Humera literally ran towards her mother when she removed her niqab, hugging her as she cried.

She felt remorse at the loss of their grandma, thinking back to all the times they'd spent together, all the times she had cracked jokes to make her laugh. When she took out time to talk the lonely old woman when her children were busy in life.

And the one closest to her heart was Maher, Humera's father. As Humera pulled away to look at the wrapped up body, she was struck by how much her father was controlling himself. She could see by the way he held her mother's hand. She was surprised, but above the grief of losing someone she had spent her childhood growing up, she couldn't smile at the scene.

And just like eight years ago, when her maternal grandfather died from leukemia, she got a spilt headache. It was the second time, and she didn't know if she would fall right in front of the body.

Fortunately for her, a pair of warm hands caught her before she fell down.

"Humera," he whispered worriedly. He had been observing her just before she started to shake. She hadn't shed a tear, she was staring blankly at the dead body, as if willing for it to come back to life.

Khalid pulled her inside the nearest room, noticing that some of her relatives were there. All were ladies, but older than her fortunately. He lowered his gaze, embarrassed.

"If you don't mind, my wife needs resting," he spoke, carefully helping Humera. She tried to push his arms away from her, but he was strong.

They all left, sparing only a glance at Humera. He didn't care what they thought about him, but they wouldn't dare spread rumors about his wife.

He gently helped her lie down. She didn't say anything. He didn't understand what to do. Usually girls cried, but she didn't do that.

"I'm okay, I need to see my dad," she murmured as he sat on the bedside. He opened his mouth to argue, but she just offered him a smile.

She got out of the bed, despite the split headache that threatened to burst her brain out. She walked towards her father as normally as she could.

"Papa," she called out, making him turn at her. For the first time in her life, she saw her father cry. He never cried. Not in her twenty four years of her life.

He wiped his tears, managing a smile at her, she hugged him. "Everything will be alright, Papa. She will go to Jannah In sha Allah."

She pulled away, raising her hand to wipe the stray tears falling. He nodded, stroking her hijab clad head.

"In sha Allah," he managed to say. She noticed how he leaned more into her mother, taking her support to go through the pain. A small burden seemed to lift off Humera's shoulders as she watched her parents be each others anchor.

Alhamdulillah...

They'd stayed till Humera had read the Quran in the gathering. The men had gone with the body wrapped in shroud to lower it six feet deep in the graveyard. Humera shuddered, thinking about the questioning in the grave. Alhamdulillah, her grandma's two daughters had given her a bath.

Although she hated her aunts, she couldn't help but feel respect for them since they honoured their so much.

No matter how many times she'd made hers and her mother's life miserable, she still asked Allah to forgive her for her sins. Because despite all the torture she had to go through in her adulthood, at least she had filled her childhood with beautiful memories.

It was around midnight when Khalid and Humera finally drove to their house. Khalid couldn't help but keep stealing glances at his wife, worried that she was not being responsive at all.

"Are you alright?" He asked her tentatively. There was traffic so his car was stuck in the middle of the sea of cars. She didn't reply, making him even more worried.

He drove his car to a nearby playground, which was deserted at the moment since it was close to 2 in the morning. He didn't understand why she had refused to stay, it didn't make any sense at all. Of course, he did try to persuade her to stay, but all she said was, "It's okay. I'm all good. Besides I'll just be another burden for them."

Humera blinked, noticing that the car wasn't moving and they were actually in an unfamiliar area. She frowned, twisting her head to look at Khalid.

"Why are we here?"

He didn't answer, getting out of the car. She followed his example, following him as he sat down on the grass. She was baffled by his behaviour, confused by his sudden actions.

She sighed, not really in the mood to argue. After the Quran recitation, she was completely drained out. She looked around her, and spotted a path leading to the play area similar to the one near her house. She remembered her grandma shouting her sister to slow down before she would hit herself.

He looked at her contorted face."The grass is cool, why don't you sit down? I mean, no one's here. You can uncover your face."

Humera hesitated before she dropped next to Khalid, although keeping an invisible barrier that he'd like to remove. He sighed, getting closer to her and wrapping an arm around her. He didn't budge, when she'd muttered him to remove his hand.

"Khalid, I'm really not in the mood to argue. Please," she mumbled. He moved even closer, invading her personal space completely and forcing her to look at him by turning her by her chin.

"I'm your husband. You can tell me anything. And I can sit as close to you as I want. Tell me, what is really bothering you."

Humera looked away, her eyebrows drawn together. She had put her guard on. And she knew he could feel it from the way he pulled her hand in his.

"Don't hold back, let it out. I know you miss her. I also know that you are worried about your father. But you are forgetting that I'm here for you. And even if everybody else leave, I won't."

Hearing him say those things, struck close to home. Her breath hitched, her throat closing up. She felt suffocated as he said that he would be there for her.

Years ago, wasn't that something she used to say to others?

"I.....I'm fine. Let's go home now. We can't get your parents to be worried about us."

She brushed her knees as she got up. Swallowing the urge to cry all of a sudden. She wanted to cry for many reasons, but she hadn't actually felt like she was about to cry right now. She never cried on anyone's funeral, it just didn't happen. But when Khalid pointed the obvious to her, bringing voice to her thoughts, she suddenly felt like bawling.

"No, I will sit here till you tell me what's bothering you. You can go home if you want," he stated stubbornly. She wanted to throw her hands up at his defiant childish way of forcing her to say it.

"Why does it matter so much?"

His eyes softened a little, as she looked at him pleadingly.

"I don't like to see you like that. I know it's been only two months since we got married, but I know for sure that you don't go all quiet at once. You do hide stuff, you don't talk much. But this isn't my wife. She doesn't suddenly disappear behind her walls."

He stood up, standing really close to her. She looked at him in anguish, her lips trembling.

When he finally hugged her, she let it all out. Her every fear, anger, sorrow, stress and loss.

For the first time in her life, she was crying on someone's shoulder. For the first, she allowed herself to be vulnerable without anyone causing it.

For the first time, someone was able to break her walls.

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Author's Note:
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu everyone!

A little late update compared to the amount of time I take to update a part. Hehe. Oh well!

To be really honest, I really have no idea how marriages work. Or to be more precise, how newly weds behave around each other. I'm trying my best to make it sound as logical. And I really thank you all for being patient with me. ;-)

See ya later!

Author Out!