Tangled Hearts

Chapter Seventeen

Zaid's POV

Her next words make my heart stop. 'Zaid, he tried to...he nearly raped me.'

I freeze in my seat, staring at her. What did she just say? I can't believe my ears. I always knew that Zara has suffered a lot, she's been through a lot which is why she has changed so much, but never in a million years would I ever think that she.... No.

She's sitting next to me, silent tears running down her face. I will kill him. I don't care if I have to spend the rest of my life in prison, but I will kill him. How can he do this to Zara?!

'Zaid, he killed me from the inside. He ruined me completely. After that night, I had no will to live,' she whispers, looking down into her lap. I've never been so angry in my whole life. I feel many different emotions right now, all stronger than ever before. I feel angry, more angry than I've ever been before. I feel upset and sorry for Zara. I can't believe it. I hope I haven't been treating her badly. I had no idea of what she's been through.

"Zara, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry, you've been through so much," I say gently to her.

She looks up at me and laughs humourlessly. 'That was also at a party. It was about three weeks after I found him cheating on me. I didn't even want to go to the party, because I was already too upset, but my family, Hafsa, everyone close to me kept telling I should go out and enjoy myself. I had stayed in my room ever since I found him cheating on me, because I was so hurt. I didn't want to go out anywhere, because people kept asking me why my engagement broke. What was I meant to say to them? But finally, I decided that I would go and try to enjoy myself. I had spent far too long sulking after Hamza, trying to find an answer in my mind of why he cheated on me. So, I went to a party with Hafsa. This party was supposed to be for celebrating the end of our time at college.' She laughs again, recalling that night.

"Zara, you don't need to carry on. I don't want to know, I can't see you so upset," I tell her gently. I can't see her like this. I just want to see her with that beautiful smile on her face. I can't see her break down like this.

She looks up at me and gives me a small, pained smile. 'Zaid, what did I do so wrong? I was already so upset and broken, after he had cheated on me. Why did he have to hurt me even more?' More tears spill out of her eyes. She quickly wipes them away.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Zara," I whisper. I don't know what else to say. I'm still in shock after hearing what she went through. That guy doesn't deserve to live. How could he do that to her?

'I shouldn't have gone upstairs that day to find the bathroom. There would obviously have been at least one bathroom downstairs, in that enormous house. If I hadn't gone upstairs, if I hadn't lost my way around the house that night, nothing would have happened,' she cries.

I place my hand on her arm again. "Zara, look at me. It wasn't your fault. He can't hurt you now. He's in jail."

Zara laughs loudly. 'Zaid, I have bad luck with everything. I went to find the bathroom, and I ended up in a spare bedroom. I decided to touch up my makeup, as I was there and I had my purse with me. So, I had just finished touching up my makeup, when I heard the door close behind me.' I feel her shiver.

"Zara-" I start, but she continues to speak. She's recalling everything, she's stuck in the events of that night. She's sitting here next to me, but she isn't listening to me. I don't think she even heard me.

'It was Hamza. He locked the door, and I started to panic. I kept telling him to open the door and let me go. I kept asking him why he's come here now, what he wants with me. I told him to go back to that other girl, but he said he wanted me. He wanted me right at that moment. Zaid...I understood what he meant when he touched me. He...he touched me. Everywhere. With his dirty, filthy hands. Zaid, h-he ripped my dress.' She starts to cry even more, and she clutches my hand hard.