FOREVER WITH YOU

Chapter 26: It Will Lead To Disrespect

Reminder: make up your fasts 🎀 Ramadan is around the corner. May Allah let us live to see it and accept it from us. Ameen.

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Tasleem sat on the bed, her back against the headboard, a shudder wracking her frame with each sob. Amira sat beside her, helplessly. No matter what soothing words Amira said, Tasleem's tears flowed relentlessly, a torrent of despair.

The sudden announcement of her marriage to Rayyan had left her utterly shattered. Her eyes, red-rimmed and swollen, stared blankly ahead, reflecting the emptiness she felt inside. Her face was pale, drained of color, like a wilted flower.

Fresh tears traced paths down her cheeks, mingling with the residue of earlier weeping. A wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her. She felt lost and helpless.

"Married to Ya Rayyan? Of all people?" she whispered, the words laced with disbelief and horror. A tremor ran through her, a desperate wish for this to all be a terrible, suffocating nightmare from which she could awaken.

The sheer terror of it choked her. The thought of him, his presence, sent a fresh wave of icy fear through her. He was the last person on earth she wanted to share her life with, the last person she could imagine waking up next to each day, bound to him as husband and wife.

The image of their future together, a future she didn't want, a future she couldn't even begin to fathom - was a bleak and terrifying prospect. The thought spiraled, each turn tightening the vise around her heart.

The tears flowed uncontrollably now, a release of pure, agony. They didn't even like each other; she barely knew him! The dislike and unspoken tension between them. His cold, distant demeanor, the way he had always made her feel small and insignificant, sent a fresh wave of panic through her.

Fear, cold and clammy, gripped her heart, constricting her chest, suffocating her.

The door creaked open, and Mamie entered.

 "Mamie, she's been crying nonstop. Thank God you're here, maybe she'll listen to you." Amira said.

Mamie sat beside Tasleem, her expression soft and comforting. "Tasleem, my dear, I know you must be shocked after everything that happened, and I know it's hard on you. I know it's not easy to suddenly get married, especially to someone you don't know well. Rayyan might be cold, but he's definitely not a bad person. I'm not saying this because I gave birth to him." She paused. "Your father and I won't make a decision that will harm you; as your parents, that's the best solution we could think of. We want you to be safe, happy, and protected."

Tasleem felt a pang of guilt; she knew they'd never harm her. Though they weren't her biological family, they had earned the right to make decisions for her. They took her in when she had no place to call home, providing the warmth and security of a true family.

She knew they'd always prioritize her well-being, and that realization filled her with a sense of peace.

"You might not love each other now, but many people marry before love grows. You just have to open your heart and give each other a chance." Mamie gently grasped Tasleem's hands.

Tasleem's gaze met Mamie's reassuring smile. "Stop crying, everything will be fine. May Allah bless your marriage." She gently wiped her tears away. And hugged her.

Amira laughed and said, "There's a human being here, I'm not invisible!" And she joined the hug. Mamie and Tasleem chuckled. This lightened the mood.

"You should pray and make dua. Okay?"

 Tasleem nodded at her.

••••••

Later that day, Rayyan sat at his desk, struggling to focus on his work. He felt like a sacrificed lamb. He couldn't believe he was a married man. And to Tasleem? That small girl? This couldn't be real. He would never accept this forced marriage.