Mohammad Waheed (Madulu) (b. 1947) is an eminent writer and journalist from Maldives. He has been decorated with national awards like National Writers Encouragement Award (1985) and National Gold-Pen Award for Journalistic Services (1993). His writings offer an authentic vignette on the social and economic realities of the Maldivian society.

Sakeena’s Story

Dark clouds hovered across the horizon just before sunset. As it became darker, the lightning seemed to increase in brilliance. The once low, distant thunder now sounded like canons overhead.

The fishermen returned. A little while after Ishaa prayers, everyone seemed to have gone to bed. Not a single soul was seen on the streets. Except for a few doorways, no bright lights were visible.

A violent thunderclap sent a cat streaking past the house. Sakeena’s three year-old child wept and clung to her. Since her father had left for Ishaa prayers, Nahuza was afraid to go to sleep until he returned. Whenever there was a thunderstorm, this was her usual behaviour.

Sakeena tried to comfort her daughter, saying, “Daddy might be late. You should go to sleep now.” On the verge of weeping again, Nahuza whimpered softly. On a stormy night such as this, Sakeena preferred her husband to be near her too. But, tonight, she knew he would not come. He would be in a different house on a different bed with another woman. How could she tell her little daughter that her daddy would be staying with his second wife and would not return tonight?

Cuddling her daughter on her breast, Sakeena stroked her gently. Deaf to the roaring thunder and her daughter’s sobbing, her thoughts floated aimlessly amongst the strong winds and currents. She had allowed her happy life to drift away so.

Sakeena lived with her husband Ibrahim and their little girl. In truth, Ibrahim was not a wayward man. Though a good housewife in conventional terms, Sakeena insisted on more than he could give.

She preserved her virginity for her husband until they married. But in return for that, she demanded too much. Ibrahim gave in to Sakeena almost to the point where he could be mistaken for her slave.

Her own inscrutable behaviour and doubts regarding her husband’s fidelity diminished the flame of love and allowed the darkness of hatred to creep in. Their love faded as she tried to possess Ibrahim. Things deteriorated to such an extent that their marriage now existed at the level of a trading partnership and no more.

While in his heart he yearned to become an educated man, Ibrahim had to leave school without completing his education. He had to start fishing and earn a living for his family as his father was disabled. And when his mother expired, he had to care for his two younger brothers and father. This was not from any filial love, but because it was a religious and social requirement.

The memories of how his father used to beat him for minor things with a bunch of shakles until they broke into pieces was buried deep in his consciousness. He would always remember his mother cleaning the cuts and applying hot compresses on the swellings when he went to her in tears. She died and the hand that used to whip Ibrahim became paralysed. Although he did not take revenge, he had no warm feelings for his father. He did everything as an obligation.

Sakeena thought Ibrahim cared more for his father and brothers than for her. That was her complaint. And, it irritated her that he spent what he earned on others instead of on her. Another grievance was that he did not try to improve their standard of living.

Ibrahim used to say, “Sakeena, don’t nag. All the work I do is for us. Now, you are carrying our first child. Don’t complain and cry, you might even have a miscarriage. I don’t want to go to any other woman. I get everything a man needs from a woman like you. Why create a problem and increase the country’s divorce rate?”

Sakeena’s answers were: “Those are stories to please me, but from the way you treat me, and the way you lead your life, I cannot believe you love me. I knew that this would happen. Don’t try to mislead me. After I bear a child, I will be old. Why wait till I deliver? If you divorce me now, I will still find some way to live.”

Sakeena’s aim was to keep Ibrahim all to herself. Since she needed him near her all the time, her complaints became a mealtime routine.

Sakeena’s time drew near. Simultaneously, Ibrahim’s father needed an operation to remove stones. So, Ibrahim had to spend the Rs. 700 that he had saved for the extra expenses during Sakeena’s delivery on sending his father to Male with his uncle for treatment.

Now Ibrahim worked overtime earning and saving money as fast as possible. He laboured extra hard with his friends in making salted fish in order to get two shares. At night he went to catch lobsters, selling them to nearby resort islands. If bad weather or anything else kept him at home, he did odd jobs, like breaking coral, gathering sand, etc., for various people.

He planned to change the old roof thatch on his house, make a cement slab around the well, make screens for Sakeenas bed, and buy the necessities for the new-born child. His first child was a lucky child because he started earning a lot of money after his birth. Never before could he save so much in such a short time.

Besides all this a great change was taking place in Ibrahim. He did not like being home very often, and he did not like to share with Sakeena where he went. Noticing the difference, she thought Ibrahim’s neglect showed he no longer cared. Many weeks passed, and they had not slept together. Sakeena was worried that he might divorce her.

What had happened to these two people who had started their life together with such good intentions? The special world they had begun building was slowly being destroyed in front of their eyes. Was this because of certain unwanted customs in their community? Or, was it because of a lax attitude to life and carelessness in their nature?

Being stubborn, they did not give in to each other. Neither asked forgiveness nor tried to improve their disintegrating circumstances. Nor did they agree to start afresh. While neither wanted to be the other’s slave, Ibrahim really did not want to displease Sakeena, and she felt the same way towards him.

In spite of their loss of faith in each other, caused by a craving for ownership, the dream they shared during the peak of their love  became a reality. Nahuza was born. Everything went all right with the delivery. But the child’s birth failed to improve their relationship. The breach between them was widening. Ironically, the only link between them was their marriage, which was still intact.

When Nahuza was one year old, Ibrahim took another wife. Sakeena did not protest much, but bore it as a kind of grievance.

Ibrahim took care of Sakeena and Nahuza perhaps in the same manner as he looked after his father. Why should Nahuza be punished because Ibrahim’s heart turned away from Sakeena? This child was deprived of the love she deserved from her father because of the other person involved in her birth, her mother. Time passed this way.

Now, Nahuza was almost three years old. Sakeena continued suffering in silence. Ibrahim also grieved for the loss of affection. After his father expired during the operation, Ibrahim felt relief rather than grief. One of the two persons he must look after, and with whom he did not have a close relationship, had passed away. He was relieved of this lone reminder of his painful childhood memories.

Sakeena saw people carrying Ibrahim to her. Before they spoke, she knew from their facial expressions what had happened to Ibrahim.

Weeping, holding Nahuza in her arms, she ran to them. She touched him, and he was cold.

One man said, “Sakeena, you should know that you are the reason of his death.”

“No,” she sobbed. “I have not done anything to bring him sadness. He is so good! He is so persistent!” I cannot live without him. Things went wrong because I loved him too much.

“Don’t say you loved him too much,” another man argued. “Give me that child. I don’t want you to keep her. Saying this, he tried to take Nahuza from her grasp.

With a start, Sakeena awoke from her dream as someone tried to take the child sleeping on her chest. Shocked, she cried out, “Don’t take her away!”

Ibrahim was there beside her. Taking Nahuza, he laid her on her bed. Weeping hysterically, Sakeena grabbed Ibrahim. “Don’t do this to me! Where can I go from here without a mother or a father? Don’t divorce me. Don’t get disgusted with me. This whole night Nahuza cried for you asking where you were. Please don’t do this!”

Ibrahim sat on the bed and brought Sakeena close to him. “I have just divorced Mariyam Fulu. Tonight I didn’t have a wink of sleep. For days she’s been nagging me, saying that I love you more than her. She complains that we are not having a child because my heart is not with her.”

Ibrahim continued: “Tonight it came into my mind that our damaged relationship could be mended. Forgetting our distrust, we can still love each other with new trust and care. And, since Nahuza is our child, why should I stay in that house listening to continuous scolding? It will be much better to be in my house with my child.” Wiping her tears, Sakeena blew her nose, and smiled. “I will never nag again,” she promised.

As she spoke, they heard the rooster’s early morning call. Other roosters joined the first one. The crows and the other birds started cawing and flying as if celebrating the inauguration of a new relationship. Ibrahim opened the door and looked outside. Standing behind him, Sakeena said, “It’s all clear now. The weather has improved.”

The starlight faded as the eastern horizon lightened. The sun was about to rise on a new day. With fresh determination, they prepared to face that new day.

Translated by Abdullah Saeed Koshy