Perfect Together

chapter five

"And We created you in pairs"

Qur'an.

***

Daneen was agitated. For all her life she wondered what did she ever do that her father hated her so much. She couldn't find any answers even after twenty years and this time he has crossed all the limits by fixing her marriage with someone just because she has spent some extra hours outside the home. Can he get any more viler? Knowing him he might as well prove her wrong, but the marriage was not a part of her plans, damn it.

She threw a vase in anger and winced as her right hand still wasn't healed. But it didn't pain as much as her heart, which was hurt, broken and lost all hopes in this world. Her eyes were puffy and red, showing how much she cried last night. Her mami wanted to console her but she has locked herself in anger and didn't open the door ever since. But she knew it wasn't going to last long.

Just as she thought, Wajiha unlocked the door with a spare key and gave her an angry glare yet her eyes were so full of concern and tears, "my Dani." She cried in sadness, "I'm sorry for not coming earlier, darling. I don't know what to say." Wajiha was ashamed to call that person her brother.

"No, why will you say anything. I am used to this. Being weak and useless. Its fine." Daneen smiled bitterly, "I hope your mamu was alive today, he wouldn't have let it happen, any of these." Wajiha added sadly, reminiscing about her dead husband.

Daneen just chuckled dryly, she didn't really believe her aunt's words. Never did. How can her so-called mother's brother be any good would always leave her in denial. She absolutely hated the concept of marriage and producing kids though.

Why do they marry if they don't want to live together and why do they give birth just to leave that child one day? How can they abuse their own baby? All these horrible experiences have made her so against the concept of marriage and she didn't want to commit the same mistakes as her so-called parents.

"Why does he hate me so much, Mami?" Daneen asked with tearful eyes. It took her a lot of courage to ask this question, which she wanted to ask for so long.

"It will hurt you to listen this, but dear, bhai never wanted you. Nor your mother, she married him for the sake of protecting family's honour. They were both unhappy. And miserable. Bhai wasn't always like this though." Wajiha stopped because Daneen obviously was hurt with every word she spoke.

"He changed completely after your mother just randomly left one day, turns out she was having an affair. Yesterday night, when you came home so late.... It might have triggered his memories and he took out all that anger on you." Wajiha hugged her niece who was sobbing again.

"You remind him of her, which gives him no right to abuse you but he does. I'm sorry, Daneen. I'm so sorry you had to go through all this. I'm sorry I found out about this abuse only years later. I'm sorry he's my brother."

It all made sense somehow. So her father abused her because, she reminds him of her mother, who cheated on him. Who left him. Who hurt his ego. That was so pathetic that she wanted scream in frustration.

"But I'm happy he's getting you married, this will be your chance to get away from here, once and for all." Wajiha added sadly.

Daneen stared at her wide-eyed, like she was crazy for even suggesting that.  

"Mami, Please stop this marriage. I don't want to marry anyone. Please..." She pleaded miserably hoping for some miracle to happen. Getting married was the last thing she wanted. She can't imagine herself as someone's wife... a daughter in law, a mother...It made her so mad.