Possession by Laila Ali (best authors to read txt) 📕

"Do you promise me you'll not leave me?" Zahra asked innocently, her tears flowing. She felt as if she's talking to her father.

"I promise. Now stop crying else I'll also cry with you." He promised making her smile and then laugh. She laughed like a 5 year old child unaware of the eye keenly observing her.

"Thankyou taya abu" She replied clearing her tears.

"Now please stop being emotional everyone, otherwise I'll also cry. Just look at this young boy who's been brutally beaten." Haya said, averting everyone's eyes towards Haseeb, who was yawning like a cat.

"What? What I have done? Why are y'all looking at me like that?"

"First you tell us mister whom did you fight with?" Dua asked, placing her hand on her waist.

"Hn tell us beta Haseeb. What happened to your face? Why is it blue and red?" His grandmother asked, worriedly.

"It was actually, umm.....I was in university...when..it rained....and then....I fell....and then....boys...Yeah that's the story I guess." He replied trying to shrug off the situation otherwise the whole incident will be revealed infront of the family.

"What are you saying brother? Say it clearly." Saif told.

"Although brother, everyday you have some kind of fight but you never got hit so hard. Who were they?"Haya asked. 

"Who dared to beat the mighty Haseeb Haroon Syed? Hein?" Dua teased him.

"No one. I fell from stairs. Ahhh...mama, my face hurts stop them from questioning me." He faked a painful pace, trying to divert there attention.

"Okay. But first tell who had beaten you so bad?" Her mother questioned.

"Mama no one. It was....I-"

"I had" Irtaza's strikingly dominant voice answered and all the heads whipped towards him. While Zahra was the one whose eyes were kissing the floor now. She knew he will now disclose everything infront of the family to humiliate her and then everyone will see her as a characterless woman who was involved with some other guy despite being engaged to someone else.

"Why beta?" His grandmother asked worriedly.

"He lied to me." He answered shortly and everyone zipped up there mouth.

After all he was the head of haveli. Who could question him?

 That's when a maid came in and informed them of the dinner, making everyone leave the lounge and head towards the dining table.

Everyone was seated now at there respective places and having the dinner, talking and enjoying themselves.

Zahra was already having cold sweats. She was sitting beside Irtaza. She didn't have the courage to look up. Her eyes were fixed on the plate infront of her.

"Only two weeks are left for the marriage." There grandmother informed and her heart begin to beat fast.

'Only two weeks?' She thought with dismay.

"On Thursday, mehndi will happen, on Friday nikkah an-" her grandmother was telling about the days when Irtaza cut in.

"The nikkah is done." Irtaza informed making each and every single person gasp with shock other than his younger brother, Shehryaar.

"Nikkah?" His grandmother asked confusedly.

"When did it happen?" His father questioned.

"Month back."

"Why you both didn't inform us?" His uncle, Haroon, asked.

"I had refrained Zahra from doing so. I was waiting for the right time." He answered shortly.

"Hmm....but it's not settling well with me that you married Zahra without the involvement of family."

"The nikkah was to be done in every case. It doesn't matter that the family was involved or not. Also its Irtaza's life and he wanted his nikkah a month back then we're no one to question it. And we still have the rukhsati to look upon so I think Dadi should continue what she was saying." Shehryaar interrupted, changing everyone's mind with his two sentences.

He was a manipulative jerk!

"Yes continue what were you saying." His grandfather spoke.

"The rukhsati will occur after two weeks on the blessed day of Friday.." She completed.

"I want the rukhsati at the end of this week." Irtaza ordered and her heart dropped. Her life was moving too fast.

Five days?

"Fine son. The preperations are already done. We will be conducting the rukhsati at the end of this week." His grandfather answered, his words were a final verdict. No one could question him

Only 5 days were left now. Even a shorter period than two weeks. And this thought was clogging her throat with tears of anxiety and depression.

"Can I sa..say something?" Zahra said, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Sure daughter why not. Go on." Her uncle said.

"Can...can we please postpone the rukhsati?" She asked, her heart running a mile a minute. She can already feel someone drilling holes at her head but this was needed to be said. She was afraid to be alone with Irtaza in a separate house away from all of the people specially when he came to know about Daniyal. She knew he will kill her if he find her somewhere alone. Allah has saved her today from Irtaza but she was not sure for how long she'll be able to protect herself from his anger.

"Why?"Her grandfather asked.

"Because I...actually....my exams are com...ing the next week, tha...ts why I w...ant the mar....riage to be postp...oned." She stuttered, her heart was beating fast. She had to somehow delay the marriage and find a way to run away from him. She cant live with him, especially what happened today.

She wasnt thinking straight. She just wanted to get out of his clutches.

"Sure daughter if the matter is of your exams then-"

"I had given my decision already and Zahra isnt going to university anymore." Irtaza cut in raising his voice slightly, his eyes down looking towards the table, his jaw clenched, his voice was getting cold indicating he's at the edge.