It was always written ✔️

Chapter 28

~5 months later~

She sat in what had been her 'home' for the past months.

The bleak room which had all the elements of a home in one place, there was shelving for the kitchen area, a rug with a leather arm chair on top for the living room area, and a wooden bread frame with felt placed upon it to act as a mattress, and a small toilet with a tap which had a bucket under it and a curtain to create an illusion of a separate room.

After living in luxury for so long, this was a rude awakening.

Everything that she had, could be taken away from her, without explanation or warning.

She had wallowed over these thoughts again and again.

But there was nothing else her malnourished mind could think about, it was the same things again and again.

A knock on her door was heard.

Her body tensed, whilst her hands faffed around her looking her for her abaya, hijab and her niqab.

She had presented herself to the family of tenants as a widow, who wanted a place to practice her iddat and shield herself from society.

They narrowed their eyes at her, unsure if she was lying through her teeth.

So she let the waterworks loose, she wailed at their feet over her husband's death, her in-laws ousting her from the house and her family refusing to provide a shelter over her head.

She spewed both truths and lies about her life, and she finally saw the look of pity from the couple.

She showed them 'all' the money she had and begged them to help her.

So they took pity upon and gave her their basement, they owned a small house in the heart of the bazaar. They were tenants themselves, so they could not ask for rent.

They were conservative, they had 3 grown sons, that were unmarried, and they were regretful to tell her that they were unable to cater a room for her.

So they led her to the basement, Alayna was overjoyed with the result, she was out of society's nosy eye, and was given the luxury of her groceries being delivered right to her door.

No unnecessary trips outside of this space were needed.

Everything had gone as planned.

She couldn't possibly buy herself a house despite having sufficient funds, they would definitely be able to track her down, even if she veiled herself.

This way she was hidden out of sight, and her mind relaxed over the fact that she won't be found easily.

She flung open the door, expecting to see the woman, only to be greeted by a man.

He held the crate that her groceries came in fortnightly.

He lowered his eyes when he saw the door open and placed the groceries on her doorstep at her feet, "Do you need anything else ma'am?" He formally asked.

She nervously shook her head, and whispered out a 'Jazakallah' whilst pulling in her groceries.

A hand stopped the door from closing, caught off guard, Alayna flung herself around to see who it was.

It was the same man.

"Excuse me for intruding, but I have to ask, isn't your iddat over now?"

He looked her straight in the eyes, those eyes had a hidden mission behind them.

"Yes." She spoke out.

"Don't you think you should be leaving by now, it has been quite some time and the landlord is getting rather suspicious."