ENSHROUDED

21

Seated on a chair with her eyes closed, is Aisha. She had found love in the hut a few feet from the garden. She felt as the wind brushed on her bare skin, in pain, Aisha shuddered. A lone of tears cascaded down her cheeks as she remembered her encounter with Mama last night. She had never thought someone would beg her in her life, not to talk of Mama.

She felt a squeeze in her as Mama's words came back to her. Mama entered the room with her tears rolling down her cheeks, and she met Aisha seated on her bed; clueless. As soon as Aisha saw Mama walking inside the room, she sat upright from her laying position and sat at the edge of the bed.

"Mama..." She called out softly and Mama sat down beside Aisha. She held her hands and tears were rolling down her cheeks in a rush.

"Aisha. Can I beg you a favour?" She asked, and Aisha nodded her head softly while trying to wipe Mama's tears away.

"Aisha, I know I'm in no place to beg you this; do I come out as a selfish mother? I know you don't love Abba, but please will you do this for me?"

Aisha felt a pang in her chest, she had nothing left in her life but Mama. Nasir hadn't ben in the house for what seemed like forever. It was just two days, but she felt as though she had spent an eternity without setting her eyes on him.

"Mama..." she slurred, unable to know what was the right thing to do. She had never been this confused, lost and stranded in her life like today. Her tears were rushing down unchecked on her lips, she was in pain.

"Aisha, will you do this for me? Abba had never mentioned a girl he liked but you. And Baba said he will cut all ties with him if he didn't get married soon. Aisha, Baba is a man of his words, knowing Abba, if that happens, I will never see his face again. I know you guys aren't on good terms, but I know he'll make a good husband. He'll treat you good, I promise." She held her hands in her's, and Aisha had never seen a begging and crying mother until today. She had once seen the way Mommy cried, and Aisha had never wished to see another Mother crying from that day.

"Mama, I don't know what to do. I'm confused, Mama What should I do?" She asked, feeling as her heart squeezed with so much pain.

"Tell me, for a second in your heart, at least you have something in your mind that you want to do. What is it?" Mama asked, setting her eyes intently, Aisha felt even more confused.

She took in a deep breath and close her eyes, squeezing Mama's hands that were in her hands. "I want to do what you want, I'll marry him, Mama, you don't deserve my denial." As she said the words, she felt a tightening in her heart, and slowly she heard her life slipping away.

"Are you doing this for me, or you're doing this because you want to, and you feel you'll be fine afterwards?"

Wiping her tears away, Aisha smiled at Mama. Even though ruefully, she did. "I'm doing this because I want to, but the huge part of it is because I don't want to see you in pain, Mama. So, I'll get married to Abba, it's like I'm still together with you. He's a good person, I know."

It took only a few words to destroy her life, she knew. And during Dinner that day, even though they were the only ones at the table, with Abba and Nasir missed; she told Baba that she had accepted. Because Mama told her he said he wouldn't comply unless sh wanted to marry Abba as well.

Now as she thought about it, with only a month away to her wedding, not with Nasir, she broke down, yet again. She fell on the floor and hugged herself to her chest, feeling as if she would run to a place she wasn't known by anybody. She wanted to hide, but this time, she didn't want Nasir to tag along.

They had never clearly said the words out loud, but she knew they were in love, and it would take a few pushes here and there for them to get married. In her heart, she knew Nasur would feel less tormented than herself, at least, he had Madina. But her? She was stuck with whom she would love to call a monster, but he's a family. Her would-be Husband.