Short Story: Bitter Truth

by Fathima Besuna Sadiki

Bismillah

“Hey baby, try this will you, it’s so pretty....." All the salesmen and women were looking at this pretty couple who were purchasing dresses for each other.The boy picked up a white colored, red bordered shalwar with zerry work. It was such a wonderful sight to see the seemingly newly-wedded couple.

Rayha was trying to match a shawl to her abaya and she was not able to find a suitable one. She searched for a salesgirl but they were so busy gawking at the couple. Rayha got angry and threw the abaya on to the rack and walked to a salesgirl, very much annoyed and ready to blame them for their poor service. A young girl was standing near the cashier and she too was watching the same couple with a sweet smile on her face that spoke out, ‘they are really meant for each other'. Rayha suddenly felt so curious to see what they were looking at. Her eyes followed the trail.

Subhanallah!! She was shocked and stood there like a statue so much so that she forgot to breathe. The young man who was holding the shalwar in one hand and pinching the pretty lady’s nose with the other, was none other than her beloved Inshaaf!!!

Unconsciousness beckoned to her and she clung tightly to a pole. She had not any idea what exactly was happening there. She wanted to confirm the fact that it was really her husband. She tried to step forward but was not able to do so. Her eyes were filled with tears and she saw him in a blotted sight. Finally, she could not bear it and stepped out of the mall.

She had not an exact idea of what she would do now. She even contemplated running away from the town to a place where no one would recognize her. For a brief moment she wanted to end her life. But she overcame such an irate decision for she knew it was unthinkably 'Haram'. Even though her marriage to Inshaaf had been arranged by her parents, Rayha was very much in love with Inshaaf.

"Innu.... how does it look? " Rayha was dressed up in a black colored shalwar that complimented her fair skin perfectly. The shawl wrapped around the bunch of hair at her neck, failed to embrace the silky strands that slyly peeked around the corners of her face... Masha Allah! How beautiful she looked. Inshaaf could not take his eyes off of her. Rayha bit her lower lip expecting her beloved to compliment her, but he did not. She could not bear the silence that he gifted her.

"Innu... I'm waiting...." she was curious to hear a compliment from her beloved husband. She only showed her beauty in front of her husband as she always preferred to be in a hijab near ajnabis.

"Oh what the hell, Rayha, why are you asking from me huh? Wear whatever you desire, instead of asking me...." It was so rude, the way he snapped at her. Whom could she fish for compliments from, other than her husband? Disappointed, Rayha went to her room with a hurt heart.

She was never appreciated by her husband but now, her mind flew back to the present, he is so much engaged with appreciating that unknown lady…?!

Ccccrreeeeeeekkk!

"Uh.. ahh.....ohh…Rayha....!" she heard her sister in law at a distance but the world in front of her became black and finally, unconsciousness claimed her.

**********

"She is recovering.........." Rayha heard unfamiliar voices around her. It was so hard for her to open her eyes as an unknown ache rippled throughout her body. She exerted herself to think of what had happened to her.

Then a pretty nurse with a white gown approached her saline stand with a pleasant smile.

"You were unconscious for the last five days, dear... you met with an accident.. Oh, see now you are alright..!” She said softly.

Rayha smiled at her and her dull eyes searched for Inshaaf, her love, yet she could not find him. The whole family was staring at her and Kareema, her sister in law, approached her with glittering eyes.

“Mayni, what was it that made you come out of the mall in a hurry? I was talking to my friend and I saw you racing like the wind.. I chased you.. and… and.. you! Oh no, ALLAH saved you mayni! I kept praying.. you are ok now Alhamdulillah!”

How sweet of her, thought Rayha and again she remembered that day. She felt tired and the ache was killing her. She almost closed her eyelids when, with great pain, she saw Inshaaf in the distance.

Maybe she was dreaming.

She opened her eyes widely. He was standing behind her dad with no regret on his face or any single feeling of guilt either. She was not shocked because now she was aware of the truth yet she wanted to talk to him, alone.

Soon, everyone left the hospital room and only Inshaaf and herself as usual, were drowning in the silence that was engulfing them. She looked at him, wanting to clear up the patches. She raised her voice to hide the trembling wreck that was residing deep within her throat.

“H…how could you do this to me…?”

“What..?... What have I done?” Heartless he is, she thought.

“The lady... who was she? I saw both of you in the mall…” Now she saw the sudden change on his face but not for long; his face relaxed to its usual carefree expression very soon. And he just drew a cruel smile to his face.

“So.. you spied on me, ah? Never mind, she is the girl I love!”

“I am not spying on you. Allah has shown me the truth!” She wanted to shout at him but did not. Now it did not matter what he thought of her.

“ From when… and why?”

“I have loved her since before our marriage… I love her because I love her… simple..” “

Love… did he really mean it?

“Before what…. Then why did you marry me..? Oh wait - don’t say it was for the dowry that my dad offered!”

The man looked at her heartlessly, showing his teeth in a sneer, a greedy look actually. She was in an accident, with her head plastered and her left arm bandaged. She looked and felt like a train wreck and this man did not ask her ‘how are you feeling?’ or anything close.

“Dowry… obviously,” came the cruel reply. “ I need money…eh!” How could he be so rude? How could her father have been so blind when he decided to give her hand to him. She tried to plead against it, but her father did not hear a word from her. It was almost a forced wedding. Yet she started loving her husband truly. She could not blame her parents for it, they always thought the best for her.

But this man now with an irritating look - how could he betray two women at once? Maybe that lady might know about this, and if so, how could she be so rude to support a man who was two-timing his own wife?

“And I never loved you and I am never gonna love you.. I am planning a luxurious life for me and Nimza…”

You are planning a life… what… with someone else’s money? She thought.

“Then why Innu... oh sorry Inshaaf you…” a tear drop rolled down her cheek. This time she wanted to cry, her delicate heart giving way to her surging emotions. She tried not to cry but failed. Her body ached even more than before, but she bit her lips to bear the pain.

“If you love her, you could have told me… Why! Why did you share my bed, Inshaaf? Your love is fake to her too…”

He was shocked and looked at her helplessly, before scraping his chair back and walking out. She was sobbing hard but was aware of what would happen next if she tried to get down from the bed but she could not move. Again she tried but it was hard to pull her leg. Her lips shivered as she pulled the sheet from her body with her right hand.

Ya Allah! She could not believe her eyes. Her left leg…it was not there!!! No, no! It’s a dream!!! A very bad dream! She touched the leg but her hand groped for the bed instead. She cried louder. The door opened and everyone was there, except her husband. Everyone was looking at her with clemency. She closed her eyes. Now what??

~~~

Did she want to live with the bitter truth forever? It is not about her leg, for it can be replaced with an artificial one. It is her life and the man she had loved - and now all of it was ruined. Is money everything? Were feelings not of any value?

I'd love to hear your views on this topic. Please post in the comments section below!

Posted in: hurt,Money,Relationships and love,Short Story,Truth