DARK HORSE: REDEMPTION

Dark Horse : 2

"Tasnim, wake up, dear. It's 12 pm already, and your in-laws will arrive at 2 pm," Ummu gently urged, her hand softly shaking Tasnim's shoulder.

Tasnim groggily stirred, rolling onto her back on Ummu's bed. She slowly opened her eyes, focusing on her mother's warm smile.

After returning from the kamu event yesterday, Tasnim slipped into cozy sleepwear, escaping to her mother's side, leaving her friends celebrating in Hajiya's part.

The thought of leaving her parents today, felt eerily surreal. Its as if its a dream and she's going to wake up from said dream anytime soon.

Sleep had evaded her last night, jittery anxieties plagued her mind. Fear gripped her heart, its unfamiliar weight unsettling. She doesn't know what this new place would bring to her life.

Tasnim's voice cracked as she whispered, "Ummu..." Tears streamed down her cheeks, her body shuddering with sobs.

Ummu's eyes mirrored her daughter's pain, her face filled with helplessness. She opened her mouth to speak, but no word came out.

"Ummu, I don't want to leave," Tasnim pleaded, her sniffles emphasizing the anguish in her voice. "Please, don't let them take me from you. Ummu, wallahi bazan iya ba, ( By Allah, I can't do this). " Tasnim's face contorted in distress, her tone echoes with a,heart-wrenching despair.

Ummu's gentle voice softened, as she beckoned Tasnim.

"Come here, my bitti, my little kwaise." Her arms opened wide, inviting Tasnim into a comforting embrace.

Tasnim's trembling body surrendered to her mother's warmth, shaking with uncontrollable sobs. Ummu enveloped her in a tight, reassuring hug, whispering out soothing words.

"This is a marriage, Tasnim. Every girl must take this path. Trust me, with time, you'll get used to it. You'll learn to love your new home, and your heart will heal."

Ummu's words dripped with empathy, her voice a gentle comfort to Tasnim's anguish. Tasnim's tears soaked into Ummu's outfit, as her mother's words wrapped around her like a warm blanket, offering fleeting comfort.

Tasnim shook her head in disagreement. "Ummu, you don't understand. Ummu fa bana son shi (I don't love him). How can I leave with someone I don't love?"

Ummu's expression turned stern, her voice firm. "Kul, never say that again, Tasnim. It's too late for regrets. He is now your husband, and you must learn to love him."

Ummu recognized the anguish in Tasnim's eyes, but she knew showing Tasnim that she can't do it or supporting her would only make her daughter slack. Tasnim's tears flowed uncontrollably, accompanied by heart-wrenching sniffles as she shook her head in despair.

"Na shiga uku ( oh my God )." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Tasnim felt like her plight is being misunderstood, her pain trivialized. It was as if they thought she could simply erase her emotions, brush aside the weight crushing her heart. No one seemed to grasp the depth of her sorrow. At the moment she felt like  dying so that the pain would go away. So that her sorrows would be no more.

Tasnim's tears flowed continuously, despite Ummu's gentle words. Instead of comfort, her mother's reassurances ignited a growing resentment within her. It made her feel this kind of hatred for Khalil. He is the cause of all this. He is the cause of her pain.

The creaking door announced Gumsu's arrival. As she entered, her eyes widened, taking in the scene before her, Tasnim and Ummu, entwined in a tearful embrace. Ummu swiftly composed herself, wiping away her own tears, though her heart remained heavy. She wanted to be strong for Tasnim's sake, but the pain of separation weighed on her also.