His Sabah

VI

“Salim!” Ami Jaan cried angrily. “How dare you! Apologize immediately. This is your—”

“Don’t, Ami,” Salim interrupted harshly. “Don’t even think about saying it. Didn’t you just hear what I said? I would never marry a girl like her. I mean, just look at her. She’s so…so—”

“Enough,” Ami Jaan snapped, her expression sharp. “If you won’t apologize right this moment, then—”

“I won’t. Why should I? I never asked for any of this. You didn’t ask me whether I was even ready for something like marriage! You just…just decided to throw this grand party and then surprise me like I would accept it without a word. Have you lost your mind? Are you forgetting who I am?”

“Salim, beta,” Laiba suddenly interrupted, her voice soft. “Sabah and I, we had thought your mother had already told you.”

“Well, she didn’t tell me anything. So, I suggest you and your daughter take all these guests of yours and leave now before you embarrass yourselves any further.”

At his harsh words towards her Mother, Sabah felt the tears she had been desperately trying to hold back begin to fall. It wasn’t just her, though. The room, too, uttered a surprised gasp at Salim’s rude tone, causing her face to begin burning with embarrassment. Not only had she been made a complete fool of in front of all her friends and family, but she had just been rejected by someone she had already considered her husband. How could she have been so stupid!? She should have known he would react like this. Any man in their sane mind would. After all, who would so willingly agree to a marriage to someone they’d never even met? Other than her, of course.

“Mama, we should…”

“Oh, not so fast.”

Before she could grab her Mother’s hand and flee from the room, Salim’s harsh voice filled her ears, making her freeze in her place. She swallowed and looked up slowly, her body shaking in fear. He was glaring down at her with such a vehement glint in his eyes that she swore, if looks could kill, she would have been five feet under by now.

“You,” he snapped, his teeth gritted in anger. “How dare you think you can just waltz into my house and declare yourself my wife? You must be living on cloud nine, fooling everyone here into thinking someone like you could score a guy like me. God, did you honestly think I would ever marry—hell, even be seen with—a dirty looking little girl like you? Not even in your dreams.”

At this point, Sabah was practically sobbing. She had realized earlier that Salim was far from the guy she had imagined him to be. But, she had never dreamed that he could be this vicious. She hadn’t even done anything!

“I—” she began shakily, her eyes darting around the room at everything but him. Everyone was staring at her in anticipation, even Ami Jaan and her own mother, all of them awaiting what she would say, their faces frozen in shock and sympathy. But, before she could continue her sentence, Salim had started up again, his voice even louder and more aggressive than before.

“Let me make one thing very clear. You are not—and never will be—my wife.”

And with that, he turned and stormed out of the room, shoving a few older women who had been standing around the doorway out of the way. Everyone watched him silently until his rigid frame disappeared up the stairs and a door slammed shut a few moments later. Even long after he had left, there was nothing but the sound of the now extremely agitating music being heard playing in the background.

“Um, I…it’s quite late now,” Ami Jaan said suddenly, giving a broken smile and a short laugh as she turned to face the number of people all standing around awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. “Why don’t you all…head home. There are some things that I need to discuss with my son in…private. And…I—I’m sure Sabah is very tired after tonight’s…um, festivities.”