Hand in my hand and we promised to never let go
We're walking the tightrope. High in the sky
We can see the whole world down below
We're walking the tightrope

......

......

<<raqeeba's p.o.v>>

"Stop!" I couldn't help but say it as I covered my ears with my hand. The sound was getting louder and louder with each passing second.

Bring it back bring it back, don't take it away from me because, you don't know, what it means to me.

I clenched my jaw as I looked at the dancing figure right in front of me with hatred seething through me. Monster. The word monster was all I could think of with his presence. He was drunk would be an understatement. He held his whiskey in his hand and as he moved from left to right, dancing away at his favorite song with his eyes shut. I saw him as he ignored me and continued with his own Dreamland in his head.

"Love of my life, don't leave me,
You've taken my love, you now desert me."

I looked at my hands which were both chained with those thick metal chains. Anger rushed through my veins. They were not like this? I always saw Rose and her father so happy whenever they passed by our house, She used to giggle and have fun and not cry like me always wanting to run. Her father wasn't like this. Then why mine. I sniffed as I felt the tears run down my eyes along with the blood that was dripping down from my head even through the bandage.

I rubbed my tears away violently as I continuously kept pulling the metal chains making loud sounds disturbing his beautiful Dreamland.

"The fuck is wrong with you!?" He asked as he threw the glass right in front of me, making me jump as the glass shattered into thousand pieces with some small pieces getting stuck right on my feet. Even though I could feel every nerve in my body scream for not saying anything but speaking, I did.

"Where is she!?" I couldn't help but ask.

" Well guess what? Your fucked up angel being the daughter of your fucked up mother ran away just like the slut she is!" he spat right on my face. I couldn't feel myself anymore. The fact that my sister the only person I had my blind faith in left me alone in this hell hole was just too much to handle.

"You're lying." my voice came out more like a whisper. "I wish I was, but then again, I don't blame her. Who would want to be with crap like you."

I was strong, and I knew it. I knew the fact that I was just 8 was never a big problem for me when it came to enduring the pain. I was strong when my mother left me just a day after I was born, I was strong enough to survive. I was strong when my two-year-old body was beaten senseless. I was strong even after listening to curses all my life. I was strong even after the hatred they had towards me. I was strong when the only person I loved hated me. I was strong when she took me as the sole reason for her unhappy family. I was strong. I was a survivor. But today, I felt like the castle of strength I had spent eight years of my life building, slowly being rubbed into dust.

How could I? How could I be strong? When my only strength is gone.

He scrunched down at my level as he grabbed my hair in his fist pulling it back and said "What are you huh? You ugly loathsome toad! Why do they hate you so much, When everything you have ever done is make ME suffer! The day you were born, you took away my wife! SHE LEFT ME BECAUSE OF GODDAMN YOU! and now my daughter..." For the first time in my life did I see this man right in front of me with tears filled in his eyes. He was crying because he loved his wife and she left him. He was crying because he loved his daughter and she left him too. He was crying because he hated me and here I am right in front of him. For a moment I could see the guilt in his eyes as he looked at my bloody head and loosened his grip on my hair but it was soon covered with a disgusted look instead, he grabbed my chin as he looked at me through his blood-red eyes.

"I'll make you pay for this" with that he left the room and it didn't take long for me to realize what he meant. No. My gaze fixed at the wooden door hoping and praying for that figure to not emerge from behind. But he did, and the little hope I had died. My eyes met the same deep emerald orbs. I could feel my heart race as he kept taking his steps closing the distance between us.

No. Please no!

"S-stop." But before I could say anything further I felt the lights turn off and the same annoying song play in the background.

"Love of my life, you've hurt me
You've broken my heart and now you leave me"

"Love of my life, can't you see?
Bring it back, bring it back"

"Don't take it away from me, because you don't know
What it means to me"

My heart sank as I felt his breath on my neck and his cold fingers rub in between my legs and a whimper escaped my mouth.

"Hey, doll."

°°°

"Hello?" I said as I close my ear with one hand while with the other I held my phone and walked out of the hall towards the balcony.

I was sitting in the hall enjoying watching my now mother-in-law and father-in-law laughing and dancing their heart out when my phone rang disrupting my blissful view, but as cliche, as it sounds I couldn't hear a thing because of the loud yet soft music playing in the background.
"Who's this?" I couldn't help but ask. No voice came from the other side.

Strange.

"Helloo?" C'mon, speak up! I sighed as I heard no sound from the other side making me frown and just as I was about to cut the call I heard it, I heard something I never wished to, something I hated with all my life.

"Doll." I felt like someone had their hands around my throat squeezing it to death, making it difficult for me to breathe.

No.

Tell me this is some stupid prank or something. I wanted to. I wanted to face that voice with every ounce of strength and courage I had but could I? No doubt I did want to but the fact that I could hear him, and the mere truth that he still remembers me was enough to make my insides tremble in fear.

"Oh, how I missed you." I felt like throwing upright on his face. With every word that left his mouth, I could feel my walls break a little.

No no no Raqeeba. You have to be strong! That's what he wants. That's what he has always wanted! To break you.

"Speak to me Orvana."

Orvana.

It's been years since I last heard someone call me that. Hell, I even forgot that name. My name. After the Hussains adopted me I didn't want any of my past to follow me around. I didn't want anything that would remind me of who I was or who I used to be.

When I got to know about the unborn daughter Mrs. Hussain had, the need to take away the pain of the woman who risked her everything just to see me happy was unbearable. Mom had a miscarriage. She was 6 months pregnant when she lost her second child.

Raqeeba. That's what she wanted to name her. And when I came into her life she thought she got her long-lost daughter back.

No doubt you like that name so much.

" Doll I'm back---"

"Shut up okay! Just shut the fuck up and leave me alone!" I didn't wait for his reply and quickly cut the call blocking the damn number immediately.

Go die bitch!

How? How on Earth did he get my number?

I wiped the beads of sweat that formed on my forehead as the memories kept flashing on my mind.

No.

Can this day be any worse? I could feel my raised heartbeats and shivering hands as I balled them into a fist.

I'm not weak.

Tears threatened to run down my eyes but I quickly wiped them off. I have been through this before doesn't mean I'm going to take this shit again. I'm older now and better.

I quickly turned on my heels to enter the hall but only to stop again.

What. The. Fuck.

Darkness. Darkness was all I could see. The entire huge ass area was pitch dark, making it difficult for me to see. It's as if someone is planning something against me deliberately wanting to see me in pain. I clenched my jaw and rubbed the inside side of my thumb with my index finger. If earlier I stopped my tears from coming out then now all I want to do is hide in a corner and cry out loud. I took a deep breath as I entered the dark hall.

You know you don't have to do this.

Well, I am. So what if I'm scared of darkness. I still am in this situation and I still have to face it. I gulped as I just went with where-so-ever my feet were taking me. I picked my dress a bit not wanting to stumble on my steps.

Dude did they forget about the bride already!

I slowly looked back looking at the small beam of light that came from the attached balcony.

I should probably consider going back.

Just as I was about to turn around and go back a bright yellow spotlight fell right on my face making me squint my eyes. As if on pure reflex I lifted my hand placing it straight in front of my face.

What's happening? It took me a moment to adjust to the surroundings and then it hit me....heard.

Alone.

This was probably my biggest fear up to date. I was Eremophobic. Meaning I had fear of being alone. The fact that I would be abandoned wasn't all side of the coin but the fact that I didn't have anyone around whom I could at least she was. I usually visited the doctor for this so-called Eremophobia of mine as clichè as it sounds, it turns out that my past never leaves a chance to follow me. They say it happens because of my fear of being unable to escape a situation that had a traumatic effect on me once.

That explains it. I guess.

My eyes kept roaming around. Just a single person. I just need to see a single person.

Oh god!

I could feel my heavy breathing as the panic in me kept rising. It feels as if I'm all of a sudden thrown into an ocean and me being me have no idea of swimming. I bit my lower lips as I kept tapping on the tiled floor with my leg as I already could see my patience long going. I could stay alone in a room but the fact that no one is around me when I get out gave me the creeps. I bit my lips as I fidgeted with my hands and looked behind hoping someone would just come up with a 'SURPRISE!'

But no. Seems like I expect too much.

I could feel the tears threatened to come out of my eyes as I pressed them together and my lips started quivering.

Please God, please. Can't just a single person be there for me for calling out loud! Please!

I slowly fluttered my eyes open as a sharp fresh oceanic smell filled my nostrils. A hand stretched out right in front of me and without even bothering to look up to the figure, I quickly held his hand on mine.

Relief.

Relief flooded through me as I could feel my heartbeats calm down. His hands made comforting circles at the back of my palm making me at ease. I looked up at the figure towering over me and I could already feel my cheeks turn warm. His icy blue eyes were filled with concern as he looked at me.

"Nuraan." My voice came out more like a whisper.

"You okay, Wife?"