𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐎𝐎𝐍 - rewritten | ✓

THIRTEEN

Zayan had to drive above speed limit to get to his house, quickly. He was one or three hours away from home.

"Zayan, jaldi aao! Mai- mai- mujhe kuch samajh nahi aaraha! Woh nahi jaane ko tayyar hospital aur itna khoon beh raha hai. Sirf tumhara intezaar kar rahi hai," Asma cried onto the phone.
(Zayan, come quick! I- I- I don't know what to do! She's not ready to go to and she's losing a lot of blood. She's waiting for you,)

Zayan could only feel his heart racing more at her words. How did one night turn into something so horrific? One moment, he's with his wife on their wedding day. Experiencing intimacy with her. Experiencing his wedding night. Wanting to please her.

And the next, his cousin sister. His childhood best friend is dying because he didn't like her romantically.

He rushed to his house, almost risking his life and then he helped the drowsy Aaima into the car before rushing her to the hospital which got blood on his shirt.

They gave a few medicine and transferred blood before cleaning and bandaging her hand.

They had to bandage her up again because on the way to the car, she screamed at him, calling him a cheater and hitting his chest until she started bleeding again.

━━━━━━━

Maham sat on the couch, staring at the floor. She had been waiting for hours and hours. Tears had dried on her face.

Finally, the door opened and Zayan entered looking exhausted and tired. She looked up, relived.

She gasped and stood up in a second. She rushed towards him, "yeh- yeh kya hova?!" She asked, looking at the blood stain on his chest. His wedding shirt.
(What happened?!)

"Aaima ka hai," he answered. He was shaken up. He had never seen so much blood, he had never seen skin cut so deep.
(It's Aaima's)

Maham trembled, raising a hand to her mouth. "Ya Allah! Aese- aesa kya hogaya? Aaima theek hai? Aap- aap theek hain?" She asked, panicking.
(Oh God! Wh- what happened? Is Aaima okay? Are- are you okay?)

Zayan shook his head, walking past. "Zayan, jawab dein! Apko pata hai mai kitni dar gayi thi?! Kitni sehem gayi thi? Itn- itne bure bure khayal aarahe the! Aap itni jaldi nikle the the mujhe dar tha kuch ho na jai!" She exclaimed.

(Zayan, answer me! Do you know how worried I was?! How scared I was? I got so- so bad thoughts! You left in a hurry I was scared that something might happen to you!)

"Ik dulha aadi raat ko apni dulhan ko aadhi raat ko chor kar chalaya gaya. Zaroor woh male receptionist waha hoga aur usne aapko dekha hoga! Pata nahi kaise khayalat aayein hoge, mujhe dar lag raha tha, Zayan!" She yelled, tears running down her cheeks, and her voice trembling.

(A groom left his bride late at night. For sure that male receptionist was there and he saw you! I don't know what kind of thoughts could've gone through his head, I was scared, Zayan!)

"Maham, bas!" He yelled making her flinch.
(Maham, enough!)

"Do you care about my feelings at all? I saw a whole bag of blood flowing out of her wrist! I saw the slit in her skin and it was deep!" He yelled, standing up.

"I am not disgusted or terrified from blood or cut skin but my heart was in my throat knowing that I was the reason she was in that situation. I had the whole responsibility of taking my little cousin, my best friend to the hospital to save her life because if she died then I would be forever hated by my family!" He exclaimed, walking closer to her making her back away in fear.

She looked up at him with fear filled teary eyes.

"Mai bhi pareshaan thi, Zayan! Aur sirf apne liye nahi. Apke liye, Aaima keh liye, us ghar mai har kisi ke liye. Itni be dil nahi hoon keh aap logon ke zulm ki wajah se mai yaha par bhet kar Aaima ke marne ki duaien kar rahi thi." She said.
(I was also worried, Zayan! And not for myself only. For you, for Aaima, for everyone in that house. I am not that heartless that because of you and your family's abuse I was sitting here praying for Aaima to die.)

He stared back into her eyes. And after a while of silence, she shook her head and backed away.

"Yeh bohut bari ghalti thi. Yeh," she said pointing between them.
(This was a big mistake. This,)

"Apke ghar mai se ik shaks bhi is nikkah se khush nahi hai. Un logon ka bas nahi chale woh meri gardan par bandook rakh dein," she said.
(Everyoen in your house is not happy with this marriage. They stop themselves or else they want to keep a gun to my neck.)

"Apki maa kabhi khush nahi thi. Is shaadi se kya, unko toh hamesha sa mujhse nafrat hai!" She yelled.
(Your mom was never happy. Forget this marriage, she was never happy with me!)

"Aesa lag raha hai meri maa ne kisi non-muslim se nahi bari mami ke mangetar ke saath shaadi karli thi!" She yelled, her eyes closing. She was having a panic attack, but the words she wrote on paper was coming out of her mouth.
(It felt as if my mom didn't marry a non-muslim but aunt's fiance!)

She inhaled with her mouth, shakily as Zayan watched. His eyes filled with tears refusing to spill, his waterline turning red.

"4 saal ki thi! 4 saal ki thi jab se apki maa ka zulm seh rahi hoon!" She exclaimed.
(I was 4! 4 years old and I have been abused by your mother!)

Her hand rushed to the zipper on her back and she unzipped it before removing it and throwing it in the ground.

"Yeh sab! Yeh nishaan meri poori zindagi mere jism par raheinge, Zayan! Yeh nishaan mujhe hamesha yaad dilainge keh mai ik kaafir ki beti hoon!" She yelled and then sobbed, her eyes closing.
(This! These marks will always stay on my body for the remainder of my life, Zayan! These marks will always remind me that I am a daughter of a non believer!)

He rushed towards her and hugged her tightly. She sobbed into his shoulder, her legs falling weak and he slid to the floor with her.

He rubbed her back, comforting her for hours until she calmed down. She pulled away, looking into his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving." He whispered and wiped her tears.

"I'm sorry too," she said. She was regretting her words, all the words she spoke to him. She didn't wanna lose him. He was her everything. She leaned in and kissed him, deepening the kiss by gripping his nape.