Chapter 5

In one of the big banks in Cairo.

Autumn... It is that season of the year when the leaves fall, the trees dry up and the fruits decrease, and this is what happens in the autumn of human life, where feelings fall and material things prevail and the eyes do not see the potential of hearts and their longing for love and erotomania, so they look for these inner feelings in the souls until winter comes to quench these thirsty hearts, so they look for their spring.

Mahmoud was looking for the spring of his lost heart, his feelings were buried inside himself, inflamed with adoration, preoccupied with the material things of life, the pressures of work and the endless needs of the family, but increasing day by day and year after year until it almost killed his emotions and ravaged his heart.

He still needs some time to make a sound decision that he never regrets, he is afraid of losing any member of his family, as soon as he announces his desire to marry Aaliyah, the conflicts and crises will not stop, he is still thinking about that first moment between him and his wife Huda when he tells her about this, he is afraid of her sadness not her anger, her pain not her rage or indignation, he knows full well that she will be hurt a lot from this, he is afraid of that look that she will throw at him and in her eyes questions like How did you do this to me?Why? What Have I done wrong to you or to your children? Is this a really nice response for my favors to you and your children?Is this what I deserve from you after such a long life? All these questions he does not have a single answer to any of them.

Mahmoud was confused, absent-minded thinking about all the things he was about to face until that woman Aaliyah knocked on the door of his office, he said in extreme exhaustion he suffered from a lot of thinking:

- Come on in.... Hello, Aaliyah.

- Am I going to waste your time?

- No, never the other way around, you're pulling me out of my never-ending thoughts.

- I'm sure our story is part of your thoughts, Isn't it?

Mahmoud looked deeply in her eyes and smiled then said:

- Our story is all that concerns me, Aaliyah.

- And what did you get?

- I have not made a final decision yet, but not about our marriage, it's about to speak with Huda about it or not, I just want not to hurt her or lose any one of you.

- Can I ask you a direct and frank question?

- Of course, you may ask what you want.

- Don't you think that if I refuse our marriage, it may be the only solution to all these problems?!

Mahmoud got up from his chair and turned directly to her and said in anxiety and tension:

- You refuse?! I am ready to face the whole world because of you and do the most annoying thing to my family to be with you, then you refuse our marriage, Aaliyah?!

- I just... don't want to be the reason why you lose your home and your children after a whole lifetime.

- I think I have the right to live the rest of my life in the way that makes me happy, even if it takes away my home and my parents from me for a certain period, surely after a while it will be easier to deal with the subject than now.

- Do you think so?!

- Yes, but have you made your decision?!

Aaliyah thought for a while then said:

- The truth is... I'm scared, and I don't understand the whole thing until now, How did all this happen within two months?!

- Believe me, Aaliyah, I was dying from the inside, I was a person without feelings, I felt a great emptiness in my life, to some extent you appeared and you were the hope that gave life to my heart again and gave my life a meaning and a purpose to live.

- But I know you love your family too much.

- I really do, but now I love myself more than before, and I feel that I am loved by a person who has all the characteristics that I have dreamed of all my life, and this person is you, Aaliyah.

- Am I this pretty person?!

- The beauty that I saw in you is a beauty that can not be described in words and not told by all the verses of poetry that lovers said.

Aaliyah felt embarrassed even her cheeks got florid and said:

- I didn't know you are a poet!!

- But you are still can't feel me, my Aaliyah.

In the House of Mr. Mahmoud Hefzy in Cairo.

Mahmoud decided to confront, his wife Huda is the only one with whom he has not talked about his marriage yet, while she is an authentic party to this topic, he does not want her to know from others about his marriage to Aaliyah, he wants her to hear him and appreciate his reasons and circumstances that have occurred to him not so short ago.

Mahmoud waited until everyone had finished eating his lunch and the children entered their rooms to sleep or study and asked Huda to join him in the office room to talk to her about his marriage decision, they sat together and moments passed that seemed long for Huda, who said in a lack of understanding:

- What happened, Mahmoud? Is everything okay?!

Mahmoud stood up from his seat and took a long breath before saying:

- I just... want to talk to you about something.

- And why do you look so tense?!

- The truth is, I want to talk to you about it for more than two weeks and every time I back off.

- What are you talking about?!

Is it something concerns you?!

- It concerns me and you with the same extent.

- Say it, Mahmoud, go ahead.

- It's a long time since I felt happy and satisfied with my life, I am losing some thing in my life that l feel faded.

- What are you speaking about?

Are you not feeling well with me?

Huda could not believe it, she was about to cry, while Mahmoud continued:

- I feel suffocated, tired, mentally and physically exhausted and...

- And emotionally, of course, right, Mahmoud?

Mahmoud didn't know what to say, He looked at her with a broken and bewildered expression and did not utter a word.

Huda rose from her seat and turned her back to him and said in concern and suspiciousness:

- Is there another woman in your life, Mahmoud?!

- I am... I don't want you to be sad or hurt because of me, I never made any thing wrong to you, not now nor before, but I... need you to accept my marriage to another woman. I believe you will not refuse to give me that thing which will make me happy.

Huda could not control the collapse of her bones and the inability of her feet to carry her, so she fell with her whole body on the nearest seat and muffled her tears, so she closed her eyes moments passed like an eternity before she said in a shrill voice:

- I am... I will not say what I have made for you and for our children, you surely know all the words that can be said in a situation like this, or say that I am not going to annoy from you or It will be easy to forgive you and that woman who has changed you like that, but I am caring for our children, the fruits that I have lived my whole life waiting to reap, I lived for you and for them because they are yours, Mahmoud.

- I am... I can't forget it, Huda, we all became better because of you, and thanks to you after our Lord, but believe me I need a life, a psychological atmosphere and a life bigger than the one I'm living right now.

Huda had that sad smile on her face while she said:

- It's obvious that you have made your decision and no need for talking more about it, l just have one thing that is very important to me.

- What is it?

- Just postpone your decision or your marriage for only one month until Toka and Hadi finish their exams and we make sure they pass.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door bell, and they both looked at each other as they wonder if they were waiting for someone then, and which heavy guest was coming to them at this time.