Sitting in front of the mirror Rubab was brushing her hair that hardly reached under her neck. She was lost in her own reflection and wondered if this person was really her!
There were prominent changes in her specifically those dark circles under her eyes. She used to have a round bubbly face but now she could clearly see the broken cheekbones of her. Just in two weeks, she had changed a lot due to depression, anxiety, overthinking and guilt.
In these two weeks, Darwish never missed any chance of manipulating her with his words. He never missed any chance of reminding her that she was nothing but a burden and useless child to her parents.
Tears blurred her vision the moment she noticed her reflection pointing fingers at her. " You are responsible for everything," she heard her reflection accusing her.
She shook her head in denial," I didn't do anything intentionally.
" Darwish is right. If you return to your family then it will just hike your parents' problems more," she heard a voice in her mind.
Rubab closed her eyes covering her ears with her hands," Just stop it."
" You don't want your father to go through another stroke, right?" Her own voice questioned her. " What about your mother? Do you want her to be paralyzed just like your father?"
Rubab couldn't continue hearing anymore. Grabbing a flower vase from the nearby table she threw it right across the mirror. With a thundering sound, the mirror broke down into multiple pieces. Her eyes kept observing the broken pieces scattered on the floor. A horrible thought came across her mind and she didn't waste another second. With trembling fingers, she picked up a piece of glass in her hand.
Slowly, she started moving it to her wrist but thankfully a voice startled her. She dropped the piece of glass getting taken aback by the sudden intruder.
" Rubab," Darwish screamed rushing to her.
Crouching down to her level he grabbed her hands," Are you alright?"
" Are you hurt?" he questioned taking a good look at her from head to toe. He sighed noticing her unharmed.
Getting no response from her he shook her slightly," Why did you break the mirror? What's wrong?"
She answered looking at oblivion," Everything is wrong."
" Tell her that I am not at fault. I am not a burden on my parents. I am not responsible for anything," Rubab pointed her finger at the scattered pieces of glass.
Darwish heard her silently and it was obvious that he would understand what was wrong with her. After all, he created such situation.
" Shh.....shh........" he wiped away her tears. " Stop crying."
He stood her up," You need some rest. Let's not talk about the past incidents again."
" I don't want to see my parents suffering because of me," Rubab mumbled staring at the floor.
Darwish replied patting her back," Don't blame yourself anymore. Let's just say that the situation wasn't right."
Rubab didn't say anything further except shedding silent tears. Darwish took her to the bed and laid her down. He gave her a pill for relaxation. A few moments later she drifted into a deep sleep.
Darwish caressed her sleepy face," You will submit to me. You will." His obsessive eyes lit up with this thought.
After a long nap, Rubab woke up feeling better than before. Rubbing her eyes she looked beside and found Darwish sitting next to her with a wide smile on his face.
He asked sounding concerned," How are you feeling?"
Rubab nodded her head slightly assuring him that she was fine. She just hummed looking down.
" I want to show you something," Darwish said.
Rubab looked at him questioning. What does he want to show her?
" Freshen up and change your clothes too. Wear something nice," He said making her confused by his words but still, she obliged him silently because she wasn't in the mood to talk.
Rubab burst into tears the moment she stepped inside the living room. She was shocked yet overwhelmed to see her family members sitting in the living room. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her mother opening her arms for Rubab.
" Mamma," Rubab ran to her mother. She started hiccupping in her mother's embrace.
Her mother let her cry to her heart's content. Rubab soaked her mother's chest with her tears. Feeling this sudden solace in her mother's arms Rubab didn't know how to describe this feeling. She was thankful to Almighty to see her mother unharmed.
" Mamma, how did you.........." Rubab was interrupted by her mother.
She smiled," Say thanks to your husband. He is the one who rescued me." She peeked behind Rubab where Darwish was standing and grinning silently.
Zulfikar stepped forward circling one of his hands around his mother," We almost lost our hopes of finding Mamma ever. Darwish helped us find Mamma since he has so many people in the northern region."
" Not only that, but he also captured the person who kidnapped your Mamma," Rubab's father informed sliding his wheelchair to her. " It was none other than one of the local thugs whom I arrested once."
Rubab turned behind to face Darwish who was smiling like an innocent. She frowned her brows to understand what he was actually thinking. If he was planning to let go of her mother this early then why did he even kidnap her in the first place? Rubab has no idea how far Darwish's evil mind can think.
" I couldn't tolerate tears in her eyes anymore," Darwish made a pitiful expression wrapping one of his hands around her. " Just look at her. What she has done to herself just worrying about her mother's safety."
Rubab's mother held her hands," I am so glad that you got such a caring husband. Just see how much he cares for you."
Rubab didn't answer anything. She wasn't caring what her mother was saying. She was just delighted that her family members were fine.
" What happened to your hair?" Joheb questioned out of nowhere. The smile from Darwish's face faded away real quick.
Rubab blinked her eyes for a few seconds and then took a good look at her parents. If she opens her mouth right now then it won't take seconds for her brothers to break Darwish's every single bone. But, she was brainwashed to such a level that she didn't want to break the happiness bubble of her family members. She didn't feel like creating another problem related to her. After a long time, she was watching them happy and together so she didn't want to ruin their happiness.
" I was facing a heavy hair loss problem. That's why I cut my hair short," Rubab lied and a satisfied smile danced over Darwish's lips.
This is what he wanted. He presented himself in front of her family members as a hero because he wanted to clarify their suspicions in them against her. He won their heart once again and this time Rubab's too. He knew that she will never open her mouth after seeing her family members. His provocative words were fruitful.
" I see," Joheb nodded his head glaring at Darwish suspiciously.
Then, Rubab talked to her family members and had lunch with them. After a long time, she felt alive again. After a long time, she giggled to her heart's content. She wished this moment never ended however the time went very fast. It was the time for her parents to return home.
The moment her family members left she was pulled in a warm embrace. She was flabsgrattd by Darwish's sudden behaviour. He buried his face in her nape. Rubab felt her heartbeat hiking slowly due to nervousness.
" Just stay like this forever. Don't change ever," she heard him breathing on her skin.
After thinking for some time she raised her hands slowly. With trembling hands, she embraced him and closed her eyes indicating she gave up in front of his crooked manipulation. She was mentally exhausted and it was the first step of Stockholm syndrome.
A few days later
" Rubab......Rubab......" Darwish called loudly searching for something in the closet. He was standing in front of the closet only in a towel.
Rubab entered the room holding a cup of tea," What happened? I can hear. My ears are fine. No need to shout."
" Where is my blue shirt?" Darwish questioned and the next moment his blue shirt was thrown at his face. " You should check your eyesight," she chuckled placing the cup on the nearby table.
Darwish pulled her close to him. He wrapped his arms around her petite waist while she placed her hands on his chest. Taking a good look at her he smiled mischievously.
" Are you sure?" he questioned. She followed his eyes and found him staring at her boobs with lust. She slapped his arm having a shy expression.
Darwish kissed her cheeks," Such expression will make you numb for the rest of this week. Don't blush like that."
Their personal moment was interrupted by a sudden intruder. They diverted their eyes at the door hearing someone clearing their throat.
Darwish froze in his place looking at Dawood's eyes that were stuck on Rubab. He was staring at Rubab as if he was struck by lightning. He didn't even blink his eyes for a moment. His brain stopped functioning looking at Rubab who kept staring at Dawood with hundreds of questions in her mind.
" Dawood," Rubab mumbled taking slow steps towards Dawood.
Dawood stepped backwards shaking his head in denial," I am hallucinating."
Darwish approached Dawood having a nervous smile," When did you come? Why didn't you tell me that you are returning home?"
Dawood kept going backwards," Tell me that whatever I am thinking is wrong." He pointed his finger at Rubab.
" Tell me that I am just imagining things," Dawood screamed at Darwish who seemed clueless about how he is going to handle this situation.
Rubab whispered with teary eyes," You are alive!"
It was a complete silence among them for a few moments. Dawood had a disbelief expression on his face while Darwish was nonplussed. Dawood looked at Darwish with questioning eyes.
" I am sorry," Rubab mumbled before collapsing to the ground. Darwish's face turned pale watching her whole body turning blue all of a sudden.
Vote, comment & follow.