It was past evening, when Aleezay finally broke out of her trance like state. She changed out of her now wrinkled dress and peformed ablution. Even though she was exhausted, Aleezay offered her prayer and sat down on the prayer mat.
In the soft glow of light, she looked down at her raised hand, covered half way up to her elbow in beautiful deep red henna. A tear escaped her eyes and fell on her cupped palms.
"All praises belong to God" Aleezay felt a lump in her throat,"You are the one who held me whenever I fell, and now here I am, completely at Your mercy. Ya Allah, I'm lost. I don't know where to look or how to find a way forward. So Please, guide this servant of Yours to the right path. Oh, Owner of my heart, calm the storm inside me. Everything happens as you will it, so please bestow me with patience and help me accept what I cannot change. Ameen."
The room was enveloped in silence, except for the faint ticking of a wall clock. Aleezay sat on the sofa, her knees drawn to her chest, while her eyes flicked to the door every few minutes.
After she got up from her prayer, she felt relieved as if a burden had been lifted off her. It was an unknown peace that washed over her and with her mind settled, for the first time since the uproar, her thoughts drifted to him, her stranger of a husband.
He'd been gone since dawn and with midnight creeping in, there was still no sign of him. She's yet to exchang a word with him since everything changed. It wouldn't be shocking if he decided to leave her behind, afterall he owed her nothing. But the thought of finding herself all alone in this vast world, haunted her more than she cared to admit.
"And don't even think about coming back. Ever." Shayra's words echoed in her mind,"Your uncles asked me to remind you of the bullet with your name on it. And your grandfather... he told me, if you dare to return then you'd see his dead body."
Who could have imagined a day like today would arrive in her life, where she'd be thrown out of her house like some garbage being discarded. Even if she went back now and expose her aunt, she knew –even with close eyes– that they wouldn't hear a word before putting a bullet through her. She knew her uncles and their merciless judgement when it comes to their honor, well enough to doubt it. And dying? That was last thing on her list of priorities. She wanted to live a long life even if the world think she didn't deserve to.
The silence was broken by the soft click of the door unlocking. Aleezay stood up with bated breath as Zayaan stepped in while the faint scent of smoke invaded her nostrils. His eyes met her for a fleeting moment before he quickly turned away while shutting the door behind him
With all the chaos earlier, she hadn't really noticed. Now in the stillness of the room, she couldn't help but glance at his tall figure as he put away his bag, her gaze traced the sharp line of his jaw, his tousled hair as if he'd been running his hands through it. Dressed in white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearm, he looked like he belonged on a magazine cover.
Aleezay quickly looked away as their eyes met unexpectedly, her gaze flickered around, embarassed at having been caught staring even though she didn't mean to.
"You know" at his cold voice, Aleezay looked at him,"you didn't strike me as the type who jumps into men's bed at every chance they get, but i guess there's always something new to learn."
His mocking tone pierced straight through her heart. Aleezay clamped her lips together to stop them from trembling, choosing to remain silent over an unending explanation.
The chaotic day that she thought had ended, came biting at her the moment she took a breath.
Perhaps it was her silence that gave him the permission to go further.
"Girls like you who hide behind the veil of modesty are the real foxes, you wear the bearing of a saint but only God knows the claws you keep hidden beneath your skin"
"You were forced against your will" Aleezay found herself saying despite the trembling of her fingers," and I'm truly sorry for that but that doesn't gave you a free pass to judge my character. What do you even know about me?"
She felt a lump in her throat as her eyes burned with unshed tears.
Zayaan's words dug out the soft spot that had quietly started forming in her heart for him, from his single gesture.
"Right! Who am I to judge you?" He Snickered, as he continued to spit out words like venom. "Then what about your family? Where was your righteous fire when they were here?"
Zayaan stepped closer, as his piercing gaze held her tear filled eyes.
"Oh right. You couldn't question them because they knew you well enough to judge you!" He added with sarcasm.
"Yes they had the right. Even if they'd killed me then and there, i wouldn't have questioned them." Aleezay swallowed the lump in her throat, "Now i wish they had done that instead of marrying me to you."
A nerve twitched in Zayaan's forehead as he clenched his jaw.
"Right" he snapped, "I was the one dying to play the hero, wasn't I?"
"Fuck it. Why am i even talking to you?" Zayaan stepped back as he ran a hand through his hair, he looked as if he was restraining himself.
"You know what? I don't give a damn how or why it happened" He looked her dead in the eyes, "I'm divorcing you."