Umeed

Chapter 21

The house had fallen into an eerie silence, thick with tension and sorrow, as the day’s events finally wound down. The hum of the city, once faintly audible, had completely faded into the soft, enveloping dusk. Long shadows crept across the walls, casting a quiet, almost oppressive atmosphere over the room. It was as if even the house itself was holding its breath, weighed down by the heavy emotions lingering in the air.

Zaviyaar and Mishal had left. Their departure had been quiet, their presence now a distant memory, swallowed by the void of stillness that settled in their absence. But Noor remained unmoving, frozen in place on the couch where she had sat since the nikkah ended. Her posture was stiff, her body rigid as though she had turned to stone. She had barely moved a muscle since Shahzain had left the room earlier, her body refusing to respond to the turmoil inside her.

The sheer veil that had been delicately draped over her head during the ceremony still hung loosely around her face, untouched, its folds now damp with the silent tears she had shed. The fabric clung to her damp skin, an ethereal barrier that separated her from the outside world—but also trapped her within her own emotions. She hadn’t made any effort to adjust it, nor had she wiped away the tears that continued to slide down her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, as though the weight of her grief made it difficult to breathe.

The echoes of the nikkah, those three life-changing words, “Qubool hai,” reverberated in her mind, relentlessly. Each repetition felt heavier, more suffocating, as if the finality of her fate was pressing down on her, crushing her from the inside out. She had spoken the words, her voice trembling, barely audible—had she even meant them? The moment had felt so distant, so far removed from herself, as though she was merely a spectator watching her own life unfold, helpless to stop it.

Now, the reality of what had happened was slowly sinking in, and it was overwhelming her like a tidal wave. How had she come to this moment? How had she ended up married to Shahzain, a man she once knew but now barely recognized? Her heart felt heavy, filled with emotions too complex to name—fear, anger, sorrow, and a deep sense of betrayal. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, but the more she thought, the more confused she became.

A sharp creak broke the heavy silence, the sound of the door being pushed open. Noor’s entire body tensed instinctively, her breath catching in her throat. She didn’t need to look up to know who had entered. She could feel his presence before she saw him. Shahzain. His footsteps were slow, deliberate, the sound of his shoes against the floor echoing in the otherwise silent room. The soft thud of his steps reverberated through her, sending waves of dread coursing through her veins.

As he crossed the room toward her, Noor’s heart began to race, her pulse quickening with each step he took. Her chest tightened, and she could feel her tears, which had been quietly streaming down her face, beginning to flow more freely. But she remained still, her hands resting limply in her lap, her face hidden beneath the veil. Her entire body was trembling now, though she tried her best to keep her emotions in check.

Shahzain stopped in front of her, towering over her small, fragile frame. His broad shoulders cast a shadow over her, his imposing presence somehow making her feel even smaller, even more vulnerable. He stood there for a moment, his eyes fixed on her form, watching as her shoulders shook with silent sobs. Her veil still obscured her face, but Shahzain could see the tremors running through her body, the way her hands clenched into weak fists in her lap.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, he thought bitterly. He had imagined this moment differently—he had hoped, perhaps foolishly, that Noor would accept him, that she would come to understand his actions, even if she couldn’t agree with them. But the woman sitting before him, her delicate figure trembling with heartbreak, was far from the quiet, serene Noor he had once known. She was a woman pushed to the brink, a woman shattered by circumstances beyond her control.