The Wrong Wedding

Act-2

I had only just now left the cafe and was still on the road, driving aimlessly; knowing anything is better than going to what's waiting for me at home. Plus, I needed to let off some steam.

As I was contemplating this, I got a call from Saira. Why am I even surprised? Knowing all too well what she was about to give me a lecture on, I didn't bother attending the call. When I did this, she started bombarding me with text messages, one of them saying this,

"Can you stop overreacting for once?! For Godsake Zaira, you are worrying Mom and Dad!"

Apart from this, the siblings group was overflowing. Everyone had an opinion on how selfish and careless I was acting and should stop being a brat for once.

'Nice. Nice.'

So, I did what I always do when I am very pissed off. Shut people off. Switching off my phone, I drove to my favourite ice cream place. Sat there for a while, eating my chocolate gelato and staring at people.

When it had been an hour, I drove back home. Too bad that everyone was up and ready to bash me.

"Where the hell were you! Is this the time to get home?! And why was your phone switched off?! If this is how you are going to act then from today onwards you are not going anywhere! Just sit at home! Enough with your studies!" Dad chastised full on and my heart beat caught up with me. But as I was so done today, I wasn't too affected by it.

Gulping down my tears, I went ahead and kept the keys on the table, all the while dad was still talking/shouting at me. Mum didn't tone him down, instead stood with him and encouraged him here and there.

"ZAIRA! I am talking to you!" Dad shouted and I turned to him slowly to respond in a small voice.

"I know, Dad." I said this with tears stinging the corner of my eyes to watch him gape at me stupefied. I had never talked this way with them before in my whole life and I am not proud of it either but I was so done.

Following this, I took quick steps and went upstairs to my room. Crashing on my bed face down, I covered my eyes with my hand but tears still managed to seep through the slits between my fingers.

'I am so done, oh Allah.'

------------------

The next morning, I left earlier than usual. Didn't want to piss off Papa bear first thing in the morning.

So, as usual I was going through my shift until I realized that I had forgotten to turn back my phone on.

'Oops. Silly me. Got so caught up in wrecking havoc.'

When I turned it back on, the only thing that caught me by surprise were his calls. One missed call last night and two—this morning?Wait, what?

'What the heck does he want now?! That--!' I was mentally abusing him when I saw his text message.

"I am waiting, outside your hospital. Call me when you get this."

What...the..?

It was timed three hours ago. I looked at my screen skeptically; recalling his words from last night.

"You are daddy's spoilt little princess. You demand these things of people, like they owe it to you. But, I see no reason as to why I should care about what you want."

A sudden feeling of gloom swept over me and I turned my phone silent instead of returning his calls. He must have left by now. I thought in attempts to bail out of feeling guilty.