CHAPTER 5 : Married without joy
788 Words
Asha stood outside the ward, completely frozen.
Her heart was beating unusually fast, but her mind couldn't understand anything happening inside the hospital.
"How is my mother right now?" she asked herself softly, her eyes filled with worry.
"Why does my heart feel fear every time I hear the name Damian Davis?"
She got no answer.
Suddenly, her phone rang.
She looked at it.
Damian.
She answered immediately.
"Boss…"
Damian's voice was cold, sharp, and emotionless.
"Asha, I'm at the marriage registration office. Come immediately."
Asha was shocked.
"Boss… my mother is in critical condition. I'm at the hospital, I can't leave—"
Damian interrupted her immediately.
"Listen, Asha… we agreed. This marriage will not be delayed."
Asha gasped.
"But my mother could die at any moment…"
Damian went silent for a second, then spoke in a lower but colder tone.
"Let the doctors do their job. That is not your concern now. Your job is to be here."
Asha trembled.
"Boss… do you even understand? My mother—"
The call ended.
"Boss! Boss!!" she called in panic, but it was already disconnected.
She stood there holding the phone, her hands shaking.
Tears filled her eyes.
"So… is marriage more important than my mother's life?" she whispered painfully.
She quickly wiped her tears.
She looked at the ward door.
"Mom… forgive me…"
She turned to her younger brother.
"Juma, stay here. I'll come back… I'll explain everything."
Juma grabbed her hand.
"Sister, don't leave me…"
Asha hugged him for a moment.
"I won't… I promise."
Then she rushed away.
Marriage Registration Office
Asha arrived exhausted, her eyes red, her heart heavy.
Damian was already standing there, wearing his usual cold expression.
No smile.
No concern about her mother.
He simply looked at her and said,
"You're late."
Asha exhaled shakily.
"Boss… my mother—"
"Later," Damian interrupted. "Now it's the wedding."
Silence fell.
The registrar spoke, "Let's begin the process."
Asha slowly sat down, as if her legs didn't belong to her.
The documents were placed on the table.
Damian signed without hesitation.
Then he looked at her.
"Sign."
Asha picked up the pen.
Her hands were trembling.
"Why… do I feel like I'm making a mistake?" she thought.
But her mother's face appeared in her mind.
She signed.
Silence.
The registrar smiled faintly.
"Congratulations, you are now officially married."
Soft applause followed.
Pictures were taken.
Employees from Davis Group stood nearby, some shocked, some whispering.
"She really married the boss…" "Is she lucky or trapped?" "Poor girl… she doesn't know what she's done…"
A young woman approached Asha quietly.
"Do you know something?" she said in a low voice. "You've entered a crocodile trap. Once you're in… it's hard to get out."
Asha stared at her.
"Crocodile trap?" she repeated in confusion. "What do you mean?"
But the woman walked away without answering.
Asha stood there trembling.
Car — After the Wedding
The car was silent.
Asha sat beside the window, staring at the small wedding ring on her finger.
"I used to dream about this day…" she said softly, tears filling her eyes.
"I thought marrying Damian would make me happy."
She gave a painful smile.
"But why… is my heart crying?"
Damian sat beside her, looking out the window.
Silent.
Asha turned to him.
"Boss…"
Damian replied without looking at her.
"My name is Damian. Not boss anymore."
Asha went quiet.
After a few seconds, she asked softly,
"Damian… is this marriage really just business?"
Damian turned to her with cold eyes.
"You signed without reading. Don't start asking questions now."
Asha lowered her gaze.
"Okay…"
Silence returned.
Hospital
Asha ran back to the hospital.
Her heart was pounding as if it would explode.
"Mom… please don't leave me…"
When she reached the ward…
She found her younger brother crying uncontrollably.
"Juma! What happened?!"
Juma hugged her tightly, shaking.
"Sister… mom…"
Asha grabbed his shoulders.
"Juma, tell me! Where is Mom?!"
Juma cried harder.
"The doctors said… she is gone…"
Asha froze.
A heavy silence surrounded her.
"No…" she whispered. "No… that's not true…"
She rushed into the room.
"Mom!!"
But the body was still.
The machines were silent.
Asha fell to her knees.
"Mom… you can't leave me like this…"
She held her hand tightly.
"I promised I would save you… I promised, Mom!"
Tears poured down her face.
"Mom… please answer me…"
But there was no response.
Juma stood behind her crying.
"She said one last thing…" he said brokenly.
Asha quickly looked up.
"What?"
Juma handed her a folded paper.
"She said… 'this is for you… I give it to you…'"
Asha took it with trembling hands.
She slowly opened it…
and her world began to break even more.
- Writer
