Rasheeda kept narrating to me her story.
"I was speechless. Hamid smiled and said,
"You look scared. Do not be. I am not the monster nor the stalker you think I am."
He said as he tried to rub my cheek with his right finger tips. As I tried to stand to move away, he held me by my hip and pulled me to the nearby bed, he sitting on the same bed, by me.
"What are you doing, you bastard!? Quit touching me!"
"It is Hamid, not bastard"
"Whatever, why not just leave me alone?"
This time, Hamid seemed angry. I was scared to look at him so I looked down. He held my chin and turned my face towards him.
"Look at me when I talk!" He shouted. I was silent.
"He took his money for his use so I took his wife for my use, you understand!?"
I felt so ashamed of Bashir and so sorry for myself as well. I remained as pious as possible ever since I knew I had to. But now, because of Bashir, I am going to hell. That is what my religion says. If the husband is bad, wife goes to hell with him.
I was still wearing my head cover. He placed his palms on my neck over my head cover and said,
"Rasheeda, look at yourself at the mirror once in a while. You have got thinner. your cheeks have gone inside your jaws. around your eyes are blackened due to sleepless nights. Your eyes are red due to crying almost everyday"
I was speechless. He took away his hands, placed his left Palm on my right thigh and said,