Beinteha

04

The heart is deceived, and the deceiver is in the heart.
—Jaun Elia

—'☆

Ibzan x Mahira

"YOU'RE PREGNANT!"

Mahira shivers at the cruel truth, lowering her eyes to the floor in utter shame that showers her. She's unable to say a word of reply.

Her mother notices that demeanor, somewhere expecting Mahira to save herself and deny the reports but her silence confirms it even more.

Her jaw clenches, her eyes throwing daggers at her daughter. She steps ahead, her foot crushing the reports, the border of her salwar hiding the border of the pages. She clutches her daughter's arm and jerks her closer.

Mahira gasps, her tearful eyes gaping at her mother. The lady doesn't show any mercy as she utters in her face, "How dare you, Mahira?! How dare you even think of it?"

Mahira's breath shudders, her eyelids being pulled down by the weight of shame that lies dominant upon her now.

"I-I'm sorry," she can only manage to murmur, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"You're sorry? What your sorry gonna do here, Mahira? You've done such a shameful thing!" Her mother's hold goes even tighter and Mahira winces at the pain. "Why didn't you die before your foot stumbled in this sin?"

At her harsh words, Mahira's father's heart trembles inside his chest but he decides to stay mum, as equally disappointed in his daughter as his wife is.

He doesn't let his heart control his movements and stands there silently; rigidly. His eyes glare at the reports lying under his wife's foot, the papers now crumbled badly because of harsh movements.

"I didn't d-do anything on purpose, Ma. It was a mistake," Mahira whimpers, her eyes rising to look at her mother.

There her eyes collide with her mother's burning red ones, making her regret even more. Those eyes that reflect hers don't only show her anger but the anguish and bruises of her soul, too.

She knows she has hurt her badly. Not only her mother but her father, too.

"And do you know the punishment for this mistake? We will have to suffer this punishment before you. Do you even know how much we will have to listen to?"

Mahira swallows, having no reply to give. She knows what people are going to do now. They are only going to make talks and entertain each other on purpose.

They will not sit peacefully if they even get a hint of this and she knows that such things can never be hidden. Sin never hides, rather it finds the sinner even if the person is hidden deep into the layers of this earth. This is the specialty of sin, it never hides.

No matter how much they try to hide it, people's ears will catch on to it and then a spark will turn into a fire. Just as Mahira's truth could not be hidden, similarly this one too would not be hidden.

And now how should she pay for it? She has no answer to give.

"You don't, Mahira!" her mother cries, leaving her arm with a jerk. "You don't know anything!"

Mahira stumbles back, crying silently. The strap of her bag leaves her shoulder and her bag falls to the floor.

Her father's arm itches to shoot up and hold her daughter. He stands by her side, ignoring the lying reports, but the pain never leaves her chest let alone soothing the ache by the caring touch of her father on her arms.