AN INDIAN GIRLS SACRIFICE

Chapter 20

Bhabhi woke me up, I looked at my watch and it was only 6am, she said that Zuhair bhai and my Abba are arguing downstairs. She doesn't know what to do, Zuhair bhai has threatened to leave the house.

What was my brother's up to, they ruining their own lives for me. I can't stand back and just see them do this, I have to sort things out.

I go downstairs and see my Abba almost hit Zuhair, Uncle Gulam stops my Abba before he makes the biggest mistake of his life. I ask Zuhair bhai to go to his room, I will speak to my Abba and sort things out. Fawaaz bhai comes running down after hearing all the commotion. Once they both leave I speak to my Abba.

"Abba you heard what happened and Zayaan even confirmed what he did. I want to know what you want I must do? Do you still want I must get married to Zayaan?"

"Yes Amaani I want you and Zayaan to get married, he made a mistake and was man enough to admit it. He has promised us that he will never do it again and he has no contact with this other girl."

"Abba if you want me to still get married to Zayaan then that is what I will do, I just want you and Ammi to be proud of me and be happy."

I went upstairs and told my brothers what my Abba said and what I told him. They were upset, they didn't accept my decison and refused to be apart of this engagement.

Fawaaz walked towards me and hugged me, Zuhair sat there in tears feeling so helpless. They know that they have no say in anything, my Abba's decision is always final. Zafar comes in the room and runs to hug me.

"Amu I love you," he says while tears fill his eyes.

"Aww I love you too Zafu, be strong for me, I'll be gone soon then you can have my room. I know how much you like it."

"I don't want your room Amu, I want you to be happy."

We sat in Zuhair bhai's room until bhabhi reminded us that it was jummah and we should get ready. I got up and left the room, I heard Zuhair bhai breakdown, I don't think he wanted to cry infront of me.

"I'm the worst brother a sister can ask for, I'm so useless, Nuwal I can't even save my sister from this man." I hear him say.

I run to my room and get ready for Jummah, I sit in my room avoiding any contact with Zayaan. I will marry him just to make my parent's happy but I won't allow myself to get close to him or allow him near me.

My brother's get ready and come fetch me from my room. We go down to the living room, everyone is sitting there, my brother's don't leave me alone. One of them is always with me, bhabhi calls us to the kitchen to eat something.

We sit down and she dishes out for us, Fawaaz bhai and Zafar sit next to me, Zayaan comes into the kitchen, he tries to speak to me but Zuhair stops him and tells him to get out.

Zuhair was worried about leaving  me when they had to go for salaah but bhabhi ensured him that she would take care of me. They didn't want me alone.

When they got back from salaah, we had lunch in the dinning room, Zuhair and Fawaaz sat next to me and Armaan and Zafar sat opposite me. They planned the whole day so I had no contact with Zayaan.

I could see he was upset and he was trying to sort out the situation and wanted to come to some sort of conclusion. He was becoming restless and agitated.

Bhabhi called the lady for the mendhi again, she came last night but because of all the commotion I didn't end up putting.

I sat with bhabhi and Fawaaz bhai, although he couldn't take the smell of the mendhi but he sat there just to protect me. When the lady asked what name she should write on my hand, Fawaaz took off with her, that's how serious they were about what Zayaan did.

After the mendhi was dry, I washed it off, I went back downstairs, most of our family came by to see what needed to be done. It was getting difficult for my brother's to be around me all the time so they got Mahek and Fathima to sit with me. They told them what happened and gave them strict instruction.

The girls made me laugh with their ideas of kidnapping me, helping me run away and all sorts of weird ideas. I reminded them that I had to do this for my parents. I didn't know how to say no to my parent's and so now I was paying a heavy price for it.

My parent's were having a dinner party for everyone at my cousin's restaurant. We got dressed and left to the restaurant. They had a separate table set up for Zayaan and I, when I walked in that's the first thing I saw and crinched.

I couldn't sit with him at the same table, I know he would want to talk to me and worse, touch me. I was agitated, I wanted all this to be over, I sat down next to bhabhi thinking I could get away with sitting next to Zayaan.

My Abba welcomed all the guest and then called me to come to the front. I had no choice, Zuhair and Fawaaz walked me to the front and waited on the side.

"Zayaan would you please join us here in the front, you and Amaani can take a seat here in front," my Abba says politely.

My face went sour, I looked at my brother's and pulled my face. Zuhair bhai tried talking my Abba out of it but he ignored Zuhair.

We sat at the table that was set for us, Zayaan looked happy that he finally got to be alone with me. Everyone was talking and greeting each other.

"I finally got rid of your bodyguards, I'm glad we can finally be alone."

"I'm not glad, I'm horrified, I hate you and always will."

I lift my head and look straight at the door, Uncle Umar and Aunty Ayesha walk in and behind them is Mubashir bhai and Fehmida bhabhi, after a few minutes I see my nani and nanu being helped by Imaan and Aahil.

I feel a sense of happiness seeing them all and then my eyes go onto Aahil and I have this huge smile on my face, my heart feels all warm, my stomach all fuzzy but tears roll down my cheeks.

Aahil looks at me, he has the biggest smile on his face but tears rolling out onto his cheeks. He greets my family and then takes nani and nanu to their seats.

I get up to go greet my grand parents, Zayaan follows me, I introduce him to them, they greet him and sit in their places. My nanu doesn't say anything to me, he just puts his hand on my head and blesses me.

I go to greet the Hamidi's, I hug uncle Umar and can't help but cry. He holds me back and then hugs me again, everyone at their table are left in tears, I go back to my seat and Zayaan follows.

"So who are all these people you greeted? Are they family?"

"Yes they my family, they mean a lot to me, they just like my parents and my siblings."

"They seem to be very emotional people."

"They care about me that's why they emotional, but you wouldn't know anything about that."

Dinner is served, I ignore Zayaan for the rest of the evening, we get back home and I go up to my room. I think about seeing Aahil and how I reacted when I saw him. I can't imagine what he was feeling when he saw me.

I didn't think of anything else besides Aahil, I didn't want to spoil my night so I remembered only the good moments. It felt so good to lay on my bed, have the covers on me, feel so warm and for the first time in days be happy.