Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 15
I was so nervous that I couldn’t even
sleep the entire night. I just kept
thinking about Farid and even though I
tried everything to stop my mind from
wondering off, it just didn’t listen. But
then again when does your heart ever
listen to you? It just makes its own rules.
It was almost 10 am so I still had couple
of hours to recollect my thoughts and
get myself together. Farid and I were
never friends, hell we hated each other
when we first met and now not only the
thought of being around him does
something funny in my stomach.
It was 12:30 now and I decided to call
my mother since it was our last day here
in Brighton before we go back to
Bradford.
‘Asalam O alikum Ammi Jaan’ I said to
her.
‘Walikum Asalam’ Ammi sounded so
weak that I didn’t even recognize her
voice at first.
‘Ammi are you sick? Is everything okay
there?’ I was so worried for her.
‘Yes dear I am fine; I have just been
getting a lot of headaches for the last
few days’
‘Why didn’t you tell me? Did you go see
the doctor?’
‘Yes I did…yeah everything is okay, just a
regular migraine’ I could tell that she
was hiding something from me.
‘Hmm okay, where is Sabir?’
‘He is okay, hold on I’ll pass the phone to
him.’
‘Take care okay Ammi, I’ll see you
tomorrow’
‘Hey salaam Baji’ Sabir sounded dull as
well. Something was off for sure.
‘Hey Sabir what happened to you?
What’s going on?’ I was beyond worried
and all of my doubts were gone at this
point.
‘I can’t tell you over the phone’ He
whispered.
‘Why are you whispering? Is Ammi
around?’
‘Yh, just come back home quickly Baji’
His voice was shaking.
‘Yh Sabir I will be there tomorrow,
whatever it is we’ll figure it out okay.
Take care’
The call ended but it made things a lot
worse for me, I wanted to skip
everything and go back to Bradford
instantly, maybe I will leave tonight…but I
don’t know the way back. I’ll just have to
wait until tomorrow.
I was really looking forward to meeting
Farid but the excitement died down
quickly as soon as I finished talking to
my family.
Farid was waiting for me outside the
house so I grabbed my jacket quickly
and informed Sobia about the dinner
plan so she wouldn’t get worried.
‘So you and Farid will be meeting us at
the restaurant?’ Sobia winked as I head
out the door.
‘Bye Sobia’ I yelled back and walked over
to his car.
Farid was looking quite sophisticated in
his black turtle neck sweater and camel
coloured pants. Whereas, I tried to pull
off boyfriend jeans, leather jacket and a
pink scarf.
‘Ready?’ He opened the door for me and
I took my seat and nodded.
Farid took me to the Brighton Beach and
when we got there, the sun was setting
down and everything looked like it has
been washed over with an orange tint.
Since it was a working day, not a lot of
people were at the beach and it was
very quiet.
We sat down on the one of the big rocks
near the beach and looked at the water.
‘So…’ He cleared his throat and turned
his head around to look me in the eye.
‘Yes…’ I gulped.
‘You know how I said I have something
important to tell you?’ He asked me.
I nodded.
‘Well let me just this out of the way first,
I am not the type of guy who gets
romantically involved with girls and I
don’t play by the books which I am sure
you already know.’ He waited and I
didn’t say anything just yet because
honestly I had no idea where all of this
was going and I was getting anxious.
‘Okay so, my birthday is coming up soon
and I will be turning 22 okay?’
I nodded again, following his lead.
‘My grandfather…when he passed away,
he made a will where he made a deal
with my father that when I turn 22 I will
get most of his assets that he has left for
me since I am his only grandson .’ The
story took a huge major turn.
‘Why are you telling me all of this?’ I
asked him feeling completely lost.
‘The only way I can get all of these
assets is if I get married’
‘Okay…’ I turned my brain off, let’s be
honest it was already dead at this point.
‘I want to marry you Laila’ He signed
heavily as if a huge burden has been
shifted off from his shoulders.
‘Farid…do you have any idea what you
are saying? Is it one of your sick jokes?’
I laughed sarcastically.
‘Does it look like I am joking?’ He
clenched his jaw.
‘I can’t just marry you Farid’ This is not
how I planned this evening.
‘I don’t want to be married to you
forever’ He stood up and came closer to
me.
‘What?’
‘Just marry me for few months, once I
get my money you can go’
‘For few months? Do I look that
desperate to you Farid? No seriously?
Just because you think you are some
god sent creature and people treat you
all nice doesn’t mean the entire world is
under your feet. And for the record, I am
not interested in you’ The last part was
somewhat a lie and I knew it.
‘That’s exactly why I think you’ll be
perfect. You don’t like me and you are
not my type either.’ I can’t believe him.
‘Why did you even think I’ll be interested
in marrying you? For few months…I have
a life’
‘Yeah but you don’t have money’ He
crossed his arms on his chest and his
words hit me like a truck.
‘How dare you!’ I snapped at him and
got up from the rock and started
walking away.
It didn’t take him long to catch me and
he pulled me back into his space.
‘I am not done.’ His voice got colder.
‘I am’ Mines got weaker.
He held me by the shoulder and I didn’t
ask him to let go. Because he wasn’t
done talking and I had nothing else to
ask.
‘You want your mother to suffer?’ He
said and my eyes snapped open, I didn’t
realize my eyes were shut until I heard
him mention my mother.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘I know your brother is about to
graduate and he wants to attend a
private school just like you but how can
he when he doesn’t have good grades
cause he is too busy playing soccer? I
know your mother works for my step-
mother and if you didn’t know already
your dear Ammi got fired and has no
work. So that’s another bad news for
you.’
I could feel my eyes burn.
‘Now how are you planning on
protecting your family Ms. got it all under
control? Are you planning on ditching
college and working at a coffee shop or
something or marrying some rich old
guy who will treat you like a playgirl?’
‘I can take care of my family’ My voice
shattered as I said those words to fight
back for myself.
‘Can you?’ He smirked.
I nodded and looked down.
‘Oh but I know you can’t Laila, I know
everything about you? Do you really
think I came all the way here to attend
some stupid wedding?’
I looked up to him again, not being
surprised by him.
‘You came here for me’ I answered his
question.
‘Smart girl. Now as far as I know you
have two options, one be mine for few
months get the money from me and
save your family or two…make your
family suffer because as far as I know
there are plenty of maids in Bradford
and once Mrs.Ibrahim fires someone,
they don’t get a call for work from
anywhere.’
‘You are lying’ I started crying and
hitting his arms to let myself out of his
grip.
‘You know I am not or else you would
be long gone. I know you know that I
am right Laila, face it you are in trouble’
He chuckled. This is not the guy that I
was admiring and thinking about for
the last couple of days.
‘I want to go home’ I demanded, my
voice being loud and clear this time.
‘Okay’ He let me go and walked back to
his car and I followed him shamelessly,
hating myself for even believing for a
second that he actually might be a
decent guy. It was all an act and I fell for
it. You stupid girl this was no fairytale.
I ran back inside the house as soon as
his car stopped in front of the driveway.
I ran upstairs and thank god Sobia
wasn’t in the room. I had no idea how
long I cried, it felt like hours. Once I
steadied myself I laid down on the bed
and closed my eyes and took deep
breaths.
I still had couple of hours of hours
before dinner and at first I thought
about not going but I am not going to
let Farid feel as if he has power over me
or I am scared of him. I will go out
tonight, look him in the eye and be okay.
I have let a lot of people push my around
but not again. I can’t let a sick-minded
guy like him treat me like a toy. I can
take care of myself and my family.
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