𝐀 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟

4- Saved

Layla sat by the small window, she couldn't bring herself to listen.
Her mind was lost in memories, bitter and suffocating.

"How did I get here?"- she wondered, staring blankly at the cloudy horizon. Life as Yaseen's wife was not what she had imagined. But perhaps imagining had been her mistake.

Her thoughts drifted to the past, to the days when her father ruled over her life with fists and fury.
Every bruise, every tear, had taught her to be silent, to be small.

But silence hadn't saved her.

It was Yaseen who had appeared like a storm, confronting her father when no one else dared. She could still recall the tremor in her father's voice that someone would stand against him.

*Flashback*

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door, surprised to find it unlocked. He stepped into the dimly lit hallway, the air heavy with tension.
"Layla!" he called again, moving cautiously. The screams grew louder, echoing from the back of the house.Yusuf hurried down the hallway, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the urgency driving him forward.
As he reached the doorway to the living room, the scene unfolded before him like a nightmare. Layla's father, half-naked and swaying unsteadily, towered over her.
She was backed against the wall, her face a mixture of fear and defiance. Yusuf's stomach churned at the sight.In that moment, Yusuf's gaze fell on a heavy lamp on the side table.
He grabbed it quickly, feeling a surge of rage and protectiveness. With a swift motion, he swung the lamp toward Layla's father, catching him off guard.The impact was sickening. The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious before he even hit the ground.

-§-

In Yusuf's room, Layla sat on the edge of the bed, finally able to breathe.
Her hands trembled as she held the phone, her face tear-streaked and exhausted, but a small sense of calm settled over her, knowing her brothers were safe here too.
She dialed her mother, needing to warn her not to go back home.

"Layla?" Her mother's voice was thick with worry. "With what phone you are calling me?"

"Mama..." Layla choked, unable to hold back her tears any longer.
"Don't go home tonight. It's not safe. Please stay away."

"What happened? Layla, where will you sleep then? Where will I sleep?" her mother asked, her voice tight with concern. Yusuf, sitting beside Layla, clenched his fists as he listened.

He felt a rage boiling inside him, rendering him momentarily speechless. Without another word, he got up and left the room, heading straight to his father's study.
He shook his father awake, the urgency in his voice making it clear something was wrong.

"Baba, please, wake up. I need to talk with you."His father sat up, blinking in confusion.

"Yusuf, what's going on?"Quickly, Yusuf explained everything-Layla's father, the attack, the need to protect her and her brothers.
He watched as his father's face shifted from shock to anger and finally to a grave understanding.
Without hesitation, his father rose to check on Layla and her brothers, Amir and Omar.

He gently assured Layla "Your mother can stay here too, if she needs to. You're all safe here." But before Yusuf could feel any relief, his mother appeared at the doorway, her face set in a disapproving scowl.

"No. Absolutely not," she said sharply. "This is our home, not some shelter. Her family... and her brothers... they can't just stay here!" Yusuf's sisters, hearing the commotion, appeared behind their mother, muttering harsh words under their breath.

"That girl doesn't belong here," one of them hissed. "Dragging her whole family into our home, acting like this is her place."

"She's nothing but trouble," his other sister sneered.
Yusuf felt his anger build as his mother and sisters continued, voices rising, hurling insults at Layla. His father attempted to calm them, but they refused to be silenced, their voices cutting into Layla like knives. Finally, Yusuf snapped.

"ENOUGH!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the house.
The room fell into stunned silence, and all eyes turned to him.
He took a steadying breath, his gaze fierce as he looked around.

"If none of you can accept Layla and her family, then I will take care of them myself," he declared, his voice steady with conviction. His mother's face twisted in fury.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that, Yusuf? You're not her mahram. How will you protect her?"Yusuf's jaw tightened as he looked straight at his mother.

"Then I'll marry her," he said, his voice unwavering. "If that's what it takes to keep her safe, I'll marry her."
A shocked silence filled the room. His sisters looked at him, stunned into silence, and his mother's face blanched with rage.
But Yusuf's father placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder, offering a small nod of support.

"If this is your decision, Yusuf, then we will respect it,"
his father said quietly. He turned to his wife and daughters, his tone calm but resolute.
"This family will stand by Yusuf and Layla. She and her brothers are safe here as long as they need to be."

His mother looked away, lips pressed into a thin line, but she remained silent. Yusuf glanced back at the room where Layla sat with her brothers, his heart steadying. No matter what came next, he knew he'd stand by her, no matter the cost.

*End of flashback*

Now, days later, that rescue felt distant, almost unreal. Layla glanced down at her hands, her palms rough from the endless chores she was expected to do in Yaseen's home.
His family had not welcomed her.
His mother's disapproving gaze cut through her daily, sharp as a dagger.

"Why did he have to marry her?" one of his sisters had said just this morning, loud enough for Layla to hear. "She's nothing but a burden!"

And his mother... Layla swallowed the lump in her throat. Every word, every interaction, was laced with bitterness.

Layla felt trapped all over again.
The prison bars had changed, but the confinement felt the same. The weight of their hostility, combined with her own insecurities, left her feeling like a shadow of herself.

She sank onto the floor beside the window, resting her head on her knees. A tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered to herself,
"Did I escape one hell, only to step into another?"

It was then that the door creaked open, and Yaseen entered. He paused, his dark eyes softening as they met hers.

"Layla," he said gently, crouching beside her. He reached for her hand, his touch warm against her cold skin. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, unwilling to voice the storm of emotions within her. But Yaseen didn't let go.

"I know they've been hard on you," he said, his voice low but firm.
"But just me some give time so I can help you, your mother and your brothers Inshallah."

Layla looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for the truth in his words. His steady gaze gave her the smallest flicker of hope.

"You've already done so much for me Ya Ammi " she whispered. "

Yaseen's grip on her hand tightened slightly. "Layla, we're married. Call me by my name please."

Layla nervously shook her head
"I can't"

"Say my name, it's not a big deal" Yaseen asked with a little smile.

"You are older than me, I can't disrespect you."

"Then say my first name" He told her even though she kept denying.

As Yaseen stayed by her side, Layla turned back to the window, her gaze steady. The clouds outside were still heavy, but somewhere in the distance, she thought she could see a sliver of light.