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My eyes were locked on his, pleading silently, begging him to defy everyone's decision and refuse to be a part of this disaster-a disaster that was about to destroy three lives.
My heart pounded violently, my body frozen in place, just like my mind. I couldn't comprehend what was happening. Why was I sitting in Falaq's place, getting married to Shahzain?
It wasn't supposed to be me. IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ME!
I felt my soul breaking into pieces right in front of me, and yet I was powerless to stop it.
The whispers around me blurred into a distant hum. The words of the officiant seemed far away, disconnected from reality. I wanted to scream, to stand up and run, but my feet felt like they were anchored to the ground, and my voice had abandoned me. All I could do was sit there, helpless, as the world collapsed around me.
Shahzain's gaze shifted towards me briefly, his expression unreadable. Was he feeling the same? Did he want this as little as I did, or had he already resigned himself to this fate?
A single tear slid down my cheek, and I quickly brushed it away before anyone could notice. I couldn't afford to let anyone see how shattered I was inside. To them, the girl sitting there, draped in bridal red, was composed and serene-a picture-perfect bride. But beneath the surface, I was nothing more than an empty shell, hollowed out by the weight of expectations I couldn't escape.
The qazi's voice broke through the silence, "Do you, Shahzain Anwar Shah, son of Anwar Shah, accept Sobia Wahaj Sheikh, daughter of Wahaj Sheikh, as your wife?"
My heart pounded in my chest as I locked eyes with Shahzain. I searched his gaze, silently pleading, begging him to save us from this mistake. I knew he could see the desperation in my eyes, the unspoken plea. He wouldn't let this nikkah happen. He couldn't.
He loves Falaq. He can't do this to her. To me. To us.
Seconds passed, feeling like an eternity. The room held its breath, waiting for his answer. Shahzain's expression was unreadable, his gaze unwavering. Was he hesitating? Or had he already made up his mind?
But the words I desperately needed to hear never came. Instead, he glanced down, breaking the connection between us, and my heart plummeted into a dark abyss. The silence was unbearable, stretching longer than it should, as if time itself was mocking my hope.
The qazi cleared his throat, prompting him again. Shahzain's voice, when it finally came, was soft but resolute.
"Qubool hai."
The words cut through me like a blade, leaving me breathless. I couldn't process it-did he just...? I felt the walls closing in, the weight of reality crashing down, suffocating me. My world crumbled in that moment, and the girl in bridal red became nothing more than a witness to her own undoing.
