TRAPPED IN A JUNGLE

NINE

NABEEL'S POV.

The early morning's rays crept it way by the opened windows. I blinked my eyes twice, trying to get use to the light going straight into my eyes. I groaned, turning my head to the other side as my hands searched hopefully for my Reedah. The bed felt empty because Reedah was not where I expected her to be.

'Where could she be this early morning?' I wondered.

I sat up, my eyes surveying my dirty room. Yeah, my dirty room! How did I even became a lazy and dirty dude?

Cloths... my boxers, singlets, trousers, shirts, tops and so on are all around the floor.

A cup of coffee on my reading table, half poured on a copy of Sidney Sheldon's book, "If tomorrow comes". Lots and lots of papers on the floor.

Packs and packs of pizza too. My towel was dripping with water, as it hung loosely on my closet door. Damn! Am a total mess?

It then crept into my head... Reedah and I were now sleeping separately.

'Reedah doesn't talk to me anymore, and she doesn't cook with me too'.

'Neither does she smile, Or better worst, acknowledge my presence. It seems like I'm irritating to her'.

"Arrggghhh!" I sighed, my left hand on my face as I tilted my head sideways. "I hate you Husnah! I so much hate you!".

'But wait, why am I even blaming her? She started the kissing game and I enjoyed every little bit of it'. A lazy smile crept at it corner of my lips, as I recalled how sweet and soft they taste. 'She sure has good lips!'. I grabbed my phone, as I felt the urge to listen to mistletoe.

I couldn't help but sing along with the song...

Its the most beautiful time of the year,

Lights fill the streets spread and so much cheer,

I should be playing in the winter snow,

But amma be under the mistletoe,

I don't wanna miss out on the holiday,

But i can't stop staring at your face,

I should be playing in the Winter snow,

But amma be under the mistletoe,

Ooooooooo....shout it with you,

Oooooo.....shout it with you

Oooooooo....under the mistletoe,

Under the mistletoe,

Kiss me underneath the mistletoe,

Show me baby that you love me so....o'o'o'o

Kiss me underneath the mistletoe

Show me baby that you love me so....o'o'o'o.

I was shaking my head like a lizard, remembering her moans and the softness of her lips.

'Yaa Allah... how could her lips posses such power in making me go crazy just by thinking about them?'

'Dammit!'

'I must be stupid'

'Dumb'

'Crazy'

'Yeah, of course I am'.

'Hey, I'm in a mess right now, and all am thinking is Husnah's lips??'. I wondered.

The doctor's words flashed back into my memory as I remembered him saying... "I'm sorry Mr. Nabeel, but we lost the baby. Your wife was two months gone. Something must have shocked her to the extent of her loosing the baby". Then I felt my breath seizing. I would have been a father, I was almost gonna be a father,

I could have,

I would've,

If not for Husnah's crazy so called 'game'!

Then I felt the urge to rush out of the doctor's office as quickly as I could, grab Husnah by the neck, give her a slap of her life before finally beating her up! Right there, right that instant! But I just had to hold on, I had to. 'Not in the hospital Nabeel', my consciousness kept telling me that. And after that, I couldn't say a word to Husnah, and neither did she. My only concern that moment was what I was gonna tell Fareedah to calm her down. She had been unconscious for 14hrs before finally coming round again. I was sitting by her side, her right hand in mine. but to my surprise, as soon as she opened her eyes and saw me sitting by her side, her right arm in mine, she quickly snatched it away. Giving me a dirty look. And the next minute, she was shouting. Shouting on top her voice, crying so hard... "Get out of my sight you fool. You good for nothing fool! I don't want to see you, I don't want to!".

She was jacking so hard, trying to remove the drip attached to her left hand. Doctor Bawa had just went out and I just didn't know who to call. I rushed out of the wardroom, searching for a doctor or even a nurse. Reedah needed a sleeping pill. Yeah, something like that. I bumped into something, and as soon as I looked up, I saw a female doctor, her tag reads 'Dr Fateemah'.

"Excuse me doctor, I have a patient and she's getting hysterical".

Reedah was injected and she fell into a deep slumber. Husnah was standing by the doorway, tears in her eyes. Why was she even crying? She was the cause of everything after all.

I remembered dad's words when they came to visit us. "Had it been we knew, we wouldn't have arranged this marriage. I was thinking Fareedah was a barren".

A barren? Dammit!

Why would dad even think that way?

But mom was still glad I married Husnah. Glad that Husnah might be the one to provide them with a grandchild.

'Pttfffsssss... let her keep day dreaming!'.

I heaved a deep sigh... remembering everything in detail. Thence, I stood up lazily and walked into my bathroom.

Mehn! You wouldn't want me to tell you the mess in there. I took a quick shower. Making up my mind that I was going to go and strengthen things out with my Reedah. Its been a whole month, and there was no changes. 'I'll have to change things now'.

I dressed in a blue sweatpants and a black singlets. Stepped out of my room and walk over to Fareedah's side. Deep inside, I was sweating... 'Yaa Allah, see me through!'.

As soon as I stepped my right foot into her living room, I inhaled a deep breath. There was a soft smell of baked cake and pizza all over. I was already salivating. Thus, I spotted Reedah sitting in a couch, dressed in a blue ankara. A skirt and blouse. Even though she didn't applied any make up, she was still the most beautiful woman to my eyes.

"I love you My Reedah" I muttered slowly. Then I walked over her, praying silently in my mind. I hoped that I shouldn't f**k up. "Reedah" I called her, as I slide beside her on the couch. She didn't even bother to look up at me. She pretended deaf ears to my call, despite the fact I called her with the name she loved the most. The name she would always shiver whenever I called her with it... I took her left hand in mine as she was using the right munching on her pizza. 'Mehn! I wouldn't care for a bite!'.

She gave me a sharp look, more like a warning before getting up and leaving me alone on the couch. She walked into the kitchen, dropped her plate and walked into her bedroom.

I trailed behind her, calling her name but she didn't even care to look back nor did she displayed any interest in to talk to me. She stripped down her blouse, and then her skirt. She was standing right in her closet. I swallowed so hard as I looked at how fresh she was. I couldn't hold it anymore, I grabbed her arm and drew her close to me. Inhaling the khumrah she used. She then began fighting for her freedom while I looked at her like I was gonna eat her up... raw!

"Let go of me Nabeel!" She yelled at me, trying her possibly best to extricate from me.

Then I crushed my lips on hers... In our years of marriage, I might say I kissed her only with passion, but this day, I kissed her with wants, more like I was hungry for it. I bite her lips, nibbled them, teased them and kissed them like they'd be gone forever. My left hand rested on her waist as I draw her against my hard chest, while my right hand was in her hair. I loved the scent coming out of her hair. 'It kills'.

I just knew it, she can't resist it. She tilted her head further, kissing me with the same urge I was kissing her with. 'Yaa Allah! I missed those lips'.

We broke the kiss and then she hugged me tightly... "Why did you did what you did that day, baby? Why? Why did you did it?" She asked, weeping already.

I was quite. 'Omo, what do I have to say? Nothing! I just lost my senses when I kissed Husnah. I must admit it'.

"I'm sorry" was the only thing I said to her. She looked up at me, looking straight into my eyes... as if searching to see if i was sincere.

I opened my mouth to say more, to tell her everything and be done with it. But she shushed me... as she leaped up and placed a lingering kiss on my earlobe . I shivered and looked down on her.

"Say no more, baby. I trust you. Don't do it again. You are mine and MINE ALONE NABEEL YAQUB HASSAN!"

I smiled and kissed her on her forehead. "I love you Reedah. I've loved you and will always love you. I'm yours. Yours alone. Forever yours alone. You own me" I replied back. 'Mehn! Aren't I gonna regret ever telling her that?

I just don't know'.

I really had a bad feeling about it!