A Vow Of Love (Book #2) (Completed)

Chapter 19: An Absolute Piece Of Trash

EMAN HASHIM

"Yeah, Niyati. I already turned in the assignment." I chuckled as I got out of my car and closed the door behind me. It was Sunday and I had spent the night at Ahvi's apartment. She had had a fight with Jace and was upset, so we decided to have a girls' night.

Unlike the last time I stayed over at hers, she didn't make me do my essay all night and we spent our time watching Netflix and eating every snack we could find in the apartment. I was not looking forward to it when Ren found out that we'd gotten our hands on his secret stash of candies.

"You didn't show up to uni on Friday and you never miss a day. I was worried for you," Niyati replied, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I was feeling a little under the weather. Thanks for checking up on me though." I smiled. Niyati was such a sweet soul. She was always the one who called me when I didn't show up to class. And I could always count on her to provide me with the notes I missed and vice versa.

"Of course. Are you going to join us for study group today?" She asked as I made my way to the front porch, climbing the stairs and fishing out my set of house keys from my pocket.

"No, I'm afraid I won't be able to make it today. I want to catch up on the classes I missed myself. And I was out for two days straight. You know how it is with brown parents and going out." I whispered the last part lest my mother heard me. The woman had superhuman hearing. She could hear everything and anything if she was mentioned in a sentence.

"Ah, I see. We'll see you tomorrow at uni then?" She questioned. I opened the front door and stepped inside.

"Yes-" I began but stopped short just as a voice reached me. My legs froze in place and my heart suddenly went into overdrive and it was not in the nice way it did when I was around Tariq these days. No, it was dread that I felt pooling in my gut.

The foyer was empty and so was the hallway and I sent a thanks to the heavens because I was sure my terror was written across my face in loud, bold letters.

"Eman? Are you there?" Niyati's voice was a distant call in my ear. I opened my mouth but no words came out. I felt as if I was at the museum again, Shariq's arms around me. I had tried to scream then too but nothing had come out as if my voice had been stolen for the moment when I needed it the most. "Em?" Niyati added.

I pulled my phone away from my ear and ended the call, my knees threatening to buckle. "Aaj mangni honi thi Shariq aur Eman ki. Aur tm mujhe bol rhi ho ki ye rishta khatam?" My aunt's voice reached me in the foyer, full of anger. Shariq and Eman were supposed to get engaged today. And you're telling me that you want to put an end to the relationship?

My mother's voice quiet and soft as she answered, "Shariq ne jo kiya uske baad main apni beti tmhe nhi de sakti." After what Shariq did, I can't give you my daughter in marriage.

"Arey, Eman ne bola aur tmne maan liya? Mera Shariq kabhi aisa nhi kar skta." Khaala responded, spitting the words out like if she said them forcefully enough, she could make her point. Eman said it and you believed her? My Shariq would never do that. "Tmne Eman ke saath badtameezi ki thi, Shariq?" She added. Did you misbehave with Eman, Shariq?

"Nahi." My blood came to a standstill in my veins as Shariq's voice carried out of the living room and into the foyer. No.

No. He'd said no. He'd refused to accept that he had tried to disrespect me. My legs shook as I forced myself to take a step forward. I wanted to walk up the stairs to my room unnoticed, the way I had stepped into the house without the others noticing. Forcing air into my lungs, I took another step forward.