27-07-2026, 05:06 PM
Chapter 48: Sarah (Act 1)
The train car rattled rhythmically on the tracks, a metallic lullaby that did nothing to soothe Rahim’s restless mind. He stared out at the darkened countryside, a blur of shadowy shapes under a sliver of moon. His body was here, but his mind was back at a secluded lake, on smooth sun-warmed rocks, wrapped around a woman who was not his wife.
He fished his phone from his pocket, the glow illuminating his face. A few text exchanges with Lina were all that connected him to his real life. He’d been distant, his messages brief and practical. Guilt. It was a cold stone in his gut. He took a steadying breath and pressed the call button. It rang twice before she answered.
“Rahim?” Her voice was soft, laced with the gentle tiredness of her eighth month. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, Lina. I’m on the train. I just… I wanted to hear your voice.”
“You’re finally coming home,” she said, and he could picture her smiling, one hand instinctively resting on her swollen belly. “I’ve missed you. It’s been so quiet.”
“I’ve missed you, too. More than you know.” The words felt like ash in his mouth. “Sari is safe. Back with her family. Everything’s fine.” He kept it vague, his heart hammering against his ribs. Her family. Maya.
“That’s good. I was so worried. For her, and for you. You sounded so strained the last few days.” There was a pause, a quiet moment filled only by the sound of the train. “Is everything else… all right?”
Could she sense it? Could a wife sense the phantom scent of another woman on her husband, even through a phone line? “Everything’s fine,” he repeated, too quickly. “Just a long trip. How are you feeling? How is our little one?”
“He’s active tonight.” She gave a light laugh, and the sound was a balm and a torment all at once.
“Be careful, Lina. Please. Don’t overdo anything. Rest. I’ll be home soon to take care of you.” He meant it, even as the memory of Maya’s thighs gripping his hips flashed behind his eyes.
“I will. I just want you home.” Another pause, this one heavier. “Rahim… you do still want to be here, don’t you? With me?”
The question sliced through him. “Of course I do,” he insisted, his voice dropping to a husky, emotional whisper. “You and our baby are my entire world. Don’t ever doubt that.” It was the truest thing he’d said all night, a desperate plea for his own belief as much as hers.
They spoke for a few more minutes, his assurances layering over his deceit until he finally ended the call with a promise to text when the train neared the station. He leaned his head back against the seat, exhausted by the performance.
The train car rattled rhythmically on the tracks, a metallic lullaby that did nothing to soothe Rahim’s restless mind. He stared out at the darkened countryside, a blur of shadowy shapes under a sliver of moon. His body was here, but his mind was back at a secluded lake, on smooth sun-warmed rocks, wrapped around a woman who was not his wife.
He fished his phone from his pocket, the glow illuminating his face. A few text exchanges with Lina were all that connected him to his real life. He’d been distant, his messages brief and practical. Guilt. It was a cold stone in his gut. He took a steadying breath and pressed the call button. It rang twice before she answered.
“Rahim?” Her voice was soft, laced with the gentle tiredness of her eighth month. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, Lina. I’m on the train. I just… I wanted to hear your voice.”
“You’re finally coming home,” she said, and he could picture her smiling, one hand instinctively resting on her swollen belly. “I’ve missed you. It’s been so quiet.”
“I’ve missed you, too. More than you know.” The words felt like ash in his mouth. “Sari is safe. Back with her family. Everything’s fine.” He kept it vague, his heart hammering against his ribs. Her family. Maya.
“That’s good. I was so worried. For her, and for you. You sounded so strained the last few days.” There was a pause, a quiet moment filled only by the sound of the train. “Is everything else… all right?”
Could she sense it? Could a wife sense the phantom scent of another woman on her husband, even through a phone line? “Everything’s fine,” he repeated, too quickly. “Just a long trip. How are you feeling? How is our little one?”
“He’s active tonight.” She gave a light laugh, and the sound was a balm and a torment all at once.
“Be careful, Lina. Please. Don’t overdo anything. Rest. I’ll be home soon to take care of you.” He meant it, even as the memory of Maya’s thighs gripping his hips flashed behind his eyes.
“I will. I just want you home.” Another pause, this one heavier. “Rahim… you do still want to be here, don’t you? With me?”
The question sliced through him. “Of course I do,” he insisted, his voice dropping to a husky, emotional whisper. “You and our baby are my entire world. Don’t ever doubt that.” It was the truest thing he’d said all night, a desperate plea for his own belief as much as hers.
They spoke for a few more minutes, his assurances layering over his deceit until he finally ended the call with a promise to text when the train neared the station. He leaned his head back against the seat, exhausted by the performance.
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