~When all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love~

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Yasmeen

Life can be a piece of art, a magic enchantment, a fetching fairy tale or an adventurous story trimmed with alluring episodes. But it may as well be a delusive or hazardous act with many wildcat players seeming to be what they are actually not, I thought as I made Ahmad's bed

He was getting dressed after a long shower when his married sister "Muhibbah" called

He quickly hit the answer button and put her on speaker. Then he went back to putting on his shirt

"Go and help my husband with his car, it broke down in the middle of the road" she commanded him, before ending the call

Although it was raining, it didn't stop Ahmad from rushing out of the house to his sisters husband's rescue, Who has locked himself in the car as he waits for help. A friend picked him up shortly after Ahmad's arrival.

Ahmad's brother in-law left him working on the faulty car under the rain. He managed to get a mechanic when he figured it's not something he could fix and they toyed the car to a garage for repairs

He came back tired and hungry, I served him food as soon as he returned. I sat with him to keep him company while he ate, which was a total waste of my valuable time because his eyes were glued to his phone

"How does the food taste? Do you like I......."

"Shhhhhhh" he said, raising his palm at me, signaling me to stop talking. I quickly shut it

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to be disturbed when I am on my phone, stop interrupting me. Now I have to re-read the message I have read" he shouted

"Oh, I forgot" I said

"Your car is faulty, I drove it yesterday" he suddenly said, taking his eyes off his phone for a split second

"Oh no, I think this car is trying to tell me that it's tired, I will get a new some soon by God's grace" I said jokingly

"You should take your car to the mechanic for repairs. Try doing something for yourself for once in your life, It feels good" he told me

"If there's anything I hate the most in this world is going to a garage, I've never done it in my life before" I retorted

"Well, there's a first time for everything. I intend to rest this weekend and I am going to do just that. I will not stress myself over this" he replied, in a harsh tone

"My mother and sisters do these things for themselves" he continued

"I know they do it out of obligation, if they had someone willing to do it for them, they wouldn't have done it themselves" I told him

"It's just that they are strong independent women, unlike you" he retorted

"But I'm sure your married sister "Muhibbah"has never done it, in fact you're the one that does it for her husband himself" I said, with my tone full of sarcasm

"You and my sister are different, you live different lives. Stop comparing yourself with her" he said

"I thought she is the object of your comparison. Oh, I forgot you only compare me with her when it's convenient for you" I said

He gave me a death glare, putting down the chilled bottle of coke he was holding

"My sister and her husband "Irfan" are on their way to Ummy's, you should come and greet them" he said, making his way out.

I quickly did the dishes and headed to ummy's house where we waited for Ahmad's sister and her family, They came later that evening

When Ummy saw her son in-law 'Irfan' Her body started shaking, she was in her best behavior, Watching herself and being cautious of her speech.

She looked at him with so much admiration and addressed him with respect. She gave him the kind of respect that is equivalent to the one you'll give someone older, wiser, and more superior to you

Ahmad's whole family looked at Irfan with that kind of admiration that gives you the feeling that someone is superior to you, or someone is better than you in certain ways.

Their reception towards him was remarkable. In their eyes, he is a superior being. They believe that he lives in another higher world that is complex, poetic, exotic and beyond their reach. They treated him like an angel of mercy, gracing them with his presence, as they wait for him to shower them with his mercy and blessings.

Irfan couldn't hide the surprise and the embarrassment in his face as we all watched Ahmad shout and jump like a retarded whale while he played with his nieces

Habiba greeted him with respect and humility when he arrived, after which she took her leave. She knew he was not someone to joke with, she couldn't dare look into his eyes or listen to his conversation talk less of sharing her views like she always does. She is the one who has always got something to say, but today, she is no where to be found.

Ahmad was the only one courageous enough to spark up a conversation with his brother in-law "Irfan" though he seemed like a completely different person around him, he was so desperate to impress and get his approval

Ahmad was at his tail and at his service, it looked like he was going to swallow Irfan whole, because he looks at him like a delicious piece of chicken.

I sat there silently, feeding my eyes and curiosity as I wondered how he got them to respect him that much. Though at some point, It wasn't hard to figure out that they fear him, they give him that respect out of fear

Ahmad cracked dry jokes in a desperate attempt to make him laugh, he brought up silly conversations just to keep him company. But Irfan chipped in every once in a while, gracing their ears with not more than a sentence or two. Then he waits for Ahmad to come up with another conversation. If he doesn't find it interesting, he maintains his silence.

If It was I that was this silent, and not taking part in their conversation, Ahmad would have cursed me to death

Muhibbah's husband is nothing I have expected. He is calm, gentle, principled, well mannered and composed. He is not fame hungry or attention starved. I saw an honest man, not fake at all.

I respected his honesty and the way he was being himself and not pretending to be eye candy, nice on the outside just like Ahmad.

He is a respectable gentleman who commands respect, for he is a man capable of shouldering the responsibility of a family. His wife lacked nothing even though she does not work, and the dress his daughter is wearing also shouts abundance

But there was something about Irfan that got my attention, He has got very sad eyes. Like he can only see his life as this most miserable accident that he has been forced to endure

He wore his happiness like a mask and a girl had run off across the lawn with the mask and there was no way of going to knock on her door and ask for it back.

He breathed an atmosphere of sorrow. Like he believes that happiness is an illusion, It doesn't actually exist.

He seemed imprisoned in his sadness. Like he is at a place where he could not go back and he was not sure, after all, that he wished to go forward. It is a miserable sensation.

Melancholy, is an appetite no misery satisfies. Muhibbah's husband is a melancholy-looking man, he had the appearance of one who has searched for the leak in life's gas-pipe with a lighted candle.

Muhibbah sat by her husband's side after making sure the help has brought him a trey with water and a soft drink on it

I looked at them for a moment, Both of them had a sad complicated desperation about them that made love seem like a burden, a waste and a mess

Muhibbah brought up a conversation, desperately trying to paint a perfect picture of herself, her husband and their relationship. But she failed miserably, he made her look like a complete idiot

She giggled and laughed and kept giving Irfan flirtatious touches and high fives while she talked, But he didn't respond to any of them. He was like a stone, sitting cold and unmoving.

Judging by the way Irfan was looking at Muhibbah, It's evident that his love for her is so deeply woven with resentment that he could not untangle the two.

When she asked him a question, He just nodded and looked at her with scornful eyes, with the eyes of someone living a life full of regrets, like he was dragged into a pit of unhappiness by her and he is not forgiving her for it. He looked at her with the resentment of an enemy, who has just finished drinking a cup of poison waiting for his enemy to drop dead.

She forced out a smile, letting her desperation bounce off to the floor and acted like it was nothing

Their daughter suddenly ran to her father and sat on his laps, but he was barely holding her. He looked at her with such indifference and scolded her for pouncing on him like that. It wasn't hard to figure out that that beautiful father daughter bond was missing

Now furious Muhibbah hugged her daughter and told her sorry while she waited for Irfan to apologize or come up with a silly explanation for why he did that in an attempt to fool me, just like Ahmad or any of his siblings except Muhseen would have done. But instead, he ignored her

I came to the conclusion that my situation and Ahmad's brother in-law's situation is similar, we both didn't get the packages we have bargained for, and we didn't realize it until when the packages were already open. But we try to work around it and live with it, which isn't healthy or advisable

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