Adorned in scarlet;
With erratic heart beat
And sweaty palms
She awaits the prince
A daze in her pupils
He will lift the satin veil
And carry her to Elysium
The veil is ripped off;
Suffocating the gleam in her eyes
Agony resting in its wake
And she stares at the loathsome visage
Of Lucifer himslef.
-Mahrukh Ameen
"Daniyah Shah, Daughter of Mohuiddin Shah, do you accept Emaad Kirmani, son of Faisal Kirmani as your husband with the decided amount of mehr?" The question echoed in her ears, she clenched her hands into a fist, which was placed on her laps, so tightly that she felt her nails digging in her palms, she remembered all her therapy sessions she had been attending, despite the ways her therapist suggested to get out of what she was calling a mess, Daniyah was sitting in a hotel room surrounded by her family and imam ready to seal her fate.
"Daniyah?" she felt her mother hiss beside her and she closed her eyes as she nodded ignoring the continuous battle of her heart and her mind. The question was repeated twice and every single time she didn't utter a word just with a slight movement of her neck she gave her consent.
He is the man you love.
She heard her heart silently whispering.
Is he the man you thought?
She heard her brain questioning.
We are misunderstanding him.
The naïve heart argued again.
But what about the probabilities we have been getting?
Her brain sighed and she closed her eyes. There was no point of mourning, it was decided long ago that she is ready to give him a chance for the sake of the people she love, she is ready to make her mother proud by connecting her family with him, but this silly heart had always been stubborn.
The clash of her heart and her brain was halted by her mother who wrapped her arms around her and Daniyah sniffed the signature fragrance of her mother, a tear finally escaped her eyes as she felt her father placing his hand on her head and then kissing the top of it.
Sitting numbly in the centre of the bed Daniyah listened the joyful conversations around her; she would momentarily smile and sometimes even softly giggle until she was called to the ballroom of the hotel where the function was taking place. With the help of her sister and cousin Daniyah got out of bed.
"Masha Allah," they all gasped for the hundredth time that day. Daniyah smiled as she held her blood red dupatta which was covering her head from one hand and similar color lehnga with golden embroidery, from other. Today she was epitome of perfection; her glory was making everything dull around her.
The night also descended with the same awe as everyone present around her and the hour of her departure neared, under the shadow of Quran she was sent off to another place, another world.
***
The luxurious room was gracefully decorated with flowers and candles, the spacious bed was covered with petals and the headboard was completely adorned with different shades of roses, the window was wide open per her request as the room filled with chilly air, the full moon was peaking inside, looking at the beauty which was lost in her thoughts as her eyes were fixed on the flickering flame of the candle. She was there waiting for him and there was no sign of his arrival, it had been an hour when she was escorted to this room which she was supposed to call hers but everything was foreign or she was the foreign one. She heard the door creaked open and her heart jumped to her throat.
"Daniyah?" she heard a female voice she recognized all too well and a sigh of relief escaped her mouth, turning her neck she looked at Janaan who was still in the tea pink lehnga. Taking slow cautious steps Janaan neared her bed while Daniyah's eyes were on her all the time, sitting at the edge of the bed Janaan looked at her face and for a second the bride spotted guilt flashing in her best friend's eyes but it left as soon as it appeared. "Welcome," Janaan said after few seconds of utter silence and Daniyah softly smiled. "Emaad bhai would be coming soon," Janaan said playing with her bangles.
"What is that, Janaan?" Daniyah finally questioned looking at the hidden black object in Janaan's hands. Janaan looked at the object for multiple seconds before extending her hands.
"This is for you," Daniyah doubtfully looked at the small black cell phone in her palms and looked up at Janaan, "I want you to keep it, hide it somewhere where only you can reach it, don't tell anyone about this, no one at all-"
"But Janaan I already have a phone," Daniyah hesitantly smiled as she looked at the black device again which was a simple phone not the latest one she currently owned.
"You will know when the time would come." Janaan whispered in hoarser voice and before Daniyah could ask anything she left the room.
***
Smoke was making imperfect pattern and his eyes were dancing along them, sprawled on the couch he brought cigarette near his lips and then took a drag, the noxious smoke entering his system, his eyes were red already and the ashtray placed on the small coffee table in front of him was already flowing.
"Do you want something else?" He heard his friend's voice in whose apartment he was crashing tonight. Shaking his head he took another puff and then another. "So what's the plan?" Emaad shrugged.
"I wanted to take her down tonight."
"She was worth taking down." The man next to him snickered and Emaad turned to look at his face, even with half drowned conscious he felt storm rising inside him.
"Say it again?"
"She was worth-"before the sentence could have been completed Emaad placed the ignited cigarette on the man's hand and pressed it, he heard the man hissing.
"You are talking about my wife," He hissed as he clenched the man's face between his fingers and thumb, pushing his face away he stood up and stumbled his way out of the apartment.
***
Resting her back she was looking straight ahead, another hour had passed and there was no sign of him, momentarily her neck would drop and she would jerk herself up, she didn't know why was she strictly following her mother's command, it wasn't nineteenth century.
Shaking her head Daniyah dragged her body out of the bed, the heavily embellished dress was now prickling her soft and creamy skin, carefully taking her lehnga in one hand she walked towards the dressing table and looked at her reflection, her face was deprived of any emotions, her once twinkling eyes were blank and inside she wasn't feeling anything and she was thankful to Emaad for not coming in the room tonight, looking at her reflection she started taking off all the jewel she adorned tonight, the ruby set, multiple rings, glass and gold bangles, one by one she removed every piece of ornament. Her hands then made their way towards her head where her dupatta was elegantly set, she slowly took out every pin and then she folded the dupatta and placed it on dresser seat.
The clock stroke three-thirty when she walked out of the washroom dressed in one of her old t-shirts and trousers, her face was now clean and pure, Daniyah felt her eyes getting heavier when she got on the bed again, relaxing her body she covered herself with the heavy blanket and closed her eye-lids. It took few seconds and her mind started floating when the conscious part of her heard the door knob click and the heavy steps getting in, but she was long gone.
----
A.O.A
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The chapter is short but let me remind you, now we are un for a crazy ride so tighten your seat belt XD
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Till the next time...
TC,
Zehra.