Arranged or love?

Chapter 22: A wedding proposal?

Hi guys my apologies for the extremely late reply, as some of you have read via my status my mum has been diagnosed with kidney cancer, and as the eldest I have to take on a lot of household work. 

So I apologise if this chapter isn't upto scratch, I've been distracted...

Hope you guys like it, please remember to vote and leave your comments :D 

Chapter 22: A wedding proposal?

Zubaida’s POV

It had now been two weeks since the wedding and the attack on me, it would be called lying if I was to say that I was okay or that everyone I cared about was happy and living life normally. Our life was stuck on that wedding, the revelations and the disgusting attack that followed. Since the attack I had become numb, withdrawn and cold towards the rest. It wasn’t done on purpose, it was a reaction, a method of coping with the events that had unfolded. 

Adnan and Rahim were by my side every step since the revelation, they had taken turns to babysit me during the night as my nightmares had become worse. My panic attacks had escalated so much I felt as if I was going to die if I had another, and all this led to a further downward spiral of my motivation and self confidence. I was depressed. 

My doctor has told me I had PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, and suggested I take sleeping tablets for my insomnia but I knew taking them was risky; I could become addicted to the tablets. To sum it up, my life was filled with darkness, like a never ending dark tunnel and there seemed to be no end or light. A heavy weight had settled over our house and the fact that I was facing backlash from the community for refusing marriage to Rehan made it worse.

I sighed to myself as I made myself comfortable in my bed, my haven, it was 2pm and I snuggled up in the blankets and closed my eyes, plugging in the earphones to my I-phone and blasting the Snow Patrol song ‘Run’. I was so engrossed in the song I hadn’t realised the presence in my room; that is until the earphones were ripped out of my ear. 

I let out a blood curling scream, my anxiety rising to the surface as my stressed and panicky mind registered an attack. My body hunched over in a foetal position, my arms wrapped around to protect my body from being harmed. 

“Zubaida calm down it’s only me Adam!” exclaimed a deep voice, that my panicked mind realised was familiar. I slowly faced the source of the voice, my tense body beginning to relax, my arms unwrapping themselves from my waist and my limb returning to the natural position. I froze as I saw the thunderous expression on Adam’s happy go lucky face. What was up with him?

He must have got a hint of my thoughts via my face because his handsome face arranged itself to scowl at me. “You’re what’s wrong and your self pity!” he exclaimed, answering my unasked question. I raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief, unable to believe that he had launched an attack on me.

“Yes we all understand that what those animals, including my brother, did was wrong. It was disgusting and inhumane but why are you locking yourself up!” he exclaimed exasperated, he flung his hands up in the air for emphasis.  My mouth formed an O; “how long are you going to hide and for what, because some idiots wanted to ruin your life and you’re basically letting them win”, he continued ranting. My eyebrows rose, practically reaching my hair line. Yes he was having a moment.