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Chapter 35-

Staying in the hospital for a week wasn't my plan. I have a wedding to plan, my wedding. I can't understand why I'm locked up in this cell. Omar has been visiting lately, everyday with pancakes and chocolate syrup. Sometimes he brings my favourite strawberry smoothie. It's strange, how does he know all these things? How does he know that I loved taking whipped cream with strawberry yogurt? How does he know that I prefer taking noodles at night while watching Hannah Montana?

Why is he always checking up on me? According to the doctor, I have amnesia after I had a car accident. I can't remember everything that happened but one thing's for sure, I'm getting married to Yousuf. Unfortunately, I got married to Omar. Not that I remember though, it was narrated by the devil himself. Once, Omar sat next to me and placed his hand on mine. The gesture made me flinch, it's hard to accept that I got married to a man I hated and avoided for so long. His eyes looked down in sadness as he retreated his hands and dropped them by his sides. I watched him turn on the TV and played my favourite Surah. Afterwards, we watched SpongeBob SquarePants in silence.

But today, I'm alone. I take a glance at the clock and anxiously wait for someone to walk in. Subconsciously praying that Omar will. As if on cue, the door opens and he steps in. I smile at him and he smiles back, taking a sit close to me. "How are you feeling?"

"Alhamdulilah, I'm better."

"I brought soup, you want me to feed you?" He stares at the bowl. I haven't been treating him well, he's trying his best to make me become free with him. I kind of have the feeling that he wants me to accept him as my husband. I don't want to, I can't.

How can I fall in love with the man I despise?

How does he want me to accept that I was in a coma and I have amnesia?

How does he want me to walk away from Yousuf and be with him?

"Omar?"

"Yes?" His eyes snaps to mine, care vividly seen in his eyes.

"What happened?"

"What?"

"What lead to the amnesia?"

His beautiful eyes doesn't leave mine, instead it looks deeply into mine. "You had an accident."

I want to know everything. "How did the accident come into the picture. What happened before that? Did we have a fight or something?"

"No." He says a little too sharply. I'm torn between believing him and not. But whatever it is. Insha Allah I would remember. It's so tough missing months of your life.

My belly grumbles in hunger. He brings the spoon to my mouth and I don't object, letting the warm soup cascade down my throat.

"Hmm...delicious." I smile at him. He smiles back, showing his well arranged white teeth.

A soft knock draws my attention.

Yousuf steps in and smiles at me. "Hi."

"Hey." I smile sweetly at the man with grey eyes, the Malik with a good heart. The man I was supposed to be his Mrs. "Have a seat."

He hesitates as he flashes a quick frown at Omar, he on the other side doesn't hide the fact that he's not happy to see him. "What do you want?"

Yousuf challenges by intimidating him with his height. "My visit isn't your business. After all, I'm not the one responsible for this."

Omar's eyes sinks in guilt as he looks down. Retreating to a sitting position. Yousuf smirks and drops the plate next to me. The smell of pancakes and brownies fill the air.

This makes me crave for it badly. "You need your soup." Omar snaps and brings the spoon to my mouth. I frown a little but don't object. I do need it but look at those pancakes. They're begging me to eat them. To protect them and keep them safe in belly. I shall forever serve the mighty food.

I mentally ball my hand into a fist and place it on my chest.

'I pledge to serve the great food and protect it by giving it a home in my belly to live.'

Yousuf does nothing but watch till I take my last spoon. Omar keeps the bowl aside and walks out. "Where are you going to?"

"I'll be back." He assures me and closes the door.

The atmosphere becomes weird as Yousuf taps his phone. He looks at me then drops the phone. "Who's ready for pancakes and brownies?" He says enthusiastically, piercing the fork through the pancakes.

"I'm a bit full, give me five minutes."

"Ok."

"So what have you been doing while I was here?"

"Well," he lets go of the fork. "Meetings, work and also checking up on you."

"You nailed out on our wedding, why?"

He stiffens and doesn't say a word. I crook my head to the side to face him. My brow shoots up in question.

"I wasn't ready. I'm sorry."

"Before the accident, did I forgive you?"

"Yeah, you did."

I did, I forgave him. Then why was I with Omar when the accident happened?

Cos you married him dummy!

"Yousuf?"

"Yeah?" He looks at me squarely. His grey eyes piercing into my brown ones. "Was there a chance, maybe a chance of us again?"

"There was only a chance of us." Our heads snap to the figure at the door, his hazel brown eyes syncing with mine. "I fell in love with you Aisha. We fell in love. I love-"

"Stop! Don't please. How could I have fallen in love with you? I hate you remember. You broke me to pieces in highschool, you made me worthless. Do you have any idea how I felt when you walked past me with your girls."

A tear escapes my eyes and rolls down my cheek. "You treated me like trash. Please leave."

"I'm sorry I treated you that way. I'm sorry I was a jerk, I love you. I never toyed with you, I made a terrible mistake."

This made me huff. He didn't toy with me? Funny. "Then why the heck did you kiss her? Why didn't you apologize then huh?"

"I was drunk. I'm sorry I didn't apologize, I wasn't taught to."

I wasn't taught to.

I wasn't taught to.

He wasn't taught to...

These words kept repeating in my head. I find my eyes close subconsciously. He wasn't taught to.

My mind flashes to an image. I was sitting next to someone. I'm not sure who that person was but his eyes were locked with mine. His hazel brown eyes were full of sadness. He placed a finger on my lips and smiled sadly. He brought our locked hands to his lips, placing his soft skin that radiated a burning desire through my body.

"I'm sorry for highschool."

He wasn't taught to apologize. He wasn't brought up that way...

The vision ends and brings a terrible headache. I use my hands to hold my head in the crushing pain. It felt so real, like a memory. A hand on my back draws my attention. I look at Omar whose eyes are locked with mine, in those eyes held affection and love. It dawns on me, he apologized.

"Get the doctor! Are you feeling good?"

"You apologized." I whisper, my eyes not leaving his.

His hand leaves my back but his eyes don't. "You remember?"

I nod.

The doctor walks in with Yousuf, so Yousuf ran out to call the doctor. I didn't notice.

"I remembered something." I smiled, as little as this might be. It means a lot to me, I have hope that I would remember more. It's so sad not knowing a lot of things that happened. Hopefully, I would remember all.

"Good, I reckon something triggered that memory. You're good to go home as long as you take your medications and you all should try to help her. Make her do things she loved doing, take her to places she visited in the past." He looks at them and walks away.

This news cheers me. I can go home. I smile brightly at Omar and Yousuf, they smile back.

"We're going home." Omar says.

"Your house?" I swallow hard. He shakes his head and says, "Our house."

"You want her to get in another accident huh?" Yousuf huffs. "She's safer with me."

"She's my wife."

"She doesn't recall. And unlike you, I won't hurt her. She's safer with me."

Omar grunts in annoyance. In a swift, he pins Yousuf to the wall. "She's my wife and she's coming with me!"

They're acting like animals! They're going to hurt each other. "Stop!"

They all snap to me. "I'm going to live with Aliyah."

Omar let's go of Yousuf and cones to my side.

"Call Aliyah." I say without looking at him.

Minutes later, my room is filled with people. Somehow, mum heard the news. So she called Yasmin and Yasmin called Abubakar. But it seemed like it's a family meeting. My relatives came including my in-laws. Speaking of in-laws, Omar's dad came too but left shortly after.

Abubakar drove us to Aliyah's house. I could see Omar through the window as he drove off. I could see the sadness in his eyes which puzzled me. Since when was Omar capable of having feelings?

Weird.

• • • •

Living with Aliyah was fun, she tries her best to make me remember. So far I haven't remembered a thing. We go out a lot but unfortunately, nothing clicks. As for Omar, ever since I was discharged two weeks ago, I haven't seen him. I heard his footsteps multiple times but I refuse to speak with him. He never missed a day. Everyday, he sends texts, flowers, gifts and talks to Aliyah. I know that the moment I talk to him, I would follow him home because I need him to remember. That, I didn't want to. But as I said, I need him to remember.

Mum calls everyday and although I assured her I'm okay, she still bakes cakes for me. Even Adam visits, Yousuf send texts too. My little princesses come to see me too.

The more I tried to forget Omar, the more I thought of him. I hate having to need him. I pick my phone and go to my contacts. I press on his number which he picks immediately.

"Take me home."