It wasn't meant to be ✔️

Chapter 22

Kaneez helped me to clean up the floor and the kitchen as that was one of my chores. And then advised me to sit in the bath for at least half an hour to help my sore body.

I'm currently sat in the bath when Ismail barged in. He was angry at first and then saw me in the bath and his anger vanished.

"Oh...I'm sorry begum. I don't know you were having a bath. But its my time to go work now so come on." He says as he nears me.

He lowers his head and kisses my forehead "I'm sorry for going so rough on you yesterday. I promise I'll try to be less rough today." And he walks out to leave me to reflect on his words.

I get out of the bath and dry myself and change into my clothes. And head downstairs to gather his stuff.

Finally, its time for him to leave. I help him put on his blazer. Hand him his folders, his phone and his keys.

He smiles at me and again kisses my forehead. The kisses I used to yearn for everyday I've learned to despise now. Life can really turn everything upside down.

And he left and I spent the day completing my chores, on an empty stomach.

When I was finally done, I sat down in my room to relax for 5 minutes before he was due home. Just as I sat down my door was knocked on. I opened it to find my mother in law standing there timidly.

I let her into the room and we sat in the silence. Write I whispered "You shouldn't have taken that slap for me."

"You went through 100x worse though beta. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him." She looked at the ground "I've never been able to stop him. You don't deserve this. You deserve the best and Ismail isn't that."

I was stunned, I didn't know what she was trying to say. I should leave Ismail, the thought had never crossed my mind once.

Would I be able to do so? How?
What would I do after I escape?
Who will I contact? Who will I ask for help?

But then it dawns on me I've been bought. I can't escape. I'm his property.

"I...I..I can't."

"What do you mean you can't, you can Ayla. I'll help you."

"You. YOU! You'll help ME. Listen you can't even get your son to listen to your talks and YOU'RE going to help me. Please just go." I pointed to the door and without wasting a minute she left. I felt bad but how the hell was she going to help me. It had to be a trap to get me caught and in more trouble with Ismail.

With the thought of Ismail I ran downstairs immediately as he was meant to be home any minute now. He entered and smirked when he saw me standing there with a meek expression. He came towards me and took his keys and phone from his hands and helped him take off his blazer and shoes. He then went upstairs whilst I went to the kitchen to help out when I heard him shouting "Ayla! Ayla! Get here right now!"

I scampered up the stairs and ran to the room. I entered the room to find him laying on his bed and the entire room messed up. Glass shattered, frames broken, my clothes ripped and slightly burned, papers thrown everywhere, all while he is smoking his cigar, with a smile a sinister one.

"Clean this."  He ordered.

"I don't want to right now. I'll do it later." I said as I turned to leave.

He dragged me back "Who the hell are you to deny my order. Clean this all up, NOW!"

"NO!" I shouted back at him.

As expected a hand was raised and my head flipped to the other side, pain rushing through my cheek.

"I think you've forgotten your rules, the ones that YOU have to abide to, to make your life easier. But since you haven't I guess you'll have to face the consequences he raised his fist and punched me in my abdomen. Hard, really hard.

I screamed. He punched again and again.

"You need to obey my every order and rule. You are mine. I OWN YOU! I HAVE BOUGHT YOU!" He said as he threw a punch between words. "You are my property, you will do as I say, when I say. Have you understood?"

"When did you buy me and who from?" I whimpered out.
He straightened his back and with a laugh he kicked my back.

"Well my naive wife. I think you already know the answer. But I'll tell you anyway. It was your beloved brother Usmaan. My dear wife you may not know this because you are a bit slow and dumb but I am Ismail Hussain, son of the great Hayder Ismail, one of the greatest politicians of Pakistan. People worship the ground he walks on, they never raise their voices when speaking to him and they have never and I mean never even made eye contact with him. But you, you went against that and he's hated you with every drop of blood that flows from his veins. He's been encouraging me to beat you. He's been encouraging me to hurt you. He's been encouraging me to unleash my monster."

He went over to the sofa and sat on it. "Your stupid brother joined our rivals despite the fact that we offered him many times for a high post with our party. He joined the rivals and has dragged our izzat through the mitti. The only people supporting us are those who were loyal to my family since the start. So, to take revenge from this Usmaan I thought why not target his family. When I realised that his family was broken apart, I was a bit annoyed at first because it made my work harder, but don't worry I found a way. I researched all your family and found out which member he was closest to and that was you. He wasn't emotionally attached but you were the only one he would contact often, obviously for the sake of your mother. So it was either you or her. I thought to myself, why bother an old cancer patient who was going to die in a mere few days? I thought to myself it would be interesting to play with the mind of her 17 year old daughter who was practically running tagt empty house, but was still struggling. Ha! You were only 2 people and you still struggled, I do wonder about you Jaaneman. Anyway, the plan was just to pester you until you married me and we would use you against your brother. But the scoundrel sold you. He sold his sister to me! He bargained with me saying he wanted 5 lakh rupees, with 3 properties, 10 bulletproof vehicles and a trusted man of ours. This was all in exchange for you and for him to tell his party to step down and not step out of line. But you see your brother hasn't stuck to his half of the deal, so you'll get the punishments."

And with that he started to beat me again. Slaps, punches, kicks, they didn't hurt me as much after knowing the truth. My truth. I was sold. To him. I'm being punished for mistakes that aren't mine. I can't escape. I'll never be able to repay all that he's bought me with. I can't escape.

I'm his property. I always will be from now.

He again raped me. Took advantage of my shock and weakness.

But I had already accepted that I would never win.

******
Yeahhhh...
I have no idea what to write here so yh🤷‍♀️😬