A twist of hatred

Today or tomorrow??🤭🌚

Beauty
Concealing the profound pain I feel inside with a smile,I entered the house through the front door showing my strength and fortitude.

For I know it's very wrong of me to show my weakness to all the people present and so I vowed to plaster a smile on my face. To make a facade out of my own self.

There on a couch sat Shatuu who has tears smearing her face. I went forward and acknowledged the people's presence by greeting them politely although I was cursing them all inwardly.
For they were none other than the elders who put forward Shatuu's marriage to my husband.

All I wanted to see at that moment is my First Luv,I just hope this chaotic,hay wire of an event hasn't hurt her health in any way.

All those aunties were snickering,whispering here and there and I'm sure they were doing nothing other than character assassination,gossiping.

"Hey come"
I called one of the maids working around.

"Where's first luv?"
I asked only to be laughed at.

"You supposed to say Ina munafukar uwar mijina" the voice beat my eardrum
I laughed it off,a humorless laughter at that.
I turned to look at that aunty who dared to say this at my face.
Scrutinizing her face I was contemplating whether to give her a reply that won't let her sleep or just let her go.

"Ko karya akai mata kike hararana. Duk ta koyamuku rashin tarbiyya" she went on bawling over and over again.
I couldn't stand it,Forst luv never did such. All she did was nurture me into the good girl that I am today.
She deserve that credit.
It was so disappointing that this was coming from Daddy's younger sister who was once very fond of Firstluv.
She showed her so much love when Daddy was alive and now that he was no more, her real intentions are resurfacing.
Strange enough but a lot of people have changed.
After Dad's passing, the dynamics in the family seemed to change dramatically. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a side of them that we had never seen before. The love and care they had once showered upon us now seemed to have evaporated, leaving behind a void that was hard to ignore.

If the deceased could somehow return to this world, it is certain that tears would stream down their faces as they witness how their loved ones, whom they trusted to care for their families, are treating their memories.

Our family had always been close-knit, bound by love and shared experiences. But after Dad's passing, the fabric of their unity seemed to fray. The void left by his absence was palpable, and it was as if a piece of their hearts had been torn away.

"Poor soul," Aunt exclaimed, her voice dripping with feigned sympathy, "he left this world only for his wife and children to disrespect and disregard his family's opinions."
I couldn't believe my ears. It was a blatant lie, and I felt a surge of frustration and anger rising within me. Despite my urge to give her a biting reply, I took a deep breath, trying to collect my thoughts before speaking.

In that tense moment, I realized that responding with anger and spite wouldn't achieve anything positive.
And she just wants me to act out so she could use this as an opportunity to say that we are mannerless.
Considering the amount of people present in the huge parlor who were all looking at us intently I decided to shock her.
None of them was trying to stop her from insulting us despite the elders present.
It was now that I learnt maybe they never wanted my union with their son.
Presumably, they wanted Shatuu in the first place. Who knows maybe they have it all planned and now that it didn't work out as they wanted they decide to lash out on me.
The urge to give her an earful was boiling inside me. I wanted to deny all those accusations .Instead, I chose to respond with calmness and honesty.
"Aunt," I said firmly but respectfully, I was seething inwardly. It took me a lot of courage to talk respectfully to her.