A walk on thorns

Chapter 14| To Fire!

Anisha's POV

Flashback
18th May 2019
4:23 pm

He hit me for the twentieth time this year! And I couldn't endure anymore so I decided to call Aunt Haseena.
My life turned into a mess and I didn't know what to do. Had it been I had a suitable waliy then it would have been better but my waliy was a senate president of that era he was invited and he got to attend, by virtue that he was honored with such a big role, I had never seen in person before that day and ever since I never seen or heard from him. I don't if he can even remember my name.

I wanted to call Mama but I was afraid she would get worried and scold me for complaining after just a year of getting married, I remember a day before the knot was tied Mama sat me down and lectured me from A to Z among of she said includes, any complaint that comes before a decade of my marriage will be considered invalid and I shall face the wrath for that.  So how can I call her after a year?

I dialed Aunt Haseena's number, praying so hard that she would spare me a chance to express myself and she would be able to comprehend. But I dialed the wrong digits.

“Hello, Assalamu alaikum Anisha, my daughter how are you? She picked. My heart began to beat at an unbelievable rate.

“Good evening Aunt Haseena.” My voice ruptured in my throat.

“Anisha! Lafiya? What's going on with you? Hope everything is fine. She panicked and I began to cry.

“Aunt Haseena can you please listen to me, I am full and fade out.”

“Full and tired of what?! Anisha, you are scaring me! She yelled at me.

“Aunt Haseena, it's Mukhtar, he is abusing me, he beats me every day, I don't even what is wrong with him, there was never a happy time with him, he just... He hates me, Aunt Haseena, today he kicked me in the belly until I saw blood! I cried

“Mtssww, Anisha wai me wace iriyar mace ce? Which of a woman are you? I thought we had you intact with all the details of how men are and how they should be treated.! It has to be your fault. You can just go there misbehaving and expect a man to tolerate your shits, he is just showing a sign of responsibility, Anisha.” She backed him.

“I swear Aunt Haseena, I am trying my best, he is the one who never gave me the chance to exhibit all that was said to me at home. I am trying but there was never a dialogue, there was no correction, there was no affection, there was no love or care...

“Love, affection, care, and correction! From a man? Anisha, you must be crazy! So at the time, we were busy running our mouths, and you went ahead and allowed yourself to be fooled by all these movies and series that showcase a fairytale of a marriage! And now you are complaining because you were proven otherwise?! Aye! Anisha, I thought you had a brain!

“Aunt Haseena, this is the twentieth time he hit me this year, all for little or no reason, can you imagine he hit me today because he didn't find the spoon he intended to eat with on the dining table, it's not that there were no spoons or things were not intact, but I just couldn't find the spoon he intended to eat with, Aunt Haseena how I am meant to know his mind? How can I know what he is intending to do or not to do?

“By observing him! For goodness Anisha this man we are talking about is your husband, not mine! You were the one who stayed with him for a year, not me, you shouldn't be expecting me to read him out for you like a piece of note! You should be doing that yourself! Men are like kids, you just need to observe and understand how they function! And talking about hitting, who are you to think that this is not going to happen to you? It is bound to happen in every marriage! Stop listening to bitter women and behave yourself,