The Nearest Heaven

Part 26 - Rascal Rasheed

Part 26 – Rascal Rasheed

"A dutiful wife is she who guards her chastity and honour in her husband's presence and in his absence.

'Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard.'

– Surah An-Nisaa, verse 34."

The dark is an oppressive source surrounding her. The absence of light forced her to dwell on her past, on her history of choices. Lack of company forced her to recede into the abyss of her mind. With each tick of the clock, she was carried further and further into the dark recesses of her memories.

Five long, gruelling days had passed for Fadiyah. She no longer felt alone or terrified of her fate. Fadiyah made peace with it. Her memories were her only company along with the dark blanket wrapped around her.

She laid on the cold ground, her head awkwardly angled as she delved into her thoughts. Times when she was wit

For the first two and a half days she shivered in fear, wondering for what reason she was abducted. However, all of that dissipated when she heard the room door creak open. Blinding bright afternoon sunlight filtered through the crack of the door and forced her to shut her eyes or end up without sight.

A familiar, haunting scent wafted into the room and Fadiyah cried. She knew who it was. Helplessness filled her until the tears fell from eyes sore eyes. Terrified, her mind played their past like a loop, continuously adding to the torture that had not yet begun. If had been anyone else, Fadiyah would be scared because the list of things that could possibly happen to her. Ninety percent of the things would be physically damaging.

Not with him.

No, Rasheed Afzal would torture her mind. He would relish in seeing her quivering in fear. He would break her mind, kill her and then claim her fortune. Or, he would try to claim her fortune, not knowing that she had signed her fortune to Faraaz in event of her death. No one deserved it more than him, for loving her when she couldn't find it in herself to love her. For showing her that she could be loved. That there was nothing wrong with her.

Slowly, unwillingly, she forced the tears back and stared at him. Almond shaped eyes narrowed into slits and turned hard as flint as she glowered at Rasheed. No longer would she let him control her life. No longer would she give him power over her emotions. Since the day he had hurt her, she learned that he meant nothing to her.

"My, my, my," he cheered gleefully as he crouched in front of her. His dark brown eyes looked as sinister as always. His black hair was combed back neatly, and despite the heat, he wore his leather jacket over his white shirt. "Aren't you looking beautiful?" he asked rhetorically as he laughed at her.

Fadiyah rolled her eyes and shuffled away from him as he tried to lift the edge of her haphazardly placed scarf. The chains she was cuffed in, bit into her skin as she shuffled backwards in the darkened room. The ear-screeching sound of the thick chains grated on her nerves, but she didn't want his foul touch on her skin. "Don't touch me!" she growled out fiercely.

"Ooh, don't touch me!" he mocked raising his hands to his chest in a silly manner. He rolled his eyes. In a form of showing his dominance over her, he walked around her in lazy circles. Eyeing her liked a prized bull. "Just who do you think you are to tell me what to do?" His voice was silky smooth, not hint of irritation flaring. Fadiyah knew it was a trick. It was an attempt by him to hide his feelings.