Chapter 86: B

To hell with falling in love with her. She didn't know she had hissed outwardly until she saw the way his expression had changed but Saima wanted to hurt him so bad that she wasn't even going to apologize for that. "Open the door for me, Hafiz." His name struggled out of her throat, but she was proud of herself for being able to say it.
He looked taken aback and she quickly pulled her gaze away from him and then she saw Alan Gubro's entourage and she pointed it at him, "Unless you're interested in the questions Abba would ask you when he sees us sitting in your car when we should be outside, open the door for me, right now!" She used Abba because she didn't want him to think that she was going to scare him with royalty.
Wordlessly, Hafiz unlocked the door for her and she walked out without even glancing at him. She was aware of how he was staring at her before he mustered the courage and walked out of the car himself, but Saima forced herself not to even glance at his way. She wanted to be done with him once and for all.
When Alan Gubro saw her, he smiled warmly but she had a pout on her lips, "Come on, my princess, you shouldn't be angry with your Abba, should you?" They all chuckled at how pouty she looked as she walked towards Abba's open arms for her and hugged him, feeling shy because of the amount of people staring at them.
"How can I stay angry at the king himself?" She whined and he smiled lovingly at her before he patted her head.
"Good morning, Alan Gubro," Maryam greeted with a shaking voice. Even though they had met on different occasions and all she knew now about were how loveable he was and jovial, but she still felt uncomfortable when she was together with him.
"Oh, there comes the future Queen. Good morning, my dear." She smiled at the name he now used in referring to her which only meant that he had accepted her wholeheartedly. She loved it and it made her feel warm within, even though just like Na'im didn't care about all those royalty things, she didn't either. She could be contented just being Na'im's wife for the rest of her life.
It all happened so fast, she hugged him shyly for the last time before he walked behind Alan Gubro and they entered the plane. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she knew she could text the words to him even though she would have wanted it better if she heard his reply in words.
They walked back into the car and she was aware of the tension that lied in every crevice and corner of the car but that wasn't her concern at the moment. She had known about their fight and she figured it was better if they tried to talk it out themselves. She pulled her phone out of her bag and tried to send him a message as she worked so hard in stifling back her tears.
'I'm missing you already, Noory. And I love you soo much that it hurts my brittle heart. I could hear the baby crying too. Can't you just come back?' She knew he would laugh when he saw how she tried to manipulate him using the baby, and she knew he should have been used to that by now.
It took only a few minutes before his reply came. 'I'm missing you more. If it hadn't been for Abba, I would've run back home but as the first prince, there are some duties that I have to do whether I like it or not, Hoor. I'm so sorry you're missing me, don't cry also and pat the baby's head for me, it shouldn't cry either.'
They kept on texting each other on their way back home that Maryam hardly noticed where they were until she heard the car parked in front of Na'im's chamber and because she knew about their situation, when Saima tried to get down to help her out of the car, she chuckled and told her she would be able to do it herself.
Saima turned to him when she heard the lock sound, once again, and this time when he turned to look at her, he looked infuriated that she was slightly unnerved. "I want us to talk, Saima, and damn it if you aren't going to listen to me!"
She relaxed back on the chair because she saw no use in asking him to open the door for her, because it didn't look like he was willing to do that without him saying whatever he wanted to, to her. "And what's so important to have you this infuriated, Soldier? I thought friends never get angry at those they used to be friends with. And I don't think I have any unsettled business with you..." He was about to speak when she cut him off, her anger coming back and she furiously yelled at him, "Just open the damn door and let me out, I'm done talking with you!"
"You have to listen to me, Princess. Because I'm in love with you and I'm tired of holding that in my heart!"
She chuckled humorlessly and flashed him an amused look, "Oh, what a surprise that is. Have you picked some interest in poetry? Because that just sounds like a confession of a poet." She closed her eyes to calm herself down a bit, "Look, Soldier, it's past the time where I'd give a damn whether you love me or not. Just unlock the damn door and have me out!" She was screaming at the pitch of her voice that the only thing Hafiz could do was unlock the door for her and in a second, she was out of the door and she banged it close, breaking his heart into a thousand shards along the way.
...
It felt like hell. That was it, hell. Even though they spoke every day, Maryam felt as though she was in hell with his absence that surrounded every where she was. She had even forgotten how it felt like to be free and have a heart that's devoid of any thoughts. Since he left three days ago, she had never thought that she was going to miss him the way she did. Yes, they spoke on phone at any chance he got, but it was still different. She wanted him there with her and she wasn't seeing him.
She was in the bathroom and when she realized that there was no towel to roll up the hair she had just washed, because Intisar had taught her how to do it and she didn't have to go through the pain of sitting in a saloon, having fingers that felt like knives in her hair, Maryam continued doing it herself. And it was so satisfying, which had also given her time to think about something else, apart from him.
"Bilkisu!" She called out, trying to wipe the water from her eyes and at the same time, take care of her hair that was trying to stick all over her body. She hated wet hair on her body and she didn't want to cringe or be frightened at the situation she was. "Bilkisu! Will you help me with a towel, please?" She screamed the words out because it seemed to her that Bilkisu wasn't so near, she'd have been there holding the bunch of towels for her to choose.
"Intisar! I need your help, please!" She called out and wondered what these two ladies were up to. Or had they taken a stroll through the palace when they had thought maybe she was asleep in her room or being gloomy all day, like she did since he left? "Intee! Will you please come over?" She called again, lifting the hair out of her eyes as she tried to stand up.
She took tentative steps in an attempt to get out of the bathroom, but it seemed like while washing her hair, Maryam had spilled the shampoo and the silkiness of it made the floor slippery that no matter how she tried to hold onto something, she slipped and fell on the floor, feeling her body registering the pain that surged through her entire system while she screamed at the pitch of her voice.
She broke into tears because she had no other way of helping herself, she didn't even know what to do now that she couldn't even move and the pain, the wetness of the floor and the hair she had just washed felt like cringing insects on her body. She was still crying, not knowing how long she had been in that position when she heard someone knocking on the door for her and that someone, whoever she was, thought of entering and because the bathroom door was opened, she saw her lying on the floor.
"Maryam!" Saima shrieked when she saw her in that position and ran towards her. She lifted her head and placed it on her lap and start tapping her cheek softly, "Maryam, can you hear me? Innalillahi, Yarima will turn crazy if something happens to you, Maryam!" She was so terrified that she might cry as well.
Maryam could hear her, but she was so drained of energy that she couldn't even speak to her. She didn't know what to tell her. Everything pained like hell and she just wanted to sleep a bit longer. Saima was crying by now, when it became evident that Maryam wasn't going to wake up or even make a sound that will prove she was still alive. Or conscious enough to confirm her safety.
She took the phone she had practically thrown on the bathroom floor as she briskly searched for his number, glad that she didn't delete it out of anger, if not, she didn't even know what she would do now. He picked at the first ring and she heard the surprise vivid and clear in his voice.
"Princess?" He asked, as if he wasn't sure if Saima would ever call him again and he seemed pleased. But she wasn't here to listen to his princess and soldier fantasy world, she was here about something real and urgent.
"Are you closely to the palace please? I don't know what to do, I just came in and found Maryam on the bathroom floor, it looks like she's slipped and fell and she's not moving!" He heard the panic in her voice in an instant and she could already feel the urgency of his action whatever it was he was doing.
"I'll be there in five minutes, try and get some help." She did, because before he arrived, Intisar and Bilkisu had came back from their evening stroll and when they saw the door to Maryam's room was opened, Intisar decided to check up on Maryam, but the sight before her was so terrifying that it got her crying in what seemed like seconds.
Like he had said, he was there in five minutes and they rushed her to the hospital. They all waited as the doctor checked up on her and when she came out with a relaxed smile, they didn't know when they all sighed out of relief. "How's she?" They asked at the same time and the doctor chuckled at the distress on their faces.
"Let's all be thankful that it didn't affect her or the baby. She fell unconscious due to the shock of the fall and how tired she was. I've attached an IV to her body, we can discharge her when it's over and we sense she's relaxed enough and not feeling any pain from the fall. Relax please, she'll be fine in no time." She was out of their sight in no time and Intisar rushed into the room, followed by Bilkisu but Saima stared at a long bench over yonder before she walked over and sat on it. She had totally forgotten about him.