Make Me Your Villain | ✓

Chapter Forty Two

Hayat Azhar

My eyes fluttered open and the first thing I noticed was the discomfort I was in.

I pushed myself up from the cold floor, rubbing my eyes groggily. Why was I on the ground?

"Sania?" I called out, instinctively turning toward the bed we usually shared.

But this wasn't my room.

Panic surged through my bloodstream as I spotted the red lahenga I was still wearing, its edges stained with mud. My heart dropped to the bottom of my chest.

No, no, no. This couldn't be real.

Fear gripped me, twisting my stomach into knots as I scanned the room like a caged bird. How could I have done this? Why did I marry Sameer Malik? Why didn't I stop it? What was I thinking?!

A wave of nausea hit me as the reality of my situation settled. I slammed a hand on my mouth and scrambled to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before retching. My empty stomach only brought up a bitter, greenish fluid.

Tears pricked my eyes as I gasped for breath, trying to steady myself.

Yesterday, my emotions had been too overwhelming—I'd shut everything off. But waking up today, reality crashed down on me with the strength of a huge wave.

I forced myself to stand, fumbling for the light switch before hesitantly peeking into the room. The door was still closed.

My attention drew to the muddy floor—courtesy of my dirty lahenga from last night.

Slowly, I walked over the bed to the neatly arranged bag and covered sheet Sameer had left. I didn't want to touch anything, really, but I couldn't stay like this either.

Inside the bag were everything I needed: tissue paper, makeup remover, face wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, towels—everything to start the day.

Reluctantly, I gathered what I needed and locked myself in the bathroom, double-checking the lock for security.

As I removed my makeup, I realized how dumb it had been to sleep with it on. My skin was already breaking out. The bathroom itself was luxurious, more than I was used to. It took me longer than it should have to figure out how to use everything.

Once I finished showering, I uncovered the dress Sameer had left; a floral blue shalwar kameez with delicate embroidery.

My eyes widened at the price tag. Why was this so expensive? Couldn't they find something more reasonable?

I glanced at the muddy bridal dress discarded in the corner before looking back at the clean outfit in my hands. I had no choice but to wear it.

After tidying up the room, including wiping the floor with the mop I found in one of the cabinets, I performed ablution and stood to pray.

As I began, my hands trembled and my eyes filled with mist. "In the Name of Allah - the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful..."

I pushed all thoughts away, focusing on the words of the prayer, reciting them with all the faith and concentration I could gather. "...Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. Guide us along the Straight Path..."

The prayer brought me a sense of calm. Running away wasn't an option. I had to face the consequences of my actions. Avoiding them would only make things worse.

A light knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts once I was done praying. I hesitated before going to unlock it, not expecting to find Asra standing there, her expression flat.