It was two months to Salamat's graduation and It was her wedding night. A day she had waited for, like it would never come. They had both anticipated this day but now it was crowded with fear in her mind...fear and anxiety.
She had cried all through the day and she couldn't point out the reason for her tears. Maybe it was the fear of an unknown future as a married woman or the fact that she was leaving her parent.
She was now going to be living with her husband, leaving her parent whom she had always shared shelter with.
Things have changed just within a day and the fact that remained after her tears which were still evident in her beautifully decorated face was that she was now a married woman.
She was no longer the little Salamat of yesterday. She was now someone's wife, not just anybody but Saleem, her ideal husband.
Even though they were already entitled to each other, even before they tied the knot, they hadn't gone past the limit of kissing each other, and Salamat was used to it. But the real deal was scaring the hell out of her.
She remembered the rains of prayers her parent poured on her before she was conveyed to her husband's house and her mother's advice on how to be a submissive wife who will never deprieve her husband of his conjugal rights. Tears gathered in her eyes and before she knew it, it began to pour.
They were now in front of the home. The home of Saleem and Salamat, where their marriage will be consummated and where they would bore and raise their princes and princesses, she thought with a smile as she wept silently.
Her parents didn't come with her, but Hadiza, Rekiya, Oga Buks' wife, and Alhaji Bashir's wife were with her and they alighted from the car, singing, and dancing as they took her into the house.
After some minutes, every one of them disappeared leaving the newlyweds alone in the sitting room looking at each other.
Salamat wished they would stay till daybreak so she could keep on chatting with her friend Hadiza, who was Saleem's immediate.
She felt like running after them as the silence lingered, so they could take her back home. She dare not voice that out and she knew that was impossible. Her parent's home was no longer hers and her mother would gladly send her back to her husband.
Saleem was lovingly staring at her and muttering "alhamdulillah (all praises be to Allah)" repeatedly, with a sly smile.
"Welcome to our home, wifey", Saleem stood up and stretched his hand at her.
"First, we need to observe the nawafil (voluntary) prayer for newly-weds and others would follow."
Her heart thumped wildly with fear, at the statement.
"Have you eaten?" He asked her and she nodded.
"Go and perform ablution then", he said and strolled towards the bathroom.
15 minutes later, they were done with the prayer and Saleem supplicated some more, asking her to spread her palm out and rub it over her face.
"Ya Rabbil Alameen", he finalized and Salamat quickly chipped in with "Ameen."
"I want to go and shower", he told her and went into the bathroom.
Salamat stood up from the prayer mat and folded it in a hurry before going over to her box to bring out her nightwear. She removed her bridal dress and quickly wore the nightie before laying on the bed and closing her eyes.
The door to the bathroom opened immediately and Saleem came out. "Babe, go and take your shower too."
Salamat sighed and stood up to go to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she was out of the bathroom to see Saleem already seated on the bed. She wore her nightie back and joined him in bed. She tried to lay down but he stopped her.
"Are you nervous?" He asked her.
Salamat nodded.
"Come here." He said and rested her head on his chest. "Don't be nervous. We've been anticipating our wedding night and it was like it will never come and here it is. I love you." Salamat nodded again.
Saleem chuckled, trying to hide his nervousness. "Won't you tell me the same?"
"I...I..lo..love....." She was cut short by a kiss accompanied by a hand roaming her entire body. She shivered and felt hot all of a sudden.
His lips moved against hers and he bit her gently, earning a low moan from her. Desire surged through him, hearing the moan from her and he pinned her to the bed.
"Can w..we ta..ta..ke off the light?" She stuttered with an embarrassed look.
"No," he said and took her already parted lips again after having dumped his singlet on the floor. Salamat saw the look she had never seen before and she became scared.
Then, she began to cry.
Saleem sat up immediately, panting heavily.
"Baby, what's the matter? Did I hurt you?" He asked but Salamat was looking elsewhere as her body vibrated continuously with more tears flowing down.
Saleem became alarmed and stood up from the bed. He rushed to the other side of the bed and carried her up. She nestled close to his chest and her body vibrated more.
Then her cries subsidized and she fell into a deep slumber, with Saleem looking at her every minute, trying to figure out the reason for the reaction.
Before sleep overtook him, he figured out the answer to his question.
"The trauma was back!" He mumbled with fear.
****
Salamat had been feeling guilty and unhappy after what happened on her wedding night. She was depriving her husband of his rights but it was not her fault.
Though, she sometimes blame herself. This was happening because she was not mentally ready and that was because she had not given it much thought until the day of her wedding.
She missed his constant touch.
She felt relieved that he wasn't showing dissatisfaction with her behavior in the bedroom. It was already a week and he was always trying his best every night, even though it always ended in tears for Salamat.
The memories were back and it was affecting her. But she was now more than ready to overcome it. She knew it was happening because the whole thing was new to her. But now, she was already used to being intimate with her husband.
The Eid festival was the next day and she wanted to make it a memorable one for her husband. She woke up early that morning to start preparing since Saleem's parents and siblings would be coming over a day after the Eid. She wanted to finish her work on time, rest, and prepare herself for tonight.
By the time Saleem was back from school, where he was doing the fieldwork expedition with some American archaeologist which was going to end the next month, Salamat was done with her chores and was browsing some tips on her phone.
"Welcome Husby", she greeted with a peck.
"How is my darling doing?" He asked with a smile.
"Doing great. It's just that she missed you."
"I missed her too." He grinned before kissing her briefly on the lips.
"Go and shower and come down for dinner. I have a surprise for you."
"Surprise? Hmmm! I can't wait for you to unveil that surprise", he winked at her, before going to the bedroom upstairs and she blushed.
*****
"Please, be gentle on me", she whispered, as he kissed her back.
She had initiated the kiss immediately they got to the bedroom and he smiled at her and kissed her back.
"Of course, I will", he said and he dropped her on the bed before hovering over her like a predator.
He took his time examining her beautiful creamy and caramel body and kissed her all over.
Salamat could feel her body vibrating again but she was more than willing to overcome it there and then. She wept for a while with her body still vibrating, holding firmly onto her husband, telling him to keep kissing her.
Saleem wanted to get off her but she was clutching his clothings tight. He didn't know what else to do as he tried to calm her down.
After a while, the vibration subsidized and it unleased the naughty girl in Salamat.
She kissed her husband back hungrily as he took off her clothes and his. He took his time to study her body and getting her accustomed to his foreplays and then he made love to her gently, just like he had anticipated till the daybreak.