Mehrem- The Confidant

06

Umair

Not a wink of sleep all night. The night shift kept me busy, but my mind drifted back to Illiyeen. Her thoughts seemed to consume me, crowding out everything else. Why did I freeze when she bluntly questioned me? Why couldn't I find the words?

When I got home in the morning, exhaustion weighed heavily on me. I went to my bedroom, longing for a moment of peace. After a quick shower, I heard a knock on my closet door.

It was my mother. I opened the door, and she walked in with a warm smile. "Your Mamo Ali has invited us for dinner tonight," she said, her tone soft yet deliberate. "The Bajwas will be there too." She paused, catching the unspoken question in my eyes. "She is coming as well." She smiled, leaning in to kiss my cheek.

"Ma, I love you," I said, meaning it with every fiber of my being. She wasn't just my mother; she understood me better than anyone else.

"I love you too," she replied, her voice full of warmth. "I'll call Rehana. It's the perfect chance for Illiyeen to officially meet our family and friends." I nodded in agreement as she left the room.

I lay down on my bed, absentmindedly twisting the engagement ring on my finger. Thoughts of Illiyeen filled my mind—her captivating eyes and that simple yet alluring smile. Before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep.

I woke to the sound of my best friend Rani's voice. Well, yelling would be more accurate. "Umair!" she shouted. I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head, hoping to block her out. But Rani wasn't one to give up easily.

A moment later, I felt a splash of cold water drenching my face. My eyes shot open as I bolted upright, water dripping from my hair down to my chest. I was ready to strangle Rani.

"What the hell?" I yelled, getting out of bed. But Rani was too busy laughing to take my threat seriously. "You have one minute to explain yourself," I warned her, trying to shake off the water.

She grinned. "Aunty told me to wake you up. It's 6:30 already, and dinner's at 7. You're running late." The realization hit me—I messed up. I'd heard the Bajwas were sticklers for punctuality.

"Thanks," I muttered sarcastically, rushing to change. When I finished, I jumped into the shower for the second time, wrapping the towel around my waist. To my annoyance, Rani was still lounging in my room, scrolling through her phone.

"Oh, Lala! Look at you, so hot," she teased, making an exaggerated drooling face. I rolled my eyes and began fixing my hair.

"What are you wearing tonight?" Rani asked, glancing up from her phone.

I paused, realizing I had no idea. For the first time, I cared about what I would wear. Maybe tonight wasn't just another dinner.

***

Nothing seemed to look good on me. I had been trying on different outfits for the last 20 minutes, but nothing felt right. Rani's constant yelling from outside, reminding me of the time, wasn't helping either. I needed backup and knew just the person to call—my sister, Mawaa.

Frustrated, I walked out of my closet and grabbed my phone. I called Mawaa, but she didn't pick up, so I called Ahmed instead. He answered on the second ring.

"Ahmed, where's Mawaa?" I demanded, not even bothering with pleasantries.

"Hello to you too, bhai," came Mawaa's voice in the background.

"I need your help. Eastern or Western?" I asked, hoping she understood.

"What?" Mawaa sounded confused.

I sighed. "What does Illiyeen like?" I clarified.

I heard laughter from Ahmed, Mawaa, and even Rani, who had joined the fun in my bedroom. But I didn't have time to care—I had already wasted enough of it.