Behind A Smile ✔

6

"I love you so much, my Zee." He kissed the side of her head.

Now that was unexpected! The sound of his endearment for her coming out from his lips brought about old memories - memories she didn't want to recall, but failed miserably in doing so.

"I can do absolutely anything for you, my Zee. That's how much I love you."

She quickly spurned the memory from her mind and stilled between his arms. He took that as a cue to tightened his hold around her. Before she could grasp what was happening, he had started kissing her neck down to her collarbone. Just like someone overwhelmed by a force, she came back to her senses and pushed him away with all the strength she could gather. "Please don't touch me." She muttered in a quiet, but firm voice.

Bilal's brows furrowed. "Why? I'm your husband, aren't I?" He asked inching closer to her.

"Please stay back." She beseeched, her gaze lowered.

"Why should I?" His brows furrowed "Have you been seeing someone else?" He seethed.

"That's in called for!." She murmured. "With me locked up, it's impossible." She couldn't believe the nerve of the man she called her husband - she had not accuse him of cheating and he of all people was pointing an accusative finger at her. How frivolous and ridiculous! She wanted to say many things to him, but on second thought, decided otherwise. He was not worth her explanation. Not at all.

"That's true." He reasoned and started moving closer to her once more. "But then again, why are you backing away from me?" He asked viciously. "You have an obligation to fulfil."

"Just stay away from me. Please." She begged with clenched eyes. The mere thought of him laying a finger on her irritated her. He was a beast in human form. Realizing what his intention was, she thought of ways to distract him and then escape afterwards, but it sounded absurd even to herself.

He smirked and roughly placed a hand under her chin, raising her face. Their eyes met for the first time that day and Zynah quickly averted hers elsewhere "Stay away from me." She repeated trying her best to sound authoritative, but it came out as a plea.

He raised his hand and was about to strike her across the cheek, but stopped mid-air and gnashed his teeth. "I'm trying my hardest to be good to you and instead of complying by being the good girl you've always been," he shut his eyes tightly and when he reopened them, it had ready gotten red from extreme anger. "You're misbehaving. Will you be the good girl you've always been or should I make you. You choose." He deadpanned.

By the tone of his voice and his hardened demeanor, Zynah knew he was enraged and could do anything to her in that moment. He could even kill her and dump her corpse in an ocean. His eyes alone were enough to startle her. There and then, she knew she had lost the battle. There was nothing she could do to stop him from getting what he wanted. She was powerless - she hated herself for that. She shut her eyes slowly in surrender and felt herself being scooped bridal style by him.

She didn't reopen them as she felt him climb up the stairs and towards their room. Entering the room, he slammed the door shut with his foot.

•

Zynah couldn't stop her tears from flowing like a loose faucet as the memory of what just happened invaded her mind. She wasn't supposed to feel disgusting about herself, but she couldn't help it. He ruined her life and he was still doing it. She felt him move closer to her from behind and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her temple in the process. If she could, she would have pushed him away. His touch alone burned her. She attempted to wiggle out of his hold, but his arms only tightened around her.

"Stay still." He whispered into her ear. "I'm sorry for hitting you yesterday." He apologized.

Sorry? He was sorry? Had it been the situation was different, Zynah would have laughed out loud. Was the word even in his dictionary? Did he know the meaning? How to use it and when? She was lost of words. His apology was not sincere - she knew because he normally did that after abusing her and he would repeat the same action the next day. She wiped her tears away with the back of her palm. "Please let me go. I need to use the bathroom."

Surprisingly, he disentangled his arms from around her and set her free from his captivity. She took that as her cue to run to the bathroom. On getting inside, she locked the door and slide down against the wall crying. To her, every single second in that house for torture to her and she could blame no one, but herself - a sad reality she had learnt to embrace.

After what seemed like hours, she emerged from the bathroom and met with Bilal's absence. She heaved a long sigh of relief. It felt as if a huge burden was lifted off her shoulder by his absence. At least now she would be able to breathe properly. Her relief was short-lived when she heard his footsteps approaching.

Seconds later, he sauntered into the room with a tray of food. Zynah averted her gaze from him immediately. What on earth was he trying to do by bringing his food up to the room? Perhaps to taunt her - she thought.

"Come over here." He motioned. "I made dinner for us."

Zynah was taken aback by his statement. She blinked once and then again to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Why was he suddenly trying so hard to change? - she had a feeling there was something amidst the newfound behavior of his for it had been ages since he last did that. She had stop expecting such gesticulations from him as well.

"Did you hear me?" He asked in his hoarse voice, making her flinch a bit.

"I'm not hungry." She replied, looking everywhere but his direction. She knew that statement of hers alone would anger him, but that didn't stop her from saying it. She felt the urge to defy him.

"That was not a REQUEST, but a COMMAND." He emphasised.

She remained quiet and unmoved.

He continued. "I'm starting to lose my patience." He said through his teeth. "You don't want that, do you? I'm not going to repeat myself. Do as I say or I will make you and if I do, you know what the consequence will be."

Not wanting his callused hand on her, her feet moved involuntarily towards him.

"That's like a good girl." He gave a lopsided smile, making his dimple show. "Sit here." He patted the space next to him and she did exactly as she was told to do.

As much as she wanted to deny how handsome he looked, she knew she would only be deceiving herself. His dimples were one of the things that attracted her to him. The memory of the first time she saw him smiling so brightly with someone hooked her towards him. Then and there, she knew he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She couldn't believe how much he changed after all those years. Indeed, all that glitters is not gold.

"I have noticed a thing about you; you don't like being treated like a lady. You prefer being treated with force - like an animal. Am I wrong?" He smirked.

"That is because I am already used to it." She mumbled.