QAIS

Chapter 17: Her Lover, His Beloved

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“I told you! I told you not to send her to that debauched place. Look what she did! The daughter you so trusted, look what she did to our honor!” Mujtaba bellowed at his brother. Mustafa could only stand silent, betrayed and poisoned eyes lowered to Layla.

Layla felt her heart would tear from the strain on it by that disappointment in her father’s eyes. She pleaded him for forgiveness but it was cut short as her uncle grabbed the large wooden stick again, making her blanch in terror. She stumbled back as he neared. She ran to her father for protection but one hard slap had her landing on the floor, her lip pierced open along with the cracks in her heart.

“You’ve left me lower than dirt. Don’t you dare come near me.” Mustafa gritted at her. That normally warm, kind voice of his held such hostility Layla felt her heart plummet. The wall she used to hide behind for safety and shelter had become the wall to corner her to her torment.

“Now I’ll have to rectify your mistakes.” Mujtaba raised the plank against the shivering girl. “I’ll teach this infidel a lesson she won’t forget!”

The thick wood rammed at her legs, making her yell out in pain. She cried out and shrieked in pain. Her voice could be heard in each corner of the house. Ruhi hid her face in her mother’s shoulder flinching for the other’s sake. The pain-filled screams made the women’s heart tremor. Arfa tried to come to her daughter’s rescue but Ali held her back.

“Please, Ali, I’ve always treated you like the son I never had, for the sake of that motherhood let me save my daughter!” Arfa begged him.

But Ali was as cruel as his father. There was not a shred of humanity in his eyes as he gritted vengefully. “She should've thought of the consequences of her actions.”

“Speak you darned girl, who were you eloping with???”

Layla writhed on the ground, her lip bleeding as she cried out, not in pain but because of her fate. While most of her had succumbed to her dreaded punishment a part of her, the essence of human, pleaded for mercy. For forgiveness. Even though she knew she didn’t deserve it. Her crystal tears pleaded for a salvation to this chaos she had caused. Someone, someone help me. She cried selfishly. Hopelessly.

Footsteps sounded on the cemented staircase leading into the decorated house, mesmerizing with wedding lights and fragrances of marigolds. One step at a time the sound of sleek boots echoed sinisterly as if approaching a graveyard instead.

Tap

Tap

Tap

His black-clad companion had slammed the door open garnering everyone’s attention. Except Layla who was beaten senseless and was so lost in her misery she didn’t notice the arrival of that familiar intoxicating scent.

Ignoring everyone’s shocked and confused expressions the incomer's eyes directly landed on the broken girl. As if on reflex, like catching the object of your desire in a crowd of millions. But he had only gotten half a breath of a glimpse that the men there blocked his vision, cutting off the elixir to his suffering.

“What is this nonsense? Who are you barging in here like this?” Ali questioned affronted.

But the incomer's face held no expression, eyes still locked on the broken glasses on the floor and the faint racking sobs in the distance. He couldn’t understand it. This was not what he was expecting. And it was only that confusion that allowed him to remain calm. Otherwise…