BEPANAH

4) Marriage

Zoya's POV:

Ayan's sudden declaration took me by surprise, sending a jolt of disbelief and wonder through me. As the priest left us alone, a whirlwind of emotions swirled within me. Finally I asked him, "Why did you say that?"

"If I didn't say that , he would doubt us. Also, the goons are after us. We can't keep running like this with your injured foot for much longer. If they find us, they'll force you into marriage with their boss anyways" His words cut through the tension, laying bare the harsh reality of our situation.

The weight of his explanation settled upon me, a stark reminder of the dangers that lurked around every corner. "I know, but we can't solve one problem by creating another.Escaping doesn't mean replacing one marriage with another. It just feels so wrong. I can't go down that path".

"Zoya, listen to me, if we get married then they can't get you married to anyone else even if they do something to me , and as far as this marriage is concerned after this matter is solved we would do what's right" He said frustrated.

He then held me by my shoulders, and said "Your mom asked Rehmat aunty to protect you from your father before she died that's why she came to my father for help , if we don't do this, all your mom's efforts will go in vain you have to do this for her you have to survive for her sake".

His words pierced through me like shards of glass. The mere thought of failing my mother, the one who fought so hard to shield me from harm, shatters my soul. Her plea to Rehmat aunty, a desperate attempt to safeguard me from my father's wrath, now hangs heavy in the air.

I can feel the weight of those words. It's like my world is spinning out of control. The thought of my mom breaks my heart. Her efforts to keep me safe, to protect me, mean everything. Tears slipped from my eyes and I couldn't stop them , usually I do but right now I'm not able to.

The priest came in with two men and said "if you guys want to marry each other I'll get you both married now, these people are ready to be the witnesses we just need to confirm it from the girl if she is ready for this marriage I'll get the papers now.." they all looked at me as if they could see through the veil on my face.

The pressure to make such a life-changing decision in that moment was suffocating. I felt trapped, uncertain about what to do next.My heart raced, my mind a whirlwind of emotions.

I looked at Ayan through my veil "Beta are you willing to this marriage, don't worry if you don't want to we are here" my face turned to them and that was the moment I knew what I had to do. I'm my mamma's daughter I can't let anyone take her pride so I nodded "yes".

"Ok then" he said and went into a small room like area and got out with papers in his hand" here he forwarded the papers to Ayan "the papers are here just fill out the important details and we can start the nikkah (wedding)" Ayan nodded and took the pen and paper.

Suddenly he stopped filling the contract and looked at me , passing the papers to me. He had filled all the details except my full name and my father's name.

That's when I realized how badly things were messed up I am marrying someone whose name is the only thing I have got to know about him and that too an hour ago . I knew this was going to get really complicated but I didn't have any other option so I just went with the flow.

"Shall we start" the priest asked and we both nodded together so we all sat down and began with the proceeding.

"Zoya Khan wald Ehtisham Khan apka nikkah Ayan Baloch wald Azhar Baloch ke sath haq mehar 25 lakh rupay tae paya gaya ha Kiya apko ye nikkah qubool ha?" × 3
(Zoya Khan d/o Ehtisham khan your marriage has been fixed with Ayan Baloch s/o Azhar Baloch , do you take him as your husband?) × 3
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

*Ayan's POV*

***Papers Signed***

"Congratulations you are now officially husband and wife" I looked at her hands which she was pressing against each other probably because of anxiety.

A guy came running and said the goons are searching for them they are outside the mosque "They have found us" I said looking at the priest. He hurriedly took us into that small store room and stood beside a cupboard "Hide inside it and don't come out".

I stepped inside and forwarded my hand to Zoya which she hesitantly took and got inside , we were standing inches away from each other the only thing separating us was her veil.

The priest was about to close the door when she said "Please leave it slightly open I can't stay in the dark" the priest stopped and got his phone out of his pocket , forwarded it and closed the door before she could turn on the flash.

Her hands were trembling while she tried to turn on the light so I held her hand and turned on the flashlight for her. We stood there for about a minute without making any noise , her uneven breaths were audible to me then suddenly she started breathing heavily.

"What's wrong" I asked her "I feel suffocated in dark and closed places , I can't stay here for long" she said slowly rubbing her chest trying to breathe.

I didn't know what to do so I held the veil but it was well pinned and I couldn't take it off her head so I just held it up in the air with my hand so she could breath. The flashlight was facing downward so I wasn't able to see her face.

"Look there" all of a sudden the goon shouted and she got so terrified that she hugged me tightly. My heart started beating fast , it was almost after years that a girl had hugged me.

It's not like Aliya or mom don't hug me but obviously the feel of her was different.
"It's ok they can't do anything now , calm down" I whispered in her ear.

She pulled away just as she realized she was hugging me and seeing her act like this my lip twitched a bit into a smile for a second until I realized and pulled off my normal face again.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
***Phone Rings***

Suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone shattered the silence, echoing through the room like a thunderclap. My eyes widened in terror as I realized the grave mistake. The loud sound seemed to reverberate off the walls, betraying our hiding place to the goons outside.

I felt Zoya's hand gripping mine tightly. Time seemed to slow down as we heard the muffled voices of the goons drawing closer, their footsteps growing louder with each passing moment.

My heart raced as I glanced at the phone displaying my guard's number. With a mix of relief and apprehension, I answered the call, my voice barely above a whisper. "We are in the mosque," I uttered swiftly.

Just as the words left my lips, a chilling silence fell over the room, broken only by the creak of the door swinging open. Dread washed over me as I met the cold and calculating gaze of the goon who had discovered our hiding place.

In that heart-stopping moment, I felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins, urging me to protect Zoya at all costs. The weight of responsibility bore down on me as I prepared to face the looming threat head-on.

The goon saw us and instantly held zoya's hand but I grabbed Zoya's arm with all the strength I could muster, refusing to let the goon take her away.The goon's grip tightened on Zoya's hand, his eyes flashing with a menacing glint as he tried to overpower my resistance.

I jerked his hand and stood in front of Zoya, determined to shield her from any harm. With every step towards the goon, I extended my hand backward, signaling Zoya to step out of the cupboard.

I felt her hand in mine. As she tried to step out of the cupboard, I sensed her stumble and she fell behind me, her weight landing on my arm because of the veil on her face.

I stood there, my heart racing as the goon loaded the gun and aimed it in our direction. With every fiber of my being, I shielded Zoya behind me, determined to protect her from any harm that may come our way.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

*Zoya's POV*

I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest as the goon aimed the gun towards us. In that intense moment, Ayan positioned himself in front of me. I watched in awe as he bravely stood his ground, not allowing the goon to lay a finger on me.

Author's Note 🧕🏻: Hello peeps how are y'all doing, I hope you are loving the story this far . It's my first time writing a story but I'm getting better so keep reading 🫶🏻

1500+ words
24/6/2024