She knew. They both did. But the words can't be said for a thread was used to tie up the item they swore with and it was their tradition.
Any vow made that includes tying it with a thread stays muted. That's why people do not engage in things that will make them use the threading technique.
Now, Zumaya wished she had stayed away too. But her naivety and her fragile heart which believed in what they both had blinded her to make the thread vow and now, she regrets it for the truth will never be let out.
Zumaya and Suliyah were childhood friends. They both did things together that people almost disregarded they had different mothers. Their relationship was beautiful. It was but now, it isn't.
A tear dropped on Zumaya's cloth and she sniffed. She clutched her dress tightly and swallowed the painful scream that was begging to be let out.
She wished she hadn't met Suliyah. If only wishes were horses, she would climb and gallop a million yards from her. There was no one she could tell for the only one who knew her is now her sworn enemy.
The enmity began when Ahmed, the king's son, took an interest in her. She had met him at the river bank one day. Suliyah hasn't followed her that day because she had a painful cramp that held her down.
The Prince had come out to check out where the villagers drink from as he would claim the throne one day. He needed to be close to the villagers so he can lead them well. And that was how they met.
Their meeting was magical. The moon lighted up their way to purity and the world stood still for hours when their eyes met. It was unexplainable. They spoke and spent time together that night and it feels like they knew each other for a long time.
When Zumaya met Suliyah, she told her every little detail of her encounter with the Prince. And Suliyah was happy, or so she thought.
Days turned to weeks and there were slight changes in Suliyah's behavior.
Zumaya thought it was because they don't spend much time together like they used to. So she decided to let Ahmed know they won't be seeing each other much. Her friend needed her the most.
When Zumaya told Suliyah, she was happy and everything returned to normal. Did it not?
But things went weary one night when Zumaya was raped on her way to the stream with Suliyah. It was a painful experience for her but Suliyah assured her everything was okay and that she would keep her secret.
Suliyah brought out a thread to assure her friend that they would always keep each other's secret. But before the vow was threaded, Suliyah asked the most gruesome favor.
"You can't marry the Prince again since you are deflowered. It would bring shame to you and your family if the Prince find out you aren't a virgin. Let me marry him and save us both. If you agree, I will thread it forever. "
With eyes teary from the pain of losing her virginity and her man in one night, Zumaya agreed. It was true she would bring shame to her family.
However, the guy that did the dirty job got sick and was dying but before his last breath, he asked someone to call Zumaya as he told her of her friend's deed.
Zumayah was furious and confronted her friend but there was no ounce of guilt on her friend's face.
When the thread was made, she shunned the Prince and shattered his heart and in his shattered shape, Suliyah had taken over and she got married to the Prince.
Though years have passed, Zumaya can't stop mourning her loss whenever the time comes. She left the village to a Faraway land when she found out about her friend's betrayal.
The thread had indeed kept her mute but the karma god would play its role in Suliyah's life.
She strongly believes it would.
This is my response to the collaboration of Scholar and Scribe with 
"Thread"
