Young Bride
1041 Words
Z was very young when she got married. Her poor family married her off with an adult settled man in farthest city where she would start a new life.
Young, naive and oblivious to her social status, she would often fool around, playing and getting hurt. Sometimes neighbors would complain about her immoral behaviour , despite being a daughter in law of respected family.
Distraught by social pressure, her adult husband would scold her , lecturing how she shouldn't act out her age. Her lips were sealed as she tries to comprehend what he's trying to make her understand.
Those unseen status, respect , boundaries and heavy word as 'act like a woman' , felt burden to her soft shoulders which couldn't hold the slippery article of uncomfortable clothes that her in-laws provided her to cover her tiny body.
They say , even stone changes it's form under heavy waterfall pressure what the hell is human heart?? Her innocence died the day he touched her , her smile faded away with her virginity.
Her feelings were numb like her flower between her legs, yet she didn't cried. Maybe her tears dried like her playful emotions. Her friends calls were unheard by her as they kept pestering her to play with them.
She would simply shake her head 'no' and resume her work. Days went on when by the coming of legal age, she was performing duties like of a well grown woman on her 30's.
Misguided by her culture, pressured by society and given up by her family , she forgot to survive, she couldn't feel human who has rights for happiness , rights to live and shine. They never bothered to ask, she didn't bother to answer.
Her life became a city of dark clouds which had clear sight but no bright lights at all. It lacked colour , her vision lacked rainbows not that anyone cared. As long as they had chores done, meals served and her foot didn't crossed boundaries , they were assured everything's fine. None ever noticed how an innocent soul died Infront of their own eyes.
It was one rainy summer when a load truck halted Infront of her home. 'New neighbors' she thought. She ignores the ruckus downstairs as her husband socialized with them offering any help they wanted.
She stayed glued to her room's window , watching rain and rainbows up above the sky. It always gave her a pleasant vibe and curiosity as in how nature has so many beautiful surprises and yet none appreciates that , like her role in her family.
She's about to turn , reaching for window frames to pull it close when her eyes landed on a person who was watching her from across the road. A new girl smiled towards her , standing under mild rain with a red umbrella.
Her dimpled cheeks added extra cuteness to her heart shaped face, long messy brown hair. She was tall and lean. She waves towards Z , trying to get her attention but her heart's strings for any outsiders were long gone with her innocence.
Z abruptly shuts window doors feeling extremely agitated. For years she never felt nervous ignoring a random stranger but this new neighbor girl shot a spark inside her numb heart with her warm smiles.
Z feels her cheeks burning , followed by the sensation of something fuzzy in her tummy but she chose to ignore it. 'does she knows black magic' she thinks moping kitchen table hard after evening meal.
She couldn't forget the initial glance and wave they shared just for a mere second and black magic was the only reason Z could come up with , as her mother in law used to describe for any materialistic greed or attachments Z ever had.
Next day her husband notifies her , they're invited for lunch at neighbors so she's free of kitchen chores today. She just nods and gets ready. A systematic relationship has been formed between the young bride and groom over past few years.
To avoid any further lecture or emotional drama she just followed his instructions blindly without any questions. Her body developed mind of its own to just do what was told.
Wearing a knee length red Tops with black leggings. She fix her hair in a bun while putting on her wedding ring. Just a simple make up to appear perfect and not infuriate her husband because he disliked cosmetics but her mother in law has her opinion otherwise.
She puts on her light heels and walks along with her husband towards their new neighbors. 'ting tong' he rings their door bell patiently. The same girl greets them back with pleasant smiles , he returns it back but Z doesn't.
She just hands over their home made cookies as gift saying "Welcome to our neighborhood" . Her neighbours heart rate picks by listening to this mysterious , non smiling , young bride's raw husky voice.
Although her face held no emotions but her eyes had some kind of spark that ignites curiosity in her to know this mysterious beauty more.
"Aw Thank You so much, my name is Ray. Please come in" She says. 'if her voice is so beautiful, how beautiful must be her smile' she thinks to herself, giving space for the couple to come in. They enter holding each others hands to present themselves as an ideal couple but Ray doesn't buy it.
Once everyone's indoors they group lunch begins. While Ray's parents associated themselves with new neighbors , she felt boring not to have anyone to associate with.
Most of them were either her parents age or younger than her , the only exception was trying to ignore her as far as possible....how ?..... whenever Ray moved towards Z , she would walk just opposite direction making excuses of picking up anything like snacks, drinks or just putting things in order that's misplaced.
Ray was starting to get frustrated at such unwelcoming behaviour but her curiosity to know why ? won over her self respect. "I'll try My best to make you smile of at least open up to me" She says feeling motivated to win over her stubbornly beautiful mysterious neighbor's wife.
- Writer
