THE INCARCERATED STRANGER

 

Chapter 37

 

RILEY

 

 The wedding goes on as if nothing has happened. Ayakha has been trying Pari's phone for almost an hour now, but it rings unanswered. She hopes Pari drives safely and is okay wherever she has gone.

Feeling Mangaliso's hand holding hers, she feels him squeeze it gently. “Do not overthink too much, love. Let’s hope she’s okay,” he says. She nods, looking at him, and he pulls her into a hug, which makes her feel better and calmer. He kisses her forehead.

Just then, someone clears their throat behind her. Ayakha tries to let go of Mangaliso, but he doesn’t release her.

“Mother,” Mangaliso says. Is this man crazy? Why won’t he let her go? His mother is here, for goodness' sake! He finally frees her after kissing her forehead again, and she wants to protest.

“Uhm… Good afternoon, ma’am,” she says to Sinazo, who looks at them with a big smile.

“Please call me Mom, not ma’am,” Sinazo replies, and Ayakha nods.

“Son, why didn’t you come and greet me?” Sinazo asks.

Mangaliso chuckles. “I was still going to come, Mom. I wanted to help my woman calm down since her best friend left here in not-so-good condition because of your stupid son.”

Sinazo sighs. 

“Ohh, that girl is your best friend? I’m so sorry about that, my child. I hope she is okay.”

“I hope so too; she isn’t picking up my calls,” Ayakha says.

Sinazo sighs again. 

“I really don’t know where I went wrong with your brother!”

“You didn’t go wrong with him, Mother. We all know Nhlakanipho loves having two women in his life,” Mangaliso says with a laugh.

“He is crazy! Who did he take after? No one in our family has polygamy at all!” Sinazo exclaims.

“I guess he takes after his father-in-law,” Mangaliso jokes, laughing again as Sinazo playfully hits him.

“Enough about your brother; introduce me to your girlfriend,” Sinazo says with a smile as she looks at Ayakha, who blushes and looks down.

Mangaliso beams. “Babe, meet my biological mother! Mom, meet Ayakha—your soon-to-be daughter-in-law,” he announces proudly.

Sinazo giggles like a child. 

“It is a pleasure to finally meet the woman who got my son smitten!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too… Ma’am,” Ayakha says awkwardly before quickly correcting herself.

 “I mean Mom.”

Sinazo pulls her into a hug, and Mangaliso smiles at the two women he loves. He knew his mother will love his girl .

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NHLAKANIPHO 

 

He is not in the mood to entertain anyone, not even his wife, whom he just married a few hours ago. Families are talking and sharing presents with them, but his mind is elsewhere. He can’t stop thinking about Pari; after she left driving recklessly, he can’t help but worry. What if she met with an accident? She isn’t answering her phone when he calls.

“Can you at least pretend to be happy, Nhlakanipho?” Zekhethelo whispers in his ear.

“I don’t like pretending, you know that. I’m not like you—able to act like everything is okay,” he replies, irritation creeping into his voice.

“Everything is okay to me,” she says defiantly.

“Well, to me, everything is not okay. The woman I love left here with a broken heart. Right now, she’s not answering my calls, and you want me to pretend like everything is fine?” he says through gritted teeth. She scoffs.

“‘The woman you love,’ my foot! She made it clear she doesn’t love you. If she did, she would be here supporting you while you marry your first wife,” she retorts, and he chuckles in disbelief.

“She loves me, and I love her too—just like I love you. She’s hurt, and I understand where she’s coming from,” he insists.

“And what about me? I’m not hurt that you’ve been cheating on me all this time! But I’m still here, continuing to marry you!” she exclaims.

“You being here and going through with the marriage despite finding out about Pari means you understand me—just like how your mother understood when your father took a second wife,” he argues.

Zekhethelo frowns at his words. 

“I love you, Zekhethelo, and I love Pari too. As my first wife, you should be helping me bring Pari back because one way or another, you two will have to get along,” he says earnestly.

Zekhethelo crosses her arms, her expression a mix of frustration and disbelief. “You really think I can just welcome her into our lives like that? She’s the reason for all this chaos! You say you love us both, but it feels like I’m the one left picking up the pieces.”

Nhlakanipho takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “I know it’s not easy, but you have to see it from my perspective. Pari is part of my life—she always has been. I never wanted to hurt you, but I can’t just erase my feelings for her.”

“And what about my feelings?” Zekhethelo shoots back, her voice rising. “I’m standing here in front of everyone, marrying you while knowing you’re pining after another woman! Do you think that doesn’t hurt me?”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says softly, stepping closer. “I chose you as my first wife because I love you. I thought we could build something beautiful together. But Pari… she’s different. There’s history there, and it complicates things.”

Zekhethelo shakes her head, tears brimming in her eyes. “So what now? I’m supposed to just accept that you have this other relationship? That I have to share my husband with someone who doesn’t even want to be here right now?”

Nhlakanipho reaches out, gently cupping her face in his hands. “Zekhethelo, please hear me out. It doesn’t have to be like that. We can make this work if we communicate and support each other. You’re my first wife; that means something significant in our culture and in my heart.”

She looks into his eyes, searching for sincerity. “And what if Pari doesn’t want to come back? What if she decides she’s done with you?”

“Then we’ll deal with that when the time comes,” he replies earnestly. “But I need you by my side while I figure this out. You’re the one I chose to marry today; don’t let jealousy tear us apart before we even start.”

Zekhethelo sighs deeply, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly as she contemplates his words.

 “I just wish things were simpler,” she admits.

“Me too,” he says softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “But life isn’t simple, especially when love is involved. We’ll navigate this together; I promise.”

After a moment of silence, Zekhethelo nods slowly, still unsure but willing to try. 

“Okay, but if we’re going to do this, then it has to be clear: no more secrets between us.”

“Agreed,” Nhlakanipho says with a relieved smile. “I won’t keep anything from you again.”

As they stand together amidst the chaos of their wedding celebration, Nhlakanipho feels a flicker of hope that they might find their way through this tangled situation—together.

 Everything continues smoothly, and the wedding is over. 

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They are now heading to his apartment, the drive quiet except for the music playing softly in the background. The kids left with his parents and will be coming back tomorrow. He parks the car, and they unload the presents, taking them into the house.

“I have to go somewhere. I don’t know if I’ll be back,” he says suddenly.

“Haibo? Where are you going this late, Nhlakanipho? We just got married today! We should be spending the night together!” Zekhethelo protests, her voice rising in disbelief.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair.

 “I know, baby, but I really need to go.” He leans in and kisses her cheek gently.

“You’re going to her, right? Really, Nhlakanipho?” she snaps, hurt flashing in her eyes.

“I’m just going to check if she’s fine, Zekhethelo,” he replies, trying to keep his tone calm.

“She’s not a child who needs checking up on!” she retorts sharply.

“I’m not doing this with you,” he says firmly.

 “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Without waiting for her response, he turns and leaves the house.

Zekhethelo stands there for a moment, frustration boiling inside her as she watches him walk away. She can’t believe he is choosing to leave on their wedding night. The door closes behind him with a soft click, leaving her alone with her thoughts and a growing sense of unease .

He drives like a robot, his mind racing with thoughts that refuse to settle. He pulls up roughly at the gate, parking haphazardly before jumping out of the car like a thief. As he lands awkwardly, he twists his ankle and curses in pain, but he pushes through, walking as if nothing is wrong. 

Her car is parked outside, which means she’s inside the house. He approaches the door and knocks frantically for what feels like an eternity—30 minutes of pleading for Pari to open up. But she doesn’t respond. He sighs heavily and sinks down onto the porch steps, determined not to leave until he talks to her. He massages his aching ankle as darkness envelops the night, with only the streetlights casting a dim glow on the quiet street.

After sitting in silence for more than 20 minutes, frustration boils over, and he gets up to bang on the door again. This time, it creaks open slowly, revealing Pari standing there. Their eyes meet, and his heart aches at the sight of her puffy eyes and the tears still streaming down her flushed cheeks.

“Babe, can we please talk? Please,” he pleads desperately.

Pari shakes her head firmly. 

“There’s nothing to talk about, Nhlakanipho. Just let me be. I said we are done!” 

Those words—“We are done”—hit him like a punch to the gut, breaking his heart all over again. They sting, making his skin crawl as he struggles to process the weight of her rejection. He wants to reach out to her, to soothe her pain and mend what’s broken between them, but all he can do is stand there, feeling utterly helpless.

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