Manzilien

4.

"Take Abeer with you." Raziya said and Rayan closed his eyes in frustration. He was going to Dubai just to escape the problems between him and Abeer. Here his mother was planning to send her with him. He took a deep breath and sat beside his mother. Everyone was looking at him. Abeer including.

"Ammi, I am going for some work and I will be very busy. What will she do there? Let her stay here with all of you, she will have company and no more arguments." He ended the conversation. Everyone nodded as they found his point valid but Abeer and Raziya knew what was going inside his head.

Rayan walked upstairs and went to his room. After changing clothes he sat down on the couch and started scrolling his phone. After a few minutes he got a call from his best friend Armaan.

"Told everyone that you are going?" He asked Rayan and Rayan just hummed in response.

"Done with packing?"

"Nah, I will do it later."

"Brother don't you think that you are doing wrong with Abeer. I mean you should forget and leave your past. You should focus on your future. She is your wife and you have a long life ahead. You can't just sit and if I have to speak in straight words then I mean you are wrong. You are destroying yourself and punishing your innocent wife." Armaan finally spoke. He knew his friend was wrong.

Rayan sighed and said," I know what I am doing Armaan. I am already tired and I don't want any argument. I can never forget her and I can never accept Abeer." He cut the call and rubbed his forehead.

Glass which Abeer was carrying in her hands fell down on the floor catching Rayan's attention and his eyes widened in realisation. He looked above and his eyes met her teary ones. She slowly walked inside the room and shut the door and words automatically came from her mouth,
"If you loved someone else then why did you marry me?"

She first time questioned him. First time.

Rayan was surprised and even taken aback. He never wanted her to know about all this. He opened his mouth to speak something but shut instantly when he was not able to form words. She wiped her cheeks and spoke again,
"If no one was listening you and you were being forced you should have told me Rayan. I would have denied. What's my mistake in all this? They were not forcing us. They asked us."

Rayan knew that they were not at all forced. He himself had said yes but all this never meant that he would forget Sehmat. It was not like he never tried. He tried a lot but was always unsuccessful.

"Enough Abeer. I am tired and please for God sake don't start this crying session of yours." He excused himself and cleaned the water on the floor before going out.

Abeer stood there like a statue. She got the answers of her questions which were bothering her.

Why he always ignored her?

Why was he distant?

And why they haven't consum.....?

She sat down on the bed. Her eyes shinning with the left over tears. Slowly she brought her left hand towards her face and pulled out the ring, her engagement ring, which he had made her wear. Which was meant to be in someone else's fingers.

She had no option left but to live in this loveless marriage with him but an instant idea clicked in her mind and she decided to take a step. Which might give Rayan his happiness back.

If she can find out about the girl who Rayan loves, she can ask their families to get them married and Rayan would be happy and they will divorce.

But what about her then? Where will she go? How will she live without him? She had loved him since she was thirteen.