Footballer's hijabi wife

3.Standing up

*****
Locked in my room. For an hour I heard people knock and leave. Curse me and go. Meaning my family. The only concern was from Ameera the maid who asked me if I had eaten. And Ruqqayya and Saffiyya who knocked maybe to come and sit with me.

I heard car tyres screeching and immediately I knew it was Sayeed. Now waiting for him to come in and stand up for me, I heard him shout downstairs by calling my name and I rushed out of my room after slipping on my blue cotton hijab and made my way down the stairs. He was in a bright white thobe and a brown and black ghutrah held in place with an agal. I ran to him and hugged him so tight that I couldn't breathe and he hugged me back so protectively. His brotherly love all out. Then I saw my father and mother join us in the open hallway.

Sayeed pulled away from the embrace to face father.

"As usual spoiling her despite her mistakes. She has disgraced all of us. You included. She's lucky, he still wants to marry her."

My father bitterly spoke. Looking at Sayeed now I noticed his bruised knuckles and scrutinizing more closely I saw his thobe with marks. Had he been in a fight?

'Like hell he will. Not after the beating your despicable nephew recieved. Wallah Baba, I don't know what that boy did to blind you that much but you are hurting your own daughter over a shameless man.'

'You will not talk to me like that. Shut up!' Father hissed.

'I never mean to disrespect you. Never. But you are wrong.' Tears were leaving my eyes now as I looked at my brother and how he fiercely defended me.

'Did you listen to her? Did you give her a chance? Or did you just take whatever rubbish you were dumped with and accused your OWN daughter of being unchaste. Astaghfirullah.'

Now he was quiet. But then mama asked.

'Why would Abdul-Aziz make up such a thing?'

'Because he wants to marry her for whatever it costs. Had it been true he would not want to go through with it. He is desperate.'

They were all quiet now. I don't know if they believed this or not.

'Subhanallah you even failed this test. "And those who accuse chaste women [of adultery] and then do not produce four witnesses — lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient. Except for those who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful." Sayeed recited the Quranverse in Arabic and I saw my parents look down in shame.

'And why would you accept the say of someone else over your daughter are you guys really desperate to marry her off? Should I take my sister with me if she has become such a burden?'

I couldn't take it. I wept. I cried because my parents had wronged me. But my brother was willing to cross the line for me.

'Ufff!' My father raised his hand in objection.

'Call Abdul-Aziz. I want to hear what he has to say. Why would he shame my daughter.'

'Wallah Baba while you are at it. I'm taking Aqsa away with me. I don't want him near her. He abused her but you don't know that. Neither do you Umm Zayd. You didn't even listen to her. But had it been your daughters, you would not take the word of a stranger. You would give your daughters the benefit of the doubt. But poor Aqsa doesn't get that because her mother is dead, right?'

I wept again now. Even tears left Sayeed's eyes and now my father too. Mother was now ashamed. Not saying a word. I had respected her and never spoke back at her. I never expected special treatment from her. She never treated me like her other daughters but I never complained because she hadn't birthed me nor Sayeed. Our mother was dead and she'd never let this happen if she was alive.