Her eyes were widening with every word she was reading on that green paper. It was a divorce paper from Sarim's side.
Did she just get divorced within less than twenty-four hours of marriage?
Was divorce papers her wedding gift?
Her eyes started burning thinking about all this. What had happened all of a sudden? She again looked at the paper. Maybe she didn't comprehend it properly or misread it. How could this happen? Just last day she got married.
"Sarim!" Leaving the divorce papers aside, she called him once again.
"Sarim, where are you?" Tears were making her vision more blurry as she rushed out of the room.
"Aunt Fariha! Where is everyone?" Finding no answer to her call, she finally understood that she wasn't having any dreams. She was indeed standing here and breathing while all this was so oblivious to her.
Coming back into the room, she headed straight towards the en suite. It was empty. She was yet to set her dresses here in the morning. But there was not a single thing that belonged to Sarim was present here.
Unaiza took a deep breath to calm her messy emotions. She somehow got hold of her phone and dialed Aqia's number. She accepted it within a few seconds.
"Oh Iza Api, our new bride. How can you wake up so early today?" It was Hiba's teasing voice that greeted her.
Unaiza swallowed her tears back. "Hiba, where is Aqia Mama?"
"Mama is in the kitchen, supervising the preparation of breakfast which we are going to bring to your in-laws."
The breakfast custom.
She faces palmed herself. They were coming anyway. It was maybe not good to make them more worried before time. She cut the call after that and sat aimlessly on the edge of the bed.
Was she just conned? This marriage was fake and a trick. She just became a victim of cheat.
Exactly after one hour, Aqia, Tashfeen, Haider, and Ishmal came looking all happy and satisfied with the newly made fresh and delicious breakfast. But who knew what disaster were they going to behold? When they saw the house empty and a crying Unaiza with the signed divorce papers from her newly wedded husband, they were both shocked and angry.
Upon delving more into this matter, an old man from the neighborhood revealed the shocking fact that this house belonged to a rich businessman who was living in the USA and had just rented his apartment to a new family a few months ago. But this morning, the family had also left for some unknown place.
Sarim's family had looted Unaiza. They had gotten the jewelry, dowry, heavy cash, and many other valuable things from her side by deceiving them. And maybe that was a part of the same gang that was making the news recently for committing fraud in the name of marriage.
They ransacked the valuable and expensive belongings of the victim's family. They were well known for changing their name, appearances, and locations for their next target. And the worst thing was that even Haider too never came across about information about such a group. Either they didn't get reported by anyone or some elite group was involved in this. He wished he would have checked more deeply about this proposal. However, due to how swiftly they changed the location and how their appearances altered, it was difficult to gauge this.
When she came back to her house, she felt weird by seeing these familiar roads and people. She couldn't even imagine what happened to her. She was devoted to this relationship. Even though she loved Huzaifa all her life but as soon as Sarim appeared in her life, all she cared about was him. She even tried to become a totally different personality because he wanted to groom her. But all that was deception.
She didn't know what should she feel about all this. Become sad because her groom left her because he was fooling her or crying over the fact that she would be called a divorced woman all her life.
As soon as they reached home, Unaiza hurried towards her room and locked herself inside. She needed some time to recollect her thoughts and she was very much embarrassed to appear in front of her family in this state.
All she knew was that within no time, she would become a hot topic of gossip by everyone.
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Huzaifa walked here and there as he heard the soft sobs of his mother while his father was consoling her. They went to Unaiza's house to drop breakfast but he was surprised to find a distressed Unaiza with the equally miserable family of his coming back. As soon as he knew what had happened, he was feeling a dire need to find that guy and beat the hell out of him. How in the world he could do this to Unaiza?
"All this happened because of me. I should have got more information before marrying her like this," she murmured in between her whines.
Tashfeen sighed. "You didn't know Aqia. It's just something which shouldn't have happened."
"She isn't my daughter but I consider Iza as my daughter. What would I say to her real mother on the last day? That this was what I did with her precious daughter. She didn't deserve this. I don't even know how to appear in front of her," Aqia said, sadly.
"We should be relieved Aqia that our Unaiza is safe and with us right now. I can't even imagine what would have happened if that family had more plans to con us apart from this. Unaiza would have been on their mercy. The guy wasn't using his real name hence the nikkah wasn't even valid. What happened we can't change it but at least it is a consolation that she is in front of our eyes and nothing happened to her. That guy left the house in the night," Tashfeen told her.
"Dad is right, Mom. Agree this shouldn't have happened. I should have checked more meticulously into this matter. We relied too much on the outer appearance because we wanted the best for Unaiza. I am sure that they must have committed fraud with other innocent girls too. However, why there is no complaint is out of my understanding. But you don't worry; I will surely get a hand over their necks. They hurt my sister and I will not sit back without giving them the taste of their own medicine. I'll quickly start working over it," Haider explained, as usual, due to anger his eyes were darkening.
"Ishmal, you go to Unaiza. She hasn't come out of her room. See what she is doing and feed her something. She must haven't eaten anything." Aqia turned towards Ishmal who quickly nodded and went upstairs to Unaiza's room.
"That jerk wasn't looking reasonable to me since the start. But all of you were in so awe of him. The way he tried to mold Unaiza into what he wanted to see his wife as was so questionable in itself. And then asking for more money and dowry and every time backing off when there was something on their part," Huzaifa snarled furiously. "But we were going with that overused statement so what's bad in this? Our daughter or sister is more important to us than a few pennies. Seriously I can't understand why we prefer the burden and misery for a girl than wanting her marriage called off for her own benefit."
"Huzaifa, it's how the society works. We can't change it because this happens. You are a guy so you won't understand what a girl has to feel. Either way, it's always a girl's mistake whether her marriage breaks or ends. We wanted the best for Unaiza," Tashfeen asserted, narrowing his eyes at him.
Huzaifa shrugged his shoulders. "That would have been come with better outcomes than what it is right now. Anyway, tell Unaiza that she shouldn't cry because of a low life like that fraud and his family. She is a strong girl and she should be happy that she got saved."
All of them had agreed with him here.
Then Huzaifa glanced at Aqia. "And yes Mom, you should stop looking out for Unaiza's proposals from now on. Marriage happens at its selected time. Let her choose the best for her who is at least compatible with her. If at least not her, then you should not hasten things. And that matchmaker old woman. Where is she? Did she show you that disgusting man? Catch her before she will run off as well."
"She might not know anything. She is a very good friend of my other friend. She doesn't add evilness to her profession. I know this," she explained, truthfully.
"Huzaifa is perhaps right, Mom," Haider interrupted. "That woman must know something. Or worse she might be a part of that gang and fled already with them. What's her number? Call her."
And as feared, Ruqqiya's number was off when Aqia called him. Haider clenched his jaw and stood up.
"I will teach these jerks perfect lessons. Take care of Unaiza," he declared and then left for the outside. Perhaps he would dug more deeply into this matter from every legal point of view.
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Ishmal softly knocked on the door of Unaiza's room. But she didn't respond. After a few attempts, she finally opted to enter inside. But there was no one inside. The room was dark because the curtains were falling on the windows. She quickly pulled them away and looked around for Unaiza.
Standing near the washroom, she knocked it but it was slightly open hence getting dragged by the slight pressure she applied, and here what she saw made her heart clench.
"Unaiza," she yelled and surged towards her.
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AssalamoAlaikum/ Hi guys!
How are you?
So here is another chapter.
I hope you like it.
Important is that Unaiza's nikkah was not valid maybe because the groom was using a fake name. And even if the nikkah was real, there was no marriage consummation occurred between the two after rukhsati hence Unaiza doesn't have to complete the iddat period.
Iddat means after the death of her husband or after a divorce during which she may not marry another man. One of its main purposes is to remove any doubt as to the paternity of a child born after the divorce or death of the prior husband.
Rest Allah knows better ✨
Comments about chapter?
Liked how Huzaifa is caring for Unaiza?
Do you think he will always remain same?
What do you think will happen next?
Many interesting things are yet to happen in HSH. So continue reading. ❤
What do you think Ishmal saw at the end?
Vote and comment plz. ❤❤