Arranged or love?

chapter 13: Facing backlash

Just finished typing up the chapter, please let me know what you think, and for those who think I write just for attention...think again, I've been writing stories since I could form coherent sentences. The whole purpose of writing on wattpad is to share your stories and get feedback...rant over :D

SO please vote, comment etc. if you like it....

Chapter 13: facing backlash

Zubaida’s POV

I had done it. I had accomplished my goal. I had refused the marriage proposal, but now I was an outcast, scorned and hated. If it was possible my life had taken another nose-dive, things had gotten a lot worse. The elders of the community had gotten over the shock of my announcement and had resorted to verbal abuse, I don’t know why people said ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words won’t hurt me’. That was a lie. Each insult, each hateful remark was like a physical blow to the body, crippling me slightly, igniting a pain in my heart, the pain fuelled by the words.

My brothers stared at me in shock, torn between pain and amazement, and as the initial shock wore down they raced to my rescue as I was bombarded by insults. My dad watched the scene play out, his face a mask of anger and disappointment, his face was red with embarrassment and he stared at me probably praying for the ground to swallow me up or for me to die on the spot. It’s really comforting when your own dad stares at you with such disappointment and hostility. Ali, Husna and Ruksana also raced forward to save me, I was grateful for their support, but I felt another blow when I looked into the eyes of Lyba. She stared at me with pain, anger and disgust, the emotions so clearly displayed on her face made me unconsciously stumble back into the arms of my brother. She hated me, she was angry with me. That was the biggest blow I had seen her as a best friend, a mother but now she stared at me as if I had committed a crime.

Inside I was shouting and screaming at her to believe that whatever I had done wasn’t out of spite, I did it to save myself to save my heart and pride. The same pride her brother had shredded into a million pieces, the same heart her brother had torn and trampled over and the same body her brother had used and had ravaged. “Come on Zubs we need to get you out of here before things get any worse” Adnan urged into my ear, pushing me behind me as Rahim placed a comforting hand on my back. I couldn’t understand why the community was acting like this, had I really committed such a big crime? Why were they sympathizing with my rapist?

I watched as they backed away from me, as the crowd parted still glaring at me and muttering to each other and I felt 3 inches tall compared to them. Some went over to Rehan and Lyba and expressed their sympathies and my stomach churned, and I wanted to be sick. He was now seen as the victim and he enjoyed every minute of it.

Others offered their condolences to my dad, embarrassed that he had such a disrespectful daughter, who had turned down the best marriage proposal.

My head hung with embarrassment, I wasn’t used to the attention or the hatred especially since the people who doted on me now hated me- how ironic was that? But I couldn’t completely blame them, they didn’t know what had happened, no one knew my painful past and I didn’t have the heart to live through all that pain again by telling them- some memories were best left buried.  I was rushed out of the wedding venue, and as we neared the car we froze. Adnan’s car had been egged and on it was spray painted the word ‘slag’. A small whimper left my mouth and once again I stumbled back, my breath caught in my chest and my heart gave a painful squeeze. Is that what people thought of me?

Strong warm hands that I instantly recognized as Adam’s grabbed me by the shoulders, keeping me upright and for that I was grateful, the events of today had shattered me.  “What the hell” growled Adan and Rahim swore when they saw the car, Husna and Ruksana gasped and Ali muttered something offensive under his breath as they stared at his car. “Who did this?” whispered Ruksana as she looked at me, I looked at the ground ashamed it was my fault. “Why do you care” a new voice answered and we all turned to the source, it was Ruksana’s mum, she too glared at me with hostility and then she grabbed Ruksana by the arm, her dad stood back watching it all. He didn’t glare at me or scorn or insult me, his face was neutral, “she deserves everything she gets” she hissed as she pulled Ruksana away from me. No I wanted to scream, don’t take her away from me, I need her, Ruksana stared at her mum shocked, I thought I saw sympathy in her dad’s eyes but it was gone as quick as a flash.