G R E A T!

"Do you Syeda Anaabiya Ahmed daughter of late Syed Ehsan Ahmed accept Syed Humza Junaid son of late Bashar Junaid as your Husband?" The Qazi asked.

My mind and sanity were in a state of chaos and aberration. I manifested to seal my lips. I didn't want to answer.

For a prolong time I contemplated and tried to think if there was still a way out of this.

But no, there wasn't.

This was my fate and serendipity. This was what ALLAH wrote for me?

A gruesome, appalling and a nightmarish life ahead. An entity without love and with sufferings, distress and hardship.

What wrong had I done to any living creature to deserve him, to deserve any of this?

My aunt nudged my hand cruelly but nobody else observed it.

Nobody even saw my tears that felt incessantly and ceaselessly. What else would I do?

The very few guests who attended the wedding surrounded me, looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to say what I was supposed to. None of them were my own. My aunt didn't allow Ahad in for she dreaded, if my in laws got to know about him, the marriage would be scrapped. Uzair on the other hand didn't even got to know that I was getting married. He was far off in a different city pursuing his dreams.

Sometimes I wished I was a boy. I could have pursued my dream of travelling the world.

But to my luck. None of it was possible.

First, because I was a girl and my society didn't appreciate for a girl to travel alone and nobody would accompany me.

Secondly, I didn't have money for it. My parents did have a lot of money and I have the faintest memory of the costly clothes that I used to wear as a kid and our lavish house too but I have no clue as too who snatched that away after the brutal accident that night. I was in the car. I was barely 11. I later heard the passenger on the other car died as well though his child survived.

I shrugged the thought away as it would only cause me more pain than I was already enduring.

"Don't ruin my name or you know what I can do." My aunt whispered, smiling. No she wasn't smiling at me. It was just supposed to be a show off.

Today I had lost every ounce of respect that I had for my aunt and uncle, but Nabiha, her's was a betrayal, I could never forget. I was her sister. I was her only family. I still love her despite the malice I see in her eyes for me.

All of this for what?

Just because my aunt had a son who wanted to marry me?

Nabiha hated me because she had a liking for him and she wanted me out as soon as possible so she could have her way with him?

I wasn't in love with Uzair. He proposed to me a lot of times but I denied it although later I had developed a certain feeling for him but it was soon demolished when I got to know about Nabiha's little crush on him and my aunt used it to her advantage.

What was she going to say to ALLAH when he would question her for the wrongs she has done to me?

Marrying me to that monster.

Yes he is a monster and a coward. He never came in sight after our last encounter at Starbucks. That was the last time I saw him. Indeed he was right when he had warned me that I was playing with fire.

He was the fire and he had burned me. He had ruined me.

My temples throbbed from the pain i felt.

"... As your Husband." The last part brought me back from my trail of thoughts as I tried to compose myself.

"I do." I replied and I did it thrice, the way it was supposed to be.

Everyone around me was overjoyed. They hugged each other congratulating my aunt who was wiping her crocodile tears off.

This was it, there was no chance of me fulfilling my dream of a happy life. It was all numb now.

I was married to a gangster.

I was written off as his, yet I didn't belong to him. It was done forcefully.

It seems like my tears too had dried off. I looked at my hands longingly. How I wanted to kill my own husband with my bare hands.

Hate was just a word. It was more than that, the feelings that I had for him.

A light squeeze in my hand grabbed my attention. Nabiha looked at me with pity.

This feeling, I hated the most. The feeling of being pitied upon.

"I pray, he is the man you once told me about. Don't spend your life fighting with him. Accept him." She smiled and for a minute I was reminded of our childhood. We were best of friends back then. I was the protective elder sister and she was the 'always' sulking younger one.

"I miss ammi and abbu." 12 year old Nabiha whimpered.

"But I am there for you. I will provide you with everything you need." I told her lovingly while caressing her hair with one hand. She was sobbing heavily. I was 16 and I was mature enough to handle my sister.

"No you will forget me when you find your husband." She cried harder and I only laughed.

"Nobody can take your place love. You are my all. Infact when I'll find my husband, you would have one more person who you could call your family." I tried to reason. She thought for a while and then spoke again.

"Would he let me live with you too?" Excitement danced in her eyes.

"Off course he has to or else I would beat the shit out of him." She laughed so hard, her white set of perfect teeth were visible.

Clearly everything had changed.

I lost it long time ago. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Why did you do it Nabiha? I worked for you night and day. You are my sister, my only family. How could you be so selfish? You just had to ask me and I would have given away anything you wanted, like I always have." I shrieked. My kohl was all smudged but I didn't care. This was the first time I spoke to her this way and from what I could see, I saw a slight bit of remorse in them, her eyes.

"I... I" She started when a cousin of mine barged in.

"Congratulations, the nikah ceremony is done now." I cried even more and this time I felt Nabiha's warm hand hold my freezing one's in a tight grip.

After what seems like eternity all the guests had eaten and I was informed that Humza had already left for his house.

I had heard that he didn't even eat. He just left after the nikah.

Waao! What a feeling it was.

To be abandoned on the day of your nikah.

He didn't even came to see me. For all I know he despised me and I did no less. It was mutual.

I was happy at least I didn't have to see his ugly face. He could rot in hell for all I care.

He ruined me.

It was that day that I swore never to cry because of that man. Never. I repeat. Never again.

I was brought to his house. It seemed like everybody was in a hurry to discard me away.

His house was like a palace. It had several rooms. The decor was amazing. Just like the ones i had dreamed of as a teenager. But all of it was Haraam. Since he is a gangster, he must have killed people to earn it.

Irony!

This place was surrounded by gunmen who were very muscular and looked like bodyguards. They were very much alike the man in the movie named terminator. I have seen it twice.

I was confused. His driver brought me to his place. He informed me that Humza already came back to the 'Junaid Villa'. Yes! that is what he called it. I wanted to laugh at his face but somehow stopped myself.

By now I was done with all the remorse and tears. If this is what was written in my fate, then I rather not cry but face it fiercely.

Their were 3 maids who escorted me in.

"Where is Rafia aunty?" I interrogated as I walked in along with them.

"Madam she doesn't live here." The maid mumbled. She was young and beautiful.

"Then who lives in this palace like house? Him alone?" The three of them looked petrified as if they weren't sure if they should answer this question of mine.

"Umm...mmm... Madam actually his mistresses live here too." My eyes were now literally popping out of it's socket and my jaws had literally dropped on the floor.

What more could I have expected of the monster?

"How many?" I interrogated.

"7 madam." The women who seemed to be a little older answered this time.

"Okay. Where is my room?" I asked and they again began to Escort me further. We strode​ up the stairs and I had a little difficulty in walking because of my heavy attire.

As I reached the first floor, there were about 12 rooms there.

Maliha, the young maid pointed to a room and I assumed it to be mine.

As I headed towards it, I heard a faint sound of two people moaning sensuously. I halted in my tracks. It was coming from one of the rooms.

"Oh yeah.. Baby.. Faster." The girl moaned.

"I want you to scream my name!" A male voice spoke with authority.

"Humzaaa... Baby.. Harder." she screamed and I was bewildered.

I turned to look at the 3 maids. The monster and the girl's moans didn't desist for a second. The maids on the other hand were now giving me a sympathetic look.

I felt disgusted.

"Which room was it?" I questioned again trying to act as conventional as I could.

"That one madam." Maliha pointed to the room next to the one I had just heard his voice from.

Great! Just great!

on 29.12.2017