Chapter 6

"mama I want to say something" she hesitated.

"Yes say it" her mother replied while stacking the clothes in cupboard.

"Why didn't you ask me before calling them? You didn't even bother to tell me that you're marrying me?" She asked with a broken and weak tone.

" So what? After all you have to marry someone, you didn't tell us if you had someone in mind. And your brother and other siblings are in line too, we have to look for them after you'll go. And we can't let you stay your whole life here. We need to think about other kids too" she replied in a unpleasant tone.

"That's what you all want? To just throw me? I don't depend on you guys, I do a job and afford my own expenses, I'm your daughter and you can't just let me live?" She asked almost getting emotional.

"Look Ayeleen, you have to marry someday, we wanted you to be a doctor so you can have a better match. And now he's already here, he loves you and wants to marry you willingly. Now please just marry him and leave us. We want to feel relax after fulfilling our duties." Her mother replied, without any hint of guilt or sorrow for her.

"He don't love me! You don't know him. I love someone else! And I'll only marry him! You can't just throw me anywhere like tra....." She was interrupted by a loud bang as the door opened and her father appeared in front of her sight just like a bad dream in middle of the day.

"Who is he?" he shouted so loud that her ears started to rang and for a moment she felt dizzy. He just eavesdrop on her conversation.

"Give me your phone! I'll check myself" he said with gritted teeth. When she didn't made a movement, he snatched the phone from her hand and asked her forcefully to unlock it.

With hesitation she put her fingerprint and unlocked it. She felt like world was shaking and her life is soon going to end. Like a horrible nightmare. She regretted alot and cursed herself for shouting such a private thing which she successfully hid for seven years. But after all she had to tell them, but it was not the right time as she knew he was not yet ready to marry her. 

But this whole situation was unexpected and she never wanted to reveal such thing to them like this.

Her father checked her phone while her mother was equally surprised and remained in her position in horror. He opened the chats and read them. While Ayeleen went white, blood flushed from her face, hands and feet turned cold and she could feel as the adrenaline was shooting in her veins at the approximate limit. She was shaking due to fear, going towards tachycardia and breath almost stuck in her throat.

She always dealt with anxiety when it comes to her father. Although she was not afraid or scared of him but she had a anxiety whenever she faced him. She had a fear of losing in front of him. 

Out of sudden a hard slap cane across her face, which she was not expecting. And she fell from the bed. While her mother gaped in shock.

"You were running a affair under my nose all this time, while I was busy in making you a independent women! You ungrateful child!" He shouted with all his force while it seemed like walls were echoing in her ears now.

"You will marry Umer and get out of this house as soon as possible! I don't want to see your sight anymore! I never thought I'll have such a disobedient daughter who will put my image and dignity on sake! If I had known I would have killed you at the time you were born!" He said with disgust in his eyes for his daughter. 

She felt like she was dumb and numb and she cannot respond anymore. She listened to all the insults he said to her and remained silent. She only knew that what she did was never wrong. She always maintained her boundaries with Yahya, never got close to him, never let him touch her, never had a intimate or sexual talk with him. She kept her relationship clean because she knew that it will be wrong and shameful if her parents ever got to know. But now she wanted her parents to be proud of her because she was successful in maintaining a pure relationship with him which was only based on their real feelings, true love and respect. And yet they were disgusted at her. She didn't wanted to say anything in her defense. 

Because she also realized that he will not come to marry her.....

And that's what somewhere in her mind told her that they were right, although she had a clean relationship but that doesn't mean it was right if he cannot come to marry her and left her in middle of road to wait for him, with no sign that if he'll ever come back?

She didn't realize when her father left the room, taking her phone along. While her mother rushed to her and started wiping the blood on her lower lip, which started bleeding due to slap.

But she remained still, and after a moment she got up and went to bathroom to wash her face. She couldn't hear what sympathy words her mother uttered to her or even she was also blaming her. She felt like she was deaf. 

She came back and cuddled into bed and closed her eyes, only to escape from the moment.

Her mother was shocked at her reaction but thought that she needs some time to relax after such a horrible happening. 

She turned off the lights and closed her door room shut.

What was surprising for her, was that she did not even flew a tear as her father scolded her. Her eyes didn't released water, like old times when she used to cry uncontrollably.

She closed her eyes shut, and made up her mind, she will do exactly what her parents will ask her. If Yahya ever loved her, he would have come after 7 years to marry her. But still he didn't even talked to his parents. He was a coward who can never accept her. 

She felt the ring on her finger, and clenched her fists in agony, frustration, and fury.

She didn't realized how much she slept, but when she opened her eyes it was dark outside the window. It was middle of the night. Everyone was sleeping. She got out of the bed and tip toed to the kitchen. Her stomach was growling was she was weird feelings in her guts due to that. 

She looked for food and found some bread in the refrigerator, she grabbed it along with butter and jam.

As she turned back, her brother appeared in front of her sight.

She didn't wanted to face anyone at the moment.

"Do you need pizza? I bought it. But when I came home, there was something else happened already, so nobody ate it. And it will be useless now if we didn't finish it and waste of food" he asked while trying to make up a conversation with her.

"Okay" she replied with no choice.

"You go to your room, I'll bring there after heating it up" he said with a smile.

Although she felt weird that he was smiling? He should hate her like her parents, if he already knew what she did. She went to her room obediently after grabbing a slice of bread and putting the remaining back in refrigerator.

As she was chewing on her last bite, he entered and closed the door.

"I hope mama and baba will not wake up or we will be screwed." He said to make her laugh. But she remained stiff and expressionless.

"Here you go" he as he opened the pizza box to her. She picked up the slice and started eating it, while he watched her.

"What's that? Why are you watching me?" She asked getting annoyed.

"Oh thank god you at least spoke.  I just want to tell you something" he said cautiously.

After receiving a approval expression from her he went on.

"Look Ayeleen I knew from the start that you like someone. Although I tortured you sometimes because of that but I always knew that you're keeping it clean and you will never let our family's name stain. And I'm proud of you Ayeleen, I'm your younger brother but I know my sister never did anything wrong in her life that she will regret. But I think for now to please our parents you should marry Umer as per their wish. Because I have never saw baba like this, he was so enraged that I thought he might kill you. But Ayeleen I believe in you and I know maybe Umer can also not be a good person but when you listen to your parents, you never fail. Because they love you, they will never make bad choices for you. I hope you will have a happy life with him" he said, looking into her eyes. And this was the moment she felt tears in her eyes. How much she felt thankful to God at the moment for giving her a brother like him.

She pulled him into a hug and soaked her tears on his shirt.....