The Ultimate Betrayal

It was late at night and Sara lay in her bed thinking about Shakeel, his love filled promises and soul shattering nocturnal visits.

Her heart was thumping and while reciting all the duas she had memorized, tugging at her night gown, she was fervently hoping that he does not visit her that night. As the minutes turned into an hour she sighed, a tiny smile escaped her lips and she murmured to herself, 'Sara don’t worry, you are safe tonight.' She drifted off to uncomfortable sleep fearful of the familiar sounds of the ominous footsteps.

She woke up to the gentle stroking on her arm and hushed voice calling her name nudging her to move so Shakeel could slip behind her in bed. Sara felt a tear escape her eye feeling let down by God for not listening to her prayers tonight. No! Please don’t! Please! She sobbed as he put his hands around her and whispered in a hushed voice, “Don’t cry honey, I am here and I love you, its ok! Don’t worry, I am here”, he kept repeating as his hands drifted all over her body making her cringe with a revulsion she did not know how to even name.

She closed her eyes and started thinking of ways to make it stop and how to tell someone, anyone? But what will she say? Nobody will believe her? Sara could feel his hands touching, probing, caressing, making her feel sick and nauseated.

Please, Dear God, Save me! was all she could mutter in silent prayers with tears streaming down her cheeks. With the passing of time since the first encounter with him, he had grown bolder and more self assured and comfortable with her body. It was as if he wasn’t afraid of anyone, even God. He did whatever he wanted with her while her weak protests and screams were ignored and stifled by vague promises of his love.

Sara had thought about telling someone but was afraid of people not understanding and believing her. What if they thought it was all her fault? He had told her that she was his Special Girl. Her heart kept telling her what he was doing was wrong but her mind was in confusion because he kept reassuring her that the nature of this intimacy was unobjectionable as he professed to love her more than anyone in the world.

He had made her promise him that she would never tell anyone as it was their special secret. Every morning Sara would wake up dreading the night ahead of her and kept reciting her duas so God could make him stop.

One day, the miracle happened! She got her first period and her mother was so happy, she kept repeating to her friends that their little girl was now a woman. That night for the first time in years she did not hear his menacing footsteps outside her door. He never came again.

Days passed into weeks and still no sign of his daily visitations. Sara did not understand if he was mad at her and she kept asking herself if he loved her still? She was happy and relieved, yet at the same time she was worried and confused as to why he would not come. She thanked God for listening to her prayers as she had been reciting all of them for the last two years praying and hoping when God would listen to her fervent pleas.

She woke up to the sound of footsteps outside her door one night, but the footsteps paused and then moved to the next door. She heard the door open, and then close as a new reality dawned on her and her heart sank. No! Leave her alone! Silent screams emanated from her being.

Daddy is in Maryam’s room, and from now on she will be Daddy’s Special Girl.