THE TALE OF SARAH

Chapter Seventeen

She sat on her bed, her body covered with a blanket. She was feeling abnormally cold. Yusra and Fa'iza had managed to calm her down, and they tried talking to her, but she wouldn't answer them. She wouldn't even look at them. Her eyes were fixed straight forward and they had faraway looks in them. She wasn't crying, but her eyes were bloody red from all the cries of the past and the lack of sleep.

She hugged the blanket closer as Yusra brought in a cup of coffee. That was what she had opted for. She couldn't take in anything else, else she would puke. Yusra walked carefully to Sarah, and handed her the coffee.

"Thank you." She said quietly once the cup was handed to her. She began to sip from it quietly.

Yusra who was now being joined by Fa'iza, sat across on Yusra's bed and watched Sarah sip her coffee. The way she was acting scared them to their bones.

"Sarah?" Fa'iza tried to start a conversation.

"What?" Sarah retorted.

"Oh, nothing I'm sorry." Her face fell.

They were all quiet for the rest of the time. Sarah had now officially become unpredictable.

***********

Hamad and Munirah sat across from themselves on the six-seater dining. It was dinner time and ruthless Munirah had ordered that Sarah served it. Sarah was still in pain, and all the workers saw it. But no one dared speak up. They didn't want to loose their job, the pay was pretty good.

Sarah walked in from the kitchen on slightly wobbling legs holding a tray that consisted of food bowls of different sizes. She went to place it in the middle of the table, then returned to fetch plates and cutleries.

She arranged the sets in front of them and turned around to leave. Her job was done for now.

"Come back here." Munirah commanded coldly.

Sarah timidly turned back, her eyes full of fear. "Yes?"

"Is your work done here?"

Sarah was utterly confused. Of course her work was done. What did Munirah mean?

But again, this wasn't the normal Munirah, she was something else. Sarah didn't know what to do, so she did the first thing that came to her mind, even if she hated it the most.

As if being in the same room with her rapist wasn't enough harm, she went forward and started to dish his food. That wasn't even the problem, the problem was that she had to stand so close to him for long.

**********

It has now been six days since Umm Hakeem told Munirah about the incident. Sarah had been working ever since. To her, Munirah didn't seem to care, but Munirah was never more guilty. She'll watch how Sarah will stumble and almost fall some days. She wouldn't be able to take the sight any further, so she will just leave the scene. She didn't know what to do, so she decided to take Umm Hakeem's advice: To ask Hamad about it.

She was so scared of the answer. The reality. That was the reason she didn't want to come to terms with it. But she couldn't simply be suffering poor Sarah, who seemed to be carrying a baby, in a lot of pain.

It was around 9 in the morning, when Hamad usually left for work. Munirah slowly walked up the stairs to Hamad's room, unshed tears partially blurring her vision. She knew for sure that innocent Sarah won't just put false allegations on Hamad...

She gripped the door knob slightly and slowly opened the door.

"Hamad? Hamad dear?" She called out once she stepped in.