MARRY HER. . .
"Mami!" Zayn called, walking through the front door with his briefcase in his arms. Work has been very stressing today and all he wants to do now is cuddle with his wife and sleep.
"Cherub?" She asked, walking out of the kitchen with a blue apron atop the blush pink tie neck fitted ruffle sleeves maxi dress. She has floor all over her face and hands and some on the apron to which he raised a brow at.
What is she doing in the kitchen with her body jammed with flour? Is not like he won't eat whatever it is she's making but she should stop trying very hard to please him, he will be please either way. Even if they'll keep eating unhealthy food for the rest of their lives, he won't question it since that's what is destined for them. She can't cook and he's accepted that long ago, she should even stop thinking about checking recipes on google. But what can he do? His wife can be very stubborn when she wants to.
"What are you making?" There is a faint smile across his lips as he started to remove his blazer, after keeping the briefcase on the couch.
"Pancakes." She pouted, blowing out the hair that kept falling to her eyes and it also has flour on it.
Zayn laughed. Making pancakes and she looks like she's making a ten tier cake for a wedding. He sobered up immediately when she sent a quelling look his way before huffing and going back into the kitchen. Okay, he'll have to go and calm his tigress in there or he won't cuddle with her today.
"C'mon, I was just kidding because you look funny." He trailed behind her, looking at the kitchen that turned up side down. He chuckled quietly at that, before helping her with the pancakes even though he doesn't know how to do it.
"I don't want your help." She swatted his hands away from her mixture and continue doing her job. Since he's going to keep laughing, he better should go and laugh alone.
Today marked as exactly one week since Rukayyah and Mashhub's marriage. Maaysa didn't leave the confines of her room nor is she talking to anyone else. Everyone knew about it by now except the married couple, they didn't know that Mashhub overheard everything. Everyone is thinking about how to do with the situation and still trying not to look selfish whilst siding with Maaysa. Zayn wanted to talk to Mashhub but he couldn't, maybe after two weeks, he'll try after that.
Nana checked the cooking school she came across and will start going there the day after tomorrow -Monday- since it'll be the new session. They will start on Monday and will graduate after a month or two, it depends. Nana has been so excited and bought all the things they asked for and couldn't wait for tomorrow. She'll be dropping Khumais at her home or her in-laws and will ask the manager of she can bring him with her. Khumais tend to be whiny when she's not with him so she'll just see for herself and hope they'll agree with it. Everyone wants to be philanthropic not misanthropic about the whole condition.
"I'm sorry." He snaked his arms around her waist and turn her around to face him before dropping down and sealing their lips, aligning them.
She couldn't help the strong urge that took over her to possessively kiss him back. She wrapped her floury hands around his neck, putting the flour at the collar of his navy blue dress shirt and snaked them to his new cut hair. She grinned mentally, happy that she's spoiled, destroyed and damaged his clothes also and they're even.
"You sly, shrewd, cunning woman." Zayn grumbled when he noticed what she did before narrowing his eyes at her and zeroing out of the kitchen.
She's always missing him these days because he doesn't come back until after ishā and yes, she knows that he needs to work but not overwork himself. She only finds solace after talking to Mu'ayyad because the guy is very funny and know how to keep company. Yes, she doesn't know how they started talking on phone, chat actually but they are now like best friends. She told him that he won't ever see her just because they want to talk, only coincidence and he agreed. Khumais is also spending most of his the in her in-laws house since he's the only one Maaysa like talking to and he's the only one who she lets in her room.
After finishing the pancakes, she added apple syrup, a lot before waking Khumais from his nap so he could eat and go back. Nana called Zayn out who was still grumpy about the whole flour in his hair. He's showered and now he's wearing a vest and sweatpants. She wants to tease him but she's trying to get more time and maybe not even now since everyone is just thinking about Maaysa and Mashkur at the moment so she'll tease him later. She just hopes she could keep everything in.
°
Meanwhile, Rukayyah has been trying to get her husband's attention but he always seem to be spacing out after an hour of conversation. Getting tired of his habit and attitude, she stopped talking to him and the next day, he didn't leave her side and kept bringing conversation in and out. Bored, Rukayyah stood up and went to cook something for them. Yes, it's just the second week but she's asked her Aunt to stop sending the food that she'll do it herself from now on.
"Shawty, please just listen to me. I'm sorry okay? It's just that a lot has been happening and I don't know where to place my head." He inhaled her scent from her shoulder since she's wearing a off shoulder flowery T-shirt with cargo knee length pants.
"Share it with me then. I don't see why you won't tell me about what has been disturbing you. I'll understand everything, just tell me." She dropped the spatula she's holding and turn to look at him. She's really concerned about him, he's been acting weird.
"Promise?" He warily asked not because he's doing anything wrong but he knows how it'll feel for your husband to be talking about another woman just a week into your marriage.
"I promise." She emphasised, taking ahold of his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. He's making her anxious about everything at the moment.
"It's Maaysa." He stopped to look at her reaction but she only gave him a worried one. "I kind of heard her talking to Zayn on our wedding night. When I told you I want to check what's wrong with Zayn at the dinner? Yeah, she confessed her love for me and unfortunately, I had to be there but they didn't know I overheard everything. I don't know what to do, shawty. He's been so worried and they said she's locked herself and hardly eats. It seems like it's all my fault." He raked his hand through his almost bald head.
"It's not!" She forced a smile, lightly brushing her thumb across his cheek and Maaysa's whole action about the wedding started settling in on her. She was acting really different about the wedding but Rukayyah didn't give it much thoughts.
"It feels like. I don't know what to do and Zayn didn't talk to me about it which is very unlike him." He closed his eyes, leaning into his wife's touch.
"Marry her." His eyes flew open after hearing those words and in panic, he moved away from her like she's burning him. Her eyes were dead serious with utter concern ebbed there.
"I can't do that. Not to you nor to me, I can't." He continue to shake his head vigorously after seeing that she's dead serious about the whole situation. Marry Maaysa? Even after hearing her confession for a week already, all his answers never came with marry her and now his wife is suggesting that, isn't she jealous?!
"That's the only way to help the girl. Love can make us do so many unacceptable things and with this century, we don't know what will happen and you love her like a brother should. There shouldn't be any problem, g-man." She pinched his tan cheek lightly before dropping a kiss t his cheek and turning around to cook.
She loves her silver kitchen like her room. Most of her days are spent there with her husband hot on her tail. She loves all the attention she gets from him but can share him with another woman because she's helping her and nothing more. Not because she doesn't want her husband all to herself, but that is the only way out of this even though he doesn't want to agree to her, it's the darn truth. She's not afraid that Maaysa will take away her husband because she Indian and beautiful, no, she knows how Maaysa's head works since they've been friends for two months already.
A co-wife is not an enemy, she's a sister and also a friend whom you can tell everything to. Since her younger days, Rukayyah has never been the one to create fuse because of a co-wife even when her friends are talking about it. She'll just say 'Alllah yasa hakan shi yafi alkhairi' which she was taught by her mother. And now that it is finally happening to her, she wants her words to stand in her head and not take Maaysa as co-wife but a sister.
"I'll think about it." She heard his angry but grumpy voice said from behind her and release a gentle smile. There is nothing wrong with that.
Wanting to cook something simple because it's already late and they all need dinner, she decided to cook macaroni. Bringing out all the ingredients, she started peeling the Irish potatoes and cutting them into cute small shapes and then adding it into the macaroni. Adding bay leaves, thyme, little curry and more seasonings, she closed the pot with it's lid before sliding on the island bench.
She brought out her phone and called her best friend who didn't pick the call till after the fourth ring. Rukayyah rolled her eyes at how Nana will never keep her phone to herself since she's used to not having it.
"How much have you missed me?" Her friend's chirpy voice rang from the other end to which she rolled her eyes again at, she can't believe this is the introverted Nana she knew some months back.
"Not one bit girl. I just want to talk to you about Maaysa. How is she doing?" She straightforward asked, not wanting to beat around the bush for it won't change a thing.
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Rukayyah could hear her husband's voice from the other end with Khumais' gibberish.
"There is nothing to worry about, Nans. I'm okay with her loving my husband, okay, not okay but I want to help. I want Mashhub to marry her but he wants to think about it." Rukayyah released a breath, there, she said it all.
"How did you know about it?" Nana asked.
"Mashhub kind of overheard them talking that day." Rukayyah answered without hesitation. They dropped the topic and exchange pleasantries before hanging up the call both feeling lightheaded.