The golden crescent of the new moon was peering through the clouds. The stars shone in the darkness. The trees swayed to the rhythm of the wind. The autumn rustic coloured leaves adorned the old pavements of the Celtic streets. Susan stood leaning against the ceiling high window gazing out at the panoramic view of the Dublin city and the splendour it offered.

When only a few guests were left, Susan was surprised to see that Daud had escorted her to the car where they had driven off to his apartment. Since the commencement of their relationship, she had never seen his apartment. This was new and exciting. Although, she was very apprehensive. She had been hesitant that Yousef wasn't joining them but Chloe had reassured that he would be spending the weekend with his grandparents. It almost felt like she was going on a honeymoon.

Almost.

Now, here she stood admiring the view from the living room window, still dressed in her bridal attire. Daud tipped the driver who had dropped them and also carried Susan's luggage to the apartment.

The click of the lock was the indication that they were alone. Perhaps, for the first time since that night, they had spent together. Susan's fingers were fidgeting with the intricate designs of her lahenga, her eyes still wandering ahead of her. A shadow loomed forward. Her heart beat leaped.

He was much taller than her. She as a petite woman of hardly 5'4 height whereas he was nearly a foot taller than her. The raven black attire gleamed his slightly tanned skin. Their eyes met on the window pane when he took a step closer to her. There was a slight limp in his walk now but he carried himself with confidence that it was unnoticed.

"Susan," he breathed.

The fabric of her lahenga slipped from her fingers. Her pulse jumped. His eyes sparkled like sapphires in the night sky. Her head lowered, she slowly turned to face him. Her smoky eyelids rose and her eyes sought his.

"Finally, you are here where you belong." He whispered. His hand found hers. Fingers joining together.

Her lips gradually widened in a smile, "What took you so long?"

He was smirking but her question straightened his face. There was pain across his features. Closing all distances between them, he stepped closer and wound his right arm around the small of her back.

"I was messed up. I needed a good smack on my head to clear it."

She raised her hand and her fingers splayed on his shaven cheek. Her fingers grazing down his jaw feeling the faint roughness, "No you weren't. It just wasn't our time. This was what was decreed by Allah. This is our time now. The time He chose for us."

Her trust in Allah. Her forgiving attitude towards him and her beauty were somersaulting his heart. His fingers tightened on her hand.

Her thumb ran over his lower lip, "Kiss me, Daud."

And he did.

****

Susan walked out of the bathroom dressed in her peach coloured floral silk pajamas. She entered her new bedroom and the image took her breath away. She was really here with him. There, he was perched on the bed slowly unbuttoning his white shirt. Stepping closer, she realized he was having difficulty as he was unbuttoning with just one hand and his injured arm was laying on his side.

"Do you need a hand?" she took the last step closer to him. His knees touching her silk pajama-clad legs.

He looked up, he was about to refuse but she grabbed the edges of his shirt. He smirked, "You plan to strip me?"

Her cheeks flamed, "I am helping you change." As she undid the next button on the shirt.

The last button of the shirt loosened from its hinge, carefully she peeled his shirt off the left shoulder and arm where even though he had recovered still was in pain. She had roughly braided her light brown her with natural blond streaks. He pulled the small pink band from the end of her hair. Her eyes widened and gaped at what he was doing.

"I like your hair," his fingers sinking in her hair loosening her hair further. "It had been long since I had seen your hair."

Never did she think he found her attractive. He had never complimented her before. She was more intrigued to know what he thought of her. He tucked her hair behind her ear, "Don't tie it at home."

Shyly, she nodded imperceptibly. "Raise your arm," she whispered as she took off the shirt from his right arm as well.

"I can see a good wife in you already," his smirk deepened as his fingers glided down her hair.

She chuckled, "I may turn out to be a very demanding wife."

His single dark brown eyebrow lifted, "Is that so?"

She scrunched her nose as she pulled the t-shirt down his head, "Daud Siddique, this is just the start." Cautiously she slipped the sleeve of the t-shirt in his left injured arm and then the right. She glanced at him, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Now get up so I can help you with your pants."

"Yes, Ma'am. I am at your service." He slowly rose to his feet.

"What you need is sleep mister," Susan unbuckled his belt.

"Well a man deserves at least another kiss on his wedding night." he muttered, annoyed at himself as he still was not able to use his limbs as he wanted to.

"We will see," she said as she pulled out his belt from the loops on his pants.

In the end, she did give him the kiss he wanted.

****

In the darkness, the baby's cries filled the air. Before Salman stirred in his sleep, Nawal was up and heading towards the cot. Salman sat up on the bed as he watched Nawal carry Rania as she took hold of the bottle. This was the first time she was taking care of the baby as he wouldn't let her during the night. Her rest was more important to him. She was still recovering slowly. She may be healthy physically but psychologically she was still gradually improving. And he was with her in every step of the way, making sure she never had any kinds of stress.

The baby's cries grew louder and Nawal was struggling in sitting in the right position on the rocking chair to feed the bottle.

Salman came to her, "Nawal let me do it."

Stubbornly, Nawal shook her head, "I can do it."

This was again a problem. She was adamant on doing all chores for Rania. Ignoring her claim, Salman knelt in front of her and helped her reposition Rania on her lap and then when Nawal gave Rania the bottle she easily took it. The cries ceased and the baby happily fed from the bottle.

Mortified, Nawal didn't look at him. How long will it take her to become a good mother who could look after her baby on her own? She was getting frustrated day by day. She felt she was inept in front of Salman as he expertly took care of their daughter.

Her eyes were at the baby who was having her milk with her eyes closed. "You can go back to sleep. I can manage," she mumbled. She was still struggling to look after Rania independently. Salman never complained or mocked instead he silently helped her when he saw the baby was being fussy.

He pressed her knee, "Nawal look at me."

She didn't relent.

His hand cradled the side of her face "Nawal please."

Conceding to his request, their eyes met. He could see a myriad of emotions in them. She never spoke of them but he knew she wasn't pleased that she couldn't look after their daughter.

"You know we are a team. She is not only your responsibility but mine too."

There was silence in the room. He held his breath perhaps now Nawal would open up to him. Since after the coma, she hardly spoke of what she was thinking. He wanted his Nawal back the one who had faced all odds during pregnancy and openly told him the truth about all that conspired.

"Many mothers do it on their own," she said quietly.

He racked his mind. He had to come up with something so that she wouldn't be upset with herself. He didn't want her self-pitying herself. She was a strong woman. Stronger than any he knew. Right now, she needed him and that is exactly what he did, be there for her at all times.

"But isn't it fun when we do it together? Parenting is a job for both of us." he saw tears sparkle in her eyes and her jaw clenched. She still wasn't convinced. Then, he expressed his inner most feelings, perhaps opening up to her would make her realize she wasn't alone. "I regretted not being there for you and Rania during your pregnancy."

That is when he caught her attention.

"And I want to be as much part of her upbringing as possible now. Wouldn't you let me have this small pleasure?" his thumb was tenderly rubbing her cheek back and forth.

"Okay." She said in the silent of the night.

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I won't let you down again." His smile turning to a smirk.

Gazing at his face, her heart pummelled, she was afraid she might let him and Rania down.

****

It was late. Very late. Daud felt the bed mattress shift. He was a light sleeper and the fact he never slept with anyone ever before was also taking its toll. It wasn't easy to share a bed with someone. He opened one eye and saw Susan walking out of the room. His eyebrows knotted together, he glanced at the wall clock.

5 a.m.

Why was Susan awake this early? Perhaps, she had to go to the toilet. He closed his eyes again...going back to sleep. But he was waiting for her. One minute turned to two and then five. What was going on?

With the help of his right arm, he sat up and then made his way to the hall. The bathroom door was ajar. He peered inside and found it empty.

Where was she?

Perhaps, she was thirsty. He walked to the living room and then came to a sudden halt. There, standing on the prayer mat was Susan dressed in a long veil that covered her from her head to toe. Aghast, he leaned against the wall and watched as she completed her salah. Belatedly, he realized she was praying Fajr salah (pre-dawn prayer).

Susan rose from the prayer mat as she finished her azkaar for the morning, she turned and gasped seeing Daud standing in the room. Her face lit up, maybe he was awake for the prayer too.

"Do you want me to leave the prayer mat for you?"

Embarrassed, Daud ran his hand through the hair at the back of his head, "Um.. uhmm. No...You weren't in bed so I just..." for the first time he was at a loss for words. He was ashamed to admit he didn't pray five times a day. In fact, all he did was pray Friday prayers that too occasionally.

"Oh," disappointment was written all over her face.

He walked away, going back to the bedroom. She gradually had to make him see the importance of remembering Allah.

Biting her inner cheek, she called out, "Tea?"

He stopped in his track, "Yeah!"

First thing first, he had to learn to trust her completely and then with time he would follow her ways.

She could only hope and pray that he would one day.

****

Nawal woke up to find the bed was empty. She glanced at the crib and it was empty too. How long did she sleep today? After Fajr, she had been too tired and she was in deep sleep in no time. But now looking at the time, she was horrified. She ended up sleeping for a quite a long time. She unpleasantly thought Salman would be furious.

She pushed the duvet away and was about to stand up when Salman opened the bedroom door. He was carrying a large tray. He placed it on the bed. It was full of breakfast food items. There was a fruit salad, fried eggs, toast and butter, oatmeal and tea.

"Do you remember I promised you someday I will give you breakfast in bed?" Salman said.

She stared at him, recalling that long time ago when he had made her hot chocolate. "Yeah."

"Well my dear wife, your breakfast in bed," he smiled showing off his white teeth.

"You shouldn't have done all this for me. I overslept today."

"It's perfectly alright if you overslept. You were awake for a few hours last night taking care of Rania."

"So were you," she stood up to go to the toilet to wash up.

He dismissed with a wave of his hand, "You can oversleep any morning you like."

She narrowed her eyes, "Are you really my husband?"

He chuckled and rounded the bed, "You want me to prove you that I am your husband?"

She stepped back and he stepped closer, "Ya at times now you contradict your own words from the past."

"I was an idiot then." He took another step.

She stepped back again, "Really?" her eyebrows raised.

"Really."

There was nowhere to escape, the wall touched her back and he was right in front of her. She gazed him, he was a completely different man now. The doubts she had of him were slowly being erased. "Why are you contradicting yourself?"

He placed his hand next to her head, "You once asked that if we could start all over again."

She nodded hesitantly.

"I want to now. Will you give me this chance?"

She gazed at the man with whom she went through so much. The father of her child and her husband. He had become her strength in the last few weeks. She couldn't imagine now how she would survive alone when he made sure she found all kinds of comfort with him.

"Yes."

His black eyes crinkled with pleasure and his lips twitched. He leaned forward, her breath hitched. It had been so long. Since she came out of the coma, he had shown his affection in subtle ways but never demanding anything more. Her eyes fell on his lips. She missed kissing him. She wanted to kiss him. Stunned at her thoughts, her face flushed.

He pecked the tip of her nose and pulled back. She was disappointed. This wasn't what was on her mind.

He then suggested, "Great. Then how about an early dinner date?"

She shook her head, "No I don't want to leave Rania."

He sighed, "Ammi can take care of her," she was about to argue further so he added in, "Okay let's take her with us. Now, where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere," she said walking to the bathroom.

"Arabic?" he called out behind her.

She bobbed her head in agreement as she entered the toilet.

He planned to woo his wife now. The way it should have been from the first.

--------------------------