Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 12
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‘I am not going’ I told Sobia as soon as I
woke up the next day.
‘What? Are you crazy?’ She said while
ironing her clothes for the reception
function.
‘No, I am serious. I am not feeling well
so I am just going to stay here’
‘I know what’s it’s about if you want me
to talk to Samra aunty maybe she can
talk to Akeel Bhai and he won’t invite
Farid’
‘It’s not that easy, God knows how long
they have been friends.’
She stared at me.
‘Why are you staring?’
‘I think Farid likes you’ She said all of a
sudden and I felt like throwing a glass of
water at her to bring her back to life.
‘And you call me crazy’
‘No I am serious; I have seen the way he
looks at you’
‘Yes and thousand other girls, he just
enjoys picking on me. I know him’
‘Yes you do’ She winked at me and went
back to ironing her clothes without
saying another work.
After debating whether or not I should
go to the party I still decided not to go.
Even though I pretend that I don’t care
about him or the things he says to me, it
still affected me.
‘You sure you’ll be okay beta?’ Samra
aunty asked me twentieth times.
‘I am sure’ I assured her.
‘If you want anything or you want me to
come back then let me know. Gosh I
don’t feel like leaving you behind all by
yourself. You know what? I’ll stay with
you’ Sobia was clearly having a panic
attack.
‘I am not that little or stupid Sobia, I can
take care of myself, go and tell Rafay I
said hello’
‘Okay but if you need….’
‘Yes mother, I will call you’ I smiled at
her and said goodbye to everyone and
locked the door.
I sat in the living room and started
wondering how I got here in the first
place. How did everything got so weird
all of a sudden?
I called Ammi to see what she is up to
and thankfully she picked up her phone.
‘Asalam O Alikum’ She said from the
other end of the line.
‘Asalam O Alikum Ammi, how are you?’
‘I am good my dear, Sabir and I are just
watching television. How is everyone
there? How did the wedding go?’
‘Everything went well. The bride and the
groom looked wonderful at the nikkah
ceremony and everyone is having a
great time here. Samra aunty wished
you were here too’
‘I know I wanted to come as well but
you know how things are here. Anyways
what is going on there?’
‘Oh …um I am here and everyone is
downstairs’ I lied to her because I
couldn’t explain anything in detail.
‘Oh okay I thought today was another
function’
‘Yhh, well ahh it’s later.’ Hoping that she
would my terrible lie’
‘Everything is okay right?’
‘Jee Ammi, I am just tired…today was a
long day. I can’t wait to come back in
three days…tell Sabir I miss him too and
yeah I’ll call you later.’
‘Okay beta, take care’ The phone call
ended and it’s good that she didn’t to
talk to anyone else or else it would have
been a problem.
It was almost two hours since everyone
has left and I was getting bored. Maybe I
should have gone…no, it’s good that I
didn’t. I went to the kitchen and
reheated the leftover food from last
night and the food still tasted as great as
it did yesterday at the wedding. I was
peacefully enjoying my dinner until the
doorbell rang and I nearly screamed. It
was so quiet in the house that even the
smallest sounds made me anxious.
I debated if I should go ahead and open
the door but before opening the door
straight away and welcoming a potential
serial killer, I used my brain cells and
looked out the window to see who it is.
It was Farid, he was wearing a grey suit
and this time had this hair side parted.
Why am I looking at him like that…No,
stop right there.
I went close to the door but didn’t open.
Everyone was at the wedding so why
was he here. I didn’t answer the door
hoping that he would think that I am
asleep and he’ll go. It didn’t work out
that way sadly. Instead, he kept ringing
the doorbell and before the neighbours
came out I opened the door and saw
him.
‘I know you saw me through the
window, what took you so long?’ He
walked passed me straight into the
living room. I closed the door and
followed him.
‘What are you doing here?’ I asked him
as he sat down on the big green sofa.
‘I am here to get you, go get ready’
‘What?’
‘I said go get ready; you’re coming to
the party’
‘I am not going’ I looked at him. I mean
seriously is he out of his freaking mind?
He didn’t stay anything; he simply took
out his phone and started playing
games.
‘Are you deaf? I said I am not coming,
you should go back’ I went to the
kitchen strangely hoping that he would
follow, but he didn’t. I completed my
dinner in the kitchen and started
tapping the kitchen table because his
presence was bothering me way too
much.
I walked back to the living room and sat
on the table across from him.
‘Ya Allah what’s wrong with you? I told
you I am not going’
‘Fine then I’ll just have to stay here’ He
finally looked up but still had a playful
twitch in his eyes.
‘Why?’
‘Because…I want to…Because you are
killing the mood’ He looked down and
grabbed his phone again.
‘How am I killing the mood? Everyone is
there. It’s okay if I miss the party’
‘It’s not. You friend whatever her name
is, she is acting all weird without you
and you flimsy boyfriend is awkward as
f–k and the newly wed is worried.’
‘Okay then I’ll call Sobia and I’ll tell her to
act normal and then Rafay will be fine
too.’ I got up and went to grab my
phone so I can call Sobia but Farid was
faster than me.
‘Not so fast. Tell me something, why
didn’t you come to the reception? I
asked your friends and they said you
were sick but you look fine to me’ He
placed his hand on my forehead to
check my temperature and I backed out.
‘I was…I am still. I have a headache.’
‘Hmm, we should call the doctor then, I
know this great doc in Brighton…I’ll call
him here to check you’
I stared at him because I knew he knew
that I was pretending this whole time.
‘I know you are dying to go Laila, what’s
stopping you?’ The person who makes
me miserable, who questions and makes
fun of me is now standing here under
the same roof as I am and trying to get
to me to go the party…are all men like
that?
I smiled at him. Yes at him. Who knew
right?
‘Okay’ I tell him.
‘Okay what?’ He asked me.
‘Give me ten minutes, I’ll get ready’
without saying another word or
glancing back I went back to my room
and pulled out my purple kaftan that I
initially brought for this function. I
applied my brown liner and mascara
and a little bit of lip gloss and finished
my outfit with silver heels and black
clutch and got downstairs.
I saw him standing when he saw me
coming downstairs.
‘Do I look okay?’ I always asked this
question but as soon as this phrase left
my mouth, I regretted it. Why did I ask
him this? Urghh.
‘Yh…you look…’
‘Doesn’t matter, we should go’ I stepped
out of the house and walked over to his
car.
The whole car ride was quite, none of us
said anything, but I couldn’t help glance
at his side.
I wondered so many things about him
all a sudden, things that aren’t even my
business. He lives such divided life. I
mean honestly, someone he is so full of
himself and then I see him with his
sister and he is an entirely different
person.
‘Stop staring at me’ He said in a serious
tone. I looked away.
‘I wasn’t staring’
‘Right’ I shut my eyes closed in
embarrassment. D–n him.
‘How long is it going to take?’
‘Not too long’ He answered my question
without giving away the right answer
obviously.
I switched on my phone and saw there
was a text from Sobia.
Rafay just proposed me, his family is
here too.
‘What?’ I shouted at the phone.
‘Hey, watch out deadhead! You scared
the hell out of me’ Farid yelled back at
me, seem annoyed.
‘Sorry it’s just that…why didn’t you tell
me?’ I asked him.
‘About?’
‘Rafay proposed to Sobia, why didn’t
you tell me?’
‘I thought you already knew but later on
I realized that you didn’t check your
phone and I wanted you to find out
from her’ He was looking ahead on the
road and this time I couldn’t help but
stare at him.
‘Is that why you came to get me?
‘Hmm…now let me drive peacefully’
I looked down at my phone and reread
the text. My best friend got proposed
and the person who is taking me to my
best friend is the guy who I couldn’t
even stand being close too and now…I
don’t know what changed, but I know I
don’t hate him anymore. I just don’t.
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