*Fifteen days later*
Farida was not allowed to see the boy when his parents had come to see her. Today, at the engagement, she will finally know who her rescuer is. The only thing that she knew of him was his name. Late last night when she dared to ask the question to one of her sister-in-laws, who pitied Farida and whispered his name into her ear, Humayd Firman.
Humayd Firman, Humayd Firman, Humayd Firman. Farida didn't sleep that night, saying his name again and again, and again. She thought of what he looked like and how he spoke and how he would treat her. That was the question that kept her awake, how would he treat her? How would he treat her? As being a young girl she was at heart, she planned her silly scheme of how she would be able to have a glance of her Humayd Firman.
During the engagement, when she stood in front of the big crowd, all her plans and schemes disappeared into the horrors of nervousness. Not once did she take her eyes off her hands. For the first time in her life, she was attended to and taken care of. Just hours before the ceremony, her aunts stuffed her up with food, which she could now feel coming up her throat, and her cousins fussed with her hair and dress and makeup. She felt like her life was finally taking that turn for good. When it was time to exchange the rings, Farida stood staring at Humayd's hands. With the ring in his hand, he waited for her to extend her hands towards him, but all that was going on in Farida's mind, she could not move a muscle in her body. To prevent anyone from seeing Farida's hesitation, her aunts gathered around her and lifted her hand up to the boy. Anything else that happened at the function, was quite blurred in Farida's head. All her aunts and cousins were thankful that the puny girl hadn't fainted.
A few days after the engagement, Farida was able to think about her life without breaking down. She sat in front of the mirror, thoughtfully looking into the reflection. Her face had changed drastically in the past few weeks. She no longer saw the dusty, tired face of a disdained girl but a round face that was fuller than it ever had been with big brown, hopeful eyes.
It was only on the day of the marriage that she first time saw Humayd. He was a tall man with a strong built. Farida didn't think much of his face. He had thick eyebrows and dark eyes. The only thing about him that caught Farida's eye was that he was very gentle with her. Farida was not used to the careful gestures and was touched by them. Married off at the tender age of seventeen, she dreamt of a happier life.
It only took a day for Farida to know her husband was not what she thought he was. The realization that luck hadn't fallen anywhere near her, the poor woman accepted her fate. Her married life was not to be different from her childhood. Only in a month's time, Farida started to look like her old self. The regular outbursts of anger led to regular night cries for help. But she grew accustomed to the tempers of her husband and like a good, dutiful housewife didn't speak of her tortures out in public to protect her husband's reputation.
The other members in the house kept themselves away from Farida and Humayd's troubles saying it was a couple's personal problem. Ignorance from the family's side and acceptance from Farida's left the toxic relation untreated.
A few years in and nothing had changed for the better. Now not only Farida but her three children suffered the same hell every day.
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Trapped in The Sands
Non-Fiction**COMPLETED** A transformation from an ill-treated, delicate and helpless girl to a strong woman who believes in the powers of an educated female. Set in the 80's, this is a story of a woman's struggle against the tortures of a male dominant cou...
