Dare You To Love Me

«22» heartbeats and heartbreaks

Yet, her breaths betrayed her, growing shallower as the weight of the past hours bore down on her. Eventually, she surrendered to the struggle, allowing the memories to wash over her like an unrelenting tidal wave.

Yaseerah thought she had witnessed her father’s darkest moments years ago, but last night had been the worst, surpassing all previous horrors.

The first time Bilal had brought up the idea of her running away so she didn't have to go through with the wedding, Yaseerah had joked about her father taking her life, even though she had never meant it literally. But when his hands had tightened around her throat, it wasn’t just the pain that had frozen her, it was the paralyzing fear that he would take it too far.

The fear that she knew he would go beyond the point of no return, when she saw that manic look in his eyes. The one that said he knew just how close he was to ending her, once and for all. And that he was considering it.

Yaseerah could still feel the angry press of his fingers wrapped around her neck, and maybe it had made her physically react, she had no idea of knowing, but her father’s hand tightened around her arm, bringing her back to the here and now.

A here and now where she was being sent off to her husband.

Husband, the word sounded off to her, even in her own head but there was nothing she could do about it in the moment.

A low exhale almost a whisper of surrender, escaped her lips, her vision blurring, as she found herself torn between the weight of her past and the uncertain steps into an unfamiliar future. But then, she thought about how this marriage meant she no longer had to live beneath her father’s thumb, and it brought her little comfort.

A subtle tremor of relief coursed through Yaseerah, knowing that he could no longer hurt her physically, if she stayed away.

Lights from different cameras flashed in that moment, and not for the first time, Yaseerah deeply appreciated the veil covering her face, because it meant no one could see the agony etched across her face.

The lace was so thick, it was a wonder Yaseerah hadn’t tripped and fallen on her face.

The air in the hall heavy with anticipation, was masked by the fragrance of flowers and a blend of scents from the guests present, along with the scent of food and spices. Yet, none of these pleasant odors could distract Yaseerah from the knot tightening in her stomach.

It was a foolish wish, but she yearned for time to freeze. A fleeting wish that for just a moment, the world would halt, sparing her the inevitable march into a future she had never chosen.

Her heart began to beat wildly like she had been running for an insane amount of time, and by the time her father finally deposited her onto the stage where her fate awaited her, Yaseerah wasn’t sure whether she was going to pass out or not.

The applause and cheers from the gathered guests faded into a distant hum, the world seeming to spin around her, as her breathing became shallower, sharp prickles running up and down the length of her arm.

And then he was there, occupying the space besides her.

This is it, she thought, as she sat frozen, the cheers and music only amplifying the pounding in her head.

Yaseerah squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on breathing in and out so she didn’t pass out. The only issue? Breathing seemed to amplify the panic gripping her in a stronghold.

“Relax.” A large warm hand settled on her thigh, and Yaseerah stiffened even more. The weight of his palm was so alarming, the heat of his touch searing her even through the thick skirt of her dress.

His voice...

Yaseerah could swear she had heard it somewhere, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than forcing herself to breathe.

“Relax, Yaseerah.” His hand pressed down with a little more force but his tone was even gentler this time, and Yaseerah tried to take a deep fortifying breath.

A unique scent filled her nostrils, wrapping around her like a comforting shroud–an enticing blend of musk, spice and cinnamon.

A scent that she could only attribute to one person.

Her eyes flew open instantly.

Even as terror filled every inch of her body as she felt him rise to his feet, and tower above her, every sound fading into the background, nothing could have prepared Yaseerah for the sight that greeted her, as he slowly raised her veil, uncovering her face to all and sundry, giving her the first real glimpse of him, ever since their engagement had been officiated, two years ago.

Yaseerah felt all of her breath leave her body, her heart making a slow yet rapid descent into the pit of her stomach as stared eye to eye at the man who had hung over her head like a dark cloud.

It made absolutely no sense to Yaseerah how her lips lifted into a smile, mirroring the wide grin on his face. A breath gusted out of her lips, as they continued to stare at each other, time seeming to stand still in that one perfect moment, until reality came crashing in.

The sounds, the cheers, the people, everything came back into focus in that moment, and as Fou’ad readjusted the veil across her body, her friends along with his bickering over him not paying to see her face, an anger rose within her, its fire licking across all of her veins until that anger was all she could hold onto, as she fixed her gaze on her husband.

The liar.

***
Hello, hello, hello.

And we are here, finally

My apologies for the late updates, I’m dealing with health issues 😮‍💨, but alhamdulillah.

See you next time,

Xoxo, Jidderh ❤️