Forced To Marry The Heartless Badboy ✔︎

01| Run...Yasemin...Run

Yasemin's POV

A week ago 

"What?" My eyes widened as I got up my bed, "I am not marrying anyone Khalti," I announced, "especially not Omar."

" Yasemin it's for you." Umayma, her aunt, instructed as she walked close to her bedside where she was standing, almost out of breath, "But Khalti, I can't get married and I won't especially not at seventeen when my brothers need me the most."

"It is for your benefit, With him by your side no one will dare to hurt a hair on your head, and I can take care of your brothers," She said holding her by her shoulders, she moved her head in no, "I can protect myself, history can prove that."

Flashback    

As I stood on the mosque doorway, he lifted his gun and pointed it at me.

Like a child watching television, I did not understand that this was real at first.

My eyes darted, from the masked intruder to the mat where my parents lay. They seemed very peaceful, and if it hadn't been for the blood on the prayer mat, I would not have known anything was wrong other than my parents praying together, as they often did.

A movement caught my eye and snapped me back to the present.

My mother was still alive.

I wanted to run to her and throw myself into her arms, but I couldn't.

My mother whimpered as she saw me, shaking her head in a silent plea while blindly reaching for my father as she always did when she needed support or comfort.

Tears began streaming from my eyes, holding me frozen in the doorway, as I realised the truth before me.

"Habibti," she gasped. Her hand lifted, palm facing up, outstretched as if she was reaching for me. I darted a look at the man holding the gun. His eyes never wavered from me as he seemed not to notice my mother. I took a step forward into the mosque.

Her mouth opened, as if in slow motion, and the blood silently seeped out. "...Run... Yasemin...Go...OUT."

Her words appeared to drain every last ounce of motherly love from her body as her arm collapsed to her side after she finished. It was as if she had reached out to protect me with her dying breaths.

Suddenly the meaning of her words flashed before my eyes. Understanding dawned. Once again, she had graced me with a gift she had given so lovingly before...a chance at life.

Upon hearing her, the man exploded into action, swinging his gun around and pointing it at her. He walked to the prayer mat and bent down, placing the weapon menacingly against her head.

My mother's words churned in my stomach, and I saw my chance.

Without overthinking, I dashed from the mosque where my parents lay dying and stumbled through the street.

Behind me, a single shot rang out, and I broke blindly into a run.

I could hear movement and scurrying footsteps behind me. The man started yelling "You little bitch. Where are you? Come on, little girl, we won't hurt you."

Every word got louder and angrier. I knew the man was lying. And he wasn't alone. After further shouting, I heard a voice sneer "Come on; She must have headed out of the mosque. Her mother told her so. Let's go; we can catch her on foot,"

I ran into the women section in the mosque behind the Quran shelf. Crouching down, behind the built-in cupboards, I curled in upon myself.

Umayma and I often hid here, every time we wanted to avoid Ustatha's lecture. No one knew my hiding spot other than my best friend. It was challenging to find if you didn't think it was there. The cupboards in the Quran Shelf looked like they reached to the back. They didn't. They left a small gap in which a child could easily hide...and often did.

Ustatha (teacher) never found me here when we played, even though Umayma knew where it was. Like any other best friends, it was our secret hiding spot.

I had no idea that my mother had known this was where I played or hid when I wanted to avoid a scolding. She had never indicated her knowledge, often pretending to look for me yards away, Asking the Ustatha if she saw me.

Now I realised she had always known exactly where I was every time, and it reminded me of how loved I was.

I tried to stay still as I remembered.

Noiseless.

Breathless.

But all I could think about was my mother's face; the tears came harder.

********************

"I will run, and I will hide, but I won't get married" I repeated myself. "I have always been good at it," I signed.

" Yasemin, your legal guardian is maybe after the inheritance that your father had signed to you when you become twenty-one or when you get married so if you get married then she will back-off on becoming your legal guardian," My aunt explained, "You remember what's been happening these past days, one of these times I am afraid he will get you." She cupped my face and talked to me, tenderly, "Khalti, I can take care of myself and beside my brothers are here for me, and you won't be able to protect us because we will be moving to her house next week," 

Her phone ringed loudly, and I huffed annoyed as I moved away, "Yes, Nasser, what is it ?"

For the next few moments, there was complete silence in the room, I was bummed- my aunt was listening to the conversation, and the clock was ticking, when she closed the call she turned to me, "Well That settles it, He agreed too." 

Well, that settles it for me too, I will Run..