Ravaged souls

Blood

Zahra's POV

"Zahra he just seems like he is a tough strong man, but at the end of the day he is just a broken boy who needs someone to hold him" Aiman said in defence of her brother, he left in the morning and didn't come back after that, it's 3:00 pm now, not a single call from my family not even my family not even my brother. "Aiman, where is humza?" I asked her as my heart is still waiting for him to take me out of this hell, she sighed in disbelief and said "He is with bhai they are out for some work" Woah! he moved on so easily? "Zahra can you please go and switch off the oven I completely forgot about cookies, hope they are not burned" Aiman requested me as she was laying on sofa because of her periods cramps. I nodded and moved towards the kitchen, to my surprise the cookies were burnt.

Removing the cookie tray I went to Aiman but I halted my steps as I heard
Aiman's voice "Humza? Are you okay? After whatever happened last night?" He is here finally, "Yes of course, what would even happen to me? I mean yes it was my engagement and all but it's not like I was in love with Zahra" his words shattered me even more as my grip on the tray tightened and I tried to control my tears. "Then why did you even agree for that engagement and everything?" Aiman asked him again as I prepared myself for other heartbreaking words "She was my mom's choice not mine, and why the hell did Walid bhai married her? Why did he trust her? Their was enough evidence to prove that she was sleeping with Abdul-" before he could complete Aiman slapped him and said "you and your idiotic theory, I'm glad Walid bhai married her not you, where is bhai?" After this scene I felt like at least someone trusted me, I tried to focus on the conversation as he said "Yes whatever, but I believe in things I saw with my own eyes more and Walid bhai went to brothel with-" Before he could even complete his words they tray fell from my hands and now I'm in the centre of attention. Aiman came running towards me and asked if I'm okay but my brain was still processing humza's words about walid, I resurred Aiman that I'm fine and I said "Aiman can you drop me to my parents house? I need to get my belongings from there" I tried my best to ignore humza, I realised it was all me dreaming about a fairytale wedding whereas he was not even interested in looking in my direction....

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I was standing at the door of my home oh no no no it's not my home, it's my parents place, I don't have a place to call home anymore, I was even scared to knock on the door. What if they don't let me get inside? What if they call Walid to take me back and never show my face to them? With all the what if's in my mind I knocked on door waiting for someone to open the door and to my surprise Jannat didi opened it. "Zahra?" She hugged me tightly and I broke down in her embrace, tears streamed down from my eyes and we heard my mother's voice, "who is on the door jannat?" Before I could respond or react jannat didi pulled me inside and said "Mummy see, Zahra is here" my mother's face went pale as she glared at me and said "I hope she came with her husband" I shook my head in no and her eyes widened "What? Don't tell me he left you, because no one is accepting you back here, your father had a heart attack after your send off. Do you have any idea how much humiliation we faced because of you? If you are here because your husband kicked you out then you are not welcomed" tears started to stream down my eyes.

My throat felt dry 'dad had a heart attack because of me?' I felt a pang of guilt hitting me as I was trying to grasp my mother's harsh words, before I could ask her about anything someone held me from my waist and spoke "Her husband is not a coward to kick his wife out, she wanted to get her belongings from here, but from now I will make sure she doesn't step in this house ever again, I don't appreciate the people who doesn't respect my wife" Walid was here, he was standing with me, he was speaking for me. Woah! What a bipolar man, he was in a brothel few hours ago and now he is here claiming me as his wife. He turned to me and asked "Zahra please go to your room and collect all your belongings as soon as possible and meet your family for one last time." I muted myself and went in my room as my mind went blank and I started packing everything.

After an hour of working like a robot I was finally done with packing, my thoughts are still blank. I heard a middle aged guy who named himself as Martin said he will get all the packed stuff at walid's house, I descended down with a heavy heart as I knocked on my father's room and imran bhai answered the door and he hugged me "Zahra, are you okay? Did Walid do anything? Tell me, I'm so sorry I was in anger and I couldn't process anything" he spoke relentlessly while kissing my forehead and hugging me, "B-bhai please let me meet dad" he nodded but before I could enter the room my dad spoke up in a loud voice, "Imran, tell her to leave if you want this old man to survive a bit longer" Imran bhai gave me a sympathetic look and and asked me to move back.

"Bhai I think I should leave" I smiled at him and turned back for leaving as I saw Walid standing there waiting for me. I went towards him "C-can you take me b-back at y-your place?" he nodded and said "That's not just 'my place' it's our home" with those words he grabbed my hands and guided me out of the place I once called home, I knew I would never return here after whatever happened with me. My mother hates me, my father was on the verge of dying because of me and my husband visited a brothel right after 20 hours in this wedding, what a great life I have.

My thoughts were interrupted by Walid, "We reached" without any second thought I jumped out of the car and ran towards his room where I was staying, he was chasing me but my mind had other plans. On roaming my eyes here and there I found a glass bottle which I broke by banging it on the corner of dressing table as tears were continuosly flowing from my eyes, I heard the glass shattering into pieces "ZAHRA, STOP" Walid was here shouting, "Why Walid? Why are you breaking me like this? Why did you even married me?" He was stepping closer to me, he stepped on shattered glass in order to stop me "Zahra, drop that glass right now, please I will explain everything, I will fix everything just trust me please drop that glass" he was stepping on that shattered pieces as he was getting closer and closer but I think I've already decided my fate, I glide the glass on my wrist as I heard Walid screaming and running towards me but it was too late, blood was already flowing and the last thing I saw before closing my eyes was blood, my own blood was splashing everywhere. I closed my eyes slowly drowning in the darkness. So this is what the end looks like? Dark yet comforting? Painful yet peaceful ? If yes then I'm ready to embrace it,
I hope they won't hate my dead body.........