HIS INNOCENT BRIDE

ONE

AYSHAM’S POV:

“Where the f**k are my sandles?” Another shout that made me move my fingers in haste. I couldn’t afford another shout of Beela as my aunt, her mother would just barge on me and humiliate me in front of all the guests.

Today was her wedding and she wanted everything perfect. I didn’t want to ruin anything because of my laziness. Aunt said that I am lazy and that’s why I didn’t sleep at night just to make sure the preparations were acceptable.

I entered the room as I found her standing in the middle of the room throwing daggers at me. She was in her pyjamas as her makeup was done already. She wasn’t ready yet as she wanted to make the groom weight which according to Bella was a way to increase her dominancy on him. I brought her sandals as aunt didn’t allow her wear heels because of her unusually extreme height unlike me as I was just 5’2. She looked way taller than Jameel, her to-be-husband and aunt didn’t like that.

“Why aren’t you ready yet?” As soon as I placed Beela’s sandals in front of her she, my aunt Shabeen, entered the room towering over me. She wasn’t tall enough but she always made me look timid in front of her. “The guests are arriving. What they will think about us that we didn’t even give you the time to get ready.”

“Yes Aunt.” I mumbled as she just shook her head to move towards her daughter.

“Don’t worry. You are the most beautiful…” Aunt was pampering Beela on her sour mood when I departed her room to reach mine.

My room was small but clean and peaceful because it was in the other side of the house. As if I was abandoned. But I wasn’t. After my mother’s death when I was eleven years old my uncle brought me with him but he also died after a year. I am grateful that my aunt didn’t leave me although she didn’t like my mother much. She gave me the shelter, food to eat and sent me to school for study. I just ended my high-school but she didn’t have money to send me to college. She couldn’t only afford one child to go to college and that’s why she chose Beela as she was older than me few years. I didn’t complain as I was grateful that she let me finish the high-school.

I finally glanced at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a long maroon colord skirt that I wore on my last eid. I have worn it once so it was new. I had the same colord blouse reaching till my waist as the bare area of my waist was covered by the dubbatta(veil) that I designed to roam around my waist and then ended around my shoulders after covering my chest. I was completely covered as I didn’t like to show my skin. Making a loose bun with few careless strands touching my neck and cheeks I applied gloss and filled my eyes with black kajol.

Wearing heels I went outside to check on the flower arrangements. Beela and Aunt asked me to decide whatever to do with the arrangements as they were more concerned about the dresses and everything so I decided to decorate whole house with tulips. I loved them and I am hopeful that aunt would also like this.

“Hey where are you going?” I was walking down the corridor when Safwan, Beela’s second cousin came to stand in my way. My breath almost got stuck in my throat when I saw him. First I was disgusted by the way he looked at me but when one night he came into my room without permission my aunt saw him. She didn’t listen to me but slapped me in front of him. She forbade him to come again to her house but today he was here and now I wasn’t just disgusted but scared of him too. I didn’t want other people to find me with him or aunt would get to know. I didn’t want to ruin her daughter’s wedding day because of me.

“You are looking beautiful.” He murmured preventing me to slide passed him.

“Let me…go…please.” I didn’t want to gather attention towards us as it would be humiliating for my aunt and my reputation.