OBLIVIOUS REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 52: The Shrunken Life

~A new dawn always breaks after darkness, but only those who have survived the night live to see it~

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Yasmeen

I have passed from laughter to terror, which like love and hate, are close relatives. But In suffering I found my truest self. The shock of recognition is one of the nastiest shocks of all.

Ahmad is born with a piece of night and hollow inside him, and that hollow place can never be filled, not with all the good food or love or sunshine in the world.

While I was light and sunshine, he was nothing but clouds and darkness on the inside. But when we are in public, he imitates a blooming flower on the outside

It is when I married him that I found out that not all monsters look like monsters, There are some that carry their monstrosity inside. No one is born a monster, But I wish some people were. It would make it easier to hate them from the very beginning, to kill them, and to forget their dead faces.

I gave Ahmad my heart, he took it and pinched it to death, and flung it back to me. People feel with their hearts, and since he has destroyed mine, I have no power to feel for him. Right now, I feel nothing. And The coldest place in the universe is a human heart that no longer feels.

I have poured my heart out to him, now I am empty. May be we feel empty because we leave pieces of ourselves in everything we used to love and then we have nothing left to give anyone, anymore.

But, being empty makes me whole sometimes. I wonder if every hollow hole has its own solidity of fulfillment

Wearing my pink and black cheetah print top and high waist skirt, I got ready for the art exhibition we were invited to. It is organized by some charity organization to support the less privileged upcoming artists. We were meant to support habiba and her amateur art work

The exhibition includes works of various styles and mediums that lead the viewer toward a story. Creative writers are asked to connect with a piece of art, and finish the stories that the artists began in their work. Responses will be published on the gallery website

On entering the art gallery, Ahmad spotted two girl. He looked at the girls with so much adoration, like it was the reason he was sent down to earth

Ahmad's distant cousin "Jaleelah" was the first familiar face I saw at the gallery

"Ahmad" she called out, and our heads turned towards her

When I heard the name "Ahmad" it was like poison to my ears, that name is like the symbol of my suffering

Jaleelah welcomed us with wary, tired eyes. It looks like she hasn't had any sleep, she has been at habiba's service all night and all day

She gave me her hand, and I shook it. They were callused and raw, like she'd had a difficult life and worked twice as hard for everything she had. Every pinprick touch felt unfeeling. Funny how somethings can feel unfeeling, but I guess she has just been through too much.

After exchanging pleasantries, she whispered into Ahmads ear and his eyes sparked

I wasn't paying much attention, but the last thing I heard was

"She is the one, I'm sure of it. You can go see for yourself" she said, pointing at one of the girls Ahmad has been looking at

Ahmad followed the girl wherever she went Like a hungry stalker. He took a lot of pictures of her and a few videos too, he was clearly drooling over her.