Arranged or love?

Chapter 9: My past

Chapter 9: My past

Zubaida

Opening my eyes, I opened my mouth to thank the guy, very strong guy from saving me from falling, a smile played on my lips as I turned to look at him, but that smile was wiped off my face just as quickly. No, no, no this couldn’t be happening, not again, please god not again, I screamed in my head.

My heart stuttered…

My breathing became shallow…

A sob caught in the back of my throat…

I had come face to face with my past.

The face that tormented me in my sleep, tormented me when I closed my eyes, heck tormented me every single waking minute of my day. My chest constricted and my stomach rolled at being so close to him. I had nothing in my stomach yet the nausea caused by being so close to him made my stomach heave. My eyes welled up with tears as I felt his body close to mine, it brought back the pain and humiliation that I had to bear because of him and as I struggled against him his arms tightened around me. Constricting me, hurting me like they used to. As a small whimper, so quiet that only the two of us could hear it escaped my mouth as I pleaded to him with my eyes to set me free, to let me go.

I felt a smaller hand, a hand that I recognised tug me out of his vice like grip- it was Ruksana. She too had paled but then her face wore an expression of pure hatred and it was directed solely at him. My tormenter. My past- the reason I was set against marriage. She turned her eyes back to me and assessed me, her eyes filled with concern and pain as she assessed me. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw the others approaching me, Ruksana must have had to run pretty fast to have gotten me away from him before everyone else reached. I saw Faiza smirking as she approached, her eyes glinting with hostility and happiness. But why was she happy? Her eyes flickered over to him and I understood- this was the friend she was talking about. I felt another wave of nausea hit me- it was all planned and she was behind it all.  

My brother’s, Lyba and Adam drew closer to me, looking both worried and happy. “Are you okay?” my brothers’ asked me and I nodded my head forcing a smile to assure me, Ruksana stood next to me her hand clasping mine tightly- which I was grateful for. Husna also approached, she was concerned too, she knew about my past like Ruksana and once again she glared indiscreetly at the man who was now being seen as my saviour- how ironic was that, the one who caused me so much pain and suffering had become in everyone’s eyes my saviour. Someone needed to pass me a bucket or I was going to display the contents of my stomach on the floor.

“Rehan!” squealed Lyba, “how are you, I haven’t seen you in years, I’m so glad you decided to come back!” She ran into his arms, the arms of my tormenter, the arms of the man who was also her brother. He shook hands with Adnan and Rahim and then hugged Adam, “how are you bro?” he asked gruffly, Rehan smiled and replied. Only me, Husna and Ruksana hadn’t approached him yet, I tried to keep my face impassive- I didn’t want my family to know what happened to me because of him or it would tear us apart. Something that he put into my head and it was true. “Zubaida, how are you?” he asked me, smirking as he quickly looked me up and down, I wanted to shudder as I looked into his hunger filled eyes.

“Someone pass me a bucket, I think I’m gonna throw up” muttered Ruksana into my ears, this made me smile. Everyone looked at me expectantly after he asked me- shit I needed to reply. “Um I’m good thanks, how about you?” I asked, he replied saying he was fine, and I forced my self to throw up as he talked to me like nothing happened, as if he left here with us being on good terms. “Hi Rehan, you probably don’t remember me, I’m Ruksana, Zubaida’s best friend,” she said pretending to be happy to me, only me and Husna could understand the bitchiness behind her words and I inwardly groaned she was going to make a snide remark. She was after all Ruksana. “So long time no see?” she asked after they exchanged pleasantries, I froze in my place, “why did you leave all of a sudden?”, I gulped and Husna murmured uh oh from beside me. Shit.

His eyes hardened and his gaze narrowed on the three of us and then after probably remembering there were others around us he smiled- but I knew it was forced. “Nothing really, I just fancied a change of scenery you know but ever since the talks about my marriage have cropped up I decided to return,” he replied o her although his eyes never wavered from me once. My heart literally stopped when he mentioned his marriage- I pitied the girl who would have to marry him. “Oh do you have anyone in sight?” Lyba interrupted, grinning from ear to ear, he nodded at her and returned his gaze back to me.

He gave a genuine smile, and for him a genuine smile is one that anyone on his list should be afraid of because his smile would probably end up causing them so much pain.

“Oh I have my sights set on someone I don’t know how she feels but she’s the one for me” he exclaimed, an uneasy feeling settled in my gut, my sixth sense telling me there was a double meaning to his words. Rahim and Adnan laughed but Adam stared intently at the two of us, his eyes narrowed as if he was solving a complicated puzzle. He was too smart for his own good. I forced myself to smile once again not wanting anyone else to grow suspicious. I averted my gaze from his piercing one and saw Faiza approach us and my hand automatically began to twitch- it was itching to wipe the smirk off her face.

She walked coyly, sending flirtatious looks to any guy between the age range of 15 and 30 set within her eyesight, her hips swayed seductively and every now and then she tossed her hair and bit her lip. My sight travelled down the tight clothes that looked as if they were going to tear at the seams- I wondered how she breathed in such tight clothing, and I snorted when I looked at her swinging pendulum hips as Ruksana called them. Ruksana also let out a small giggle and every stared at us, the followed our gaze and snickered and Adam coughed to cover his laugh while Husna and Lyba shook their heads in disgust but Rehan looked as if he could devour her with his eyes. They were ironically perfect for each other, both blood sucking leeches, hungry for the opposite sex.

“So like I was saying,” began Lyba as she looked back at us, “it’s a coincidence you’re here for your wedding when Zubaida’s dad has started pushing her towards marriage”. Everyone froze at Lyba’s words, thankfully we were the only ones who heard- and Faiza. She slid up to Rehan and was batting her eyelashes furiously at him but the idiot was staring at me. I wanted to kick him. Look at Faiza, look at Faiza, I chanted in my head.

“Yeah it really is a coincidence,” he murmured as he stared at me, I looked at Lyba, who had realised she had once again opened her big mouth unintentionally.

I really hated weddings.

But things couldn’t get any worse right?

Wrong.

Cue my dad. The atmosphere tensed as he approached us, it was no hidden secret in our community that I had left home and hadn’t agreed to marry the guy he chose. My heart beat rapidly and I inched closer to my brothers’ seeking their protection and security, one ranked either side of me as Ali and Adam stood protectively behind me. Lyba’s gaze swivelled frantically from us to him while Husna and Ruksana moved closer to the circle formed around me and Rehan stood there like an evil bastard enjoying the show with Faiza latched to his side. It touched my heart to see everyone stand protectively around me, their gazes narrowed in a fighting stance, the rest of our family and friends inched closer, not wanting to miss the fireworks.

It was show time.