True Purpose

c h a p t e r 3

What did she mean? Now what condition could there be? It was not like Zaynab had the guts to refuse anyway! Even if Samina would have paid her fee, and yet asked Zaynab for whatever it was that she expected from her, Zaynab would have agreed, be it willingly or unwillingly, because Zaynab didn't have the courage to disagree. Samina didn't need to blackmail Zaynab with the university fee!

"What condition, Auntie?" Zaynab asked.

"There will be no meeting between you and him. You will marry him, whenever the date is agreed upon. And if you can't accept my terms, then say goodbye to your university," Samina said.

What? Why was she just so cruel? How could Zaynab marry someone without even meeting him first? But Zaynab had no say. To her, her studies were most important. She needed her fee to be paid. Besides, her aunt had already told her before that if Zaynab wanted a roof over a head, she had to agree to the marriage. And now, this new condition of agreeing to marry without meeting was just the icing on the cake. She nodded her head, even though it was agonising for her to agree to this.

"Okay," Zaynab replied, choking back a sob.

Samina grabbed Zaynab's shoulders, frightening her.

"Zaynab, you've got to be grateful that this people are accepting someone like you! And not just that, they are also allowing you to complete your studies," Samina snarled.

"Y-yes, Auntie," Zaynab stuttered, waiting for her aunt to release the death grip on her shoulders so that she could run off to her room and cry to her heart's content.

Why did this always have to happen to her? Why? She entered her room and shut the door behind her, sinking to the floor with her back against the door. Zaynab's mind wandered back to last night, replaying the entire events of the night when her aunt had called her down to her room.

"Zaynab, we need to talk," Samina said.

Zaynab felt knots in her stomach. What had happened? Was she going to be punished for something she didn't do? Was she going to be forced to do chores? Was she going to be lectured on just how much of a burden she was? Bracing herself, she nodded.

"Yes, Auntie?" Zaynab replied.

"My colleague at work wants her son to get married and she's looking for a girl," Samina began. Zaynab did not like the direction this conversation was taking, but nevertheless, nodded, allowing her aunt to proceed. "I told her about you. We agreed to get you married to him. I showed her your picture and she decided it was fine."

Zaynab stared at her aunt in horror. Did she really have no say in a major life decision like this one?

"But Auntie, wh-why m-me?" Zaynab stammered.

Her aunt looked at her incredulously.

"Why you? What did you think, Zaynab? That I'm going to spend my entire life looking after you? I was looking for such an opportunity for ages! And I finally got it, so I'm grabbing it with both hands! You've been a burden on me long enough, now you can go be a burden on someone else other than me!" Samina said.

Tears threatened to spill out of Zaynab's eyes, listening to the harsh words that flew out of Samina's mouth.

"Auntie, a-and m-my studies?" Zaynab asked, worried about the most important thing in her life.

Her aunt laughed bitterly. "You don't care about anything else, do you?" When Zaynab didn't reply, her aunt went on, "yeah, I figured, alright. Until you're married, I'll pay your fee. After the marriage, your future in-laws will pay. They've agreed to let you finish your course."