Seher's Penitence

Seher's Penitence (Last Part)

"He breathed life into my soul without laying his bare hands on my skin, my heart didn't have a choice."

-Nikki Rowe

More than twenty minutes had elapsed since Seher had been inside the bedroom and Yaman was getting restless with every passing minute.He could not leave her alone anymore! She was disturbed and in intense emotional turmoil!

He began pounding loudly on the door and demanded Seher to unlock it, but when she didn't respond and his insistence to open up was met with an eerie silence, Yaman knew something was seriously amiss! He impatiently knocked one final time and then decided to break down the door.

When the door came crashing down at its hinges, he swiftly entered the room, only to discover that Seher wasn't there! He checked the washroom, but that too was empty.

Yaman then noticed a folded piece of paper on the pillow and grabbing it frantically, unfolded it and began reading the missive with his heart in his mouth and bracing himself with nerves of steel!

When he finished reading the letter, he felt like he was coming apart at the seams. Oh, Seher! His tender-hearted wife! His broken and hurt Seher! What had she done! But this time, he would not let her flee and penalize herself and him anymore! No more heartbreak for his gentle wife! This time, he would not let this raging ocean of misery swallow and capsize the boat of their lives!

                   --------

Seher had been trudging through the forest for more than an hour and she couldn't comprehend where she was going anymore. She was totally directionless and did not have any inkling as to which path she was supposed to take. Her aggrieved mind and soul had ceased to function and assist her in any way! She felt as sad and dejected as the proverbial thousand sighs when the dark winds sob through the yews.

Finally, she saw a clearing among the trees ahead and strained her ears to hear the sounds of incoming vehicles, confirming her suspicion that she was close to the main road! She tiredly dragged her feet forward and willed herself to walk.

She didn't know how she would find the nearest police station, but find it, she would!! She had to absolve Yaman and pay her Penitence the only way she could. She had wronged him immensely and hurt him beyond measure. Yaman had been severely burned by this wildfire she had lit in their lives, and she had been the one who had come out unscathed. What kind of skewed justice was this? She deserved the punishment and pain too.

The callous and cruel treatment she had meted out to Yaman was like a heavy boulder on her soul. She knew even her sister and Yusuf would never pardon her if she didn't try to atone for her sins. And bless Yaman's kind soul, he had already forgiven her.What had she done to deserve his precious love? She was not even worthy of breathing the same air as him. What an ungrateful wife and life partner she had proved to be? She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare and couldn't wake up!

Suddenly, lightning flashed around her, and she heard the ominous sounds of thunder rumbling. She looked up to see a grey, dreary,overcast sky, giving everything an austere appearance as if like herself, it was brooding on an uncertain future and dark thoughts too. She had barely managed a few more steps when it started raining heavily. In a matter of few minutes, she was soaked to the bones.

Even though she felt as cold as a marble statue, it didn't matter anymore. The cold in her heart overshadowed any chill her body experienced. Her heart felt like a fireless hearth. Her thoughts were only for Yaman right now. She had lost him and his love, all over again. And this time because of her own deeds.

She felt profound shame and self-abhorrence and could not face the fact that she had been his ruin. She didn't deserve his love and devotion and consoled herself that maybe it was all for good. He should not be saddled with a woman like her who had hurt him so much.