"Aasiya!!" I could hear Navi yelling behind me but I didn't bother to stop until I was safe outside. The chill struck my bare sleeves but I was too preoccupied to even out my heaving breaths to take any notice of it.
"Aasi—What's wrong—!?" He screamed coming to stand beside me and gently taking hold of my arm while I bent down to my knees, with a hand pressed against my chest.
"DON'T—!" I screamed, slapping away his hands and backing away from him. He gaped at me shocked. Even saying that he was shocked was an understatement.
"Wha—Why?—Why are you acting this way Princess—" He began confused, trying to laugh away my rejection and inched towards me. However, the disgust visible on my face made him halt in his tracks.
"How dare you—!! How dare you, Navi?!!" I bellowed through tears still heaving from lack of breath. His face turned into a mixture of rage and impending doom as he blankly stared at me. I could see his mouth forming into a thin line and his face hardening with constrained anger.
"How dare you do this to me?! Who the hell do you think you are?! I will make you pay for this, Navi ! You—You just wait, Navi! ! Did you think, I will go along with this—this—! Huh?! Marry me—?! What did you think—?! That I would—?!" I was shaking all over and my words were toppling over eachother. The anger was so raw and so unexpected that I didn't know how to go on. I was so scared and so angry. He didn't say anything rightaway. Instead came up to pull me to himself by my elbow. His grip on my elbow was tightening by passing second and it didn't seem to bother him. If I were not so scared of him at that moment, I would've bolted but I was—I was terrified. I couldn't look away as the brown in his pupils turned a pure black, and he glowered at me with a hard, coldblooded look. The eyes that glowed with warmth and love once upon a time were now unmoving and filled with cold rage.
"What? What did you say? How dare I?" His voice was low and laced with poison. The kind and loving Navi, I once knew was gone in this moment and in his stead was the monster that he always tried so hard to suppress.
"Did I ever give you any reason to assume otherwise? HUH?!!" He screamed the last word and I flinched away with sobs breaking loose. I didn't have the courage to open my eyes. I was so scared but to no avail because he pulled me to himself the next second. His other hand roughly clutching at the top of my gown to pull me to him.
"You're mine. Have been and always will be. One more word out of you—and I am going to forget that I love you." He seethed through clenched teeth, not taking into notice the sobs escaping from my lips or the shudders going through my body. And just when he let go of me, I dropped to the ground with a slump. However, he didn't bother to spare me another glance and turned to leave.
"You're wrong." The sobs were no where near stopping. I was scared but wasn't willing to give up. His feet halted midstep and he flipped his head to look at me, whose tear filled eyes were focused on him.
"I was never yours—Navi—Never—will be— I will die—before succumbing to your—greed—I will die at my own hands—if that's what it takes to escape—-you—" I managed to say through sobs but before I could finish, he stormed towards me with flared anger and I closed my eyes in anticipation of the painful strike which never came; because our theatrics were cut short by the appearance of Saad, Navi's friend who came from behind and stopped him. He tried to calm him whose eyes were still seeking me in hopes to slap some sense into me but Saad pulled him back into the house with great difficulty; leaving me a pathetic, bitter mess all alone in the backyard.
A few moments passed while I sat there crying with my arms wrapped around my knees. And then after getting some strength, I started walking out of the estate, barefoot.
I had no idea where I was going. But I just wanted to get away. Yet, I couldn't get further without stopping to throw up outside some house.
"Hey. Are you okay?" I recognized the voice but was too busy puking to look up. I didn't eat much, so it was empty retching for the most part and hence more painful.
"Oh dear." Hanan's hand lightly rubbed my back and I wouldn't have stopped if I didn't hear the dog barks.
"Oh it's you Aasiya! Are you okay? Wasn't it your birthday party tonight? Are you taking a break? Oh, are you scared of Bruno? Don't be, he is nice. Do you want to come to my house? It's right around the corner—" she went on and on and I almost fainted from her constant rambling than being sick.
Hanan was my classmate and I never talked to her but remembered her from that eventful party last year. She was that Muiz guy's little sister. He on the other hand seemed to be the arch nemesis of Navi. I didn't know if it was such a great idea to follow her. But the fact that he was influencing my choices even at this moment, irked me so bad that I followed her and her pet dog to her house around the block.
"Muiz!!" She called out immediately after we came in. But he didn't show up until a few calls later and as soon as his eyes landed on me, they widened in horror.
"Why is she—Hana what did you—" he remarked pointedly, taking in my shabby appearance. I couldn't do anything but turn away from his penetrating gaze. Just then my eyes fell on a chaise lounge and I was already walking towards it.
"Excuse me." I whispered to no one and leaned against it, careful to not put up my dirty feet.
"Hana—go get some towels and water. Ointment too." He instructed calmly before coming to sit on the stool next to my chair. He watched me bent over, with his hands clasped in front of him. For a few moments, I didn't dare meet his gaze and when I did, a soft whimper escaped my lips. He was watching me with a soft and sympathetic look in his eyes. Like he knew exactly what I was going through. And maybe he did.
"I—Navi—that—" I tried to get in a word between hiccups but couldn't. As if he couldn't bare to watch me any longer, he looked away.
"I know..." That's all he whispered before Hanan came in with towels.
"Aasiya. May I?" He asked, signalling towards my feet. I couldn't say anything but he began anyways.
"Please put your feet in here. It might sting a little—" He continued unfazed while helping me put my bloodied feet in the tub containing sanitized water. I winced slightly from the pain but after a while it became better.
"I am a second year medical student—So I know what I am doing, I think." He remarked with an embarrassed chuckle, while holding onto my feet gently and I felt myself smiling beside him.
"I am going to be a doctor too." I found myself saying. He looked up from applying ointment on the sole of my feet, only to give me a small knowing smile.
"Aasiya. I heard it was you engagement party tonight." I had forgotten all about Hanan until she strode back into the room. I gaped at her surprised before looking at Muiz who was seemingly absorbed in his work. For one moment, I could say nothing and then I started laughing so loud not realising when my laughter had changed into sobs. Hiding my face in my hands, I couldn't stop shaking.
"Everyone knew. Everyone—but me—" I managed to break in between hiccups. I didn't know what I would do now. Who should I turn to help? Even my parents had sold me off. So, who? The image of Auntie Samra getting beaten up by Uncle flashed across my mind. Will I be like her too? I couldn't finish the thought.
"Aasiya—" I heard him say softly as he tried to pry my hands away but before he could, there was a loud bang outside and then someone broke in.
I was still sitting in my place with Muiz now standing over me and Hanan standing behind him shielded. I could only gape at Navi who was watching Muiz with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. But he hadn't come alone and before I could comprehend the situation, he had pounced on Muiz.
I didn't remember anything followed that. Just bits and pieces of Navi beating Muiz to a pulp and Hana's shrieks. I could recall Saad holding me back from getting in between Navi and Muiz—and my cries, begging him to stop Navi.
The last thing I remembered was escaping Saad's clutches and lunging towards Navi, only to get hit by him accidentally and dropping to the floor.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
PRESENT TIME
As I watched over the ceiling of the hospital, I couldn't help but reminisce over the events of last 7 years.
I still remember how I felt after waking up from a concussion in a hospital similar to this after that day. The most horrifying part of all was when I found out that Muiz was in a coma and might never wake up. His both parents were doctors and they took immediate action. It wasn't possible to beat the level of Suleiman's who were a very prominent name in the elite society. Muiz's parents wanted Navi behind the bars but Uncle used his influence to hush up the matter. As a result, Navi was sent to the States to complete the rest of his education; while Muiz was left to rot in the closed room of a hospital.
My parents had took me away from that house too, until the situation calmed down. Few months later, I had got admitted into a medical university and stayed there in a hostel for the next few years, until my parents shifted to Pakistan for the elaboration of their business projects.
When Navi came back last year, because his parents asked him to return for our so-called-engagement ceremony, I asked him if the inhumane monster that he was had even bothered to pay condolences to Muiz's parents, who had finally died after staying in coma for the last three years. In reply, he gave me the most coldblooded look he could muster and if it weren't for the fact that he was holding a ring to my finger, in front of a huge gathering; he might've slapped me.
Even now, I still can't sleep without having nightmares about that night.
All the time, I can't stop but think, what if I never went in there that day? What if I never saw Muiz? Instead of going back with Hanan, I should've returned home and maybe Muiz might've been a great doctor today. But I didn't and it cost me a life. The burden of my sins was too much for me to bear. I felt that one day, I might crush underneath it's weight. But this is my sin and all the unhappiness in this world can't make up for the injustice I committed.
If anything, I should be grateful that Hadi was spared. It doesn't matter what he did or why he did it. But if Navi were to find that I—
I didn't dare finish the thought.
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