Set Me Free!!! (can you?)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 1

In the silence of the night, her tears spoke louder than her words. Muffling the sound of her sobs with her hand, her eyes shown longing for her husband who was sleeping beside her. It was every other night, but today her heart feels more tightened and at unease. So she got up from the bed, performed Wudu and grabbed the prayer mat.

This is where she finds peace, on the prayer mat, in sujood, closest to the only one who listens to her. She cried and cried, told Allah about everything she hides from the world and when she finally felt some calmness spreading in her heart she went to sleep.

Her nights always looked like this ever since she got married. Amara Farooqi crying herself to sleep and her husband sleeping in the same room, on the same bed with no care in the world. But isn't that how it's supposed to be? They didn't have a love marriage or even arranged, it was just some sort of deal between two companies that will benefit both her father and her husband.

Her husband, Taha Zafar, a well-known businessman. He, being the oldest took up his father's company after he died in a plane crash. Although a father's loss is a big loss but for him the company his father left behind was much more important.  All he ever sees is wealth, power and status. These were the only words in his dictionary apart from anger.

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“Bring me my coat, I am running late” he said fixing his tie. It was seven in the morning when Amara was woken up by her husband, to prepare his breakfast and lunch for office. She slept late after her Fajr prayer, reading the Quran she couldn't get hang of the time. She was still in a daze sitting on the bed rubbing her eyes.

“Did you not hear me!” his voice was a little loud this time.

Not wanting to hit by more angry words she stood up immediately and went to the closet to grab his coat. Handing him his coat she hurriedly went downstairs straight to the kitchen. But what she was not awaiting so early in the morning was her mother-in-law already settled in the dining chair that was just across the kitchen and has an open view of the kitchen.

“Assalam-o-Alaikum” she received a nod in reply. Not wanting any interaction with her she started preparing breakfast. Despite her mother in law's pointed glares directed at her she finished making breakfast and lunch.

“Good Morning, mom” Taha came downstairs, when she was setting the breakfast on the table.

“Morning my son. Did you sleep well?” she smiled to her son.
“Yes mom, today I have an important meeting with other businessmen in the industry, I'll be late since we'll be going to a party afterwards.”
His mother smiled and patted his back, “I am so proud of you, son. Best of luck for today and don't worry you can even stay out through the night if you want, I know parties get messier by the end”
He smirked to his mother, “Thankyou mom. You know me so well”

It felt like as if her heart sank, she was standing there like an outsider listening to them. Or maybe her existence didn't matter to them. Her hands started shaking, after placing the glass on the table she decided to go back to her room.

“Where do you think you're escaping to?” came in her mother in law's voice, stopping her in her steps. “To my room.. I am fasting.” she said turning to look at her. Yes she usually fasts on Mondays and Thursdays.
“And how is that my problem? You are going to clean the dishes after we're done eating, I don't like mess in my house.” she ordered.

She glanced at her husband with hope that he'll say something, but who was she kidding? He was busy munching on the toast as if there's nothing happening around him. Looking back at her mother in law she said quietly “I'll do that in the evening, I have no energy in me, please”

“Taha! Look how she's talking back to me now!” Her husband finally looked up from his plate gritting his teeth at her, “Why are you so hell-bent on ruining my morning. Listen to what my mother's saying or you know I'll take it too far.” She clearly understood what he meant by ‘taking it too far’ either he's gonna place the lighted cigarette on any part of her hand, or he's going to lock her in the bedroom for days. He has done it all before, she's used to it all. But right now when she's fasting, she was not ready to take any of that. So she did what she's been doing, lowered her head “I will wash the dishes.”

She didn't notice the smile on her mother-in-law's face.

~мєσ

I hope y'all are doing good. Tell me in the comments are you finding it interesting?