Sitting on the couch Darwish was rubbing his forehead. He was drunk but sober enough to understand where he was and what he was doing. The girl he brought with him was staring at him in disbelief. She wondered why did he bring her here if he had no intention of having sex with her.
" If you have no intention to fuck me then give my payment. I will leave," she sounded annoyed.
Darwish scowled at her," You aren't leaving before it's morning." The girl shut her mouth looking at his red eyes.
Darwish had no intention of having sex with this girl. He was never a womanizer. In fact, Rubab was his first. He was saving himself for his wife but his anger and hate ruined everything. The malice in his heart made him commit one of the most horrendous sins.
He was sceptical about his own feelings. For a few moments he felt good seeing Rubab's broken state but he didn't know why a part of him was bothered to see those eyes full of tears.
Shrugging off her thoughts he stood up balancing his wobbly legs. He went near the window and looked outside. He exhaled a breath closing his eyes. Automatically, his mind travelled back in time when he was happy.
" Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Darwish. Happy Birthday," Darwish's mom sang while placing a spiderman themed birthday cake on the table.
Thirteen-year-old Darwish clapped his hands getting excited. His eyes sparked with contentment seeing the cake. His mother baked it for him.
Darwish was going to blow out the candles but a little boy ruined everything. He blew out the candles and took a fistful of cake in his hands.
" Dawood!" Darwish yelled. " I am gonna kill you."
Dawood let out a cute giggle and the next moment Darwish's whole face was covered with creams. He let out frustrated growls glaring at Dawood.
" I am gonna beat the hell out of you," Darwish screamed and started chasing after Dawood in the whole house.
The moment Darwish opened his eyes, his cheeks were already wet. With the back of his hands, he wiped away those warm tears.
" We should not have left Iraq. We shouldn't," Darwish shook his head vigorously.
On the other hand, Rubab was sitting on the floor having a blank expression on her face. Darwish's words kept buzzing inside her mind making her situation worse. The tear stains on her face was indicating how much she had cried. Pulling her knees close to her chest she rested her face there. She wondered what she was going to do now. Where was her future heading?
She didn't contact her parents because she didn't want to bother them. According to her, she had given them enough headaches she didn't want to enlarge this list. Specifically, she didn't want to see her mother crying again. Moreover, she was scared for her brothers. What if Darwish sends her brother to jail again? Thinking about all these possibilities Rubab decided to not inform her parents about Darwish. She decided to live here no matter what. Maybe it would be hell for her but she had endured much worse than this. She will manage anyhow.
" What should I do now? Where should I go? Whom should I talk to?" Rubab questioned herself but didn't get any answer.
Just like any other normal girl she had a lot of dreams regarding her marriage, her husband and her future. She never knew her life would take such a drastic turn. She saw her dreams crumbling right in front of her eyes. She wondered what she did to deserve such a fate.
The Next Morning
The whole night Rubab couldn't sleep properly imagining what Darwish was doing with that girl. She wondered the whole night what could be the reason behind his such behaviour. He hates her. But, why? What she had done to him? She had no idea.
Getting up from the bed Rubab freshened up and wore a simple salwar suit. She stayed in her room until she felt her stomach grumbling. She didn't want to see Darwish's face again recalling his behaviour with her.
Rubab frowned her brows reaching the dining area. Darwish was already seated there though there was no food served in front of him. He turned behind hearing footsteps approaching him.
" Where is my breakfast?" Darwish questioned looking in Rubab's direction.
She turned behind to see if he was actually talking to her not. There was no one so she understood he was actually talking to her.
" You should ask the person who had been making breakfasts for you always. Why are you asking me?" Rubab questioned back getting annoyed.
Darwish stood up angrily. Kicking the nearby chair he started taking predatory steps at her while folding his sleeves. Rubab quailed backwards watching him approaching her. Was he going to raise his hand on her?
" You are my wife. Taking care of my needs is your responsibility. Following my, every command should be your first priority. If I tell you to not sit, you will sit. If I tell you to eat, you will eat. You will do whatever I command," Darwish said in a low dangerous tone.
At this moment, Rubab felt like bursting into laughter. Was he joking? How could he expect her to be his ideal wife when in the first place he cheated on her? Hurt her feelings and treated her like a servant.
" Are you delusional?" Rubab questioned looking directly into his eyes. " How could you expect all these from me when you, as a husband failed to do your responsibilities?" Her eyes stung with tears but she didn't let them flow down her cheeks.
She gave him a straightforward answer," Don't expect me to be a puppet of your hands."
" I am tolerating you because I can't go back to my parents just the second day of my marriage," She added. " Once I get a chance I will leave you happily," Rubab stared right into his dark brown emotionless eyes.
Rubab let out a painful yelp feeling the grasp around her right upper arm. Darwish pulled her close to him while she struggled to get away from him. Her breathing got heavier due to nervousness. His aggressive touch felt familiar to her. She felt goosebumps from his touch. Unknowingly, tears started flowing down her cheeks.
" I married you when no one was ready to marry you. You should be grateful to me that I married an impure useless girl like you," Darwish mumbled in her ears. Rubab closed her eyes due to the sudden pain in her chest. Nothing could hurt her more whenever everyone keeps calling her impure.
He challenged her," I will see how you leave me without my permission. I will wait for that day."
" Till then you better obey me. This is my house and you will follow my every command," He said tightening the hold around her arm. She could feel her hand turning cold due to the lack of blood flow.
She requested," Please, leave me."
" If you try to talk back to me again then I won't hesitate discliping you," He left her hand with a jerk. " Now, get back to the kitchen and cook something to eat. I am starving."
Rubab answered rubbing her arm," I don't know how to cook."
Darwish gave her such a shocking look as if she committed a crime by saying the truth.
" I had a cook and maids in my house. I never did any household chores," Rubab added and he made a foul face.
He sniggered," So, except for how to whore around and trap innocent boys, your mother never taught you anything."
" Impressive," he hooted.
Rubab yelled at him," Don't question my mother's upbringing!"
" What's your problem with me? What I have done?" Rubab questioned losing her patience. Was he insane?
As usual, she got no answer from him except for disgusting glares. She wondered if he was mentally unstable. At least, he should tell her why he was being so hostile towards her.
" Sidra," Darwish shouted the maid's name.
The maid entered the place catching her breath. She lowered her eyes instantly noticing Darwish's red face.
" Teach this useless girl how to cook and do household chores," He ordered the maid before storming outside the house.
Rubab was fuming in rage looking at his retreating figure. The moment he questioned her mother's upbringing she lost her patience. She knew that it was high time she should leave this toxic person.
" I swear I will make you remember my cooking forever," Rubab mumbled.
The next day Darwish woke up with the delicious smell of food. He went downstairs and noticed that different kinds of food were already served on the table. An amusing smile formed at the corner of his lips.
He looked at the kitchen and felt a presence there. Unknowingly, he imagined Rubab there. He smirked realizing how she started obeying him so quickly. He was impressed.
" I am impressed by your obeying quality," Darwish snickered before taking a sit at the breakfast table.
His mouth was salivating already. He couldn't control the urge to taste this delicious-looking Nihari, parathas and halwa puri.
The moment he took a bite from the food he felt the third-degree burn right into his tongue. His tongue was on fire. The food was extremely spicy. Darwish was allergic to spicy foods. He always preferred mild spices.
" You mother fucking bitch!" he screamed. His eyes turned red and he couldn't control those tears.
Sidra rushed at him after hearing his screams. She blinked her eyes repeatedly. She was clueless why he was screaming after tasting the food. Was there something wrong with the food? She instructed Rubab properly then what was the matter.
" That bitch put the whole country's chilly powder in my food, right?" Darwish continued huffing.
Sidra's eyes widened with shock. She tasted the food earlier and it was completely delicious. She had no idea when Rubab put extra chilly powder.
" Sir, I am sorry. I don't know when she did that," Sidra joined her hands in front of him.
Darwish wasn't in the state to hear anything. Rubab didn't just burn his tongue. She woke the demon inside him. He poured a glass of juice hurriedly and started chugging it down.
" You whore!" Darwish spat out that juice from his mouth.
The saltiness of that juice worsened his situation. He threw the glass on the floor. He leaned on the table a little bit while his eyes started burning with anger. His nostrils were flaring like a raging bull.
" I am gonna strangle you," Darwish let out before storming into Rubab's room.
He barged inside her room without any warning but there was no sign of Rubab. He also checked the washroom but she wasn't there either.
" Come out, you bitch! You think you will get away after burning my tongue," Darwish growled like a wounded animal.
Suddenly, his eyes caught a paper on the bed. He grabbed it without wasting another second. It was a note left by her.
I hope I gave you a memorable breakfast.
The veins of his neck popped out after reading her humourous remark.
You will get the divorce notice soon
Darwish crumbled the paper gritting his teeth. He was surprised by her audacity.
" You better start praying for yourself," Darwish let out an inaudible whisper storming outside her room.
Note- Let's pray for Rubab. 😶
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