I'm not the best listener, nor I give the best advice, still for some reason Ines opened up to me in a way I never thought it was possible, And being me, of course I blew that up..
When she asked me how Eliyas and I made up I could only say after much thinking:
_" Your brother and I were lacking in every way when we first married, but we were too prideful to admit that, when we met again after a long time, only then we had the courage to try to fix our imperfections, because we both knew that that was truly our last chance either to stay or to leave, I guess once you realize you can possibly lose everything for good, you start acting more different and more impulsive."
For an unknown reason, after I said these words, Ines surprisingly informed me:
_" It was I who tried to lure Akrem first, isn't that funny? otherwise, he wouldn't have looked at me in the first place.."
And yes, that came out of her mouth all at sudden just like this, and she said it to me, her dearly hated sister in-law.
The expression of my face must have looked quite funny yet she didn't mind it at all, she simply took a deep breath, then continued:
_" It was more of a game at the beginning, a collegemate of mine showed me a video of a press conference which Akrem held representing the Filladi co, all the comments below were full of admirations to him, even this collegemate asked me about him and how was he like in real life, I never noticed him before, I only noticed him then, so the next time we met I looked at him with admiration but he didn't even bother being affected by my whole existence, My vanity as a woman was hurt, I was beautiful and better than him in many ways I thought, yet he was acting arrogant ignoring me, it's silly isn't it? Just because of this I did all I could to attract his attention although I had not a single emotion towards him nor I wanted more with him, you know how mother looks down on him so I never wanted anything serious, then when Azziz came to my life I simply abandoned Akrem like he was nothing."
She stopped talking, looked at me carefully, maybe she was expecting me to say a word or two at this point, but I didn't, so she just continued:
_" When Azziz was in jail and I was acting like a fool trying to get him out of there Akrem asked to meet me one day, although he knew I only toyed with him before he still handed me a memory card behind Eliyas's back and he asked me to check its content first then make a better judgment, that I deserved to live better days than what I was going through, even then I still looked down on him, and called him the worst of things, only when I went home I discovered that the memory card was full of pictures and chat screenshots to prove Azziz's real face, I had another boyfriend and it was him again who saved the thoughtless me, and I humiliated him yet another time, it's not my intention to act like this, but every time he does something good to me I choke in guilt and I act like that to push him away, then when I had to choose someone to marry, Although I knew he was the better man, I still chose Nadir because Nadir was everyone else's better choice, I lost Akrem for good that night.. I know that.. But I can't help regretting it, I don't want him to go but I can't choose him either."
Once she finished talking, I truly came to realize I'm the last person she could discuss such twisted feelings with because I'm a righteous person, and being a righteous person I felt the need to honestly say to her:
_" Look, unless you come to a definite decision you better not drag other people along with you, what you're doing is just sick, people around you deserve their share of happiness just as much as you think you do, If you're planning to just let them suffer with you for no reason then you better let them all go."
_" It's my mistake for talking to you in the first place! You have no heart!" She yelled at me once I finished talking and threw her dirty tissues on me.
I mean what did she expect from me? To applaud for her and say : "bravo! You're doing a great job!" Or "take all your time to decide! Keep Akrem waiting, keep Nadir waiting, keep a possible third man who suddenly jumps into your life and you just can't look away from him waiting, and keep every freaking person around you feeling concerned and waiting as well!"
How old is she? Only a couple years younger than me yet she was acting like a teen on the strike of puberty!
I stood up, flicked the tissues that stuck on my clothes then said lastly:
_"at the point where you're standing now you'll feel regretful with whichever decision that you'll make, at least choose something you think is deserving of being chosen before it's too late."
Then I left her room right afterwards.
I met both Nadir and Eliyas on my way back to my room, they were both in the corridor not so far from Ines's room, Eliyas was standing tall putting his hands inside his pockets and watching me walk towards them, as for Nadir, he was leaning on the wall and crossing his hands on his chest spacing out in the painting hang right in front of him on the wall, once I reached them Eliyas coldly asked:
_"Happy now?"
He didn't even bother asking how things went with Ines, as if he already knew I was going to mess things up!
Although he was totally right, I still felt very offended.
So I yelled in my defense:
_" were you eavesdropping on us?? Why do people have no privacy in this house!"
He eyed me coldly and said:
_" believe me, I didn't do that nor I accidentally heard anything, and I don't need to be there to perfectly predict how a meeting between my wife and my sister would end."
Having no more words to say, I only intensely glared at him to show him how displeased I was.
That is until Nadir suddenly walked towards me and stopped right in front of my face, by right in front of my face, I mean if I blew air with my mouth it would land like a storm on his face!
But I couldn't blow air to showcase this theory of mine, in fact, I couldn't even breathe because Nadir suddenly lifted his hand and was reaching the side of my neck.
He did that in front of my husband!
Right in front of my freaking jealous husband!!
I was panicking..
He then took a crumpled tissue that was stuck in the collar of my jacket which probably landed there during Ines's tissue attack and he asked while stepping away as if he did nothing at all:
_" Noursine, were you aware of miss Filladi's inclination towards Mr Houdil yet you chose not to inform me about it?"
Eliyas calmly walked towards me, as he gently but firmly held my arm and pulled me closer to him he glared at Nadir and said:
_"More importantly, I should ask if you're aware that this woman is my wife and has no relation nor any obligation towards you except for her right to be called Mrs Filladi and not Noursine by you? If she chose not to tell you that is only reasonable because, like I said, she has no relation to you, If you wish to end your engagement with my sister after the happenings of today I do not blame you."
Nadir looked more tensed after receiving Eliyas's words, seeming fearless he daringly replied:
_" Mr Filladi, I'm well aware of the fact Noursine is a married woman, I never treated this status with disrespect, As for my engagement to miss Filladi, I believe it's a private matter that only I and her should discuss the decision related to it."
He adjusted his poster to stand more firmly then continued while staring right inside Eliyas's cold dark eyes:
_" I believe Mr Filladi is misunderstanding my actions, though, I don't find my self obliged to explain my self for no reason, however, if I should clearly mention the purpose for which I'm standing here and now then it is that I want to see my fiancée before I leave and the only reason that prevented me from doing so earlier is your informing me that Noursine was with her so I didn't want to disturb, now that I can see her, Excuse me.."
He walked pass Eliyas towards Ines's room right after he finished talking.
Much to my admiration that my husband definitely shouldn't know about, Nadir absolutely refused to call me Mrs Filladi.
Once he was gone, I looked back at my husband and I mockingly mimicked him:
_"More importantly, are you aware that only yesterday I had an accident.. scratched my hands and bruised my shoulder? Because I see you're doing your very best trying to touch my wounds, you even blocked my love attack earlier at the farm by__"
I didn't get to finish my words..
Not because my mouth was sealed, nor because I suddenly lost interest in talking.
My health was fine too, I had enough air, energy and my thoughts were clear.
And no major event happened.
I simply stopped talking because Eliyas started walking away and he left me behind all at sudden, having no one to receive my words, I found it wasteful to keep saying them.
And I found it wasteful as well trying to follow that unreasonably rude man to see why the hell was he ignoring me all at sudden, so I didn't do that, still, I had to follow the same path he took only because that was the way to our room, once we reached the stairs and he continued walking in the hall probably towards his bureau I climbed the stairs instead.
However, I barely reached the top of the first row when that very strange husband of mine suddenly roared:
_" Noursine!!"
And I literally mean it, he roared my name..
I have very sensitive ears, so when I heard my name being pronounced as loud as the human physique ability can allow, I naturally jumped on my spot and screamed out of reflex.
His shout was so loud that even the bodyguards were alarmed and they penetrated the villa's gate from outside, and a couple of servants came to the hall as well.
The scenery must have looked very confusing to them all, since I was only plainly standing at the stairs and Eliyas was plainly standing in the middle of the hall, there was no clear reason as to why their usually calm master used his voice beyond its full extent.
But I had a very different reaction from them all, I was terrified!!
And when Eliyas suddenly started walking towards the stairs I ran away with my life towards my room!!
I ran like a cheetah, and that's only an understatement! In fact, I ran so fast that my eyes barely had the time to have a clear vision of my location: the last thing I remember seeing was me standing at the stairs, the next image I remember seeing is me being in the dark, that is because I was hiding under the sheets of our bed in our room, like a freaking 4 years old girl hiding from her mother!
My very unsuccessful quick hiding plan had such a failing outcome for two main reasons:
1- I was never put in a situation where I had to quickly ran away from my husband, that is to exclude the situations where I had much more time to think and plan for my running away, which were a failure as well despite all better investments.
2- the mentioned above, I had no time to think like an adult.
In the end, I was not only terrified of getting out from under the sheets to meet my husband when he calmly walked inside the room soon afterwards, I was very embarrassed as well!
I felt him sitting on the bed right beside me, then he didn't do anything, like absolutely nothing.. He just sat on the bed and waited for me to die from my terror and embarrassment, or the lack of oxygen.
However, being the witty person that I am, I decided to go with the best and safest option that I had, and that is to shout loudly and clearly:
_" I'm sorry!! I was mistaken!"
Although I had no idea what I was apologizing for.
My husband must have sensed this lack of judgment of mine, since his highness finally spoke asking:
_" What are you apologizing for? "
I obviously had no answer, So I preferred to go for the other always successful escape plan: to act naughty and say that I love him the most.
And I was in the process of doing that, I mean I got out from under the sheet like I walked out of a grave, I fixed my hear and disheveled looks, I looked right inside his icy eyes and I was going for a hug then a kiss.
But my plan came to an abrupt end before it was fully executed, since when I was in the middle of affectionately staring at him he suddenly said:
_" I can't let that man be a part of my family Noursine, I hate to admit this, but offering marriage to him was a mistake that should be fixed."
_" Are you talking about Nadir?" I asked although I already knew the answer.
_" I don't want you to misunderstand me though, you're my wife and I well know the woman I'm married to, I have not a single doubt in your faithfulness and well upbringing which is why though I'm being jealous I wasn't planning to intervene in my sister's marriage, but I just can't take more of this..I really can't, to think that I will have a life full of this uncomfort is torture in its self, I know I'm being selfish.. but Ines has to end this engagement."
Well, I must say my husband is very weak to jealousy, he barely endured it for two days and there he goes .. deciding to terminate his rivals whole existence.
I know I should be an obedient wife, But like I said earlier: I'm a righteous person, so I had to objectively remind him:
_" Your sister's life isn't a toy Eliyas, today you bring her a man tomorrow you take that man back from her, at this point, she should decide for herself, she's already having a lot to think about on her own you can't force her to take the consequences__"
_"Let me be clearer." He suddenly interrupted me.
He stood up .. then looking at me from his height he said imposingly:
_" That man.. Will never marry my sister, and I don't care about the rest."