The doorbell chimed, a nervous flutter in my stomach. I clutched the gift bag a little tighter. It was a beautiful, vibrant Thobe, the one Rami had picked out himself. He’d insisted I give it to his mother, said it would cheer her up after her hospital stay. I hoped he was right.I plastered a smile on my face as the door swung open, revealing my mother-in-law. “Dema, habibti, come in, come in.” Her voice was surprisingly warm, but I knew better than to be fooled. Behind her, I saw her two sisters perched on the plush sofas in the living room, their eyes already assessing me.“Alhamdulillah, you’re looking much better,” I said, offering a small hug. She stiffened slightly, but I pretended not to notice. I handed her the gift bag. “Rami wanted you to have this. He helped me choose it.”She pulled out the Thobe, the rich colours unfolding like a peacock’s tail. She held it up, examining it with a critical eye. “Did you pick this out yourself?” she asked, her tone suddenly sharper.
Work today was going smooth, no drama, no need for extra shifts and no reports to write.I was scrolling through my phone during my lunch break, I stumbled upon a compilation of funny baby videos. Giggles bubbled up inside me as I watched a little one try to eat spaghetti for the first time, ending up covered in sauce. A genuine smile stretched across my face. They were just so… pure. So full of innocent joy.But then, the smile faltered. The image of Rami’s face flashed in my mind, his brow furrowed slightly as he’d said, “.I’m not interested in having children right now.” The words, though spoken gently, echoed in my head, a dull ache settling in my chest. It was like a tiny pinprick deflating a balloon of happines.I tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, my thumb still hovering over the baby videos. The desire to be a mother, a longing that had been simmering within me for years, suddenly felt overwhelming. More than anything, I craved the warmth of a family, the unc
The past week had been a living nightmare, literally. Every night, I was plagued by terrifying dreams, jolting awake in a cold sweat, my heart pounding in my chest. Sometimes, Rami would be there, his arms wrapping around me, his voice soothing and comforting. Other times, I’d slip out of bed, not wanting to disturb him, and retreat to the spare room. Even when I stayed in our bed, I’d often pretend to be asleep, lying there wide-eyed in the darkness until the first rays of dawn crept through the curtains. Sleep had become a battleground.This morning, I was on the balcony, sipping my tea, trying to shake off the lingering remnants of another horrific dream. Tala, our maid, came out, a look of concern etched on her face. “Madam,” she began hesitantly, “I… I know you’ve been having trouble sleeping.”I nodded, stirring my tea absently.“My mother used to have terrible nightmares, too,” Tala continued. “We went to a sheikh, and he helped her. He said… he said another woman ha
The waiting room was hushed, a gentle hum of nervous energy I knew all too well. My hands were clammy, twisting the strap of my purse. Rami had recommended Dr. Karima, a psychologist he spoke of with reverence.Apparently, she was the person to see in Dubai. I had to admit, the office itself was calming, soft colours and tasteful art. It was a far cry from the sterile, clinical environments I'd imagined.When Dr. Karima finally called my name, her smile was warm and genuine. She extended her hand, her grip firm but gentle. "Dema, please come in. I'm so glad to finally meet you."Her office was even more inviting than the waiting room. Sunlight streamed through the large window, illuminating the comfortable armchairs. She gestured towards one, and I sank into it gratefully. "Please, make yourself comfortable," she said, settling into the chair opposite me. she leaned back slightly, her expression encouraging. "So, Dema," she began, her voice calm and soothing. "Rami tells
The weight of the unknown pressed down on me, a constant, dull ache. Books lined my shelves, their pages filled with stories of lives lived, histories explored. But none of them held a single clue to my story. I’d devoured them, desperate for a spark of recognition, a flicker of memory, anything. But it was no use. My past was a blank canvas. Finally, I gave up. The search was too painful, the emptiness too cruel.With shaky fingers, I dialed the number I’d memorized years ago. It was time. Time to face the only person who might have answers. My old teacher from the orphanage. When she answered, her voice was warm and familiar, a comforting anchor in the sea of my uncertainty.“Hello, Miss Fatin,” I said, my voice a little shaky. “It’s Dema.”“Dema! My dear girl! How wonderful to hear from you!”We chatted for a few minutes, catching up on trivial things, before I finally gathered the courage to ask the questions that had haunted me for so long.“Miss Fatin,” I began, my hea
The plush, velvety chair felt strangely comforting beneath me, a stark contrast to the turmoil churning inside. Dr. Karima sat opposite, her expression a careful blend of concern and professional detachment. “I was drowning, Dr. Karima,” I began, my voice barely a whisper. “The water was icy, pulling me down, and I couldn’t breathe. Then, through the murky water, I saw this… house. Small, almost a shack, really. And there were two people inside it.”I paused, swallowing hard, the memory tightening my chest. “A man and a woman. They looked miserable, the man was shouting, though I couldn’t hear the words. And then… he hit her.” My breath hitched. “He brutally beat her up, Dr. Karima. It was so terrifying.” My hands twisted in my lap. “The worst part was, she didn’t even react at first. Just… stood there. Like she was used to it. And then, after he left – he just walked away, like it was nothing – she got up. Slowly and walked away.”I looked up at Dr. Karima, my eyes search
Dr. Karima’s voice was soothing, a gentle counterpoint to the frantic drumming of my heart. “Close your eyes, Dema. Breathe deeply. Let the tension drain from your shoulders.” I did as she instructed. “Now,” she continued, “think back. Think about your childhood, about your old house.”Images flickered behind my eyelids – fragmented scenes, like snapshots scattered across a dusty album. Dr. Karima’s voice guided me, gently prodding at the edges of my memory. “What do you see, Dema?”I saw rain. Sheets of it, lashing against the small windowpanes of our old house. The wind howled like a hungry wolf, rattling the flimsy frames. It was a storm, the kind that made the whole house tremble. Fear, cold and clammy, gripped me. I was small, huddled under thin blankets, the darkness punctuated by flashes of lightning.Then, Momma was there. Her hands, rough from work but always gentle as she stroke my hair. “It’s alright, habibti,” she whispered, her voice a warm blanket against the storm’s f
Rami and I were watching TV in the living room, it was a quiet evening, I wanted to tell him about my father, I felt this was a good timing to talk about it. "Rami," I began, "I've been doing some digging. About my father." He looked up from his phone, his brow furrowed with concern. "Your father? Dema, I thought..." "I know," I interrupted, twisting my hands together. "I thought I was fine not knowing. But I'm not. I need to find him. I need to know… everything." A heavy silence hung in the air. Rami reached for my hand, his touch warm and reassuring. "Are you sure about this, Dema? This could open up old wounds." I met his gaze, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm terrified, Rami. Absolutely terrified. But I have to do this. I have to face the past, no matter how painful it might be. I can't keep living with this… this emptiness inside me. I need answers. I need closure." He squeezed my hand gently. "And what do you plan to do once you find him?" "I… I want to meet him,
Dema was incredible today. She spoke with confidence, delivered her best performance, and impressed everyone at the meeting. I’ve never been prouder of her. Though I could tell she was nervous, she didn’t stutter or hesitate—not even once. Afterward, I teased her about it just to mess with her, but the truth is, she was absolutely amazing. Following the meeting, I treated everyone to dinner. It was a fun and enjoyable time, but what I really wanted was to unwind alone with my brilliant, lovely wife. So we retreated to our hotel room and spent the rest of the night together—just the two of us. "I’ll take you shopping tomorrow," I told her later, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Get you whatever you want—designer dress, shoes, a new bag. Name it, it’s yours." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Actually, I’ve decided to stop buying top brands. I’m boycotting."I blinked. "Boycotting? Since when?" "Since I realized how much waste they produce, how they exploit wo
Dema hadn’t been sleeping well. I noticed it almost immediately—the dark circles under her eyes, the way her hands trembled slightly when she reached for her coffee in the mornings, the distant look in her gaze as if she were somewhere else entirely. It had been a full week of this, and it was eating away at her. She was exhausted, barely able to focus at work, jumping at the smallest noises. I hated seeing her like this. One morning, after catching her staring blankly at her computer screen for the third time in an hour, I pulled her aside. "Dema," I said, keeping my voice low, "if you need a break, take it. No one’s going to blame you." She hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip the way she always did when she was torn between pride and necessity. But eventually, she nodded. She went home that day, and I hoped—maybe foolishly—that rest would be enough. When I got back that evening, she was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest, her fingers wrapped tightly around a
The first time I said "I love you" to her was during our honeymoon. We were in a café by the beach when it started raining, and in that moment, everything felt magical—the most magical moment of my life. The words came out so spontaneously, so naturally, as if they’d been waiting forever to be said. I never knew love could be this easy. If I had, I would’ve searched the whole earth to find it. But I suppose I’m the luckiest man in the world—love didn’t make me chase it; it simply walked into my life, it walked in my company in jeans, and I didn’t have to suffer to have it.The first time I saw her sick, she looked so vulnerable—adorable, like a little kitten. I didn’t want to leave her side, but I had work the next day, so I slept in another room. Later, I realized how much it hurt her. I wish she had slapped me, knocked some sense into me back then. I was selfish. No—I’ve always been selfish.I take what I want and turn away, never learning to truly consider others. Growing up, t
Before we boarded the plane to the Maldives, I knew I had to do something—something to show Dema that this wasn’t just a contract anymore. That she wasn’t just an arrangement to me. Not after everything we’d been through. Our wedding had been traditional, simple. No rings, no grand declarations—just signatures and obligations. Back then, I hadn’t thought much of it. But now? Now, the thought of her not wearing my ring, not having something that screamed mine in the way my heart had already claimed her, felt wrong. So I went to the most exclusive jeweler in the city. I didn’t just want a ring—I wanted the right ring. The one that would make her breath catch, the one that would make her eyes light up the way they did when she was genuinely happy. The saleswoman showed me countless designs, but the moment I saw it—a stunning, elegant piece with a diamond that caught the light like fire—I knew. This was Dema’s ring.I imagined sliding it onto her finger, the weight of it against her s
It was August fifth.We had our first real fight—not just an argument, but a heated clash where we said ugly things to each other. I know I hurt her feelings, and I owed her an apology. I made sure to make that right. Looking back, I’m still not entirely sure what started it. The fight happened two days after a barbecue at my uncle’s house with my family. Most of the party, I was with my cousins, laughing and catching up. I assumed she was having a good time too, chatting with my mom and aunts—but apparently, she wasn’t. When we got home, she told me one of my cousins had been rude to her, even making mean comments, and that my mom hadn’t been kind either. At the time, I hadn’t noticed anything wrong. I told her they didn’t mean any harm, that she might be overreacting—but I realize now how that must have sounded. I was trying to lighten the mood, not dismiss her feelings. I took her out, hoping to distract her, but it didn’t work. Frustrated, I lost my patience and called her a
The transformation in Dema over those few months was nothing short of astonishing. It wasn’t just her appearance—though that alone was enough to leave me speechless sometimes. Her clothing, once simple and practical, had shifted into something elegant, refined, as if she had always belonged in that world of sophistication. Her hair, always perfectly styled, framed her glowing face like a portrait. But more than that, it was the way she carried herself—her voice, steady and sure, her words deliberate and wise. She wasn’t just playing a part; she had grown into a woman who commanded respect without even trying. No matter the situation, I knew I could rely on her. Business meetings, family gatherings—it didn’t matter. She handled everything with a grace that seemed effortless, as if she had been born for it. Work came naturally to her; she had a sharp mind, a talent for reading people and situations that I admired. But the one thing that ever seemed to shake her was my family—especiall
The first week of our marriage was… overwhelming—for both of us, but especially for her. I could see it in the way her shoulders tensed whenever my mother or aunties gave her another task, another expectation to meet. They weren’t making it easy for her, and I knew it. Tradition was one thing, but the way they scrutinized her every move, as if testing her worth, made me feel sorry for her. Still, she never complained. She just kept trying. Then there were the events—gatherings where the women floated around in designer gowns, their jewelry glinting under the chandeliers like it was part of their skin. She stood among them, beautiful but uncertain, her fingers twisting the fabric of her dress—something simple, something not a top brand. I caught the way the others glanced at her, the subtle arch of their brows, and it burned something inside me. Not because I cared about their approval, but because she did. And damn, did she learn fast. Every day, she absorbed something new—how to
When we arrived at my parents' mansion, the grand entrance we made was everything I had expected—flashing cameras, exaggerated cheers, and the heavy weight of judgmental eyes following our every move. The party was already in full swing, the air thick with expensive perfume and roses. To my surprise, Dema handled it all flawlessly. She smiled at the right moments, greeted my relatives with just the right amount of polite warmth, and even managed to charm my notoriously hard-to-please uncle. I watched her from the corner of my eye, half-expecting her to falter, to show even a hint of discomfort—but she didn’t. Then, as if sensing my thoughts, she leaned in slightly, her voice low enough that only I could hear. "They're starting to doubt us," she murmured, her lips barely moving. "Your relatives has been staring at us for the past five minutes. We need to do something."I glanced over and sure enough, my relatives were watching us like hawks, their sharp eyes flickering between
The moment I pushed open the door and stepped inside, my breath caught in my throat. There she was—Dema—standing by the window, the fading sunlight painting her in gold. The delicate embroidery on her dress shimmered, and the way her fingers lightly traced the edge of her dress, my chest tighten. She looked… breathtaking. Ethereal, even. Like something out of a dream I hadn’t dared to have. For a second, I just stood there, frozen. Words piled up in my mind—You’re stunning. You’re perfect. I don’t deserve this, deserve you. But my tongue felt heavy, my usual confidence slipping. This wasn’t just another negotiation, another deal. This was her. And the way she held herself, so still, so distant—something was wrong. I swallowed hard, forcing myself forward. Now wasn’t the time for poetry. The guests were outside, waiting. The contracts were signed. The alliance was set. “Dema,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “What are you doing? We don’t have time for second thoughts. Everyone’s