By each step Isra took towards the altar, her heart began to burst from her chest by uncontrollable agony inducing betrayal in her heart, woven to the aversion for Emraz which made her take Rayan's hand eternally knowing this is going to destroy both of their lives.
I can't believe, of all people, him...
They reached the altar and Rayan offered her his hand to take support but she didn't and got up herself.
Curling his hands and moving away as she stood after wiping the tear present on her cheek, sniffing to not sob her heartache out in the form of tears.
They both looked away and the priest cleared his throat and began to say, "Do you, Rayan Ahmed, take Isra Bukhari as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." His unflinching voice came, staring intensely at Isra who was looking down while biting her lips, holding the bouquet close to her chest, trying to control her racing heartbeats.
"Do you, Isra Bukhari, Take Rayan Ahmed as your lawfully wedded husband?" Her heart clenched when he asked.
With a final tear, she whispered with crushed dreams and heavy heart of pain and agony,
"I do."
"I pronounce you as the husband and the wife. Congratulations on your new start. May God bless you both with endless happiness. " He smiled, making a prayer for the new couple for their new start but they know it's going to be anything but beautiful.
Isra kept looking down, her lips were quivering. She wanted to run away before her posture broke and everyone saw the raze building in her heart.
Sighing they both turned to the crowd, where at a normal wedding people cheered, everyone was whispering and were flabbergasted at those who were unaffected by the whole ordeal.
Isra looked away and gave the flowers to her brother who looked at her compassionately, feeling bad for his sister.
They walked without holding hands and she said, looking away, "Cancel the reception ceremony. I want to go home."
He stopped and turned to her, asking, "Are you sure?" Looking back at him, she asked in a dead tone, "What do you mean?"
"My home is yours now." He told her the painful reality which drowned her in anguish, averting her gaze from his, she didn't know what to say now.
"Do you still want to go?" He asked in a whisper, moving closer to her face so someone might not hear.
"Do you think I have another option?" She retorted in a displeased tone.
Closing her eyes, she breathed out, holding her dress, "I don't have enough strength to face anyone, just take me home... please."
He nodded, "I see. Okay." He told his family about canceling the reception as they are going back home.
Things were already messy and they didn't want to hurt Isra so they tentatively agreed to it.
They went home, things were lively there, everyone was awaiting the bride but the blur of their moment, crumbled everything.
Without exchanging much words walked to his room which is now going to be considered as 'their' room.
The thought alone gave Isra immense shudders but upholding her facade, she looked away and walked inside with heart on the verge of leaping out from her chest by pain and broken dreams.
I can't believe this... After all this time. She walked inside, hugging her side, trying to suppress the tears which were going to lead her toward a breakdown.
Rayan noticed the vexation on her face and tried to assure her, he was about to touch her shoulder to turn her to him and give her the consolation which was going to have no effect.
"Isra-'' The moment his hand made contact with her skin, she gasped, yanking his hand away.
"Don't touch me!" She snarled.
"Isra..." He called her, moving back, looking at her in pity. She looked down, relaxing her shoulder and the dupatta set on her stumbled falling down as tears pricked in her eyes.
Suffering crystal on her face causing her to break into million pieces.
Emraz broke her from inside. She began to cry, allowing her tears, ripping the jewelry and dupatta which served as shackles in her suffocated form, throwing it all on the bed.
Please don't look at me like this. He thought painfully.
Rayan only watched her crushing by the deception given to her right in the end, leaving her with nothing but misery.
Weary at her own self, she continued, throwing things, emitting thunder sobs.
"Isra, listen..." Rayan tried to come closer and help her but she moved back, gesturing with her hand to stop.
"Don't... Don't come near me." She whispered, crying, allowing the tears to reach her darken core, sinking her in ravage.
"Isra, Please...calm down.." He whispered, pitying her shattered form.
The heaviness of her chest with imperfect relation which once became her eternal prayer, took her faith away on love and trust.
He stole everything away from her.
"How do you expect me to calm down what happened?! Everything is destroyed! Your Brother left me at the very end! How do you expect me to react after what happened huh?!" She yelled at him.
Moving back, running her hand in her hair, still wailing. The porcelain doll one dies to espy when turned into a puppet of woe, was beyond their comprehension.
Looking away, Rayan took a step back, telling her softly. "You... chose this."
"I know! Because I cared about my Father's respect, your Brother shattered! He is a heart patient, do you have any idea how much it could affect his life?! I am sorry but I am not an insensitive bastard like him to disregard others for his own happiness!" She shouted.
Pacing around and then sat down, covering her face, sobbing booming-ly, "How could he do this!? Was everything... a lie? Those words, those promises, those talks... If he planned to leave me in your hands then why did he initiate this bond in the first place?" She asked herself.
They weren't. He thought.
Rayan could feel his heart cracking by seeing her in this condition but knows he can't do anything to relieve this pain. The scar left on her heart by him was cryptical.
"Papa was willing to take all the disgrace upon him just to save me but do you have any idea what will happen to me? This toxic society would find faults in me! They will think I was wrong."
She hissed, tears ruining her makeup and graceful form, the once fragrance of endearment converted into a deadly odor.
"What else were we supposed to do? He just vanished, we had to do this..." He told her tenderly.
Coming closer and giving her the tissue box while sitting on the farthest corner of the couch, looking at his hands devoid yet emanating compassion for her to find her this devastation.
Her condition made his heart hurt, looking down, he couldn't help but ask sadly, "Do.. you regret marrying me..?" He was afraid of the answer but needed it.
Her cries halted for a second, looking at him for a few seconds with a sting in her heart and then whispered.
"No, it's not that Rayan..." She told him.
Turning to look at him, swallowing hard and continuing in a croaked voice, "I am furious at your Brother for doing this.. I.. I.. Don't love you. Are you fine with it? Will you even want to spend your life with someone who doesn't love you?" She asked.
Unaware whose name is written on his heart for longer he could remember. Trying to grasp the flicker of inscrutable emotions on his face, her blurry eyes looked at him, waiting for an answer.
Letting out an empty smile, he looked up at her, "We can at least try. I will try my best, I will try to keep you happy."
"I don't want to!" She snapped, clutching her lehenga firmly, losing her breath by the unaccountable hurting.
His eyes widened in anguish for a second but then he narrowed his eyes, whispering, "Why...?"
"Because every time I see your face it will remind me of this mournful day." She mumbled, looking down, losing her mind, falling into the dark abyss by each passing second.
Was marrying me so destructive in your perspective? He thought sorrowfully and looked away, "I see..."
"Why did he do this?! If he planned on running away then why did he play with my emotions?!"
She burst again, releasing cries of chaos, covering her face again, at her presentation of hopelessness, Rayan only looked away, realizing his presence in only hurting her,
"You should get changed." He told her and left her alone to cry her heart out by the position they were in.
At night, Isra's heart turns void after constant wailing and cries which capture her heart in the domain of grief by his ruse.
She was sitting on the ground, hugging her sides, changing into her normal clothes, glaring at the Henna on her hands.
Soon Hoorain knocked and entered, sadly looking at the devastated form of Isra.
"Isra Api..." She called her, coming closer. "Leave me alone, Hoorain." Isra said, closing her eyes but then Hoor's voice also came.
"Isra..."
"Hoor..." She looked at her, turning her face and asked in a broken tone, "Why?"
"I am sorry. I am so sorry..." She bent on her knees, holding her hands.
"Was it all a lie?" She asked, her voice lacking emotions but the pain in it was clear.
"I don't know..." She shook her head, just held her hands, trying to ease her.
"Thank you so much, Isra..." Hania said "I wish we could do something for you."
"I just want to be alone..." Isra mumbled, pulling her hand away.
The girls exchanged glances and decided it would be better if they left her.
"Take care..." Hoorain said, Isra hummed, hiding her face once again.
Later Isra was utterly terrified when the darkness fell upon the sky, enhancing her heart rate by each passing second.
She held the hem of her shirt being alone in the room- his room at night, trembling. Almost gasping when Rayan entered who arched a brow at her but came closer,
"Isra..."
"Don't..." She said sternly, getting up, moving away from him. "What happened...?"
Her panicked form cooled down for a second, she shook her head and sat on the couch. "No. Nothing..."
"You should eat something..."
"I am not hungry..."
"Isra, you haven't eaten anything. You should eat something... please." he said gently.
"I don't want to leave." She reasoned, hugging her sides.
"I will bring something here." He smiled faintly and left to get something.
"There you go." He said, putting the tray on the table.
He sat on the bed, looking at her, "Aren't you eating?" She asked, taking a bite.
"I have eaten." He lied with a faint smile.
"Rayan..." His heart skipped a beat when she called him, "Hmm?"
"Do you hate me?.. For entering your life as a liability?" She asked hesitantly.
"Isra." His voice came out solid, staring intently at her, countless things to tell her but knew it's not the time.
"You were never a liability to me." He told her.
"But, I entered your life without your will."She said nervously and this left a funny feeling in his mind but suppressing it, he instead smiled softly.
"Everything happens for a reason." He got up and told her before going to the bathroom.
"You eat up and sleep. Don't worry, I'll sleep on the couch."
"No, it's okay. I can sleep on the couch." She said, shaking her head.
He just said "Good Night." and left.
After he left, Isra could feel the affliction of her mind, telling her this was just the beginning of her nightmare...