Anarchy ensued as the couple walked down the aisle — the court room's aisle, with their officiant by their side. The muslim marriage had been held in secrecy last night, this morning they had rushed to the court to register it legally. On their fingers the marriage bands glinted with such pride that passerby's stared in awe. The inner turmoil that came as a part of what they were doing, left them incapable of acting with sanity. In silence they signed the documents and with clarity, they hugged their witnesses — her father and his brother. Smiling, hiding their frowns they walked out of the place and slid inside the vintage car he owned.

The ends of her curled hair gained speed and flew in every direction as the convertible whizzed through the curving highway. His hands placed, with seriousness on to the steering wheel, eyes focused on the road ahead. It took every ounce of self control inside of him to ignore the woman beside him, he was still pissed at the circumstances and was forced to think of how he would introduce her to his mother. Hell was bound to break loose and there was not much he could do, especially with them not even in town.

"I'm surprised I manifested marrying you, and making you my trophy husband." Alayna said.

The smile that had bloomed on her face died down, softness inside her eyes froze as she stared at his still taut jaw. She understood why he was pissed, his family was unaware and he had made a decision all on his own, even that he was forced to take. His rough hair that ended below the curves of his red earlobes hid the fury inside his eyes from her but she was no fool — the response or the lack thereof was all the explanation she needed on this matter.

"Emir stop ignoring me!" She whined.

His nose twitched, the back of his hand rubbed against his beard, momentarily he turned to stare at her. Her eyes were like the stars in the morning, so bright but burned out with the blazing sun. She stared at him expectantly, yet, there was not much explanation he could offer. A curious and peculiar creature — those were the words he could use for the woman that he had married. Emir had been pushed out of his comfort zone and that had landed him in this situation.

"What do you want me to say Alayna?"

Turning his gaze back to the road Emir frowned. There was no way they would magically fall in love — that was if they managed to last that long anyways.

"Anything! It's not solely my fault we're in this situation!"

"Who asked you to follow behind me into my office?"

"We—ll you could have answered my question and I wouldn't have had to do this!" She defended.

"On top of that, your clumsiness had people thinking we made out — as if I'd ever do that," he slammed his hand against the wheel, "magically the news made way to your father's share holders and board members — and then I was forced to take 'responsibility' for something that I didn't even do! So tell me how is this partially my fault?"

At noon, the sun was in the centre of the sky and it's merciless rays brandished their skins. Tree leaves fell from their holds in crisp shades of reds and oranges as autumn was at it's peak. From the hollowness of the branches, death before renewal of spirit, Alayna felt her own story. Each moment, each second of her life was full of agony she had not even invited on herself. Decision's, eerie decision's were made and then forced on to her shoulders. Crushing her underneath the weight of her own expectations yet no one understood how she felt, not even for a second.

Her own pain was nothing in front of Emir's. He had let down his entire family just so that her father could keep face. They had been selfish, asking of him too much — when they could have allowed him to walk away but what was her life if not the definition of being abandoned. Perhaps, she had for a second wavered and given in to let the part of her that yearned for close companionship, heal after years of suffering.

Emir's face had contorted into one of pain and fury. His tan skin turned a shade of violent red, the vein inside his forehead throbbed and rubbed against the top layer of his skin. He gripped the steering wheel hard and accelerated the car. His breath was stuck inside his lungs, like an annoying burning sensation that was impossible to get rid of. The cool water he sipped on played no role to help him cool down, instead it made the silvery sensations inside his stomach even more profound. Emir felt lightheaded as he parked his car in front of his apartment building, his brother and father in law following behind.

Time to put on a show.

"Emir?"

Alayna walked towards him, whispering as she tugged at his sleeve.

"What is that you need now?"

"I just wanted to say that I am sorry. It's my fault you're in this situation. If I had just waited, and had given you space to think about your decisions we wouldn't have been in this situation."

"Precisely. I'm glad that you — never mind, it's fine." He said.

There was no purpose in stretching a fight for any longer. They were no married — husband and wife, nothing could change that.

"Congratulations Emir and Alayna. Although I'm shocked he managed to find a woman like you, considering—" Taimoor trailed off.

"Considering what?" Alayna enquired with enthusiasm.

"Considering he has very low EQ and IQ — which might cause a truckload of problems between the two of you," he said.

Although his tone was humorous, Emir looked visibly offended. Any other time he would have replied with a snide remark of his own but at the moment, he just stared at his brother with a raw, hatred filled eye.

"Well as long as he's making me those lambe donuts, we won't be having any problems."

She waved her hand around, clicking her tongue. The look on Emir's face, as something flashed inside his eye but diminished even faster, was priceless. The man was beyond stunned, rendered incapable of speech.

"Emir beta thank you for doing what you did. I will always be indebted to you for whatever you have done. Forgive me, forgive us if it's possible." Suleman cleared his throat, raising his hands in apology.

"Don't apologize uncle, maybe this is what was in our destiny. Don't embarrass me by asking for forgiveness of somethin that isn't your fault — please!"

Alayna smiled to herself as she watched the two men interact. One with his greying hair, almost bowed over in shame and the other — a brooding man with nothing but affection for the man. If anyone would take her to the side and ask her if she regretted this decision, Alayna would probably go crazy — with anger of course. Emir was proving to fill all her checkboxes in the list of her 'trophy husband's skills'. And what more could she need from life anyways?

📜

Oblivious, unknown to the storm that had hit their life until they landed back in Rome, both Alayna and Emir were hit with a convulsing shock. The rosy glasses they had donned for the weekend, ignoring the piling responsibilities, the burden of breaking the news of their one sided elopement, the two had found some common ground in the midst of chaos. They were more similar than not, their love for food — for one consuming it and for the other producing it. Like precipitate they rained down into each other's routines — without even the idea of it.

Perhaps the downtime was all they needed, not for their wounds to heal not for them to fall in love but simply to be prepared for the tragedy that awaited. On their return, they were not greeted with roses or kisses, there was no family in attendance waiting to hug and kiss their cheeks instead a bloodied body, a medical emergency and an almost dead brother — who had slipped into a deep coma greeted them. Alayna who had not known Taimoor well enough felt tears like molten amber drip from her eyes seeing the pain that Emir — the man she had found a friend in go through.

Nothing though, would have prepared her for the meeting with her parents in law. Her father in law, had walked out of the waiting room to purchase the medicines the doctor's had asked him to. They were left solely at the mercy of Emir's mother. He had explained to her many times that his mother was calm and gentle, patient and that she would understand why they did, what they did. Yet his words were contradictory to her actions as she shouted at them through gritted teeth.

"We go for two weeks to Paris. Two weeks! Uno è andato avanti e si è preso una moglie e l'altro? L'altro si è trasformato in un amante abbandonato! È questo che mi merito? Non avevi alcun riguardo per me? Come tua madre!"
[One went ahead and got himself a wife and the other? The other turned into a forlorn lover! Is this what I deserve? Had you no regard for me? As your mother!]

Their mother raged. Her eyes were bloodshot red, Emir gulped out of fear. Their father was in the prayer room, praying for the life of his son, whilst their mother slaughtered him with her words. She was angry, rightfully so. From the corner of his eye he observed a fear stricken Alayna grip his bicep, hiding herself behind his back as their mother continued to shout in her mother tongue.

"Madre, I'm sorry. It's just the circumstances—"

"Whatever they were, you could have called me! While you were away honeymooning your brother was losing himself. God knows who is that woman that broke my son's heart!"

She continued to slander the girl she had always wanted to marry to Taimoor, unknowingly. Emir felt his heart fall to the pits of his stomach with every word she uttered, Alayna's warm breath on his back, with tears that seeped into his shirt crushed his spirit even further. Even Alayna had not known of a mysterious woman in the life of her younger brother in law. Up until now she had imagined he held affection for Lilah Alamgeer — the daughter of their close family friend. However, what did she know anyways?

"Lilah! The woman is Lilah Alamgeer mamma!" Emir spoke, breaking the thick tension in the air.

Alayna too stared at him with shock, Emir's mother, Janice, clenching her palms shut. This was too much to take in — all of it within twenty four hours at that.

"Exc-use me?" She whispered in disbelief.

"Taimoor was courting Lilah, I don't know what happened. Her phone is switched off, and he - he is fighting for his life".

"Oh God have mercy on my son!" Janice sunk on the metal chairs.

Emir sunk to his knees in front of her, his warm palms held hers, kissing the back of them softly he rested them against his eye. Tears escaping his own as he sobbed softly into them, wondering when had he turned so selfish? Why had he abandoned his brother. Why could he not have been a better brother? Taimoor had left everything out in the open for him, then why had he ignored the signs? Why had he not realized something was off when he unlike every other time did not text him with enthusiasm about how things had went.

"A-aunty I'm so - so sorry. If I hadn't — had not forced Emir to mar-ry me your son would not have been in this condition," Alayna apologized.

For a crime that was not committed by her hands. Emir felt his heart stir, his brother was fighting for love and here he was, breaking the heart of his own wife, when he could give her a chance. Forgiveness would heal him he knew. He was selfish. He should free Alayna from the forced bond, but he was too selfish. Because his heart had begun to like the thought of her hair sprawled across his pillow. For his mind was entranced by the soft scent of her perfume. As his soul, had found his home in hers.

Sorry guys.
I slept instead of updating.