AN INDIAN GIRLS SACRIFICE

Chapter 1

It's my last year at school, I can't wait for this year to end. It has been hectic with my Abba in hospital and exams. I write my final paper this week, I didn't have much time to study with running around to the hospital and all the visitors.

"Amaani, are you coming to the hospital with me?" my mum shouts from the hallway.

"No Ammi, I need to catch up on my studies."

She leaves the house and gets into her car. I stand at my window looking out to see that she leaves the driveway safely. It's spring but the evening's are chilly outside, it's raining this evening with a gentle wind.

I get my pink and grey pj's out and head into the shower, as I walked out of the bathroom just in my towel, Armaan barges in, I scream. He stands there with a withering look on his face.

"I'm so sorry Amaani, I didn't kn..."

"Don't you know how to knock?"

He runs out of the room and hits Zuhair in his chest, Zuhair is my eldest brother, he is married to Nuwal and Armaan is my Ammi's best friends son. He has been staying with us, he started uni this year and needed a place to crash so my Ammi offered our guest room.

"Slow down brother," says Zuhair. "Where you off to?

"Sorry bhai."

Armaan runs to his room like his seen a ghost. Bhai comes knocking on my door.

"Give me a sec," I shout out.

I opened the door and let bhai in. He wanted to know what happened to Armaan. I told him how embarrassing and rude it was. He assured me that he would have a talk with Armaan.

I hear my Ammi pull up the driveway, I run downstairs to ask Ammi how my Abba is doing, she seemed happy so I figured it had to be good news, and it was, my Abba would be discharged soon. The doctors are happy with his progress so they can discharge him.

"Amaani lay the table please beta," she say encouragingly.

I take out the plates and set them on the counter top, just then Armaan walks in.

"Can I help?" he asks coyly.

"Don't stress, I got it," I reply. Noticing the discomfort.

He helps anyways, after we lay the table Ammi comes into the kitchen and dishes out the food. She sends Armaan to call Zuhair bhai, Fawaaz bhai and Zafar.

Fawaaz is my second eldest brother, he is studying medicine and Zafar is my smaller brother who is in grade 10. Zuhair studied business management so he can take over Abba's business.

My brother's and Armaan rush down the stairs and over to the dining table. My mum hates the boys running in the house but doesn't say anything, she shakes her head in disapproval and continues to dish for Zafar.

Armaan and Fawaaz are on dishwashing duty today, they pick up our plates from the table and get to doing the dishes.

Zafar and I go upstairs back to our rooms to study, Zuhair bhai, Nuwal bhabhi and Ammi watch tv downstairs. It's time for Jamai raja which they both hooked to.

I hear Armaan and Fawaaz bhai come up the stairs, I wait until I hear their doors close and then go to Armaan's room. I know he is still embarassed about earlier and it's awkward having him walking around with a foolish look on his face.

I knock on his room door, "may I come in?" I ask apologetically.

"Sure, come in," he replies.
"I'm really sorry about earlier, I'm such a jerk, I should have knocked."

"It's okay, thats why I'm here. I knew you would feel bad, did you want something?"

"I wanted to check if you busy tomorrow, I know it's your last paper so I thought we would celebrate with ice-cream," he says excitedly.

I accept his offer and go back to my room to bury my head in books. I study until midnight and then decide to get in a few hours of sleep.

Fawaaz bhai knock on my door and call out "Aasaalaatu Khaayrum Minan-Nauum." ( Prayer is better than sleep). I wake up and sit on my bed for a few seconds before I scurry to the bathroom to make wudhu.

I pray my fajr salaah and then get ready for school. I rush downstairs for breakfast.

"Hurry Zafar, you going to make me late," I scream at him.

"I can drop you off if you want Amaani," suggests Armaan.

"Not a bad idea beta, I will drop Zafar off," says my Ammi.

We hurry out, I get to school just in time, the invigilator is marking the register. I sigh with relief and march to my seat before anyone notices.

Finally exams are over, I wrote my final paper and felt a sense of relief. I'm sad to leave my friends but I'm glad to be over with this year. The final year students are having a mess up party later today, all my friends will be going but me.

I would rather spend my day relaxing infront of the tv. I haven't watched a single programme or movie in the last four months.

I call Ammi to pick me up from school, she gets here just in time, some of the students decided to get a head start on the party and were running around messing each other with polish and eggs.

When we got home I hurried into the house and made my way to my room. I had to get out of this uniform, I quickly took a shower and changed into my guess jeans and a black and blue top.

"Knock knock," I hear a voice say loudly.

"Come in," I mumble.

It's Armaan, he stood at the door reminding me about our ice-cream treat later today. He ditched class to be here early so we could go out.

I go to the lounge and find Fawaaz breezing through the channels, I plop myself onto the couch next to him and patiently wait for him to give up the remote. Armaan joins us in the lounge, to my disadvantage I now have two people enjoying the sports channel.

I got no say so I decide to get a snack, I just had lunch yet my stomach was growling.

It's 4pm, Armaan asks me if I was ready to go out. I inform Fawaaz that we going out and that I've already told Ammi. He couldn't join us because he had to babysit Zafar, we promised to get him some take out though.

My mum trusted Armaan so she allowed me to go out with him alone. Zuhair didn't like the idea of Armaan around me too much but I guess that's just brotherly instincts.

Armaan and I were just good friends, because of our age we always had each other for company at get togethers and parties.

We get to cold ice a place 10 minutes away from home. I ordered a strawberry and cream flavoured ice-cream and Armaan orders chocolate. We sit in the far corner near the window.

"So how does it feel to finally be done with school?" he smirks.

"It's okay I guess. Not registered as yet I suppose," I answer him.

"You know that chick that came home the other day, what her name?" he asks smirking.

"Who? Razeena," I smile.

"Yeah, I saw her the other day at the mall, she freaked me out. She ran up to me and gave me a hug out of the blue, I don't even know her," he laughs.

"Did she explain or say anything?" I ask curiously.

"She asked me to play along and hug her back, she said someone was following her, then she left, I saw her minutes later giggling away with her friend's and over heard her saying I was her boyfriend," he grins.

I laughed at his story, I don't know what that was about because Razeena is usually a very quiet and shy girl. I don't give it much thought and let him know I'm ready to leave.

We get home just in time, Abba was discharged. It was so good to have him back home. We had dinner and then I sat with Abba in his room keeping him company until Ammi arrived with his medication.

I walked pass the lounge to see who was in the lounge but everyone had already went to their rooms. I went upstairs and relaxed in my room listening to indian music.