In the Heart of Darkness

Chapter 6: A Flicker of Light

Zara went back to her room after the tense encounter with Ibrahim, her mind and heart heavy with emotions she couldn't quite place. She felt exhausted, not just from the argument but from the weight of her entire situation. Lying on her bed, her sobs came silently, as if her body had no more strength to give to the tears.

She didn't know how her life would unfold from here. She felt suffocated, trapped in this large, luxurious house where she had nowhere to go except the living room, dining room, and her bedroom. Everything else was done for her. 

The maids took care of all the household tasks, but Zara felt isolated. What was once her dream of freedom from her parents' control now felt like a different kind of prison, one with golden bars.

She had no one to talk to, no one who loved her, and the loneliness was unbearable. Her biggest fear had always been to live alone, without someone who truly cared for her.

At home, at least she had Amma, the caretaker who had been with her since she was three months old, someone who had loved her like her own child. Here, she had nothing but silence.

Staring up at the ceiling, her thoughts wandered back to the moment Ibrahim scolded her. His words were haunting her. She feared Ibrahim now—what if one day his anger turned on her? What if she said or did the wrong thing, and he reacted in the same brutal way as he did with Ahmed? The idea sent shivers down her spine.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Zara didn't move but called out, "Come in."

Nancy stepped inside. "Madam, the food is ready. Please come for dinner."

Zara had no appetite and was still too upset after her argument with Ibrahim. "I'm not hungry, Nancy. Thank you, but I don't want to eat anything." She expected Nancy to leave after that, so she added, "Please close the door on your way out."

But Nancy hesitated. "Madam, I'm sorry, but I have to take you with me in five minutes. It's Sir's order. If I don't obey, he won't be happy about it, so please, madam, cooperate with me."

Zara wanted to protest, but she knew it was useless. With a sigh, she glanced at Nancy briefly before getting up from the bed. She walked past her, with Nancy following close behind. Midway down the stairs, Zara asked, "Is he at the dining table?"

Nancy seemed confused for a moment. "Who?"

Zara looked at her with tired eyes. "Ibrahim or kon?". (Ibrahim, Who else?)

Nancy quickly corrected herself, rubbing the back of her ear nervously. "Oh, sorry, sorry! Yes, he's there."

Zara was about to turn around and head back to her room when she heard Ibrahim's voice call out from the dining room. "Hurry up, come downstairs and have your dinner."

Her steps were slow and heavy as she entered the dining room. Ibrahim was already seated, focused on his food, not even sparing her a glance. Zara quietly took a seat at a distance, trying to remain as invisible as possible.

"Sit beside me," Ibrahim ordered without looking up from his plate.

Zara didn't want to argue anymore. She obeyed, moving to sit next to him, and began eating in silence. The room felt tense, the weight of their earlier argument still hanging in the air.

Ibrahim, though still focused on his food, couldn't help but steal glances at Zara. Her swollen eyes and the delicate way she moved tugged at something inside him. She looked beautiful even in her sadness, and he had to close his eyes for a moment to steady himself. He reminded himself of the boundary between them, though every day it seemed to blur more. He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself, and get her attention.

Zara looked up, her eyes still red from crying.

Ibrahim pushed an envelope toward her. "Open it," he said calmly, still trying to keep his emotions in check.

Zara blinked in confusion but took the envelope. She opened it and, as she read the contents, her expression slowly changed. 

A smile crept across her face. "You got me enrolled in the most prestigious university?" Her voice trembled with surprise and joy. "But how? I didn't even take the entrance test, and my merit wasn't that high. How is this possible?" she asked, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes.

Ibrahim's expression remained calm. "It was written in your destiny. Don't think too much about it. You're a university student now. Focus on your studies and nothing else."

Zara's tears flowed freely now, but this time they were tears of joy. She stood up from her chair abruptly and hugged Ibrahim who was still siting on his chair, surprising him. "Thank you, thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me. It was my dream to study there, but when my father stopped my education, I thought I'd never have the chance to study again and that too in such prestigious university."

Ibrahim sat still, unsure of how to react. He wasn't used to such displays of affection. Her sudden gesture caught him off guard, and for a moment, he just sat there, his arms at his sides. Slowly, as Zara pulled away, he nodded, still absorbing her words.

"Your classes will start the day after tomorrow," he said, regaining his composure. "You can go shopping tomorrow with Nancy. She'll assist you with anything you need. Is that okay?"

Zara, still smiling and wiping away her tears, nodded eagerly. "Yes, it's more than fine."Ibrahim stood up, ready to leave for his room, but before he could make it up the stairs, Zara called out, "Ibrahim."

He froze in his tracks, stunned by the sound of his name coming from her lips. He smiled because no one had ever addressed him like that. Also, she was almost 20 years younger than him. She should have hesitated a bit before calling him like this, but he couldn't change her. He looked back fondly at her, raising an eyebrow, trying to mask his surprise.

"Thank you," she said softly, holding the envelope in her hand. "For this... and for everything."Ibrahim simply nodded, his expression unreadable, and then he turned and walked up the stairs to his room.

Zara, still overwhelmed by happiness, returned to her room. As soon as she closed the door, she spun around, twirling with joy. Falling onto her bed, she smiled up at the ceiling, her heart light for the first time in what felt like forever.

She whispered to herself, "Who is this man? Is he the one from the mall, brutal and terrifying? Or the one who scolded me earlier? Or is he the man who just fulfilled my dream?"

Her thoughts were a jumble, but one thing was clear—this man, her husband, was an enigma. One moment he was cold and distant, the next he was her savior, her protector. Smiling at the thought of HER HUSBAND, Zara buried her face in her pillow, her heart finally at peace as she drifted off to sleep.

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