*Afrah woke up to the sunlight creeping into her bedroom, and the sounds of the bird performing a sonnet right outside her window. She remained lying down while her brain booted up slowly. Her mother used to say that when it came to waking up, she was like an old computer, the ones with vacuum tubes. Having gone to bed late the night before, she took several minutes to recollect her thoughts. Fifteen minutes later, she crawled out of the bed. It was no graceful affair, more like a snail emerging from its shell than a princess rousing from her bed. Her footsteps were silent as she walked to the window, the carpet absorbing most of the sound. She pushed her hair out of her face, drawing the curtains aside. The sunlight poured into the room then, blinding her momentarily. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she knew there was something she was forgetting. Today didn't seem like an ordinary day. The sun was much too radiant, the clouds has gone on vacation, and the air felt intrinsical
*Adnan had always imagined what it would feel like to hold Afrah and call her his wife. He had imagined the feel of her hand in his, and the way his heart would flutter whenever she looked at him through the eyes of a wife. But nothing could have prepared him for the way his breath would seize momentarily whenever she turned to him, or the way his heart soared when she slipped her hand into his and smiled so brightly that his knees trembled from the effort of looking at her and remaining calm and collected. The moment they descended the stairs, a cheer erupted in the living room, so loud and deafening that it seemed to shake the building. The ladies swooned at the sight, the men barked out their laughter as they cheered him on, and somewhere in the crowd a woman stared at Afrah with a calculating look in her eyes, relishing the thought of all the heinous things she was going to do to her. Neither Afrah nor Adnan noticed her however. They were too busy smiling at everyone, turning
*"Can I ask you something?" Sa'ada said, a sweet look in her eyes. "Sure," Afrah replied, staring down at the time on her phone. Soon, her mother would be calling her upstairs to get ready for the dinner. She had been sitting out here with Sa'ada for a long time now, and soon they'll have to leave. But there was something about the woman that kept her in her seat. It was a strange twinkle in her eye, almost as if she knew something Afrah didn't. "Do you love Adnan?" she asked. Her voice was light; playful, even. But somewhere in her eyes, one could tell that she was eager to find out the answer. "I..." Afrah stared down at her hands, deciding to answer the question truthfully. "I don't know. I guess I'm supposed to, but it's a process. Surely I'll get there one day."Somehow, she missed the way Afrah gripped her bottle tighter, and the way her eyes flashed maliciously before she regained her composure, frowning slightly. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Don't you love him?" "Not
*"Are you the patient's husband?," the doctor said, eyeing Adnan warily."No," he replied with a solemn look in his eyes. "I'm her brother in-law." "That would be me," Ibrahim stepped forward, his eyes dark and withdrawn. Afrah glanced up at him through her tears, noting how unhinged he appeared. "Please come with me," she said, directing him towards the hallway behind her. "Her family can join us as well."Amir was the first to shoot out of his seat, striding towards the hallway right behind Ibrahim. "Go ahead," Adnan said, turning to face Afrah. He took her hand in his, giving it a quick squeeze when he saw the tears. He hadn't intended for her to show up here, but she refused to be left behind while the rest of her family came to the hospital. Afrah turned to look at him, her eyes void of any emotion but grief. He hated seeing her like this, and he desperately wanted to make her smile again. He wished he could do something, and the helplessness dug into his soul, clawing at hi
*There should have been a ceremony. Adnan didn't bother to bring up the topic as they drove into the house. There should have been a ceremony where the bride's family would bring her to his house, and he would arrive afterwards with his friends in tow. Her friends would have stayed with her until he came, and they would have refused to let him see her until he paid them off. It was all tradition, and Adnan had planned it all out so meticulously in his head. But everything had gone downhill in an instant. He turned to glance at Afrah, and a stab shot through his heart when he saw the pain surrounding her. She was staring out the window, resting her chin on her palm which she had propped up on the door. Her breathing was slow, almost silent. The sight made him want to hurt someone. "Afrah?" She didn't reply. She seemed to have floated away from the car, leaving only her body there. He could guess where her mind truly was. Even after he parked the car in front of the house, she sti
* Zainab sighed as she stretched lazily in bed, pressing the phone to her ear. "I don't see what the problem is," she said. "There was a little stumble along the way, but everything is still under control." She paused momentarily before she spoke again. "I'm sure it's nothing," she said. "Whatever comes up, I'll handle it. Dealing with these people isn't exactly rocket science. Just leave everything to me.""And what if they start to look into the matter?" the person on the other side said, their voice laced with concern. "It was foolish of you to reveal your face to her." "Will you calm down for God's sake?" she groaned, punching her pillow to submission. "Afrah only saw my face for a few minutes. And besides, it's not like I'll be going over to their house for sleepovers. And I don't see her coming over to this house.""And why is that?" "I have my reasons," she grinned mischievously. "Anyway, are you still certain that there won't be any loose ends again?" "One hundred perce
*Afrah glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time, wincing when she saw the time. Less than two hours from now, the sun would have risen fully in the sky. And yet, the house was as silent as it had been several hours ago. Not exactly how she had expected her first night to go. Her unease was mounting with every aggravating tick of the clock as the seconds dragged on.Tick! Tick! Tick! She stood up wearily, heading down to the kitchen. It was a mind-numbing chore to sit around and wait for Adnan's return. He had told her not to worry. Surely that should be enough consolation for her. But then... Tick! Tick! Tick!Even here, she was ambushed by the sonorous ticking, which threatened to drive her insane. When he returned, she would talk to him about removing every single clock in the house. She busied herself in the kitchen, washing everything they'd used earlier while she hummed to herself dryly, trying to drown out the maddening sound. Tick! Tick! Tick!She was surprised to fi
* Amina was relentless. "I want to go home this instant," she said, while Ibrahim kept his hands on her shoulder with a solemn look in his eyes. "You cannot leave just yet," Afrah said, sitting at the foot of the bed. "The doctor says you aren't ready." "Why should I care what some amateur doctor thinks?" she spat, glaring at the IV hooked up to her. "I'm leaving, and all of you are welcome to try and stop me." "Amina," their mother said from the chair by the window, "if you move an inch from that bed, you'll have to answer to me." Amina narrowed her eyes defiantly as she looked up at her, meeting her mother's hardened gaze head on. Her adamance remained for only a few seconds however, as she finally bowed her head in defeat. "Isn't that better?" Ibrahim sighed, keeping his hands on her as she leaned back onto the propped up pillow behind her. "Don't start with me," she glowered at him. "I wouldn't dream of it," he said, a grin spreading across his lips. Amina bit her lip as