C10 The Fake Vows

The officiant starts reciting the verses of the Bible loudly, silencing the whole crowd. Ashar also moves back. I sigh in relief. The officiant's voice echoes. All the guests settle down on their seats and are now silently watching the ceremony.

Wandering my gaze around, I try to locate Samara with a hope that she would've been back by now. But she is not there. My heart starts pounding rapidly against my chest wall. I don't know how I should delay the wedding.

My mind is giving me warnings that Samara would be late tonight. She promised me she would be back in an hour. But an hour has passed already and she is still not here. What more she wanted that now I should take vows on her name?

I will get married to Ashar in next few minutes, for God's sake.

Officiant proclaims aloud, "Since it is your intention to enter into the covenant of Holy Matrimony, join your right hands and declare your consent before God and his Church."

Ashar and I both face each other. He steps forward and takes my hand in his. My eyes moistened due to the strong fear and panic.

"I, Ashar Hobsons take you, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

My whole body winces. He possibly would've felt it because he is holding my hand.

He just declared me his wife. I guess this is the last day of my life. Maybe my fear, maybe he himself would kill me with his own hands.

Officiant turns to me, "It's your turn, child. Say your pledge."

Ashar doesn't leave my hand, tracing his thumb against my skin in slow motion. I try to loosen my grip on his hand in order to give him the hint that I want him to leave it, but he doesn't understand instead further squeezes my hand. I feel uneasy.

I see all pair of eyes are staring me, waiting for me to declare him my husband. My mind stops functioning, unable to give me any idea to stop whatever nonsense is happening to me right now. I don't want to marry a stranger, please God.

Samara betrays me. She is not here for my rescue. I want to dig a hole in the ground and hide myself there.

"Is there a problem, Samara?" Officiant questions.

I'm not Samara. This is the problem, you blind people. I shout in my head.

I state my wedding vow robotically, "I take you to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

My mouth goes dry. I'm lying in Church. I don't love this man still I'm promising to be with him whole life. Samara should come back now or else I and she both would regret for the rest of our lives.

Officiant turns towards Ashar again and asks, "Ashar Hobsons, will you have Samara Elizabeth as your lawfully wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; for richer and for poorer, forsaking all others and keep yourself only to her, so long as you both shall live?"

Ashar looks at me and smiles, "I do."

He seems in hurry, not wasting a single minute. He should take some time to think. My head spins. Ashar finally leaves my hand. Sighing in relief, I rub my hand with other, wiping off the feeling of his touch from it.

Officiant looks at me, "Samara Elizabeth, will you have this man as your lawfully wedded man, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; for richer and for poorer, forsaking all others, and keep yourself only to him, so long as you both shall live?

I'm not Samara, for God's sake, I'm not Samara. Please somebody stop this wedding. It would devastate everything.

No one is hearing my silent cries.

I can't remove my veil in front of two thousand people. I can't reveal my true identity. I'm lying in Church, making false promises.

I feel like it is a punishment for my some unforgivable sin I had committed in my life time. Everything is going against my will.

The entire Church is completely silent. Everyone is eagerly looking at me waiting for my response. Some thumbs up are raised from the crowd.

I hear myself saying, "I do."

Guests stand up from their chairs and applaud aloud. Some blow whistles.

"Now exchange rings." Officiant asks.

Ashar's mother, Katherine comes out of the crowd, bring forward the rings and extends bride's ring to Ashar. He once again takes my icy cold hand in his, pulling it a little to him. He looks at me with a frown, probably feeling weird about my icy temperature. My whole body is having cold sweats.

He gives me a confused smile and slips the sparkling ring into my finger. A tear rolls down my cheek when I glances at the ring. All of these things totally destroyed my fantasies about weddings.

Katherine offers me the groom's ring.

Ashar let go of my hand. I weakly try to grab the ring, but my trembling fingers can't hold it and it falls on the floor. It rolls over and stops near Ashar's foot. He bends down and picks it up.

He steps forward and offers me the ring again, "I'd never thought you would be nervous on our wedding day."

Katherine laughs, "It's normal."

This time I take the ring immediately and put it in Ashar's finger just to end this hurtful and fearful moment at once. I lose control over my panic state and begin crying behind the veil. My eye makeup is surely flowing down along with my tears. I don't care about it anymore. I was holding back for so long.

"Because they have exchanged their vows before God and these witnesses, have pledged their commitment to each other and have declared the same by joining hands and by exchanging rings, I now pronounce that they are husband and wife... You may now kiss the bride." Officiant gives his declaration.

I freeze on my spot. Everyone will see my face now. My fraud will be disclosed.

Ashar comes forward with a smile on his face and looks at me for few seconds before reaching for my veil. Just when he is about to touch the fabric against my face, the moment came, the moment I was waiting for. The entire Church falls into complete darkness that I can't even see Ashar's face or anyone around me. All the lights go off.

I can hear guests complaining cries, but can't see them.

Someone roughly pulls my hand and whispers in my ear, "Leave. Hide somewhere."