The Girl In Black [On Hold Till Further Notice]

Freedom at the cost of Sacrifice...

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE, COMMENT N SHARE IF YOU LIKE IT>>

A FEW DAYS AFTER THE ENGAGEMENT

“No Amma. I’m not in the mood to get dragged everywhere you want me to go. You can buy whatever you want, or take a hundred rounds of the mall. I’m pretty comfortable here,” said Zahra, to stop her mom from pressing her to go for her wedding shopping with her. “Don’t be an idiot. It’s your wedding, not mine. I can’t buy your dress without your choice,” her mother replied to her entreaties.

 “I’ll wear whatever you get me, alright. Now please go, and leave me alone.” “When you will learn to shop for yourself, I don’t know. It’s your wedding, for god sake. I’ve been buying your things for you almost all your life. Would I still have to do that even when you’re married, or until I’m dead? You tell me that,” her mother replied giving up, exasperated.

“What’s all the commotion about, my dearies?” Arif (Zahra’s dad) asked smiling, as he came into the room. “It’s your daughter dearest, not me, who’s causing all the commotion. Doesn’t want to go shopping with me to buy her wedding dress. Wake up Zahra, you are getting married in just five days,” her mother replied, a little too acidly. “How she will live her life, Arif, I fail to understand. She’s too lazy for words. Doesn’t care for anybody’s emotions either.” Lines of worry creased her forehead as she said all this.

“Just leave her to herself for a bit. There’s a lot of pressure on her at the moment. She’ll understand as she gets older, okay. Now tell me, do you really don’t want to go shopping?”  Arif asked, addressing her daughter, in answer to which Zahra shook her head.

“Well then, you don’t need to go if you don’t want to. We will do all the shopping for you.” “Yes, encourage her even more to do things her way, right. Like father, like daughter, I say,” Zareena (Zahra’s mother) said, glaring with all her might at the duo. Arif laughed at her words and planted a small kiss on his daughter’s forehead.

An hour after her parents had gone to the market, Zahra heard the doorbell ring. Who could it be now? And the last person she wanted to see in the morning to make her day worse than ever, was standing in the doorway, his shoulders lifted, as if he had just come from winning some battle.

She had frozen seeing him there, but quickly gained her composure. “Wouldn’t you let me in?” he asked, peering into the hall behind her. “My parents are not home at the moment….so come another time,” she replied, straightly. But that was a mistake. Because upon hearing it, his eyes lighted in a menacing way.

“I’ve come to see you. Can’t I see my fiancée before the wedding?” he asked, with a bit more enthusiasm than necessary. “No. It’s not deemed good in my family for the girl to meet her fiancé before the wedding, and that too alone. Besides you’re not welcome, do you understand that?” Zahra replied, her voice stern. “Just let me have a drink and I’ll leave, fine?” Adel spoke questioningly, his jaw clenched. And Zahra left the door to make way for him to come inside.

The moment she let him in, her brain was shouting at her to stop him, to tell her to shut the door on his face, but she hadn’t. What was the matter? Why was her heart beating like mad? Why in the name of the Great Lord was she feeling scared? Were his intentions bad? But she quickly brushed aside her fear as she picked up the tray to give him the glass of juice he had asked for. There was an uncanny silence in the whole house, as if she were in a graveyard, instead of her own home.