Her Unwanted Husband

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I climb the stairs with dishes full of food in my hands and a bottle of coke tucked carefully between my arm and waist.

No one's home today!

As I reach the door to my room, I set the dishes on the floor, turn the door handle and walk inside after picking the dishes up again.

I place the dishes on my floral bed-sheet, plop myself onto the bed and dig into the delicious food.

When I'm halfway through eating, the door flies open. Startled, I look up.

With a shriek, I hoist myself up and slide under the bed.

It's Emad! He saw me in my night-suit! Without my hijab!

I start to panic. Why do men do this? What right do they have to walk into someone's room unannounced? The room of a girl might I mention.

Allah (God) clearly says in the Qur’an (The Holy Book) to ask permission before entering someone's house. That applies to one's room as well.

But of course someone who doesn't read the Qur’an wouldn't know that.

"Why are you under the bed!?" He shouts angrily, head swiveling from here to there as he tries to catch my eye.

Seriously, this guy!

"I'm not covered! Why'd you come without knocking? Don't you have any manners!?" I holler.

He breathes in deeply.

"I came in a hurry because grandpa is in the hospital."

My heart misses a beat.

I start firing questions at him.

"What happened to him? Is he okay? Why are you only telling me now?"

"He had a minor heart attack. He's still in the ICU though. But the doctors are saying that he's going to be fine within the next 24 hours. And before you ask, he was admitted yesterday. We didn't tell you because you were already stressed out about your exams. Now that he's okay, you can come with me to the hospital."

Oh Lord! Heart attack!

I try to calm my nerves. He's going to be fine. He's going to be fine. He's going to be fine.

"Okay. Please wait for me outside. Let me change." I manage to say, my voice breaking.

"Alright. Don't take too long."

I hear his footsteps and the creaking of wood, followed shortly by the closing of the door.

I crawl from underneath the bed and stand up. Running to the closet, I pull out my jilbab and headscarf.

I shrug on the jilbab on top of my night suit and then wear my hijab.

I pick a plate full of pasta from on top of my bed and run downstairs with it.

—

"Hey hey, relax. He's fine." Emad reassures me on our way to the hospital.

Unluckily for me, it doesn't help. I stuff my mouth with some more pasta, which makes me feel slightly better.

Food is the key to calm down my nerves and basically for everything else.

I eat some more till we reach the hospital.

Taking a deep breath, I walk inside with Emad by my side.