My heart and yours

chapter 1

As I look out of the window, watching nature move at such an incredible speed, I wonder what to expect. What to do. Was I supposed to bow or just say hello? What exactly is my job, what.....

My thoughts are disrupted by the sound of a mug hitting the dark wooden table before me. I look up startled and notice its just aunt Khausar.

"You seemed distracted, what's wrong my child?" I frown briefly. Despite the fact that I am almost nineteen years old, my aunt still calls me child. I think the proper word is young adult.

"No aunt, I'm okay. I was just thinking....." I say trailing off.

"Don't worry child, like I said earlier everything will be fine just have a little faith in God. You will be alright. Time will tell, even though you've had a bad start your destiny is bright." She says reaching out to hold my hand. I notice the wrinkle of her skin yet smooth and firm. Years of labor and hardship, I think. There is a sudden light to her eyes and brightness to her face, hope? Perhaps.

Aunt Khausar is the kind of woman who wakes up early in the morning to her family. She is very religious and always going about with the tesbih. I really wouldn't blame her hopes. Their too high. Someone like me would have stopped believing in God a long time ago but my faith is strong. My hopes aren't.

I lost my father when I was three and my mother two months ago. I probably should have been married off by now with a child or two. Where I come from, you are wedded off to a man of your parent's choice but mother never wanted that for me. She never wanted me to have what she had. To go through the same hardship. When she was alive, she always used to say that this tradition of ours was a way to ruin the lives of young girls. She made aunt promise to get me a job as soon as possible where I could fend for myself.

My eyelids start to feel heavy and I lean my head against the window. I start tracing the hem of my royal purple veil. I find beauty in this color. Its simplicity and elegance is shouting out 'notice me'. I look over at aunt and she's squinting at something on her phone. I notice she's pulling her tesbih again. I smile a small smile. I stare at her for a moment before I fall into a deep sleep.

In my sleep, I dream of mother. She's wearing a golden dress and her hair is darker than usual. She looked beautiful.

..................

I wake up to the sound of aunt's voice. How long have I been asleep? I try to adjust to the light but my vision is blurry. I finally make out her hand waving at my face. I open up my eyes and see her standing before me.

"Are you sleeping child? Wake up we are here. Thank God."

"I'm awake" I yawn, using the back of my hand to cover my mouth. I suddenly become aware of the fact that it's a chilly November morni nig. I get up and smooth down my mint green skirt. I adjust my veil. I look too simple, almost boring. I take out a gold bracelet which belonged to mother and put it on.

Once I step out of the train, the cold wind hits my face. The snow makes a crunching noise under my brown shoes. I stop to pick up some snow when I see aunt Khausar a little farther away from me and I hurry to catch up with her. She moves towards a white car with a chauffeur beside it.

"Mrs. Khausar and miss-"

"Yes that's me" she cuts him off a little impatiently.

He opens the car door and we get in. he starts the car when he gets in but he doesn't drive. "Lady Aliya has asked me to take you anywhere you want to go but if you wish to proceed to the Fahad mansion, that's fine."

"No, I think it will be best if we go there straight away." Says aunt Khausar

"As you wish."

I stare at the driver's head open-mouthed. I am suddenly feeling light headed. Fahad mansion? Nobody told me I was going to work in a mansion.