Lost

Chapter 95: "Unpleasant Alternatives - II"

Part II as promised ;)

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William took the phone uncertainly. He did not know what to expect of his cousin sometimes. With two pairs of eyes trained on him, he started reading.

"And let not those of you who possess grace and abundance swear against giving to the near of kin and the poor and those who have fled in Allah's way, and they should pardon and turn away. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful,"

William stared at the screen for a while before looking up. Although his anger seemed to have dissipated, his doubt still remained.

"You're thinking of forgiving him on the basis of this ayah?" William asked incredulously.

"I see you're not convinced," Salma replied tersely, her eyes narrowed at him.

"Look, Sally, I believe in every word of this book too, but what I see is that you've just fooled yourself."

"Excuse me!"

"It's like you're clutching at the straws to find a reason to let him off the hook and then you came across this ayah and –"

"Do you even hear yourself?!" Salma asked incredulously, "William, how could you even – "

William heart sank when her voice broke. Hurt and anger flashed in her eyes and he knew he had messed up big time. 

"I'm sorry," he hastily apologize, trying to damage control, "I didn't -"

"Let me remind you I was at the receiving end of the assault," Salma interrupted, her voice low and dangerous, her eyes shinning with angry tears, "You don't know what I went through. You don't know the pain. You don't have a clue! You don't know my humiliation, or the trauma or the disgust! You know nothing of the experience of being tainted and broken when I look at the girl staring back at me in the mirror! You don't get hear my vile thoughts! You don't see what I see when I'm asleep! You have no inkling of how revolted I am and you certainly don't get to tell me how I feel!"

"I honestly wasn't – I'm sorry!" William looked ashamed and miserable. "I swear I didn't –"

"You don't get to tell me I was clutching at straws to forgive that piece of –" Salma bit her tongue. She sniffed. She didn't realize she was tearing up.

Her cousin felt even worse. He regretted confronting her on the matter. Salma, on the other hand started feeling bad for shouting at him seeing the guilty look on his face. It was not his fault but she was a ticking time bomb. One wrong word and the ocean she was trying to absorb within herself would just explode out.

"I'm sorry," William muttered, feeling horrible for making her cry, "It's hard for you. I shouldn't have . . ."

"I think it's about time you leave her alone?!" Anne snapped, her murderous glare fixed on her son.

Salma swallowed the lump in her throat. William placed her phone on the table and turn to leave with his head hung low. Salma but her lip, feeling guilty. This is not how they used to talk.

"It clearly said to forgive and forget," Salma said quietly, "The ayah."

William paused by the door. He looked at his cousin before throwing his mother a hasty glance. He was not sure if he should say what he wanted say. Salma met his gaze, making him sigh.

"Sally . . . I'm not trying to offend you or anything but the ayah does not even mention the nature of offense," William said, "It is obviously for smaller mistakes. What that ass did to you was a huge –"