vote and comment on all the chapters.

❤️

"But I don't want to marry him. Aunty please just try and understand. I won't bother you or your son anymore. Please aunty for the sake of ALLAH." I cried, begging her for some mercy. I didn't want to marry that ruthless monster I met a couple of days ago.

"Will you please stop it? Stop making me feel as though I have committed a big crime. Be grateful. who would have married you? I had to pay a price for it. Now stop acting so stubborn with me." My aunt snapped at me.

Although Nabiha was my baby sister, she didn't care. I love her to pieces but for some odd reason my love wasn't reciprocated, like always. I was used to it and never cried in front of any other person but today was something different.

Today all my dreams had been shattered. It all started after my aunt informed me that there was a family who was interested in marrying their son to me.

T W O D A Y S B A C K

According to my aunt if he concurred to marry me, I should consider myself lucky and fortunate. So they were coming on a dinner tonight, to meet me.

At around 7.30 in the evening, the door bell rang indicating that the expected guests had arrived. Not that I was dieing to marry him or anybody. I just agreed to it out of respect that I had for my uncle and aunt. They never loved me but they loved and adored Nabiha, and that was enough for me.

For the very first time of my existence, my aunt got me a dress. I was beyond delighted. It was beautiful and appealing, and I had a matching hijab for it too. So I wore it and headed to the hall where everyone was seated. I don't know why I felt butterflies flying too high in the pit of my stomach.

"Assalam o alaikum" I said meekly. My voice a meer whisper to my own ears. I wondered how everyone else heard it.

"Walaikum assalam Anaabiya. Come here." The middle aged women who I assume to be my would be mother in law said. She ushered me to where she was sitting.

"You look lovely." She beamed and I felt better. She spoke to me for quite some time. She asked me about my interests, qualifications and so on.

"Rafiya where is Humza? We arranged this meeting for him." My aunt questioned the lady beside me. I don't even know why his name alone increased my heart beat and sent me into a state of frenzy.

"Umm... Mmm he is on his way." She answered, glancing at her watch. She informed us that her husband wasn't in town and he would be returning next week.

Suddenly all heads snapped towards the door as we heard the screeching sound of it while it opened.

"There is he. Humza where were you?" His mother interrogated him. Her voice was sharp enough to let us know that she was annoyed. I wasn't looking at him but through my peripheral vision I could feel his eyes on me. I shifted uncomfortably, My heart beating like a lunatic. But he wasn't coming in. He stood there. Soon there was another shrieking sound, indicating that someone else too had come along, a friend perhaps. But everyone had stopped talking. There was pin drop silence and it added to my anxiety. The butterflies weren't going away. So I did this one thing that I still regret.

I raised my head and as soon as I did, my eyes met a pair of mesmerizing hazel eyes and I swear I felt myself drowning in them. It would be a stupidty if I tried to describe how handsome he looked for it wouldn't suffice to what my eyes were actually seeing. He looked at me with burning intensity. My cheeks had promptly started burning and I bit the inside of it harder until pain flashed up my jaw. I immediately tried to lower my gaze but that didn't happen.

Never had I seen someone so good looking and stunning. But all the butterflies I felt seemed to have died as soon as I saw a girl who looked like she had been transferred directly from a C grade movie. I guess she borrowed her dress from a kid. She had almond shaped eyes and an aristocratic nose. Her brunette curls fell behind looking gorgeous. She was clinging to his body like he was her only survival. He held her from her waist while she had wrapped her arms around him, smirking devilishly.

I looked at them gobsmacked, my mouth fell agape. "Humza what is this? Who is this girl?" Rafiya aunty stood up from my side and it was then that I noticed, I was the only one who was still rooted to my seat.

I don't know which of his actions were more insinuating but he stumbled as he tried to walk and I knew that instant, he was drunk. His eyes were puffy and rufous, like he had cried for a long time. He wasn't looking at me any more, instead his eyes were glued to his mother.

"Why don't you listen to me? I told you I won't marry anyone." He bellowed in agony and I felt bad for this poor lady who looked embarrassed right now but didn't say a word.

"Aaahaaaa! This is the little bitch you chose for me. Seriously mother? what the hell did you see in her?" I gulped down the lump in my throat as I heard him using cuss words for me. What had I done? Unbelievable.

"How dare you?" I spat back and his eyes immediately turned to me, a scowl conquering his handsome face. I was trying not to pay attention to how extremely gorgeous he looked but all my efforts were in vain.

"So the little kitten knows how to speak. I see." He said sarcastically. I could see him eyeing me from head to toe and then he suddenly snapped back again. "What makes you think that I will marry you? Haven't you seen yourself in the mirror?" I knew I wasn't that pretty. I was just fine but not that looks were everything and plus it hurts more to hear it from someone else. I didn't even realise I was crying. "Enough humza. That's enough now." His mother bawled at him. "But it's your fault mother. You.. You knew that I don't want to marry anyone." He replied back and then started walking towards me awkwardly, stumbling after every two steps.

What if he hits me? The thought itself had sent jitters down my spine.

He stopped right in front of me and started saying "Now you listen girl." He pointed at me through his middle finger. "Remove the very idea of marrying me cause baby you don't know who I am and what I am capable of doing." I swear I didn't hear a word. I was captivated by his charming brown eyes.

Something seriously wrong with me here.

With that he twirled around and ambled out of the door, his friend copied his actions too. I looked around and everyone else was as flabbergasted as I was.

After apologising to us his mother too left. I was stunned by the little stunt he had performed. Nobody in the house had said anything after they had left. It was as though it never happened.

Later that evening I was lying on my little bed, waiting for sleep to take over but it never happened. A pair of beautiful brown eyes were continuously haunting me. I groaned in frustration. Just then my phone beeped, indicating that I had received a message. I swiped up to unlock my screen and then what I read had removed any left over chances of a peaceful sleep.

Written in capital letters was a message from an unknown number which said.

MEET ME AT STARBUCKS TOMORROW 7PM AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF NOT SHOWING UP.

SYED HUMZA JUNAID

A screenshot of the message from mza. 😜

on 28.12.2017