"Darling, I understand you are butt-hurt at losing the tender but don't blame me for your impulsiveness and incompetence in handling business dealings, we all know you aren't cut out for the business world. The problem is that you never learn, but d...
Anabia didn't expect stepping foot again in ADZ textiles after three years would rattle her senses to this extent. Even upon reaching the confines of her beach-facing suite in FIVE Palm Jumeirah, her haven, which had almost always invariably calmed her, couldn't save her this time from the drowning memories of her past.
She remembered clearly the day her parents gifted her that company. It was her 16th birthday, the last birthday that was filled with mirth, hope, and dreams, and she wished desperately to be transported back in time.
18th August 2006 Karachi, Pakistan
The DeClare siblings: Samantha, Harry, and Marcus had arrived for the first time in Pakistan at around 1:00 am in the night just to surprise her. While her paternal cousins Mustafa Akhtar Zehravi, a corporate lawyer, Wajahat Hussain Zehravi, an artist, and her paternal aunt Mehroon Diwan Zehravi, a chef, who was there in Karachi since a month delayed their flight back to America just to attend her birthday. To say she was over the moon that day would be an understatement.
With a straight A* result in CIE O levels, that had been announced four days before her birthday, her interview call for college where she had selected the science subjects with the hope of becoming a doctor blooming in her heart, her entire family had gathered to celebrate her birthday, she remembered prancing around the house in her colourful kameez with a rust colour floral print and white trousers on her birthday morning.
"Tum kyun porey ghar may chitti bandari ki tarah oochal rahi ho?" (Why are you jumping around in the house like a white monkey?) Yilmaz her brother, older by four years, had said to her.
"Mehnat kar hasad mat kar." (You should work hard instead of being jealous)"
"Mai kyun jalunga tumse?" (Why would I be jealous of you?) he had asked incredulously.
"Because I got an A* in Urdu while you got a B, everyone came to attend my birthday, mom dad and even your best mate Daniyal loves me more than you..."
"Next I know you'll be saying you are jealous because some say I'm sweety, some say I'm the queen of beauty. You are such a kid, but since it's your birthday, I'll spare you the humiliation." Yilmaz had quipped.
"I am the kid of the family and what the hell did you just sing?" She had asked quizzically.
"You don't know this amazing song?" Daniyal had asked with surprise written all over his face.
" No, and neither am I interested."
"Told you, Yilmaz, there was no point in sending her to KGS. Don't worry, your brother here will enlighten you." Daniyal had stated before he began to sing "Some say I'm sweety, some say I'm the queen of beauty, I am alive, heart is beating, but my soul is hurting" in a high pitched screeching voice while Yilmaz danced wildly trying to imitate the moves from the movie Beetlejuice. The sight in itself was hilarious but the fact that their parents got a glimpse of the show while Wajahat got to record a video of it had her rolling on the floor laughing literally with tears of happiness coating her eyes.
Wajahat had conveniently posted the video on the family group despite the pleading of both Yilmaz and Daniyal but had refrained from sharing it on Yilmaz's Facebook wall on the condition that both Yilmaz and Daniyal will have to be his slave for the entire week. The entire afternoon was spent on embarrassing and blackmailing Yilmaz and Daniyal, playing ludo and pool, and just catching up with each other over the lunch table which was lined with her favourite food items notably Biryani, Chicken Karahi, Lasagna, Enchilada, Schezwan chicken with jasmine rice while in dessert there was Gulab jamun, Rabdi, and Rasmalai. Since Wajahat couldn't stomach the spices and it was the first time the DeClare siblings were eating Pakistani food, so many dishes were prepared to cater to all of them.
At around five o'clock in the evening, everyone in the house had decided to get ready for the main birthday event that was hosted at their hotel Vasl Inn situated near Do Darya, which offers a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea. She had worn a fully embroidered white net chikenkari kameez with white embroidered straight pants while, Samantha had rocked in the traditional lemon yellow Pakistani attire. All the boys had either worn a white kurta shalwar or a black one and they had bundled off to the hotel in their cars.
She had known that the birthday party was going to be extravagant because Pakistanis go all out in throwing a party but the magnitude of the event had her thrown off her footing. It didn't look like her birthday event but more of a wedding ceremony with 500 people including family, friends, and business associates of her parents. Pink tulips adorned the walls of the lounge and served as a breathtaking backdrop to the podium that had a scrumptious three-tier birthday cake perched on a glass table. One hall was dedicated to the food where one could choose from a wide range of cuisines, over 50 different types of desserts, pan, and probably around 10 different types of beverages. Whereas, the seaside was also decorated with fairy lights and camps esp. for the teenagers to splash around while the older people discussed their affairs.
Before the cake cutting ceremony, her parents, who looked regal standing on the dais, had pridefully announced her result and had also explained how they bought ADZ textiles when she was nine years old in the hope of gifting it to her on her 16th birthday.
However, later on at home, her dad had divulged how he had wanted to gift her a hospital on her 16th birthday seeing her passion for medicine but due to certain reasons couldn't do so because the construction of the hospital was still underway, so instead he gave her ADZ textiles that was bought only for her with the desire of seeing his daughter running the business successfully one day. That knowledge alone had brought tears in her eyes that day and she had remembered praying ten shukraney nafl for all that was bestowed to her that she didn't deserve.
Even today, thinking of it wreaked havoc inside her. Her father's desire of seeing his daughter running the business did come true but before she even had a chance to make him proud by running it successfully, it was snatched right out of her hands by Aaron. The company she had 78% shares in was now run successfully by her ex-husband who owned 85% of its shares. Pitiful was her condition, moreover, she had lost the tender causing another loss reminding her how much of a failure she was in life. She at that moment had desperately wished for Yilmaz to be here with her, he could have sorted everything out. He had gotten the best of both of her parent's genes for business and by all means, could rule the business world and give Aaron a run for his money. She on the other hand, was a sore loser when it came handling business just like how Aaron had stated. Like her paternal grandmother, she too had a passion for pursuing cardiology. The only problem however, was that she cared about that organ, had wanted to treat it and thought with it but before she could mend someone else's heart she had hers irreparably broken with pieces of it left behind on the ground for others to walk all over it.
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