Once Upon A Time, A Thousand Tears Ago #Wattys2017

Chapter 51: I'm not your first love but I want to be your last

Author's note: Hello dear readers. I am glad to inform you that I have been chosen as a judge on the THE SEASONAL AWARDS which are the awards for some great books and writers in the field. I feel honoured. Also, my book, Once upon a time, a thousand tears ago has also been nominated in the romantic category for THE SEASONAL AWARDS. Wish me luck. Thanks for your support. Love.

Dedicated to everyone who has fallen a prey to love.

Chapter 51: I'm not your first love but I want to be your last

I am crying. I left my life behind. What had I thought when I first landed. I thought that I was going to stay for a week with my family and live it to the fullest. I wanted to forget about the nightmares but in return, I got some more.

"Please switch off your phones. We are about to take off." The air hostess announces. As I take out my phone to switch it off, I have a sudden urge of calling Kashaf to check what happened after I left.

"Hello, Kashaf! Is everything okay?" Two hours have passed since I ran away from my engagement.

"Zara, nothing is fine. Just go and stay happy ok." Kashaf sounds worried as hell and I start panicking.

"What happened, Kashaf. Tell me, please." I inquire worryingly.

"Zara, our parents are truly demoralised by our decision. It was wrong. Everything was wrong. I shouldn't have......" I hear snatching of the phone and then it was my father on the other side of the phone.

"Papa. I'm sorry Papa......"

"Don't say that, Zara. You never were sorry. I trusted you when even you had no faith in yourself and this is what you gave us in return. Our support, our love; nothing really matters to you, right. You gave up on us. You didn't just run away from here, you took away our dignity and your sister is now paying for your deeds."

"Papa. I'm ....."

"Zaroon's parents were insistent on getting their son engaged today. So they asked us if Kashaf could ..... and now your sister got engaged to Zaroon. He's such a good boy. He gave us so much respect but look at you. In chasing your dreams, you forgot that dreams cannot be built on the pieces of a broken family. Just don't ever call us again, Zara. Good luck with whatever you do in your life. You have disappointed us." With this, the other side went blank. My father had cancelled the call.

I had disappointed my parents; my parents who had always been my world. One moment destroyed whatever I had in life. Now I only have Zayn who was sitting next to me. I fill him with the details of what happened. How my baby sister sacrificed her life because of something I did.

"Zara! I want to.... I want to get married to you as soon as we land."

Zayn blurts out these words and with my teary eyes, I try gauging his expressions. Is he really serious? "Zayn, I...."

"No... before anything crumbles anymore. I want to get married to you. We'll just call the family members and get to a court for all the legal proceedings. You are already wearing a bridal dress and I'll manage something. Let's get married."

He looks perplexed but confident as hell. He knows what he is asking for. My mind can't decipher what's happening. On one hand, I have the regret of losing my family and on the other; I am being given an opportunity to form a family on the same day. I wish I could share this with my family but no one wants to hear anything now.

"Zara? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Zayn. Let's do this."

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

"Zara! Please be happy. We are welcoming you to our family. At least smile." Waliyha, Zayn's sister, tries to cheer me up. Despite of trying my best to smile, I am failing at everything.

"Wal! I'm trying."

Liam, Niall and Harry were already here in the courtroom. Zayn's parents, his sister and his cousin, Victoria were there too. I don't want to mess with Victoria today so I'm hoping she doesn't bring up something stupid.

"Harry, where's Louis? I want to see him." Besides Zayn, I was always close to Louis. Now when my own family had deserted me, I was trying to find a family in all these people.

"Louis....umm Louis is not well, Zara." Harry looks tensed.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Food poisoning may be or alcohol poisoning."

I nod. I am noticing that everyone looks strained.

"Zayn! Did you tell her everything." Victoria asks Zayn in a loud voice.

"Shut up Victoria. I don't want to hear anything from you now." Zayn snaps at her.

"Whatever." Victoria picks up her bag to leave, I guess, instead, she approaches me.

"Good luck with this marriage thing. Thank you for doing us a favour."

"I am not doing any favour to you." I reply spontaneously.

"You don't have any idea." She smirks at me and then leaves while Zayn approaches me.

"I've signed it. Go ahead and sign the papers and then we'll be married." He smiles.

This is the moment. The moment that is special for every girl. I am marrying the man of my dreams, the man who loves me and I love him back. The only regret that I have now is that my family is not standing here by my side. I didn't choose this life. I chose HIM. This life was just part of the deal.

"Sign it Zara." Zayn looks baffled. Maybe, he thinks that I will change my mind. I quickly sign the papers and as I do that I see the signs of relief on Zayn's face. Everyone congratulates us. I smile a genuine one, for the first time in a long time. I look at Zayn who is my husband now and I smile even more.

"Guys. Line up, please. We need a picture for the media." Liam points at the photographer who was waiting anxiously to take a picture. So this is how my family would get to know of my marriage. I don't know what they are going to think. One-half of my heart is still tied to my family and the other half is now in the hands of Zayn.

After all the picture-taking formalities, Zayn motions me to sit in his car and we both ride towards his house. Nobody speaks a word. The whole situation was awkward so we both choose to be silent.

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

"That's your room, Zara. Thank you so much for everything that you are doing for us." With this, Waliyha leaves me in Zayn's room; our room. I was a fan of One Direction and today I am the wife of Zayn Malik. Zayn made his way to my heart and after that, there was no looking back. Love is not about how many days, weeks or months you've been together; it's all about how much you love each other every day. I sacrificed whatever I had for him but maybe this is what life is. You have to lose something to get something. Somebody once said, "You have to look bad in someone's eyes to look good in someone else's." I understand this now.

Zayn enters the room. I look at him, the man who was my saviour is now my life.

"Zayn. You are everything to me now. I love you. When I tell you I love you, I am not saying it out of habit, I am reminding you that you are my life. I didn't plan it, but you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know I'm not your first love but I want to be your last"

I look at him for a response. I want him to express his love for me so that I can forget my sorrows for some time but he still looks stressed.

"Zara! I want to tell you something."

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