𝐂𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐰𝐬

Chapter 14

°°°

I am afraid if I close my eyes,
I might lose you in a blink of an eye,
and I am afraid if I open them,
you might be a dream and
I won't have a chance to meet you again.

                                     -Talal Al-Rasheed.
°°°

As Aamirah stepped out of the car, the imposing mansion loomed before her, much larger and more opulent than the one she had visited before marrying Osman, as she stayed there for a mean time but the air felt different here—colder, distant.

Osman’s grip on her hand was firm, but she felt a strange tension as they approached the grand entrance. Inside, the house was vast, with high ceilings and dimly lit hallways that seemed to stretch endlessly.

The grandeur of it all was almost suffocating. She tried to steady her nerves, reminding herself that this was her new home, her new life. Yet, a knot of unease settled in her stomach.

Osman’s grandmother was the first to greet them, her silver hair pinned back neatly, her gaze sharp and assessing. "So, this is her?" she said, more to Osman than to Aamirah. The words were clipped, lacking warmth.

Aamirah forced a polite smile and greeted her, but the older woman’s cold eyes didn’t soften. Next, she was introduced to Osman’s uncle, who merely nodded in her direction before looking back at Osman as if she weren’t even there.

It stung more than she expected, the subtle way they dismissed her presence. It was clear—she wasn’t welcome here. His grandmother’s words echoed in her mind. “He married her without consulting anyone,” she had overheard earlier.

They resented her, Aamirah realized. Osman had made the decision alone, consulting only his grandfather, the only one who seemed to have accepted her or she thought so, though he was not present now.

As they continued through the mansion, Aamirah couldn’t help but feel the weight of their disapproval. She had imagined something different—a warm welcome, perhaps a sense of belonging.

But here, in this vast and lonely house, she felt like an outsider, intruding on a family that had never wanted her to be a part of it. Osman, for all his power and confidence, seemed oblivious to the icy reception she was receiving.

Or perhaps he simply didn’t care, and why would he even care for her? She is his wife just because he sons needs a mother, he doesn't need a wife, does he? Either way, Aamirah knew that whatever lay ahead would not be easy. She was alone in this, at least for now.

Aamirah’s heart raced when Osman turned to one of the maids and instructed her to lead her to his room. The weight of those words hit her hard. His room. She had barely let it sink in that she was now his wife, and with that, came the expectations she hadn’t fully prepared herself for.

Sharing a room with him, a man who seemed so distant yet commanding and the man who is her husband now, but even after been married to him sharing a room with him felt overwhelming.

Her hands instinctively tightened around the delicate strap of her handbag as the maid led her through the long, lavish corridors. Each step felt heavier than the last.

Her mind raced. This wasn’t just about adjusting to a new home, but about stepping into a life that was far beyond anything she had ever known—especially as a wife. Her thoughts drifted to Osman’s infant son.

She hadn’t seen him yet but why she felt that sense of familiarity with his son, nevertheless it was now her responsibility to care for him. The enormity of it all suddenly came crashing down—how was she supposed to manage being a new wife and mother at the same time?