If Only Adults Knew How To Behave

Chapter 1

For my besties (D and P). Stay strong my pals.

Zainab's POV:

It's quite funny how my parents want me to give up on everything just for their stupid son. My dreams, my ambitions, my friends, all of it just to support my brother? Guess what I have to do it for? So that he can become a successful businessman. Lol. And that according to my parents is only possible if he marries a pretty girl from a rich family.

Yes, we are an average middle-class family but it doesn't mean we have to fall so low to fulfill our wishes. But what can I expect from them? I know they can even sell me to reach their goal. They have already done something similar before so yeah I have made my decision and I'm going to tell them today what I have decided.

Four years ago when I was still doing my bachelor's degree my parents convinced me to marry a thirty-five-year-old guy(it was pure blackmailing) when I was only 22. I had to stop my studies. I almost dropped out but thankfully I didn't. My first ever smartest decision that I made in my entire life. I argued and made my parents and the guy who I married agree that I was going to continue my studies after marriage. I understood long ago that no one was there for me except for Allah. No one was coming to save me and it was I who had to save myself. When I got divorced, I was hurt not because of the guy but my crazy family, and for the first time in my life, I talked back to my father. I was very angry. I told him that I was going to continue my studies and that if he ever told me to get involved in his shit again I won't tolerate it (that was the first time I spoke for my right and my family felt threatened but they couldn't do anything since they knew divorce was a big deal).

They told me if I married this guy he will invest in my brother's new business deal. I was not exactly convinced but was forced to marry him and since I was young and naive I was forced to agree. And guess what, we got married and on the day of our marriage when we were sitting there in the wedding hall, my brother made a demand of getting 5 lakh rupees advance in their first deal and the guy broke off the deal along with divorcing me near two thousand guests. It was not the sound of hearing that word thrice but my family's ignorant expression that hurt me. Since then I have been hearing consoling comments which are not very sweet like 'poor girl, it's ok, you are gonna find a good guy, you will marry someone good' and behind my back, they say 'who will marry a divorcee huh'. I know I should respect my family but sorry mine doesn't deserve it.

My mother never stood up for me and trust me she is the worst. She even tried to convince me for a second marriage a few months after my iddat (Arabic: العدة, romanized: al-ʿidda; "period of waiting). I always respected my mother and thought she was being like this because of my father but I was wrong. No doubt he is the one who is ordering us around but the real deal is my mother. She is the backbone of my father's wicked ideas cause she is madly in love with her son. Yes, such mothers do exist. One thing I know is I don't want to become like my family and I'm not going to tolerate them anymore. They want me to either cut my ties with them or simply marry the next asshole they choose for me (which they have already chosen) because finally, my brother found his perfect rich girl, and her family demands me to be gotten rid of since I'm divorced and their daughter won't be able to adjust with me. My father gave me these options this morning and I have already packed my bags and decided to leave.

They are not so worried about me since I completed my bachelor's and master's degree and finally got a job at a good university after passing the commission. I'm quite shocked at how my parents didn't get angry at me for applying for a job without their permission. Instead, they told me to marry my soon-to-be sister-in-law's distant cousin or remove the last name of my family from my name. Well of course I chose the latter. It is because I will never marry any shithead chosen by my family or anyone ever again. I will choose the guy by myself. Plus I never used my last name because I always hated it so I'm not at all worried about that since my documents, my CNIC (National Identify Card) everywhere it is just my first and middle name (though it has my father's name😑).

My name is Zainab Hareem. My grandmother was the one who chose this name for me. That's why I use my real name otherwise I would've changed it long ago but since Dado (grandmother) was the only one who loved me I decided to keep it. From my birth to the moment she died, she always tried to save me from my evil family. She once told me how much she was disappointed in her son and that she won't forgive him ever. Knowing this I felt relieved that it was just not me who thought I was being mistreated in this house.

Whether I'm being treated fairly or unfairly I'm leaving my problem in the hands of Allah (Only one God). I know He has given me patience, protected me, Helped me when I needed Him, and Will always be there with me no matter what so I will wait for the day of judgment when He Will rightly justify me. I might not be an ideal Muslim but I strongly believe in Allah and do follow the basics of my religion. I do wear a hijab (headscarf common in Muslim countries) and yes I do recite Wazifas (the wazifa (Arabic: وَظِيفَة; plural: wazaïf) is a regular litany practiced by followers and comprising Quranic verses, hadiths of supplication and various Duas) in hope of finally being free from my family. I don't want to hurt them in any way but I also don't pray for their well-being either. It's just that I don't say anything about them in my prayers anymore. There was a time when I prayed for my family to change and be better but whether they change or not I'm leaving this house of maniacs today and that's my final decision.

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Hey guys! I'm back with another story. I hope you guys like it. Thank you for showing so much love for my first book. Please keep supporting me and also support this story too. If you like this chapter make sure to vote and feel free to share your opinions in the comments section :)
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(Do remember English is not my first language 😊.)