Being Sheikh's Substitute Bride

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Ummi,where are you Ummi?"

A young Zuhaiba of twelve years old said as she entered Ummi Yusufs tent,since Ummi Yusuf had told her to come there.Zuhaiba was very happy as it was the first time Ummi Yusuf had asked to see her.

"Ummi where are you?"

There was no one in the tent and Zuhaiba continued in.Just as she reached the bed,a hand covered her mouth and Zuhaiba begun to struggle.

She was turned around but the hand never left her mouth.The person had a turban on and the front part of his face was covered.

"Make a sound and I'll kill you."

Zuhaib didn't dare make a noise and she was thrown on to the bed when two pairs of hand grabbed he legs.

Zuhaiba struggled but the men only held her tighter and laughed.The first guy slapped her and commanded her to stay still.

Zuhaiba stayed still but when she felt the guy pull her legs apart she knew that if her honour was taken her father's honour would be taken and she wouldn't let that happen.She would rather die with her ad he father's honour in tact then live with their honour taken.

"ABI!ABI!ABI!"

The guy slapped her again but Zuhiba continued screaming and struggling in their hold.

"Zuhaiba wake up."

She saw the man wield a dagger which she knew he would plant in her body.

"Zuhaiba please wake up."

She continued thrashing and the man brought the dagger down......

"Habiba wake up."

Zuhaiba's eyes shot open and she sat up with Zuhaib next to her,tears streaming down her face and Zuhaib held her in his embrace.

Since Aqeelah's punishment and Ummi Yusuf's outburst Zuhaiba had been having nightmares frequently and all about one thing.An incident that had taken place in Ummi Yusuf's tent.

That day if Zuhaiba had kept quite then she would have lost her honour but she hadn't cared about it.Her father's honour meant to much to her to keep quite that even death seemed easier.

Her father's brother Kaleel who had been close to the tent had entered the tent and stopped the man's hand as he brought the dagger down before hitting him and the other two men had made an attempt to flea before they were apprehend by the men in the tribe.

Ummi Zuhaiba had been quick to console her daughter as Zuhaiba laid curled in a ball crying and thanking Allah for saving her honour.For weeks after that Zuhaiba hadn't left her mother's tent as she felt ashamed of herself.She felt ashamed that someone other then her mahrams had touched her.

She had refused to talk to anyone,she ate and drank very little until her father had,had enough.Her father had explained to her that it wasn't her fault.That she wasn't to be blamed but it was those men who had been blinded by lust that they forgot the line between right and wrong.

Her father and mother's words had given her strenght to leave the tent and when she had she was applauded for her strenght and courage.Her culprits had been punished and their sentence was death.

Something which haunts everyone about the incident was how did those men enter the tribe.Some had said that it was Ummi Yusuf who had hired them to hurt Zuhaib but after a while they had died away.

Zuhaib laid Zuhaiba on the bed and got up to get her water.He poured her water and made his way to the bed.He helped her sit up held the glass to her lips as she sipedit slowly before healed her down again.He spooned her from behind and they both fell asleep.