“Salim!” Ami Jaan cried angrily. “How dare you! Apologize immediately. This is your—”
“Don’t, Ami,” Salim interrupted harshly. “Don’t even think about saying it. Didn’t you just hear what I said? I would never marry a girl like her. I mean, just look at her. She’s so…so—”
“Enough,” Ami Jaan snapped, her expression sharp. “If you won’t apologize right this moment, then—”
“I won’t. Why should I? I never asked for any of this. You didn’t ask me whether I was even ready for something like marriage! You just…just decided to throw this grand party and then surprise me like I would accept it without a word. Have you lost your mind? Are you forgetting who I am?”
“Salim, beta,” Laiba suddenly interrupted, her voice soft. “Sabah and I, we had thought your mother had already told you.”
“Well, she didn’t tell me anything. So, I suggest you and your daughter take all these guests of yours and leave now before you embarrass yourselves any further.”
At his harsh words towards her Mother, Sabah felt the tears she had been desperately trying to hold back begin to fall. It wasn’t just her, though. The room, too, uttered a surprised gasp at Salim’s rude tone, causing her face to begin burning with embarrassment. Not only had she been made a complete fool of in front of all her friends and family, but she had just been rejected by someone she had already considered her husband. How could she have been so stupid!? She should have known he would react like this. Any man in their sane mind would. After all, who would so willingly agree to a marriage to someone they’d never even met? Other than her, of course.
“Mama, we should…”
“Oh, not so fast.”
Before she could grab her Mother’s hand and flee from the room, Salim’s harsh voice filled her ears, making her freeze in her place. She swallowed and looked up slowly, her body shaking in fear. He was glaring down at her with such a vehement glint in his eyes that she swore, if looks could kill, she would have been five feet under by now.
“You,” he snapped, his teeth gritted in anger. “How dare you think you can just waltz into my house and declare yourself my wife? You must be living on cloud nine, fooling everyone here into thinking someone like you could score a guy like me. God, did you honestly think I would ever marry—hell, even be seen with—a dirty looking little girl like you? Not even in your dreams.”
At this point, Sabah was practically sobbing. She had realized earlier that Salim was far from the guy she had imagined him to be. But, she had never dreamed that he could be this vicious. She hadn’t even done anything!
“I—” she began shakily, her eyes darting around the room at everything but him. Everyone was staring at her in anticipation, even Ami Jaan and her own mother, all of them awaiting what she would say, their faces frozen in shock and sympathy. But, before she could continue her sentence, Salim had started up again, his voice even louder and more aggressive than before.
“Let me make one thing very clear. You are not—and never will be—my wife.”
And with that, he turned and stormed out of the room, shoving a few older women who had been standing around the doorway out of the way. Everyone watched him silently until his rigid frame disappeared up the stairs and a door slammed shut a few moments later. Even long after he had left, there was nothing but the sound of the now extremely agitating music being heard playing in the background.
“Um, I…it’s quite late now,” Ami Jaan said suddenly, giving a broken smile and a short laugh as she turned to face the number of people all standing around awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. “Why don’t you all…head home. There are some things that I need to discuss with my son in…private. And…I—I’m sure Sabah is very tired after tonight’s…um, festivities.”
Slowly, the crowd that had gathered in the room began to disperse, getting smaller and smaller until there was no one left but Sabah, Laiba, and Ami Jaan. Some of the guests had bid goodbye to the three of them before leaving, sympathetic looks in their eyes. Others, specifically Rumi and Hidaayat, had simply nodded their farewells and ducked out of the house quickly, as if they couldn’t wait to get away fast enough. Sabah could understand their feelings. If only she could join them, too.
But, then again, if she did, she would probably have to explain the whole situation, something which she would rather not do. Ever. Truthfully, she didn’t know how she was supposed to. And, she didn’t even want to think about what they would say.
Releasing a shaky breath, she looked down at her decorated hands and felt her eyes tear up again. Such beautiful work gone to waste.
“Sabah,” Ami Jaan said, making her look up at her. “I am so, so sorry. And Laiba, I don’t even know what to say. I can understand if you want nothing to do with me anymore.”
“Don’t be silly, Hafsa. This isn’t your fault,” Laiba said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Ami Jaan shook her head. “Yes, it is. I should have asked him. I should have at least told him. If I had, he wouldn’t have done any of this. He wouldn’t have made a fool out of all of us.”
“Don’t be angry at him, Ami Jaan,” Sabah said, not only surprising herself, but also Hafsa and Laiba. They stared at her with confused expressions, causing her to blush.
“I—I mean, it’s okay if he doesn’t want to marry me. I can understand why. He didn’t know about any of this and…I’m not upset. Not at him, or at you. Especially not at you. After all, it really wasn’t your fault.”
Ami Jaan watched her for a moment, and then sighed. “Thank you, sweetie. You really are something special. It just makes me all the more angry at my good-for-nothing son. He had no right at all to speak to you like that. I’m going to go talk to him. I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Wait!” Sabah cried, panicked. “I—”
“Don’t worry, sweetie. I won’t do anything that will make him yell at you again,” Ami Jaan said reassuringly, giving Sabah a soft smile over her shoulder as she left the room.
“No, no, it’s not that, I—” but there was no point in going on. Ami Jaan had already disappeared around the corner. Sabah could hear her footsteps going up the stairs, slowly getting fainter and fainter until they faltered altogether.
Sabah turned to her mother in a panic. “Ami,” she began, her voice strained. “I…I want to go home. Please?”
Laiba smiled gently at her daughter. “I know you’re scared, sweetie,” she said quietly, cupping the side of her face tenderly. “But, it will all work out, hmm? Allah knows best.”
Sabah nodded, hoping her mother’s words would succeed in calming her racing heart. But, when she heard slamming and shouting suddenly coming from upstairs, her fear increased tenfold. Salim was going to have her head. She just knew it. Now she would never get married. Forget to Salim—to any one!
♥
“Salim, please! Just give her a chance. She’s a really nice girl,” Ami pleaded yet again. Salim gave a deep sigh and turned around, his hands clenched into fists by his sides.
“I’ve told you a million times, Ami,” he said, his teeth gritted so hard he was sure a few of them had cracked by now. “I will not marry her or anyone else and nothing you can say or do will make me!”
“Not even Abba?”
Salim felt a tug on his heart. Without even realizing it, he had unclenched his hands, letting them dangle limply by his sides. “What?” he whispered, his eyebrows coming together in confusion. In a matter of seconds, all his anger had melted, leaving him feeling empty and weak. And all at the simple mention of his father.
“Salim, do you honestly think your Dad would have wanted this for you? This kind of life. This constantly staying out late and getting drunk and coming home smelling of smoke or drugs or whatever else you’ve gotten yourself into?” Ami cried, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
Salim sighed and dropped onto his bed. “Ami, I—” he began, putting his head into his hands and groaning. He hated talking to her about this. It had become an everyday topic now and, to be honest, it was beginning to piss him off. Especially since she was always bringing up Abba to make him feel bad.
“I know you think I’ve lost it and gone completely crazy but that doesn’t mean you can just bring any random girl into our house and expect me to marry her!” he shouted, standing up again and walking towards her. He felt his anger returning again at the mere thought of that pathetic wannabe bride. He knew she and her mother were probably still downstairs, doing God knew what.
Her small frame and blushing face flashed through his mind momentarily, taking him by surprise. He had to admit, she had been sort of pretty. In fact, she had had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. And God, those long lashes she had looked up at him through. He sighed, suddenly feeling bad when he remembered shouting insult after insult at her and watching those eyes fill with tears. But, he didn’t feel nearly enough guilt to cave and marry her, for God’s sake!
“Salim, I was going to tell you about this earlier, but because you’re always out and about doing whatever it is you do until two in the morning every night, I never got the chance,” Ami retorted. “My intention was never to force you. I just…I just thought that maybe if you finally settled down, it would do you some good. And Sabah is such a—”
“Who the hell is Sabah?” he asked, now even more confused.
Ami’s face suddenly twisted in anger. “That poor, innocent girl you screamed at and humiliated in front of everyone downstairs!” she yelled, her lips pursed.
For a moment, Salim was at a loss for words. Sabah. Even her name was pretty. Dammit. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. What had gotten into him? He was supposed to hate this girl. She was ruining his life. And, besides, she wasn’t even his type. She was nowhere near his type. But, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, he knew that his mother was right. She really was innocent. Or, at least innocent enough not to have deserved such cold treatment from him in front of all those people.
“Ami, I admit I screwed up. I shouldn’t have yelled at her like that. But, that still doesn’t change the fact that I won’t marry her,” he said, turning his back to Hafsa.
“You know, Abba always talked about how he couldn’t wait to see you get married. He had a vision of the perfect girl for you all planned out—his perfect daughter-in-law. God, if he could see Sabah today, he would be so happy. I chose her for you because I knew, if he had been here, she would have been his first choice, too.”
At her words, Salim stiffened. It had been years since the passing of his father. And though he had been young when it had happened, he could still remember him well. His deep, resonating voice and thunderous laugh, his strong arms and brilliant smile. He had been his role model. He still was. And even though he knew his mother was probably saying all this to make him feel bad and agree, a part of him couldn’t help but be curious.
“Why her? What did he—I mean, what did you see in her?” he asked, turning around to face his mother. She smiled softly.
“She’s innocent, almost childlike, and so kind. She helps out at the community center and looks after the kids there. In fact, that’s where I met her. She’s from a good family, she’s religious, educated—”
“So what you’re telling me is that she’s a goody-two shoes?”
Ami sighed. “No, Salim. She’s just good. For you. I think—I know—she will be able to help you.”
“I don’t need her to help me. I can’t believe you, Ami! You want me to marry her so I’ll stop staying out late and partying? Are you serious!?” Salim shouted, his anger returning. Finally, it was beginning to dawn on him. And to think he had actually started falling into his mother’s traps.
Hafsa shook her head. “No, Salim. It’s not like that. I do think she’ll be able to help you, but I also think she’ll make you extremely happy. And you deserve to be happy—I mean, truly happy—after all these years.”
Salim sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “There’s no way out of this, is there?” he muttered, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.
“You don’t have to do this, Salim. I won’t force you into this. It’s your choice. Just…think about what I said,” Ami said, walking over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder. Then she turned and walked towards the door, opening it enough to slip out and quietly shut it behind her.
Salim stared at it even after she had left, conflicted.
“Dammit,” he muttered, collapsing on his bed. “That stupid girl.”