I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. I hissed in pain as I sat up, I slowly stood up and went to the bathroom. I looked at myself and tears started to form in my eyes.
I touched the side of lip and hissed in pain, then I looked at my arms and tears started to roll down my cheeks. I took my blouse up and looked at all the new and fresh marks.
I washed my face and took a bath. Then I changed into something comfortable and decided to go to work.
When I arrived at work I went straight to the changing room and changed to work clothes. After changing I went to work, I took orders and cleaned tables after.
"One black coffee" I didn't look at the person and made on black coffee. I handed the coffee to the person and took the payment.
I took the orders from others and told them to Jones who made the order ready. I took the orders and went to the tables to give the customers their drinks.
After what seemed like forever, it was lunch break. I sat down and laid my head on the table while sighing. "Zoya, aren't you gonna eat?" "I'm not hungry" I whispered while closing my eyes.
I just want to close my eyes and not wake up. After the lunch break, I went back to work, I stood at the counter taking orders.
"One black coffee" I nodded and made the black coffee for the customer. "That will be 15 $" He handed me the money and I gave him the exchange.
"Sweetie pie?" I looked up and saw Anthy. I ignored him and went back to work. "Did you just ignore me?" I ignored him once again and went to clean the tables.
I started cleaning the tables when I saw him seating down by one of them. I sighed and ignored him, I kept taking orders and cleaning the table with the help of the others.
"One black coffee" I heard him say while raising his hand. He has been here for the past 2 hours, and he has drunken 4 cups of coffee. I sighed and made his coffee.
I took the cup and walked up to him, I put the coffee in front of him and looked straight at him. "Why are you still here?" "So you finally noticed me"
I sighed and took a deep breath. "You didn't answer my question" He looked at me and there was something in his eyes which I couldn't get.
"Why did you ignore me this whole time?" "I asked first" "Doesn't matter who asked first" "Good, because it doesn't matter if I answer," I said and was gonna walk away when he grabbed me by my wrist.
I wanted to cry out in pain but I held it. "Let go of me" "Why are you ignoring me?" "I said let go of me," I said a little louder while trying to get my wrist away from his wrist.
He held me tighter, which hurt a lot. "First answer my question" "Look I don't want to talk to you, and that's it" "Why?" Why does he keep asking questions?
"Anthony, let go of me!" I shouted at but it didn't work. He pulled me closer to him and held me by my arms. "Answer me Zoya, why are you ignoring me?!"
I flinched when he shouted at me, I hate it. I hate it, I hate when people shout at me. I started to tear up, "Tell me Zoya! Why?!" He shouted while his grip around my arms tightened.
"P-Please, d-don't h-hurt me," I said letting my tears out. He looked at me and his eyes suddenly softened. "P-Please, d-don't," I said while covering my eyes with my hands.
I suddenly felt someone wrapping their arms around me. "Sh, I won't hurt you, I can't even think about hurting you" He whispered while hugging me tighter.
I let my tears out and kept crying. After so long, I felt safe, I felt safe in his arms. I felt warm and safe in his arms, I felt loved which I haven't since Abu left.
After crying for a while he pulled away and looked at me. He cupped my cheeks and whipped my tears away with his tump. "What happened to your lip?"
Shit! He saw it, "I-I fell" He looked at me like he didn't believe me, "What happened Zoya?" "N-Nothing, I just miss my dad a lot, a lot" I whispered the last part.
He sighed and let go of me, "Come on, I'll drive you home" "NO! I-I mean, I still have work and you should also return to work" He didn't say anything and nodded.
He left and I went back to work. After working for 2 hours more it was time to go home. I went to the bus stop and waited for it, I didn't want to go home.
What if it happens again? What will I do? I can't take it anymore. I couldn't even talk to him probably because of yesterday.
When I arrived home, the lights were on. I went in and saw ami seating in the living room. "What did I tell you yesterday?" She said while standing up.
"I-I didn't meet him," I said while holding my bag tighter. She stood up and walked closer to me. She grabbed me by arm and pushed me down, she kicked me in my stomach while I tried to back away.
"I told you not to talk to guys and just do your job and then hand me the money!" She shouted and grabbed me by arm and made me stand up.
"I-I didn't talk to anyone," I said trying to hold my tears. *SLAP* She slapped me hard and then threw something on me.
"What is this?! Do you think I'm dumb?!" I looked at the pictures and was shocked to see them. It was pictures from today, it was pictures of me and Anthony.
"I'm warning you for the last time, if it happens again then you know what will happen," She said and left.
I fell on my knees and let my tears out, why? Why is all of this happening again? Abu, why did you leave me? I fell so alone, I'm so lonely without you.
I slowly stood up while holding my stomach, I started to walk upstairs but then I started to get dizzy. I took a deep breath and went to the bathroom.
I took my hijab off and stood under the shower, letting the cold water hit my whole body. I hate this, I hate all of this. Why is it happening again?
FLASHBACK
Zoya as 8 years old:
Zoya was playing with her sister with the dolls. "Baji, let's play catch," The little Nadia said while standing up. She started to run around while Zoya ran after her.
They were in the garden, and Zoya was trying to catch her. Nadia suddenly fell and started to cry. "Nadia, are you okay?" Zoya said while seating beside her and was getting worried about her little sister.
She shook her head and held her knee. Zoya looked at it and saw her knee bleeding, "I-It hurts" She said while crying.
Someone suddenly pushed Zoya away, "My baby, are you okay? Zoya, how many times have I told you not to fight with Nadia!" "I-It wasn't me," Zoya said while looking down.
"Don't lie to me!" Her stepmother said while pushing Zoya, she fell and hurt her hands and knees. She wanted to cry but knew that if she cried her stepmother will hit her.
Her stepmother took Nadia up in her arms and walked away from there, leaving the little Zoya there bleeding.
She slowly stood up and walked up to her room. She went to her little drawer and took the first aid kit, which was in her drawer.
She sat down and started to clean her wounds. She didn't leave her room for the rest of the day, she sat there reading a book or drawing.
The door to her room opened and she saw her dad coming in. "Abu," She said happily and ran towards him not showing that she was hurt.
"Uh, my princess," He said while taking her up in his arms. She hugged him tightly and he walked towards her bed. He sat down and put her on his lap.
"What happened to your hands?" He asked when he saw her hands. She couldn't clean them and didn't have any bandage on her wound. "I-I fell while playing," She said while looking down.
He sighed and sat her on the bed while taking the aid kit, he cleaned her wounds and put the bandage on it. "Did my princess eat?" She nodded her head, not wanting to tell him the truth.
He put her in the bed and put the cover over her, "Sleep tight, meri Jaan (my everything)" He kissed her on the forehead and left her to sleep.
Zoya as 10 years old:
The little Zoya was home with her auntie and her stepmother. "Zoya, dear eat something" "No, I will eat with Abu" She while looking at the front door.
After a while, the door opened and her uncle walked in, she ran up to him "Where is Abu?" She asked while holding his hand. He looked down at her niece and bend down to her hight.
"Zoya, your dad won't come home" "Why? He went with you, if you came then he should also come!" She shouted while pushing his hands away.
"You are your Abus doll, right? He told me that you will understand if I told you this, see... Your Abu is sick, his heart isn't beating properly so the doctor said he needs surgery"
"I-I miss him, I-I want to see my Abu," She said while hugging her uncle tightly. "Tsk" Zoya's uncle looked at her stepmother and sighed while standing up while Zoya was still hugging him by his waist.
"She is such a drama queen, it's not like he is dying" "Zoya won't stay here till he gets back" "She isn't going anywhere," She said and pulled Zoya away from her uncle.
"Okay, we'll stay here," He said and pulled Zoya away from her and went up to Zoya's room. They both sat on the bed and he looked at her.
"Janu (Honey) she hasn't eaten anything," Her auntie said while walking in with a tray of food. He took the tray from her and put it on the bed, "Zoya, let's eat"
She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands. She kept crying and crying, he hugged her and let her cry in his arms.
Zoya as 12 years old:
"I-I didn't hit her," Zoya said while looking down. "I know she is your stepsister, but the last thing you can do is not to hit or fight with her!"
"B-But I didn't" Her stepmother grabbed her by her arm hard and threw her down. She went on her knees and slapped Zoya across her face. She hit Zoya, while she just kept being on her place getting hit by her stepmother.
Zoya was in her room crying her eyes out, there was a knock on the door and her father walked in. When he saw her he was shocked to see her like that.
"Zoya, what happened to you?" He asked worriedly and looked at her. She didn't say anything and kept crying. She didn't want him to be worried, knowing her father's condition she didn't want to be a burden to him.
"S-Sorry, I-I fought at school," She said while playing with her hands. He sighed and cleaned her wounds. He didn't ask anything, he stood up and took her downstairs.
"What did you do to her?!" He shouted while looking at her stepmother. Zoya was shocked, she didn't know that her father knew about it.
"I didn't do anything, she fell and got hurt!" She shouted back while standing up. "I saw everything, I saw everything today! I don't want you near my daughter, don't touch her again!" He shouted and took Zoya up to her room.
Zoya as 16 years old:
Zoya came home tired and went up to her room to fresh up. After refreshing up she went downstairs and went to the kitchen to eat something.
She sat down and started to eat some fruit. Her stepmother walked in and looked at her with hate in her eyes. Zoya looked away and looked down on her phone.
"Stop texting your boyfriend and go to the supermarket" "A-Aayan is on his way home, I'll go with him" "Why do you need to take my son along?"
"Because I asked baji to take me along" Zoya turned around and saw her brother taking his shoes off. "I'll go and get my purse," Zoya said and ran upstairs.
She came back and waited for Aayan. They both went to the supermarket and got everything they needed. Zoya paid for everything and then they started to go home.
As they were near their house, her stepmother was outside talking to her friends. As Aayan started to walk over the road, Zoya saw a car coming towards him.
"AAYAN, GET AWAY FROM THERE!" She shouted he looked at his side and froze. He couldn't move, he couldn't think because everything was happening so fast.
Zoya ran towards him and pushed him away, the car hit her hard. "ZOYA!" Her father saw her getting hit from the window and ran out to her.
He went on his knees beside her, she was bleeding a lot. There was blood all over her body and beside her. "Aayan, my son are you okay? Are you hurt?" He ignored his mother and went up to Zoya.
"Doctor, how is my daughter?" "Sir, you are a lucky man. Anything could have happened to her after seeing how much blood she lost, she could die, she could be paralyzed and she could even go into coma, it's a miracle that she survived" "Thank you, doctor, thank you so much"
END OF FLASHBACK
Getting abused by her, her shouting at me, why? Why? What did I ever do? I looked at my arms, legs and the rest of the body.
Is there any my body part where there aren't marks? "W-Why? WHY?!" I shouted and threw my chair in the mirror, it broke into pieces and was everywhere on the floor. I fell on my knees and kept crying.
I want to get out, I want to get out from here, from this world, from this hell. But how?
Who will take me out from here?