"The burden of your bathing duty is still here. Affan started crying and didn't stop until he was taken out," she felt broken and weak in both body and heart. She sat close to her, ready to respond, but just as she was about to speak, her phone rang. She quickly answered, looking at the caller ID, her heart filled with hope and longing for the person who constantly occupied her thoughts.
She didn't even realize when a smile escaped her lips, accompanied by a soft sigh.
"I'll be right back," she told her mom. She couldn't answer his call in front of her mother; only she knew the intimate words they exchanged. If there was any slip-up and her mom overheard, it would be incredibly embarrassing for both of them.
She went straight to her room, sat down in front of the mirror where she had been earlier, and prepared to answer the call.
"Assalamualaikum," she said sweetly, tilting her head to the side, knowing it was his favorite gesture. Even after all these years, he still looked at her reflection in the mirror the same way he did in the past. She hadn't changed in his eyes.
"Wa'alaikumus salam," he responded. Her heart sank at the sound of his soft, warm voice. However, his tone changed abruptly, becoming the stern voice he used with criminals or his juniors at work. It was the tone he used when he was extremely angry, a tone she had never heard directed at her before.
Her entire body felt weak. Summoning all her strength and composure, she asked him,
"Did you arrive safely? How was your trip home?"
"Why did you do this to me?" he asked, his voice growing harsher and more frightening. She could hear his heavy breathing through the phone, indicating he was extremely upset. His question plunged her into a whirlpool of confusion. Before she could gather her thoughts, his words hit her like a hammer.
"So this is who you are? I thought you were righteous, but you're a deceiver, a traitor. I've given you all my trust, my life, and you've played with my heart and well-being?" She was in utter shock. What was Abbas talking about?
"What have I done to you? Affan's father, what happened? Do you even know what you're saying?" she asked, desperate for clarity.
"I know! I've known for a long time. How long have you been betraying me, Widad?" Unable to sit still, her whole body trembling, she stood up, her legs shaking.
"Are you in your right mind, Affan's father? Where are you now?" she asked, trying to ensure he was safe and not saying these things out of a disturbed state of mind.
