Arranged or love?

Chapter 12: Share your pain with me

Hi guys, so I'm a little disheartened that my book has only got 5 votes so far and I only have a few followers, plese vote, comment and fan- don't just read it, otherwise there's no inspiration for me to continue :(

Anyway let the chapter begin...............................................................................

Chapter 12: Share your pain with me

Adam’s POV

I watched her throughout the week, ever since she found out there was a family wedding she was on edge, at first I thought it was because of her dad but it slowly dawned on me that Zubaida had a past. A very painful past. I had seen the flash of raw pain in her eyes when they settled on Rehan and I could swear hands down it tore my heart. I don’t know why her pain had a direct connection to my heart. It just did.

I wanted to protect her.

Keep her safe.

Wipe away her painful past.

I also realised that her past was somehow connected to Rehan, being a detective and a behaviour analyst I had picked up on her fear of Rehan as soon as she saw him. She was more jumpy, had kept an arm’s length from him and never made eye contact with him. Apart from that Ruksana and Husna looked like they were going to kill him and were more than protective of Zubaida. My suspicions were confirmed when her dad announced her marriage- to Rehan. It was as if the shock doubled with the pain and betrayal from her dad had sapped the life out of her and I instinctively caught her in my arms as I felt her slip into unconsciousness.

Her body was so fragile.

She was so weak.

So vulnerable.

She was broken on the inside.

I wanted to be the one to fix her.

I paced the room restlessly as she lay there unconscious, the worry that was eating me away on the inside was also eating away at her brothers. I had a feeling that they too sensed something was up with Zubaida. It seemed time was dragging, ever so slowly until she opened those beautiful eyes. Fraction my fraction they opened and I watched as a range of emotions displayed on her face, from confusion to pain, to worry and to fear. I wanted to do nothing else but take her into my arms but I knew Adnan and Rahim wouldn’t appreciate that.

I stole a quick look at Rehan and recoiled when I saw the lust in his eyes- he looked evil. Nothing like the Rehan I once knew. He had changed. All of a sudden Zubaida had paled and before we could understand why a bucket was thrust under her face and she emptied what little contents there were in her stomach, I saw Rehan smirk as he watched Zubaida’s helpless form and I wanted to do nothing more than to lash out and wipe that smirk off his face.

“Come on Rehan, I think you need to leave” muttered Ruksana quietly, so quietly that only me, her, Husna and Rehan had heard. The rest were busy with Zubaida. Before he could reply Ruksana grabbed the sleeve to his shirt and literally dragged him out of the door, with me and Husna in tow, I wanted to know why he was the only one who was being kicked out of the room. As soon as they were a fair distance to the room Zubaida was in she dropped his arm, and wiped her hand on her dress as if touching him would infect her. In any other situation I would’ve laughed but stood here watching everything play out in front of me I felt sick to the stomach.

The man standing before me was my brother, even if we weren’t related by blood, we were still brothers but this man was someone completely different. he made by blood chill and his smirk was pure and utter evil. Why hadn’t I seen this side of him before. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as he watched Ruksana, his hungry eyes sweeping over her body, mentally devouring her. I wanted to join Zubaida and be sick!

Ruksana gave him one of the dirtiest looks a human could give and then when he didn’t stop devouring her with his eyes she reached forward and slapped him tight against the face. I stayed back watching the scene play out, I needed to find out the truth and I’d be damned if I let this thing rest. I stayed behind the corner as I watched the three of them.

“You stupid bastard!” she screamed as she glared at him, I winced as I heard her scream, she was shaking with rage, her fists clenched at her sides as she fought for control. Husna stood beside her in her wedding attire scowling at Rehan, if looks could kill he would be a dead man. “After everything you put her through, how dare you think you’ll marry her!” she shouted, she had gone red the rage had taken over her and as she reached out to lash at him Husna grabbed her arm, stopping her from doing anymore bodily harm.

Before he could respond, the door to the private room opened and Zubaida marched out followed by a harassed pair of Rahim and Adnan and a worried Lyba. She briskly walked past Rehan, Husna and Ruksana, slowing down to glare at him as she made her way into the wedding hall.

This couldn’t be good.

For once the timid Zubaida looked like a sight to be reckoned wiht. 

Zubaida’s POV

I watched my brothers treating me like fragile glass, as if they were afraid I was going to shatter into a million pieces and I wanted to kill the bastard. Enough was enough. I was going to take a stand, in front of everyone I was going to refuse Rehan. Damn the consequences. He raped me, he broke my heart, he broke my trust in him and probably in men in general and he left me broken. I'd be damned if I was going to play the typical victim in distress.

I’d be damned to let him do that to me again.

I stood up as I watched the three talking quietly and gesturing and before the had realised what happened I marched out of the room. I was going to refuse marriage to Rehan in front of everyone. I couldn’t do this for anybody. Especially not for the man I once called my dad, the same man who tried to kill me.

My brothers and Lyba shouted at me to stop but I ignored them, if I stopped to listen I may never be able to do this. I walked past Ruksana, Rehan and Husna and couldn’t help but scowl at him. The scumbag.

I took a deep breath when I arrived at the entrance to the main hall, a small internal voice was telling me to stop, to act reasonably, but that voice was being pushed down by another inner voice egging me on to fight. To be independent. To stop my engagement to Rehan. My feet moved on their own accord towards the stage and before I knew it I was stood with a microphone in my hand as everyone looked at me confused. I opened my mouth and I saw my family and friends making their way to the front. Husna and Ruksana looked pleased, my brothers were confused, Lyba was worried. I wasn’t sure if Adam was angry or happy- I’m guessing he understood what I was going to do, and Rehan was scowling at me.

I took a deep breath and began, “today my dad has told you about my engagement to Rehan, I am here to shed light on this topic. I won’t be marrying him or any other man in the near future. I can’t stand Rehan and I refuse this proposal and I won’t be forced into a marriage with him”. There was silence and then all of a sudden all the women gasped at once. It was actually really comical. The gasps turned to whispering and then they all glared at me with such hostility it made my blood chill. Oh boy it seemed I had made a few enemies. I hadn't stopped to think about this. 

I looked towards my family and my dad, dad was pissed off,  my brothers were shocked, Husna and Ruksana smiled with relief and Adam gave me a small smile. That smile made my heart do a little back flip. He had a smile to die for, I mentally shook my head- what was wrong with me, here I was refusing a marriage proposal but then eyeing up the guy's brother. My thoughts were interrupted by thw women who had started shouting.

“How can you do this?” a woman shouted.

“You’re nothing but a tart and an embarrassment!” another screamed, there were echoes of agreement and then I faced a blitz of insults, swear words and curses, from Rehan’s supporters and my dad’s sympathisers. By opening my mouth I had broken the rules of the community for girls and their marriage. In their eyes I had wronged Rehan, his family, my family and the community. Some of these people had brought the proposal to my dad and were insulted; others just added fuel to the fire and some didn’t generally like me. It didn’t matter what I said or did to make them think other wise.

I was now an outcast. 

I was now scorned.

I was now hated.