Eiliyah looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled at herself. She liked her look. After so many days she spent much on herself.
She was dressed in a red ankle length chiffon frock. A light embroidered red duppata hung on her one shoulder. Her face was adorned with a nude lipstick and a light smokey look.
Satisfied with her look, she turned to get her purse lying on the bed.
Badr was soundly sleeping. Last night, he was working late on his laptop. In spite of agreeing to go with her tomorrow, here he was still in his bed.
Forgetting his commitment.
Eiliyah collected her purse and cell phone before leaving the room. She reached her sister's house with the driver who was at her service for the rest of the day.
"You are looking so beautiful" Salma smiled engulfing in an embrace.
"Thank you api" She smiled too, but with sad eyes.
"Badr didn't come" Salma looked behind her and found no one.
"He was busy in an urgent work" She lied.
"It's okay. Come inside. Everyone is waiting to see you" She walked inside the house with her sister.
It was Salma's sister in law's Nikkah ceremony today who also happened to be her cousin. That's why her extended family was gathered there.
Everyone asked her about the absence of Badr. She felt bad for lying again and again but her husband had put her in this situation again.
If he would have been there with her she would be really happy but that's what he never intentionally did. He never made her happy.
Eiliyah didn't hold much importance in his life.
"Bechari ka miyan ehmiyat nahi deta isko" Her father's cousin muttered in the group of women.
(Poor lady. Her husband doesn't give her any importance)
"You are right. She was lying about him busy in his work. It was written on her face" Another lady agreed.
"And how can he take interest in a woman like her. Have you seen her husband. He is very handsome and she is nothing in comparison to him" Her father's cousin kept talking about her in a humiliating way.
"You are right. She doesn't suit him. Her dark color makes her awful standing beside him. Poor him!" Someone mentioned.
Eiliyah felt a pang in her heart. The words of these ladies pierced through her heart. Did they even know what exactly they said about a human being like them?
How the skin color can make someone inferior to others when everyone is equal.
She didn't meet the so called beauty standards of society made by these kind of people. She wasn't beautiful according to the definition of these ladies, just because her skin color was dark. Her brown toned skin color made her unpretty in their eyes. But these women we're not alone in considering her unpretty.
Her husband had the same thoughts about her.
"If Dad wouldn't have forced I would never marry you. You aren't of my standards" His words, he said to her on their wedding night, refreshed in her mind.
Thinking about Badr's behavior made her extremely sad and she didn't want to be sad today. She didn't want to show these ladies that they guessed right about her married life.
Forgetting about the hardships of life, she plastered a smile to her face. She spent a quality day there. She enjoyed the function, chatting with her cousins.
She reached back home at 6 pm. It was the month of November. The sun had already been set.
She walked inside a deserted living room. Mama must have gone to the party she had to attend. Baba must be sleeping in his room after coming back from his business trip.
Thinking about everyone she walked to her bedroom.
As expected her husband was sitting on the chair of study desk. His gaze was fixed on the laptop's screen. He had his anti glare classes on. His hair ruffled, dressed in a white loose buttoned shirt and a white trouser, he looked very handsome even in this rough state.
"So you are finally back" He said to her seriously when he found her standing at the bedroom door.
"Yes" She muttered and walked inside closing the door behind her.
"What's the time?" He asked staring at her.
"7 pm" She told him looking at the wall clock.
"Kia zaroorat thi wapis anay ki wahin reh jati" He suggested harshly.
(What was the need to come back at this time. You should have stayed there)
"I didn't have any idea about time" She explained in her soft voice.
"Who gave you permission to stay out this late" He glared at her.
"I have asked from you" She didn't understand why he was making it an issue.
"You have asked me about staying out this late?" He inquired, rising from the chair.
She remained silent as he walked to her with firm steps.
.........................................................
Badr isn't like my other leads. He is the meanest one😖
This story is basically about these sick standards of society💔
And look at these ladies. Believe me these type of ladies are behind these shitty beauty standards. It's the 21st century and we are still stuck in these issues. Alas!
Don't forget to vote ✨