Mami suddenly felt her saliva run completely dry; the mere thought of meeting Suhail shortly made her stomach churn with anxiety. She gently pressed her hand against her abdomen, then moved it to her chest. She missed him terribly, but knowing he was furious with her made it difficult to feel excited. She recalled how desperately he had tried to see her over the past week, yet she had consistently made it impossible. She knew he was so mad at her that he had gone three full days without hearing her voice and hadn't even bothered to reach out.
Just then, Husna emerged from the back carrying a piping hot, whole steamed chicken in a bowl, steam billowing from it. She set it down and stepped out again. A few minutes later, she returned carrying some milk. Setting it down, she opened a bag of herbal remedies, scooped out a specific powdered medicine, and mixed it into the milk, stirring it thoroughly until it reached the consistency of *fura*.
"It's ready..." she announced to Mami, who had been watching her every move intently.
"Sister, please, what exactly did you tell Suhail?" Mami inquired, her voice laced with anxiety.
"Nothing much," Husna replied with a chuckle. “I just told him you were here and that he should come pick you up and take you home. He replied by saying, 'Even though she's married to me, she's out here roaming around on her own, right? We shall see.'”
"By Allah, I am so anxious... I am actually terrified of facing him," Mami confessed, her voice cracking slightly. She knew her physical desires were running exceptionally high due to the various herbal mixtures she had been consuming, but she absolutely did not want to encounter Suhail in a secluded place right now.
"For Allah's sake, Sister, don't lose your nerve on us now! Whatever happens, you are fully prepared for it," Husna urged.
Before she could finish, Mami cut in, "You don't understand... By Allah, if I just go through with this and return home afterward, it will be so embarrassing. I feel like everyone will easily figure out what happened. I am in deep trouble!" she lamented, looking deeply distressed.
"Oh, look at you... acting like a little girl! Come on, please," Husna chided, noticing how drastically Mami's mood had shifted. Mami, however, knew exactly what she was afraid of; if Suhail got a hold of her today, he would completely unravel her, because she knew exactly what he was capable of.
As for Suhail, he looked so physically worn down that a mere gust of wind could knock him over, utterly consumed by anxiety over the bizarre state of his marriage—a marriage whose true nature he still couldn't completely fathom, aside from the inevitable complications. Ever since the day he visited Mami's family home, he had tried repeatedly to see her, but she made it seem utterly impossible. He had begun to bitterly assume that she didn't even love him and that he was merely making a fool of himself over her.
Twice, he had broken down in tears while staying at his mother's place, but she offered no comfort, telling him instead to simply marry Humaira and forget about that "useless old woman." He didn't know where to turn to find peace of mind. The worst part was that Mami was making things incredibly difficult for him by refusing to see him. He had grown deeply resentful of her because her evasion made him feel entirely rejected. He was dying in silence, relying on sleeping pills every single night just to get some rest.
Around noon, he saw her call come through. As had become his recent habit whenever she called, he simply held his phone and watched it ring until it stopped, then set it aside. It pained him terribly not to speak to her, but he knew that if he didn't show his intense displeasure, they would never truly resolve their issues. He had expected her to come running back to him; instead, she seemed to be running away from him.
Receiving her subsequent text message secretly gladdened his heart, but he was simultaneously furious that she was going out without his permission. So, she was out enjoying her day while he was here dying in silence? Lately, he had to take medication for fever and fatigue almost daily, yet she was out visiting people, which to him meant she didn't care about him the way he cared about her. She had stated she would be ready by 5:00 PM, but there was no way he was going to wait until then. Fortunately, he knew Anty Bilki's house well, as his mother used to send him and Yazid there on errands.
He stood up, walked over to the mirror, and stared at his reflection for a moment. "Look at what you've done to me," he muttered, running a hand over his jaw. He slowly walked into the bathroom to take a shower. He still hadn't returned to his matrimonial home, choosing to stay at the family house instead, only occasionally stopping by the other house to pick up a few necessities.
About thirty minutes later, he emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. He moved sluggishly, looking like an invalid. He didn't even apply body lotion as he usually did; instead, he simply pulled on a pair of plain black trousers and a blue shirt. Despite his worn-out state, he remained exceptionally handsome. He grabbed his car keys and left the house. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was just before 1:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Hajiya Hassana sat before Alhaji Muhammad, complaining, “By Allah, if you think I will accept you turning your back on me like this, you are mistaken. This is completely unlike you. This is exactly why a person needs to be prayerful at all times. By Allah, Alhaji, if you were a prayerful man, there is no way sorcery would have taken hold of you to the point where you treat me like...”
Before she could finish, Alhaji Muhammad, who was leaning back imperiously in his office chair, interrupted coldly, "Please, as you can see, I am busy. I have absolutely no time for petty arguments. State your business here, and say it quickly," he commanded, his face entirely devoid of warmth.
“I am simply begging you to allow me back into my matrimonial home to be with my children...”
Before she could finish her sentence, he interjected, “Hassana, do the right thing. Given the way you publicly humiliated me, nothing will make me take you back until you come to your senses.”
“Alhaji, if this is all about Suhail's wife, let him take her back then. By Allah, I accept it now.”
He threw her a piercing look. “Oh, so he should take her back? Did you not come to this very office earlier to declare that you would never accept it? Now, listen to me carefully: you will go back to the exact same family gathering where you stood and acted shamelessly, and you will openly apologize and request that he takes her back.”
The rigid look Hajiya gave him made it clear she had no intention of complying with his demands.
"So, you're giving me a defiant look, are you? Well, since you are clearly not ready, go back to where you came from, and return only when you are prepared. And mind you, you are no longer permitted to enter my office," he stated bluntly, spinning his executive chair away from her.
“Please, have some patience with me... If nothing else, at least give me my ATM card. Things have been incredibly difficult for me. Look at how much weight I've lost! Even my own family members have ganged up against me as if I'm not their sister.”
Alhaji let out a sharp hiss. "Have you seen Suhail lately? Have you seen what your own son has been reduced to? Why are you so utterly heartless, Hassana? By Allah, you haven't seen anything yet. Get up and get out of my office!" he thundered.
She slowly stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. She realized that Alhaji was entirely intent on humbling her; he wanted her to stand before the family meeting and openly give her consent so that she would never have the leverage to complain about the matter ever again.
"Never," she muttered to herself as she walked out of the office.
"We shall see who laughs last," he called out after overhearing her remark.
Hajiya left the building looking incredibly dejected. She was enduring immense hardship; to this day, she was forced to sleep on a floor mat exposed to mosquitoes. The cash left in her bag amounted to less than three thousand Naira, which she had been rationing to sustain herself because she was too proud to seek financial help from her friends, terrified they might find out what was truly happening. She had initially thought she would be back home before anyone noticed her absence, but she now realized it was going to take a long time to fix this. It would be nearly impossible for her to stand before everyone and declare her approval for Suhail to remain married to the elderly Mami. She was willing to tolerate the marriage now, not because she truly wanted to, but simply because the punishment was becoming unbearable and she would do anything to return home—anything except standing before a public gathering to say: *"I accept Mami staying with Suhail."*
She quickly muttered, "May Allah look down on that. Allah forbid!" spitting onto the ground in disgust.
She walked a considerable distance before finally managing to hail a ride to Hajiya Habiba's house. None of her friends knew she was currently staying at her family home, but today she had no choice but to seek assistance from those she called friends before the mosquitoes completely finished her off.
As Suhail drove, his mind raced with anticipation over what would transpire between him and Mami today. He was firmly resolved not to repeat his past mistake of letting her go without fully consuming their marriage. That had been his greatest daily regret. He loved her so deeply that even though he desperately wanted to fully intimate with her rather than settling for oral pleasures, he had still listened to her pleas and restrained himself.
It was just before 2:00 PM when he arrived outside the house. He parked his car down the street, but just as he was about to head inside, he realized he hadn't performed his afternoon prayer. Leaving his car, he walked over to a mosque about fifty feet away, prayed, and emerged a few minutes after two.
Inside, Mami had already finished eating the medicated chicken and drinking the herbal milk mixture, which had been her strict daily routine for over a week now. Husna sat before her, rubbing a traditional *dilka* exfoliating scrub onto her legs. Fortunately, they were not in the main living room.
When Suhail walked into the living room with a greeting, Anty Bilki's children answered him. He secretly hoped he would catch sight of Mami the moment he stepped inside. One of the younger children went into the back to inform Anty Bilki that she had a guest. She hadn't expected to see Suhail at all, but there he was.
A warm smile spread across her face. "Oh, it's you!" she welcomed him warmly.
He returned her smile and greeted her respectfully. She accepted his greetings and instructed her children to fetch him a refreshment before sliding into the back rooms where Mami and Husna were. At that moment, they hadn't even finished scrubbing the *dilka*, let alone getting Mami showered.
Stepping into the room, she announced, “Mami, your husband is here.”
Mami felt her heart drop instantly into her stomach. "Anty, he's here?" she gasped, her eyes widening in panic.
"Yes, indeed. He's right out there in the living room. Hurry up and come out. Let me go tell him you're in the shower," she said, turning back around.
Husna immediately stopped scrubbing Mami's skin and rushed into the bathroom to prepare her bathwater. Mami felt as though all the energy had been suddenly drained from her body. Husna quickly grabbed a bottle of perfume, poured a generous amount into the warm bathwater, and urged, "Hurry up and bathe so you can finish up with the scrub!" Mami stood up and walked into the bathroom, her mind a chaotic blur.
"She's currently in the shower; she'll be out shortly," Anty Bilki informed Suhail as she walked back inside.
*"Wow, she's even taking a full bath for this,"* Suhail thought bitterly to himself, taking a sip of the water in his hand as if it were burning his mouth.
Mami didn't spend even a full minute in the bathroom before emerging wrapped in her towel. A breathtaking, irresistible fragrance emanated from her, filling every corner of the room whenever she moved. Her mother had once warned her about this very scent, saying, *"With this powerful fragrance you wear, make sure you never walk into spaces where there are men, so you don't violate their rights and accumulate sins."*
She wiped the stray water droplets from the back of her head and slipped back into her clothes without applying any lotion, yet her skin radiated a natural glow. She had previously mentioned to Husna that she dedicated an entire week every month purely to body enhancement and skin conditioning. She had come to realize that no commercial body cream could ever match the radiant results of traditional body treatments if one was lucky enough for their skin to respond well to it.
She put on a long dress, threw her veil over her head loosely without any elaborate styling, placed a light shawl over her shoulders, and picked up her handbag. She took a deep, steadying breath and stepped out of the bedroom, where Husna was waiting for her to finish.
"By Allah, you look absolutely stunning... so natural!" Husna complimented her.
Mami let out a heavy sigh and whined, "By Allah, whatever happens today, it's entirely your fault!" looking on the verge of tears.
Husna laughed. "Sister, you are hilarious. You can't just leave all these assets lying around to go to waste," she joked, gesturing toward Mami's chest.
Mami offered a tense smile and said, her voice trembling slightly, “By Allah, I am not following him back to that house. We are just going to exchange greetings here, and then he can leave.”
Husna shrugged playfully. "You two know best," she teased.
Mami pouted at her and, without another word, made her way to the living room. The moment she stepped in, Suhail spun around instantly as the intoxicating fragrance hit his nose. He quickly set his glass of water down, staring at her intently. Mami couldn't bring herself to lift her head, walking slowly toward where he sat.
A sudden wave of intense possessiveness and jealousy washed over him. He abruptly stood up before she could even reach him and bolted out of the house like a flash of lightning. Mami paused for a brief moment in confusion, then followed him outside, a small smile playing on her lips.
Suhail got into his car, feeling entirely overwhelmed and frustrated. He was deeply provoked by how Mami looked; she didn't seem to have a single care in the world. She looked more beautiful than ever—her beauty was truly astonishing. To make matters worse, her tantalizing scent could be picked up from miles away.
She walked out toward the car with an effortless grace. Seeing her approach, he quickly got out and opened the passenger door for her. She was quietly taken aback by how visibly emaciated he looked, as though he had been suffering from a severe illness.
"Good afternoon..." she greeted, standing by the open door.
He ignored her completely, walking back around to the driver's side and leaving her standing there. She smiled softly, got into the car, but left her legs dangling outside, keeping the door wide open.
"Cutie, good afternoon," she repeated, her tone dripping with respect.
Suhail maintained a rigid, stern expression. "Please pull your legs in so we can leave," he commanded, his voice tight with anger.
"What exactly did I do wrong, Cutie, that you're so angry with me?" she asked, studying his altered appearance. His face had leaned out significantly, making him look even younger.
"Did I say you did anything wrong? I didn't say you did anything. I just deeply hate myself for falling so hard for someone who couldn't care less whether I am alive or dead. You don't love me, Maryam," he cried out, his voice cracking emotionally.
“Haba, Cutie, why would you say I don't care about you? If anything, I might be even more distressed than you are...”
Before she could finish her sentence, he fixed her with a sharp, emotional glare that instantly silenced her.
"You care about me, yet simply seeing me even once was an impossible task for you? Just take a good look at me, and then take a look at yourself. It's as if you're actually thrilled that they are trying to separate us. You look so..." He trailed off, lacking the words to adequately describe how breathtakingly radiant she looked.
"Mami, you even go out without my permission now. And the worst part is that you smell so incredible that your scent can be noticed from miles away, despite the fact that you are legally married to me!" He couldn't even finish his sentence before tears began to spill from his eyes. A profound, burning ache consumed his heart; he was deeply hurt and furious all at once. Only Allah truly knew the depth of his torment.
Mami quickly pleaded, “Oh my goodness, Cutie, please don't say that. Remember, you and I explicitly discussed that I would be coming to Anty Bilki's house to learn how to cook, and you gave me your permission.”
Suhail shot back instantly, "So you come here every single day? You go out smelling like this every day? By Allah, Mami, you have truly wronged me!" he wept openly, completely earnest in his heartbreak. Mami was utterly mortified and at a loss for words; she couldn't possibly explain to him the true reason behind her enhanced fragrance, knowing he wouldn't understand that it was entirely meant for him.
"Cutie, please stop crying..." she whispered, feeling like crying herself.
"I won't stop!" he snapped at her, completely contradicting his tearful state. “You come out every day, yet you couldn't find the time to come see me, Mami?”
“You know Daddy strictly forbade it...”
"Shut up!" he barked at her. "Am I not your husband? Don't I have rights over you? You know very well that if I refuse to forgive you, Allah will surely judge between us," he argued passionately.
Mami fell silent, watching the rapid shifts in his demeanor. He would weep one second and scold her the next; it deeply amused and amazed her how easily his moods flipped. He could be incredibly endearing one moment and thoroughly exasperating the next.
"I'm so sorry, please... You know I care deeply for you. Forgive me, okay, my Cutie? You know I am your Anty Mami, after all," she coaxed him calmly.
He closed his eyes, listening to the soothing cadence of her voice. Her intoxicating fragrance was driving him wild, making him want to pull her into his arms right there in the middle of the street. He turned his head to look at her, taking in everything from her face down to her glowing hands. He wanted to speak, but the words failed him. He simply sat in silence, staring at her without blinking.
Mami suddenly felt incredibly shy under his intense gaze. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the car seat. The way her chest rose slightly as she relaxed drove him completely insane.
"Let's go home," he said softly.
She opened her eyes immediately. "Cutie... the driver... he's supposed to come pick me up later. Let's just sit and talk here, and then you can leave. If Daddy catches us together, he'll claim I disobeyed his direct orders," she argued, terrified of what he might do.
"Alright," he replied calmly, as though he actually agreed. "But don't you have any pity for what I've been reduced to? I haven't eaten a single thing all day today. I can barely eat because my mind is constantly consumed by thoughts of you. For Allah's sake, just accompany me to a nearby restaurant so I can eat. I know that if I am looking at you, I will actually be able to eat well," he pleaded softly.
Looking at his sad expression, she hesitated. “But what if the driver arrives and finds me gone?”
Mami suddenly felt her saliva run completely dry; the mere thought of meeting Suhail shortly made her stomach churn with anxiety. She gently pressed her hand against her abdomen, then moved it to her chest. She missed him terribly, but knowing he was furious with her made it difficult to feel excited. She recalled how desperately he had tried to see her over the past week, yet she had consistently made it impossible. She knew he was so mad at her that he had gone three full days without hearing her voice and hadn't even bothered to reach out.
Just then, Husna emerged from the back carrying a piping hot, whole steamed chicken in a bowl, steam billowing from it. She set it down and stepped out again. A few minutes later, she returned carrying some milk. Setting it down, she opened a bag of herbal remedies, scooped out a specific powdered medicine, and mixed it into the milk, stirring it thoroughly until it reached the consistency of *fura*.
"It's ready..." she announced to Mami, who had been watching her every move intently.
"Sister, please, what exactly did you tell Suhail?" Mami inquired, her voice laced with anxiety.
"Nothing much," Husna replied with a chuckle. “I just told him you were here and that he should come pick you up and take you home. He replied by saying, 'Even though she's married to me, she's out here roaming around on her own, right? We shall see.'”
"By Allah, I am so anxious... I am actually terrified of facing him," Mami confessed, her voice cracking slightly. She knew her physical desires were running exceptionally high due to the various herbal mixtures she had been consuming, but she absolutely did not want to encounter Suhail in a secluded place right now.
"For Allah's sake, Sister, don't lose your nerve on us now! Whatever happens, you are fully prepared for it," Husna urged.
Before she could finish, Mami cut in, "You don't understand... By Allah, if I just go through with this and return home afterward, it will be so embarrassing. I feel like everyone will easily figure out what happened. I am in deep trouble!" she lamented, looking deeply distressed.
"Oh, look at you... acting like a little girl! Come on, please," Husna chided, noticing how drastically Mami's mood had shifted. Mami, however, knew exactly what she was afraid of; if Suhail got a hold of her today, he would completely unravel her, because she knew exactly what he was capable of.
As for Suhail, he looked so physically worn down that a mere gust of wind could knock him over, utterly consumed by anxiety over the bizarre state of his marriage—a marriage whose true nature he still couldn't completely fathom, aside from the inevitable complications. Ever since the day he visited Mami's family home, he had tried repeatedly to see her, but she made it seem utterly impossible. He had begun to bitterly assume that she didn't even love him and that he was merely making a fool of himself over her.
Twice, he had broken down in tears while staying at his mother's place, but she offered no comfort, telling him instead to simply marry Humaira and forget about that "useless old woman." He didn't know where to turn to find peace of mind. The worst part was that Mami was making things incredibly difficult for him by refusing to see him. He had grown deeply resentful of her because her evasion made him feel entirely rejected. He was dying in silence, relying on sleeping pills every single night just to get some rest.
Around noon, he saw her call come through. As had become his recent habit whenever she called, he simply held his phone and watched it ring until it stopped, then set it aside. It pained him terribly not to speak to her, but he knew that if he didn't show his intense displeasure, they would never truly resolve their issues. He had expected her to come running back to him; instead, she seemed to be running away from him.
Receiving her subsequent text message secretly gladdened his heart, but he was simultaneously furious that she was going out without his permission. So, she was out enjoying her day while he was here dying in silence? Lately, he had to take medication for fever and fatigue almost daily, yet she was out visiting people, which to him meant she didn't care about him the way he cared about her. She had stated she would be ready by 5:00 PM, but there was no way he was going to wait until then. Fortunately, he knew Anty Bilki's house well, as his mother used to send him and Yazid there on errands.
He stood up, walked over to the mirror, and stared at his reflection for a moment. "Look at what you've done to me," he muttered, running a hand over his jaw. He slowly walked into the bathroom to take a shower. He still hadn't returned to his matrimonial home, choosing to stay at the family house instead, only occasionally stopping by the other house to pick up a few necessities.
About thirty minutes later, he emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. He moved sluggishly, looking like an invalid. He didn't even apply body lotion as he usually did; instead, he simply pulled on a pair of plain black trousers and a blue shirt. Despite his worn-out state, he remained exceptionally handsome. He grabbed his car keys and left the house. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was just before 1:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Hajiya Hassana sat before Alhaji Muhammad, complaining, “By Allah, if you think I will accept you turning your back on me like this, you are mistaken. This is completely unlike you. This is exactly why a person needs to be prayerful at all times. By Allah, Alhaji, if you were a prayerful man, there is no way sorcery would have taken hold of you to the point where you treat me like...”
Before she could finish, Alhaji Muhammad, who was leaning back imperiously in his office chair, interrupted coldly, "Please, as you can see, I am busy. I have absolutely no time for petty arguments. State your business here, and say it quickly," he commanded, his face entirely devoid of warmth.
“I am simply begging you to allow me back into my matrimonial home to be with my children...”
Before she could finish her sentence, he interjected, “Hassana, do the right thing. Given the way you publicly humiliated me, nothing will make me take you back until you come to your senses.”
“Alhaji, if this is all about Suhail's wife, let him take her back then. By Allah, I accept it now.”
He threw her a piercing look. “Oh, so he should take her back? Did you not come to this very office earlier to declare that you would never accept it? Now, listen to me carefully: you will go back to the exact same family gathering where you stood and acted shamelessly, and you will openly apologize and request that he takes her back.”
The rigid look Hajiya gave him made it clear she had no intention of complying with his demands.
"So, you're giving me a defiant look, are you? Well, since you are clearly not ready, go back to where you came from, and return only when you are prepared. And mind you, you are no longer permitted to enter my office," he stated bluntly, spinning his executive chair away from her.
“Please, have some patience with me... If nothing else, at least give me my ATM card. Things have been incredibly difficult for me. Look at how much weight I've lost! Even my own family members have ganged up against me as if I'm not their sister.”
Alhaji let out a sharp hiss. "Have you seen Suhail lately? Have you seen what your own son has been reduced to? Why are you so utterly heartless, Hassana? By Allah, you haven't seen anything yet. Get up and get out of my office!" he thundered.
She slowly stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder. She realized that Alhaji was entirely intent on humbling her; he wanted her to stand before the family meeting and openly give her consent so that she would never have the leverage to complain about the matter ever again.
"Never," she muttered to herself as she walked out of the office.
"We shall see who laughs last," he called out after overhearing her remark.
Hajiya left the building looking incredibly dejected. She was enduring immense hardship; to this day, she was forced to sleep on a floor mat exposed to mosquitoes. The cash left in her bag amounted to less than three thousand Naira, which she had been rationing to sustain herself because she was too proud to seek financial help from her friends, terrified they might find out what was truly happening. She had initially thought she would be back home before anyone noticed her absence, but she now realized it was going to take a long time to fix this. It would be nearly impossible for her to stand before everyone and declare her approval for Suhail to remain married to the elderly Mami. She was willing to tolerate the marriage now, not because she truly wanted to, but simply because the punishment was becoming unbearable and she would do anything to return home—anything except standing before a public gathering to say: *"I accept Mami staying with Suhail."*
She quickly muttered, "May Allah look down on that. Allah forbid!" spitting onto the ground in disgust.
She walked a considerable distance before finally managing to hail a ride to Hajiya Habiba's house. None of her friends knew she was currently staying at her family home, but today she had no choice but to seek assistance from those she called friends before the mosquitoes completely finished her off.
As Suhail drove, his mind raced with anticipation over what would transpire between him and Mami today. He was firmly resolved not to repeat his past mistake of letting her go without fully consuming their marriage. That had been his greatest daily regret. He loved her so deeply that even though he desperately wanted to fully intimate with her rather than settling for oral pleasures, he had still listened to her pleas and restrained himself.
It was just before 2:00 PM when he arrived outside the house. He parked his car down the street, but just as he was about to head inside, he realized he hadn't performed his afternoon prayer. Leaving his car, he walked over to a mosque about fifty feet away, prayed, and emerged a few minutes after two.
Inside, Mami had already finished eating the medicated chicken and drinking the herbal milk mixture, which had been her strict daily routine for over a week now. Husna sat before her, rubbing a traditional *dilka* exfoliating scrub onto her legs. Fortunately, they were not in the main living room.
When Suhail walked into the living room with a greeting, Anty Bilki's children answered him. He secretly hoped he would catch sight of Mami the moment he stepped inside. One of the younger children went into the back to inform Anty Bilki that she had a guest. She hadn't expected to see Suhail at all, but there he was.
A warm smile spread across her face. "Oh, it's you!" she welcomed him warmly.
He returned her smile and greeted her respectfully. She accepted his greetings and instructed her children to fetch him a refreshment before sliding into the back rooms where Mami and Husna were. At that moment, they hadn't even finished scrubbing the *dilka*, let alone getting Mami showered.
Stepping into the room, she announced, “Mami, your husband is here.”
Mami felt her heart drop instantly into her stomach. "Anty, he's here?" she gasped, her eyes widening in panic.
"Yes, indeed. He's right out there in the living room. Hurry up and come out. Let me go tell him you're in the shower," she said, turning back around.
Husna immediately stopped scrubbing Mami's skin and rushed into the bathroom to prepare her bathwater. Mami felt as though all the energy had been suddenly drained from her body. Husna quickly grabbed a bottle of perfume, poured a generous amount into the warm bathwater, and urged, "Hurry up and bathe so you can finish up with the scrub!" Mami stood up and walked into the bathroom, her mind a chaotic blur.
"She's currently in the shower; she'll be out shortly," Anty Bilki informed Suhail as she walked back inside.
*"Wow, she's even taking a full bath for this,"* Suhail thought bitterly to himself, taking a sip of the water in his hand as if it were burning his mouth.
Mami didn't spend even a full minute in the bathroom before emerging wrapped in her towel. A breathtaking, irresistible fragrance emanated from her, filling every corner of the room whenever she moved. Her mother had once warned her about this very scent, saying, *"With this powerful fragrance you wear, make sure you never walk into spaces where there are men, so you don't violate their rights and accumulate sins."*
She wiped the stray water droplets from the back of her head and slipped back into her clothes without applying any lotion, yet her skin radiated a natural glow. She had previously mentioned to Husna that she dedicated an entire week every month purely to body enhancement and skin conditioning. She had come to realize that no commercial body cream could ever match the radiant results of traditional body treatments if one was lucky enough for their skin to respond well to it.
She put on a long dress, threw her veil over her head loosely without any elaborate styling, placed a light shawl over her shoulders, and picked up her handbag. She took a deep, steadying breath and stepped out of the bedroom, where Husna was waiting for her to finish.
"By Allah, you look absolutely stunning... so natural!" Husna complimented her.
Mami let out a heavy sigh and whined, "By Allah, whatever happens today, it's entirely your fault!" looking on the verge of tears.
Husna laughed. "Sister, you are hilarious. You can't just leave all these assets lying around to go to waste," she joked, gesturing toward Mami's chest.
Mami offered a tense smile and said, her voice trembling slightly, “By Allah, I am not following him back to that house. We are just going to exchange greetings here, and then he can leave.”
Husna shrugged playfully. "You two know best," she teased.
Mami pouted at her and, without another word, made her way to the living room. The moment she stepped in, Suhail spun around instantly as the intoxicating fragrance hit his nose. He quickly set his glass of water down, staring at her intently. Mami couldn't bring herself to lift her head, walking slowly toward where he sat.
A sudden wave of intense possessiveness and jealousy washed over him. He abruptly stood up before she could even reach him and bolted out of the house like a flash of lightning. Mami paused for a brief moment in confusion, then followed him outside, a small smile playing on her lips.
Suhail got into his car, feeling entirely overwhelmed and frustrated. He was deeply provoked by how Mami looked; she didn't seem to have a single care in the world. She looked more beautiful than ever—her beauty was truly astonishing. To make matters worse, her tantalizing scent could be picked up from miles away.
She walked out toward the car with an effortless grace. Seeing her approach, he quickly got out and opened the passenger door for her. She was quietly taken aback by how visibly emaciated he looked, as though he had been suffering from a severe illness.
"Good afternoon..." she greeted, standing by the open door.
He ignored her completely, walking back around to the driver's side and leaving her standing there. She smiled softly, got into the car, but left her legs dangling outside, keeping the door wide open.
"Cutie, good afternoon," she repeated, her tone dripping with respect.
Suhail maintained a rigid, stern expression. "Please pull your legs in so we can leave," he commanded, his voice tight with anger.
"What exactly did I do wrong, Cutie, that you're so angry with me?" she asked, studying his altered appearance. His face had leaned out significantly, making him look even younger.
"Did I say you did anything wrong? I didn't say you did anything. I just deeply hate myself for falling so hard for someone who couldn't care less whether I am alive or dead. You don't love me, Maryam," he cried out, his voice cracking emotionally.
“Haba, Cutie, why would you say I don't care about you? If anything, I might be even more distressed than you are...”
Before she could finish her sentence, he fixed her with a sharp, emotional glare that instantly silenced her.
"You care about me, yet simply seeing me even once was an impossible task for you? Just take a good look at me, and then take a look at yourself. It's as if you're actually thrilled that they are trying to separate us. You look so..." He trailed off, lacking the words to adequately describe how breathtakingly radiant she looked.
"Mami, you even go out without my permission now. And the worst part is that you smell so incredible that your scent can be noticed from miles away, despite the fact that you are legally married to me!" He couldn't even finish his sentence before tears began to spill from his eyes. A profound, burning ache consumed his heart; he was deeply hurt and furious all at once. Only Allah truly knew the depth of his torment.
Mami quickly pleaded, “Oh my goodness, Cutie, please don't say that. Remember, you and I explicitly discussed that I would be coming to Anty Bilki's house to learn how to cook, and you gave me your permission.”
Suhail shot back instantly, "So you come here every single day? You go out smelling like this every day? By Allah, Mami, you have truly wronged me!" he wept openly, completely earnest in his heartbreak. Mami was utterly mortified and at a loss for words; she couldn't possibly explain to him the true reason behind her enhanced fragrance, knowing he wouldn't understand that it was entirely meant for him.
"Cutie, please stop crying..." she whispered, feeling like crying herself.
"I won't stop!" he snapped at her, completely contradicting his tearful state. “You come out every day, yet you couldn't find the time to come see me, Mami?”
“You know Daddy strictly forbade it...”
"Shut up!" he barked at her. "Am I not your husband? Don't I have rights over you? You know very well that if I refuse to forgive you, Allah will surely judge between us," he argued passionately.
Mami fell silent, watching the rapid shifts in his demeanor. He would weep one second and scold her the next; it deeply amused and amazed her how easily his moods flipped. He could be incredibly endearing one moment and thoroughly exasperating the next.
"I'm so sorry, please... You know I care deeply for you. Forgive me, okay, my Cutie? You know I am your Anty Mami, after all," she coaxed him calmly.
He closed his eyes, listening to the soothing cadence of her voice. Her intoxicating fragrance was driving him wild, making him want to pull her into his arms right there in the middle of the street. He turned his head to look at her, taking in everything from her face down to her glowing hands. He wanted to speak, but the words failed him. He simply sat in silence, staring at her without blinking.
Mami suddenly felt incredibly shy under his intense gaze. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the car seat. The way her chest rose slightly as she relaxed drove him completely insane.
"Let's go home," he said softly.
She opened her eyes immediately. "Cutie... the driver... he's supposed to come pick me up later. Let's just sit and talk here, and then you can leave. If Daddy catches us together, he'll claim I disobeyed his direct orders," she argued, terrified of what he might do.
"Alright," he replied calmly, as though he actually agreed. "But don't you have any pity for what I've been reduced to? I haven't eaten a single thing all day today. I can barely eat because my mind is constantly consumed by thoughts of you. For Allah's sake, just accompany me to a nearby restaurant so I can eat. I know that if I am looking at you, I will actually be able to eat well," he pleaded softly.
Looking at his sad expression, she hesitated. “But what if the driver arrives and finds me gone?”
"Didn't you say yourself that I should take