head on the desk as tears dropped on her suit skirt.

There's a certain level of tiredness that equates to insanity; for her it's when she’d like to temporarily dislocate her spirit from her body, as if she could ask God to take her out for just a short while, let her soul go wherever souls go to be zen. She’s a fairly brave person and she believes they were going to pass this. 

After a while, she heard noise right outside her office. She knew no doubts that was Mujahid and Mammy’s bodyguard arguing. She briskly walked out just to see the bodyguard pointing a gun to Mujahid. “Mujahid,” she calls out walking towards him but the bodyguard stopped her. Mujahid was about to hug her but he stopped him by pointing the gun at him again, “you dare come close to her and I swear I’ll shoot you!” 

Mujahid still didn’t listen. He tried to reach out to her. As the bullet flies out the chamber and into the air with great elegance, Nadia screamed! The bullet aims for the target beyond the shooter. As it pushes through the air with great speed, it gains less distance than it was before. Until that moment when it strikes the target and all prevails. “No...... you bastard!”