ONE

AYSHAM’S POV:

“Where the f**k are my sandles?” Another shout that made me move my fingers in haste. I couldn’t afford another shout of Beela as my aunt, her mother would just barge on me and humiliate me in front of all the guests.

Today was her wedding and she wanted everything perfect. I didn’t want to ruin anything because of my laziness. Aunt said that I am lazy and that’s why I didn’t sleep at night just to make sure the preparations were acceptable.

I entered the room as I found her standing in the middle of the room throwing daggers at me. She was in her pyjamas as her makeup was done already. She wasn’t ready yet as she wanted to make the groom weight which according to Bella was a way to increase her dominancy on him. I brought her sandals as aunt didn’t allow her wear heels because of her unusually extreme height unlike me as I was just 5’2. She looked way taller than Jameel, her to-be-husband and aunt didn’t like that.

“Why aren’t you ready yet?” As soon as I placed Beela’s sandals in front of her she, my aunt Shabeen, entered the room towering over me. She wasn’t tall enough but she always made me look timid in front of her. “The guests are arriving. What they will think about us that we didn’t even give you the time to get ready.”

“Yes Aunt.” I mumbled as she just shook her head to move towards her daughter.

“Don’t worry. You are the most beautiful…” Aunt was pampering Beela on her sour mood when I departed her room to reach mine.

My room was small but clean and peaceful because it was in the other side of the house. As if I was abandoned. But I wasn’t. After my mother’s death when I was eleven years old my uncle brought me with him but he also died after a year. I am grateful that my aunt didn’t leave me although she didn’t like my mother much. She gave me the shelter, food to eat and sent me to school for study. I just ended my high-school but she didn’t have money to send me to college. She couldn’t only afford one child to go to college and that’s why she chose Beela as she was older than me few years. I didn’t complain as I was grateful that she let me finish the high-school.

I finally glanced at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a long maroon colord skirt that I wore on my last eid. I have worn it once so it was new. I had the same colord blouse reaching till my waist as the bare area of my waist was covered by the dubbatta(veil) that I designed to roam around my waist and then ended around my shoulders after covering my chest. I was completely covered as I didn’t like to show my skin. Making a loose bun with few careless strands touching my neck and cheeks I applied gloss and filled my eyes with black kajol.

Wearing heels I went outside to check on the flower arrangements. Beela and Aunt asked me to decide whatever to do with the arrangements as they were more concerned about the dresses and everything so I decided to decorate whole house with tulips. I loved them and I am hopeful that aunt would also like this.

“Hey where are you going?” I was walking down the corridor when Safwan, Beela’s second cousin came to stand in my way. My breath almost got stuck in my throat when I saw him. First I was disgusted by the way he looked at me but when one night he came into my room without permission my aunt saw him. She didn’t listen to me but slapped me in front of him. She forbade him to come again to her house but today he was here and now I wasn’t just disgusted but scared of him too. I didn’t want other people to find me with him or aunt would get to know. I didn’t want to ruin her daughter’s wedding day because of me.

“You are looking beautiful.” He murmured preventing me to slide passed him.

“Let me…go…please.” I didn’t want to gather attention towards us as it would be humiliating for my aunt and my reputation.

“I want to marry you. I have talked to my mother too and she agreed.” He informed while grinning a I felt my world shook at his words. I didn’t want to marry him. I was disgusted by him. He didn’t how to respect women and I couldn’t take risk by letting a man like to him enter my life.

“No.” I couldn’t help but my voice cracked in front of him as I prevented the tears to come out of my eyes. I shouldn’t be falling weak in front of him.

“What no?” His smiled vanished as he growled at me. He took one step towards as I abruptly moved backward. “I don’t want to listen anything from you or otherwise I would tell your aunt that you seduced me again. You want me to suck these juicy lips of yours right. It’s humiliating that they are untouched. You seduce me with them.” He clicked his tongue while looking at my lips with lust dripping from his eyes. He was practically drooling like a dog making me shiver with fear.

“I-I n-never…you are lying.” I pushed him with all my force and ran towards Beela’s room. He couldn’t cone inside there.

I didn’t let the tears fall down as there were guests who could think something absurd about me. I didn’t people to talk about me.  

God help me. I want a man to respect or otherwise I don’t want anyone in my life please. I beg you.

It was half an hour later when the groom had arrived and Beela’s cousins were ready to escort her outside. Everything was ready as I had to go to the gardens just to check the arrangement as I didn’t want to get scolded by my aunt in front of the guests. They looked at me with pity and I didn’t like that.

Shot!

Fisting my skirt with my hands I was descending the stairs when I heard the loud gunshot making me gasp loudly. The air around me went still as I was alone there on the stairs. I didn’t like loud voices and that wasn’t just loud, it was terrifying. Then there was another as it came from the garden. Our garden, where the wedding was about to happen.

I screamed when I covered my ears with my palms. Tear started rolling down my eyes as I had never heard the gunshots before. It was too loud as I felt my eardrums would shatter if I hear that again.

“You…come here.”I was standing still with my mind in haze when my aunt came from outside. She was with the groom in the garden but right she was turning pale as her hands were quite cold when she grabbed me by my arm.

“Aunt what’s t-this.” I asked terrifying but she didn’t bother to listen and dragged me with her towards the garden. I was about to fall because of my heavy dress but she didn’t care less about it as she was just dragging me like a rag.

“Remember girl. You will agree to everything I say. You have to repay me back to my kindness. You have to repay me back what your uncle and I did for you. We didn’t abandon you like your father. Don’t forget that.” Forcing on each and every word of her she was looking at me with strict expressions.

I went still hearing her words as mentioning of my father was always to hurt me or to scold but this time she wanted to me remember it as if she had given me the chance to forget that my father abandoned me and my mother.

 “Aunt what are you…” Without listening and giving me a hint to what was happening she dragged me outside as my heart was thumping loudly. Something was about to happen. Something bad was about to happen. In those mere seconds I cried inside in front of God to send me someone, my mother, I didn’t know what’s happening but she could hide me in her chest like always. I didn’t know what was about to happen but I wanted to hide. I wanted my mother so badly at that time.

“Here she is.” Aunt almost threw me on the ground as soon as we entered the garden decorated with tulips. I managed myself to not fall on the ground as I heard gasps and mutterings even there was a sheer silence as if everyone was scared of what was coming.

I fluttered my eyelashes several times before raising my head but I think that was my biggest mistake as my amber eyes directly fell into the forest green ones. They were dark and already looking into my soul as if they could tear me apart.

That was it!

I felt that moment was the one when a person feels his soul leaving his body and his relation with the world has finally came to an end.

I was stiff looking into those catastrophic eyes that could shatter my entire existence when my Aunt spoke up.

“Here she is. You can take her.” My aunt said and I came broke I contact as I turned to look at her.

“Yes you c-can have her till I brought y-you the s-scorpions.” I looked ahead at Jameel lying near his feet. He was looking terrible as he was shaking with fear.

What’s happening? Mom.

“I can think about it.” His voice radiated through me as I looked at him again. His gaze didn’t even leave me for once.

There was mutterings and whispering around me as I was the centre of attention and there was the deal happening on my life.

“But I want a strong contract for that.” He said as Jameel abruptly stood up and looked around. He wasn’t looking into his senses as he was scared for his dear life.

“H-here y-you can take this.” He grabbed a file placed on the table as it was a marriage contract (Nikkah nama ) which was yet to be filled by Jameel and Beela.

“That’s a marriage contract you f**ker.” One of the black suited guys standing behind him grunted punching Jameel on his face. He didn’t even think before pointing out the contract.

“I-I am s-sorry. I-I a-am sorry…” Jameel cried without wiping the blood off his face.

“Let’s use it then.” He said and everyone gasped around me as Safwan’s was the louder one. I was still trying to wrap around what was happening when my aunt came forward.

“Yes. You can take her with marriage. She would be bound to you.” Aunt said sending an electric shock down my spine. I looked at him again who was still looking at me with his clenched jaw and emotionless face. There wasn’t any expression on his face. No single sign of amusement as there was a hint of dread for everyone who makes eye-contact with him.

“Yes sir.” One of the suited guys said as he started filling the details.

No!

Are they selling me?

I couldn’t feel my knees anymore when he signed the paper while looking at me and then he moved forward towards me. I wanted to move back and run away but I didn’t have any energy left in my soul that paralyzed my body.

I gasped when in three long strides he was so close to me that his woody fragrance engulfed me.

“So Miss Aysham Zubair do you take me as your lawfully wedded husband?” He was close as if my death was standing close to me. My mouth was dry as I wanted to run away from there but I couldn’t when I felt my aunt pinching me at my back. She was eager to hear me saying yes.  

A lone tear escaped my eyes and reached above my lips as I slightly shook my head.

“Words Luna.” He whispered looking at the tear drop above my lips. “Words.”

“Y-yes.”