CHAPTER 10- A WARM WELCOME?~ Ayesha💕

A Y E S H A :-

As soon as the car stopped at the gravel of the front porch of a beautiful enormous house, the door to my side swing open almost making me tumble down, if not for my heavy dress weighing me down.

A camera was shoved on my face, the flashes making me lose my sight,

"Bhabhi! Oh my pretty pretty bhabhi! Smile! Bhai you also look at bhabhi you guys look so perfect Masha'Allah!" Mina bounces excitedly like a squirrel who caught a fire on it's tail, i gave her an uneasy smile.

"Um Mina, you know you could do this later and give her space so she could come out?" Aunt ayeeza comes to my defence and drags mina and her camera out of my face.

I am already loving my mother in law.

Aunt ayeeza helped climb out of the car because i am as helpless as an damsel in distress could get in a heavy dress, numerous firecrackers were lit and blasted for my entry, making me choke my cough and increase air pollution.

Numerous photos, teasing, hugs and aggressive kisses from aunties, my aunt- become- my- mother-in-law, brought me inside the house and made me sit on a plush sofa, and made her son and my you-know-who beside me.

A big copper bowl filled with milk along with rose petals floating on top of it, was placed in front us, I wanted to roll down on the ground and throw a tantrum for doing all of these and maybe sleep for forty- eight hours or more.

But that seem impossible as Aunt Ayeeza came by our side, and smiled warmly. Her hazel eyes twinkling with motherly kindness and love.

"Now here comes the good part, in this rasam you both have to find the ring in this bowl." She taps the copper bowl, "And whoever finds ring first, well my mother in law used to say that whoever first finds the ring, he or she will be ruling the married life, but it doesn't necessarily have to be true, this rasam is just for fun,it doesn't applies on your life, so don't take it on heart."

Uncle Junaid scoffed sitting on the sofa opposite to us, "She is saying that because she lost at our wedding."

"And yet, the meaning wasn't true after all huh?" Aunt ayeeza said sitting beside him and raised an eyebrow in question, uncle Junaid closed his mouth and looked up suddenly finding the ceiling more interesting.

"Woahh. That one burned too bad huh baba? Let me a capture the burn moment." Mina said shoving the camera at uncle Junaid's face.

"No. No. Mina. No. We don't capture embarrassing moments of our own team." Uncle Junaid defended a moment before mina clicked his picture.

A chuckle left my mouth, hurriedly I looked down at lap to cover my chuckle as a cough so I couldn't be judged.

"Okay, stop you both. Farhan and Ayesha come on go ahead." Aunt Ayeeza encouraged.

I felt a bit reluctant to move forward first as the person behind me didn't made a single move.

"Ohh I think bhabhi is scared, after all we all know it's Farhan who is going to rule." Few of his male cousins mocked at the back, the sound of their laughing and giving high five, made me embarrassed and tug at the loose skin around my nails.

Mina stopped clicking my pictures and put her camera down and turned towards the group, giving a big smile she said,

"No one asked you gooses of your opinions, and besides you all don't know my bhabhi yet. So sew your mouths shut or I'll do it." She gave another cheeky smile, "Respectfully, of course."

Wow. Remind me to never get on her bad side.

I looked at aunt ayeeza and uncle Junaid to see if they are mad at mina and.....they were simply not..? Aunt ayeeza was just smiling around and saying talking to guests and uncle Junaid was nodding proudly at Mina's direction.

Wow. My parents couldn't. My mom would beam laser from her eyes if I simply rolled my eyes at my cousins, and my baba simply didn't cared, at all in general.

Gaining silence at the back, mina turned back and clapped her hands excitedly,

"Come on, bhabhi i am rooting for you." Mina determinedly turned towards me shifting the table forward,

"Bhai! Just get ready to lose." Mina says rounding the sofa and standing behind us, popping her face between our shoulders.

"No way, I bet Farhan's gonna win, mina." One of Farhan's girl cousin said standing beside him.

Why did i had the sudden urge to strangle her neck so no one could ever here her seal voice.

"Yeah. Keep predicting, you were always bad at it anyway. You even predicted that England is going to win against new zealand but it didn't, anyway that's not the point, come on bhabhi." Mina encourage pushing both of us.

I love mina. Period.

The man in question sat silently beside me, without uttering a word.

Giving an what I assume an uneasy smile, he moved forward and dipped his hand in the bowl, at the same time as me, moving around my hand for a few seconds in the milk awkwardly I felt something on the tip of my fingers, that might be the stone of the ring, yes.

I tugged at the ring, expecting it to come in my hold right away, but it didn't. In fact it...it seemed quite unusual, a little heavier than a ring,

"That's my finger." A low whisper near my ear made me contemplate all my life decision, and stare ahead blankly. Fudge my life.

From the corner of my eye I gave him a quick peak only to look down again, founding him already looking at me. Why was my face suddenly felt so warm? It's definitely the heater here.

Quickly I released his finger and was about to remove my hand from the bowl, when something stoney pressed against my finger, wondering what it might be, I casually brought it up in the air, and dropped it the next moment startled by the sudden screams.

"Yes! She got it! She got the ring. Oh- she dropped it again, BUT SHE WON." Mina squealed loudly clapping her hands along with everyone.

"I am very happy and also disappointed, happy for my new daughter and disappointed for my old son. But happiness weighs more." Uncle Junaid clapped along with mina. Making me chuckle lowly.

"Okay now Junaid, don't do that to your old son. Guess he is just a little bit intimidated now, right?" Aunt ayeeza asks placing a hand on Farhan's shoulder,

"Right." Farhan nods, what was that um forcibly? Maybe.

"Okay now enough everyone. Let's have our dinner and then rest for the night? The dinner will be served in a few minutes, come on everyone take your seats on the table."

After a long dinner, filled with teasing, photographs, laughter and many dad jokes finally aunt ayeeza said those dreaded words.

"Mina, take Ayesha to her new room."

Translation: take her to her new hell.

"Oh yes! let's take bhabhi to her room." mina grabbed my arm and made stand up along with her.

Few of Farhan's friends who looked like they could be fit in a gang, and few of his cousins which he ignores took him outside all the while patting his shoulders and giving him meaningful shoves. While he acted unbothered like an unwanted rock in the middle of a ocean.

Mina and some of Farhan's cousin, the ones who didn't looked like they want to poison me, took me too Farhan's room and I didn't even dared to look around the room because of those stupid nervous butterflies. Damn them.

They made me sit on the bed, which was on the left of the door. and evened my dress, mina took my duppata which was resting on my head covered my face with it as a veil, covering my vision with red net, the same thing done while Nikkah.

"Best of luck! He will be here soon!"

I was looking at the pink printed flowers on the bed sheet, when the the giggling of those girls faded after the click of the door.

they all left me alone in this room. Normal, yeah totally normal.

In his room.

No a room. A normal room where tired people rest. Nothing to do with wedding and all. And all those rose petals on the bed. Nothing at all.

I tried my best to relax myself so that i wont freak out and roam here and there like a mad woman.

Instead I looked around and inspected his room, it wouldn't get more manly looking at the navy blue and grey further in this room, blue carpet all over the tiles, the sliding door on my left led to walking closet I assume, and next to it was another wooden door which I assume is the washroom, and right facing the bed was a middle sized black dressing table with a three side mirrors in it, in which it had three reflections of me, The top of the dresser had only like three items, a watch, two perfumes, and hair brush. Beside the dressing table on the corner left was a small also black, study table attached to the wall with a wooden chair with a study lamp, and a pen stand and a few files piled up neatly. Beside the dresser, was large beige curtains covering the balcony, and to my right was the sitting area, with a step added and a small coffee table surrounded by two single dark grey leather couches and a large three seater, which had a window behind it.

Hm, nice I guess.

I was getting used to the soft silence of room when,

Click

I hope I can run in this attire if needed.

The door opened softly and and then closed again.

I heard footsteps hitting the wooden floor and approaching near my proximity,

I clutched my lehenga tightly in my fists.

I did the best thing anyone could do at that time,

I closed my eyes shut.

I felt the bed dip infront of me and I could feel the only person in this room looking right at me.

Slowly, the cool air started hitting my face, which was previously blocked because of this veil.

Still acting a fool, i kept my eyes shut, and after a few awkward moments I heard a throat clearing.

Such a nice voice.

I hate myself.

"Why are your eyes closed?" He asked, his deep voice sounded even more deep this near.

Slowly opening my eyes I lifted my gaze to the person in front of me, the soft glow from the lamps made his chiseled face appear more enticing, the half casting of shadow made him look like a dangerous anti-hero everybody swoons on. His eyes looked dangerously dark and his jaw more angular.

"Um..I" wow. Nice. Kill me now.

He tilted his head, just slightly, enough to make my heart beat violently.

"I don't care, anyway I wanted to make one thing clear." He shook his head and stood up from the bed.

"Clear...what?" I mumbled confused,

"I was not ready to get married, to complete my mom's wish, was my sole purpose to get married." He folded his hands behind his back, and gazed at me deeply.

My heart sank, making my heart beat dangerously low,wild thoughts started racing my mind, now is he going to say he has someone else in his life?

"And it's not about the fact that there is any other women involved romantically in my life. There is no one. And there will be no one." He said each word looking directly in my eye, as if to print it permanently in my brain.

I broke away from his stare, licking my dry lips, I tried to ignore the pain in my chest and said, "Then why did you get married? You could've denied. Made my life easier."

I heard him scoff helplessly, "There is a point in one's life, where you can't deny a wish of your parents. My mom never asked anything from me, it was only right for me to complete of her wish of see me married."

At what cost? The cost of my life? Now what am I going to do? My happiness was already sacrificed back at my home, what was left? Nothing. Nothing at all. It was all written in my fate. To have no love.

I blinked back my tears away adamant on not to show my weakness to him, to show his words affected me.

Soft thud of a draw closing snapped me from my thoughts, moments later, he was infront of me again but this time,he had a round small box of blue velvet in his hand.

"Your wedding gift." He said dryly dropping it in my lap.

I clutched the bedsheets in my grasp tightly. Thanks i guess huh.

A door closed behind and the sound of shower hitting the bathroom tiles was heard in the empty room, along with the sound of my silent tears and helpless fate.

Gathering my dress in my hands I climbed out of the bed and dropped my 'wedding gift' on the dresser and sat on the couch beside the balcony doors, which were covered with thick jute beige curtains. Closing away the darkness of the world, but why was my darkness not hidden from the world? Why was i the one to have the dark in my life. Why me? I have no energy or will to fight him for my right, because some how I realise it was meant to be like this. Not being enough for my father first and now my husband.

All the inspirational quotes, messages, thoughts from my diary faded away, those words were a lie. This happing right now is now my life, there is nothing to escape, nothing positive about it. Nothing inspirational about it. Those were just words with no meaning, words with no soul.

The bathroom opened and Farhan strode in, changed in his normal clothes and a towel hung around his shoulders.

Ignoring me as if I didn't exist in room, all decked up from head to toe for my wedding with him. He dries his hair and hangs his towel on the back of the study table chair near the bed.

He laid down on the bed typed something on his phone and then turned towards me where i was sitting glaring daggers at his back,

"Switch off the lights before you sleep." He says and brings the cover till his chest and dozes off.

I raised a eyebrow, warm welcome huh? Nice.

Gathering my dress I stood up and almost stumbled at the single step at the sitting area, the bangles clicking violently, careful not to make any more noise, I carefully mosey to the dressing table and remove all my jewellery, making the empty dresser top full, removing the uncountable pins from my ghoongat I removed it as well, and slowly made my way to the walk in wardrobe, which had translucent doors, and silhouette of the suits and tuxedos visible from it, my suitcases were placed at the carpet, crouching down I opened my suitcase and took out my clothes.

I sat down on the same three seater couch after showering and changing my clothes and looked at the man peacefully sleeping on the bed, after he took my leftover peace away,

Folding my legs up I brought my knees upto my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs and placed my chin on my knees,

I stared at my henna filled hands. How easy was it for him to just those words easily after joining his last name to mine, did he not know about the meaning of Nikkah? Sure I have my problems too but that didn't mean i was going to let this new relation to suffer, even after baba practically kicked me out of his house....

I placed a hand on my mouth as a sob threatened to break out.

What did i expect? After what i had done, after my father accusing me and kicking me off his responsibility that someone would welcome me opened hands without my deeds coming back to me? I deserve all of this, because of trusting Danish who just made promises and disappeared, for being friend with imran for knowing imran, for going in that damn fest, for not speaking for myself, for.........being born.

I sobbed silently burying me head in my knees,

My dad really deserved another son instead of me.

A shift in the bed made me sober up and control my sobs, wiping my tears I looked at Farhan, my husband sleeping soundlessly, my eyes stung, now i am forced in his life to regret my pathetic being in his life. I am sure when my existence will ruin his perfect life, even he his going to kick me out, he already told that i am not expected in his life and i am sure, one day he is going to throw me out too,

Then...then where will I go?

First time in my twenty two years of life, without being said, I felt alone, like living in a dark abyss, knowing no depths or ends of it.

Laying down on the couch, I watched the fancy ceiling with tears rolling down my cheeks,

Why does a woman require a support of a man always? Why can't she live on her own?

When a girl is born, she is given her father's name, then after some years, she gets married and gets her husband's name, in between where is the girl? Where is her identity? Who is she exactly?

Nowhere.

Just like i am right now, nowhere.

I just want to live in place where.....there is peace, no judgments, no accusations, nothing just peace.

But the real question, Is peace and being loved written in my destiny?

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