Marrying the son of Asraf 2

🪷Seventy~ two 🪷

The Asraf household hadn't felt this light in months.
Laughter echoed down the hallways, kid's playing around, the kind that came from deep relief—like a storm finally passing. Khalil's sisters spoke in low tones to one another, exchanging glances that were a mix of joy and disbelief.

His father sat in the living room, holding a prayer bead in one hand and staring at the television without really watching it. "I never believed he could do all those things they accused him of," he murmured.

Khalil's mother, still silent, stood near the window, watching the evening sky. There was a gentle wind. Something about it felt... healing.

Then the door opened. Khalil stepped in, slowly. Everyone turned towards the door and for a moment, no one moved. Then his younger sister, Amal leapt up and hugged him tightly. "You're back!" she cried. "You're finally back!"

He held her for a second longer than usual. "Yeah," he said. "I'm back." After the trial, Khalil headed out to sort things out for himself, told them about his relationship with Aisha and ended it there and there. No one stopped him, not even his mother.

His mother turned but didn't approach. Khalil noticed, but didn't say a word. "I wanted to tell you all," he started, "that... I'm sorry. For everything. For the pain. The doubts."

"You don't owe us an apology," his father said gently. "You were fighting alone. That won't happen again." His father added, "thanks to Summayyah." Khadijah said. His mother grunts as her brows furrowed but she didn't say anything.

There was a long silence, until finally, his mother walked over. She didn't speak. She just placed her palm on his cheeks, then walked away quietly.

That was her way and that was enough.

Meanwhile, Across Town... Aisha sat on a bench outside her house, her suitcase by her side. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

The news had spread like wildfire. Not just her betrayal but everything. The fake articles. The lies. The secrets. Even the pregnancy. It was awful that she has another man's child in her stomach other than Khalil's. After the incident of announcing to everyone about it in his family, he stated that since the baby bump is growing and from the looks of it she was going to give birth, she should stay in his house but Faisal refused it.

She heard whispers earlier from her neighbors. "That's the girl who tried to kill her husband."

"No shame."

"I thought she was nice!"

"She always smiles!"

"Those that smile and claim nice are the worst beings!"

Their words strung, she has nowhere to run to. Maryam is behind bars, Khalil has abandoned her and now she's carrying a child that she has no idea who the father was. She's so disgusting.

"Aisha, I believed you. Yet you tried to kill my son!" Khalil's mother said.

"Mama i was compelled to... I was"

"Ki yi min shiru!" (Just shut up) "my son deserved better and I should have seen it before anyone else. You are so disgusting! To think you'd stoop this low, how unfortunate" His mother's words hits her as she was about breaking down when a black SUV pulled up, and her brother stepped out.

"Aisha," he called, voice tight with disappointment.

She didn't respond. He walked over, picked up her suitcase without a word, and turned. "Ya Abdul-Razaq Please don't tell Mama yet," she whispered. "Let me explain first."

"There's nothing to explain," he replied coldly. "Faisal has already, you disgraced yourself. You disgraced us to. We're only here because Baba insisted you come back home. Not because we want you to." He said and that hit her harder than anything in the courtroom.