Wrong Suffered At Hands (Chapter Sixteen)

16.

Four weeks had scarcely elapsed when Afiyah discovered that she was expecting. The wonderful news was a blessing to her, and she urged the doctor to repeat what she had said so that she might believe her. Although Affan and Soraya appeared to be content, something didn't feel right until Afiyah overheard them whispering in the room one day.

She stopped to unlatch the door while taking the tray to her mother-in-law's room, "-And carrying daughters are prohibited especially when it's the first kid, it's like you lift the load off of your shoulder by giving birth to a son."

She pressed her cheek against the oak door to get the whispers more audible, "I don't believe that it's in our control to determine the gender, it happens per Allah's will." Her legs buckled under the strain. Affan's voice included a trace of anguish, and she even heard him sighing.

"Although it is God's will, it would be preferable if-"

"Leave it, we'll see what happens." was the advice from Affan.

When the conversation ended, she went through the door and set the tray down in front of them and when she was asked to sit down with them, she flatly refused, stating, "I ate a bit of sugary foods so I'm full."

She instantly left them and dared not to eavesdrop on them again since it would just carry bitterness to her heart.

Even when she caught Affan whispering on the phone in the dead of night, she opted not to pay heed.

 

                                                                                              

Afiyah threw up for the first time after accidentally sniffing a sizzling onion. Usually, she relished the odor of sizzling onions, but on that particular day, as she brought her nose closer to the pan and inhaled the flavor, her stomach twisted and she threw up in the bowl while whimpering. Every morning, she would wake up and vomit before she had even opened her eyes properly. She gradually became aware that her preferences were altering day by day, that she was unable to eat the foods she had once cherished, and that she was developing strange carvings.

 

Afiyah foresaw this coming since she was confident Hareem would be overjoyed with the excellent news she had for her. Hareem's first act was to fetch a piece of sweets for Afiyah and feed her, explaining, "It's customary to eat sweets after hearing good news."

And as was to be expected, Hareem forbade her from setting foot on the floor, which was unusual for her given that she was responsible for a large household, her husband, and an uncooperative mother-in-law. Since it was also her first time seeing her father after being married, she was lavished with affection for the two days she spent there.

 "Look, your loved ones have even come to visit you."

When Afiyah saw the entrant, she glanced up from the book she was holding and swallowed heavily.

"While you two go and accompany each other, I'll brew tea." She overheard Hareem say this prior to actually leaving her alone in the room with the ghoul she abhorred with all her being.

"I was told that you have arrived here, so I followed suit."

She glared at Khizar as he settled next to her, and he deliberately stroked his arm against her, prompting her to shift away from him, adding, "It would be better if you kept a distance between us."

"Uh huh..." he tutted, "Consider deeply before you speak because I could get annoyed, and you know what happens when I get mad."

When Afiyah felt scratchy pads of fingers slide down a certain region of her arm, she froze; the contact was somewhat unsettling.

"Besides, I heard you're expecting. Don't you think it took you too long to actually? Or does he simply lack merit?"

"Sometimes I want to smack you across the face." She deadpanned, her arm slipping away from his grasp.

When Khizar chuckled, she attempted to gulp since she knew what he was up to.

"Should I print out your pictures?" he inquired, sliding his tongue across his lips.

"Please let's move past this. I've had enough of your demands."  Her pupils shook as she tried to persuade.

"I have given you my caveat."  Heaving a breath, he murmured, his demeanor calm this time.

"I can't…." She massaged her potentially aching temples as she whispered, her voice scarcely discernible.

"When your stepmother is not around, we may do it here...."  He seized Afiyah's hand and drew a little closer to her.

As she slipped from his grip, Afiyah asked him incredulously, "Do you not feel anything while saying these dreadful things to me?"

He didn't say anything, instead attempting to grab her chest, to which she smacked his hand away and got up, saying, "Just put an end to this shit. Why are you so intent on ruining my life? Why can't you see me pleased for just one moment? Let me go and concentrate on your life."

When a surprised Hareem walked into the room holding a tray, Afiyah froze. When Hareem gave her a perplexed look, Afiyah pointed towards the restroom to indicate that she was about to use it.

 

Afiyah tried to devise a plan as she went inside the restroom. The only thing she could do at this point was to trap Khizar, so she considered doing exactly. Her concerns were not limited to her relationship with Affan; the fact that she was expecting a child made her fearful of the catastrophe that may occur if Khizar took a cruel step into her life.

She exhaled deeply, gathered her strength, and left the restroom. When she observed them laughing and joking together, Khizar got her eye, and she motioned for him to follow. Then she walked up to the rooftop.

It's either now or never.

On the rooftop, where the wind howled and the birds twittered, she waited for Khizar to appear.

"What are the plans, then?"

She felt an acute tightening in her chest before swirling around to face him. He casually approached her, grabbing her arm, he ran his hands up and down her shoulders.

“I…” She cleared her throat when she began to feel uneasiness in her throat, "I have a new phone, I thought we may swap numbers."

When Khizar abruptly put down his phone, she witnessed a smile creep across his face. As she drew nearer to him, Afiyah made an discreet attempt to look at his phone. The way his fingers moved across the screen of the phone was carefully observed by her.

She took a snapshot of the pattern he drew on her phone while she clenched her eyes and tried to follow the movement in her head.

"Your phone number?"

“I’ll write it down myself.” She brought her palm closer to him, motioning for him to hand over his phone, which he promptly obliged.

Khizar, who seemed restless and agitated, was in her side view as she fiddled with the screen.

"Khizar, I'm prepared to let you do anything you want except you erase the data from your phone, all the photos of me." she said as she handed his phone back to him. When she whispered those words to Khizar, she immediately wanted to leap off the cliff, but she was delaying her deed until later.

 

"I'm yearning to do things to you, and I'll do anything for the chance."  He sounded impatient and enthusiastic but more of hungry and desperate.

 

 

As she trailed her fingers across the contours of the wooden box, she kept the room's lighting modest. She had found the box in the cabinet when rummaging through her old belongings as she was waiting for Khizar. She chuckled as she discovered her old belongings in the box, including the notebook she had used to scribble down strange thoughts and a pair of her favorite pens to fill the notebook. When Afiyah grabbed the bracelet that Hassan once gave her, her heart cracked like a human-made bubble bursting into pure nothingness. The bracelet was violently tossed into the box, which caused the silver band to fracture and twist in several spots.

Her chest tightened as she raised the bracelet to her lips, and beads of tears ran down like shower after years of draught; she couldn't believe she'd abandoned such a treasure in a corner. She made an attempt to put the bracelet on the same wrist as the wedding bangles.

She flinched when the door opened, placing the bracelet back where it belonged before seeing Khizar walk up to the nightstand.

"Everyone is asleep." He proclaimed enthusiastically, as though a youngster begging for an amusement ride and has gotten one.

"We should start before anyone wakes up; they are currently fast asleep."

She tracked Khizar's movements as he emptied the pocket of his vest; the thump of his phone and wallet against the night stand was loud to her hearing. As  Khizar approached her, she had her eyes fixed on the nightstand. He came to a halt near her, but she didn't raise her eyes to his face.

Khizar lured her in by slipping his hand around her waist. Khizar attempted to sniff against Afiyah's skin, but she drew her face away from him and clenched her eyes shut. The act felt like being stung by a beehive on the point where he brushed his lips to her cheeks and inhaled the aroma of her skin.

“Khizar.” She exhorted him to stop.

He came to a standstill, and she looked him in the eyes. Her pulse was pounding, and she had numb fingers as she considered the plan she had discovered that morning.

"Could you get me a glass of water? However, I do not drink plain water; instead, I prefer carbonated water. I've stored it in the refrigerator, but you'll need to look for the bottle. Would you kindly go get it for me?" She made a successful attempt not to waver her voice, and she sounded assured and honest.

“I’ll get it for you,” Khizar said with a smile.

She watched him disappear behind the closed door and she was relatively quick to burst towards the night stand. She grabbed the phone and drew in a quick breath before attempting the password pattern with somewhat trembling and icy hands. It took her a moment to recall Khizar’s finger movement against the device, and she traced the same pattern on the lock screen.

The first effort was successful, and the bright screen flashed against her face. As she searched for the gallery and opened it, her pupils began to twitch. She started by scrolling through the images. She double-checked the gallery as per the dates when she didn’t discover any of her photos or anything inappropriate; rather, the gallery was full with photography of him and nothing else.

Fearful that Khizar might return, she scrolled one final time, carefully inspecting each image before shutting it off and leaving it exactly where it was.

She hurried back to the spot where Khizar had left her, where she had to wait till he returned with disappointment etched all across his countenance.

“I couldn’t find the bottle...”he said in a weak tone. “Can you come and help me find it?”

“I’m no longer thirsty, therefore there’s no need.” She didn’t break the intense stare she was offering Khizar.

He was a liar who manipulated her with an empty threat. She chuckled under her breath, utterly baffling Khizar.

She approached Khizar with deliberate, cautious steps before coming to a stop in front of him. She raised her hand in the heavens and smashed it across Khizar’s face, the loud slap resonating against the walls as the rage in her body burned her flesh.

“What the...”

“A fucking asshole, indeed.” She said under her breath. “Now, I want you to distribute those images of me to the entire world, a hollow threat that you made against me only to get your hands inside my shirt?”

Khizar turned his face away from Afiyah as he exhaled through his nose, as if the embarrassment had at last reached him.

“I am naïve to fall into your traps. Whatever you did, it occurred, but Khizar, do keep in mind what I said today…” she heaved as her wrath surged through her, “Make sure to keep a keen eye on your daughter that time since she may be suffering under a ghoul’s menace.”

Before grabbing a fistful of his shirt, she gave Khizar one final glance and said, “You will witness the same agony and misery in your daughter’s eyes one day.”

She yanked him and shoved him out of the room while hurling his wallet and cell phone in his direction.