"Is it because I'm not good enough for my own home, or is it because of my mother?"*
Both the Elder Brother and Oum quickly turned to look at him as he entered Abah's room with visible frustration. He continued speaking bitterly, *"Because if fulfilling the role of a mother is required, then I should call my parents and have them unite with me. Truly, Fadeel, listen to me—just listen!"
"Be patient, Abah, that's not what I meant. But Oum here—"
"Teacher, get up and leave. We'll talk in the morning."
Abah cut him off sharply, his displeasure clear. The Elder Brother glanced at Oum, his eyes glistening again, and she subtly signaled for him to leave. Reluctantly, he turned and headed for the door.
As he walked away, Abah shook his head in silent frustration, thinking (They keep bringing up their mother—as if everyone hasn't lost someone, even the Imam doesn't care about that).* His cold gaze shifted to Oum, who sat stiffly on the side of the bed, pretending not to notice him in the room. Just as she was about to stand up, he commanded sharply, *"Sit back down."
She obeyed, sitting back before raising her eyes—now wet with tears—to meet his for the first time. He stared back, his expression hardening, then suddenly scoffed and wiped his face with irritation before speaking again.
“Oh, so now because I made a fair judgment regarding your son, you got angry with me? You called your elder brother to gather the family against me just because I didn’t agree with how things should be?”
Oum's eyes flickered slightly before she fixed them on him again. She opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped as tears welled up. Seeing this, Abah felt a pang in his chest—but this time, he steeled himself. His resolve to discipline Ajwaad grew stronger; the boy needed to learn Maanal's importance. There was no way he would allow their marriage to happen secretly, nor would he let Ajwaad lose her in secret.
Just as he made to leave the room, Oum finally released the tears she had been holding back. In a voice choked with sobs, she said, “Is this what you want? To kill my son before your anger subsides? Even Gadanga wouldn’t be satisfied with the punishment you’re giving your younger brother.”
Abah’s faint smile, which had lingered since she started speaking, slowly faded. He turned his face away, clenched his jaw, then looked back at her from where he stood.
“Rafeeq didn’t discipline your son. The position he sought—justice was served because of his stubbornness. And because I knew he would act this way, I stopped him.”
He finished speaking and turned to leave. A heavy silence filled the room as Oum’s neck stiffened with suppressed emotion. Her heart ached at the thought of Maanal having to return to Ajwaad’s section under such miserable conditions...
