When The Stars Shine Bright

Chapter 10

I can't believe this is happening with me! I never thought they would react like this!I have always done what they wanted me to do and they won't listen to me now when I need their support the most! How can I stand up to them when the people I love most have suddenly become strangers to me?

Rubbing her eyes for the umpteenth time in an attempt to stem the flow of tears, Nazia looked out of her bedroom window with a desolate stare while a multitude of negative thoughts ran through her head. What am I going to do? What do I say to Mustafa? What logic do I use?

"Nazia beta are you awake?" asked Huma softly while knocking on the door and opening it slightly to view a worn out and sad figure standing in front of the bedroom window. "Chalo bacha it's lunch time and you haven't eaten anything at all since last night. I want you to leave your room now and come downstairs with me. We're going to have lunch, just the two of us Amma beti and then we're going to....."

"Please Mum I'm not at all hungry and please don't pretend like nothing has happened. Either you treat me like the adult that I am or you leave me be. I am not the eight year old Nazia who was sent to her room for not listening to you. I am old enough to make my own decisions and if I want to stay in my room for the rest of my life then you just have to respect my decision and let me be. I will come down when I want to not when you order me to!" replied Nazia in a rude tone while keeping her back to her mother.

"Nazia if you want me to treat like you like an adult then you have to behave like one. Firstly you have to give me respect by looking me in the eye when I am talking to you. Secondly you have to watch your tone young lady, you are speaking to your mother after all. Thirdly locking yourself in room, not eating anything since the past 14 hours and wallowing in self-pity is not how adults react to hard situations. Fourthly as you so pointedly reminded us last evening that this is our house and you can pack up your bags and leave whenever you want, then so long as you are under my roof you will do as you are told!"

"How can I come downstairs and face Abbu after all the things he said to me last night? He has never spoken to me like that before! What gave him the right to belittle me and my choice the way he did? Who does he think he is? My religion and this society gives me full rights to choose who I want to marry and if the person I want to marry does not meet his ideal requirements then so be it. I don't give a damn!" Nazia yelled out the last sentence in a tearful voice.

"ENOUGH NAZIA!! ENOUGH ALREADY!! That man you are referring to in such a disdainful tone happens to be your wali, your guardian, your protector, the man who loves you more than anyone else in the world, the man who has sheltered you from all of the evil of this world, the man who accepted and invited your choice into his home before he gave his final verdict and yet you dare to refer to him in such a disrespectful manner? I cannot accept that my tarbiyat was lacking in the inclusion of basic respect and good manners. No my dear you are not at all an adult. You are a spoilt, petulant child who is so used to getting her own way that she has no idea how to handle a rejection. I am giving you exactly ten minutes to pull yourself together and come downstairs and show respect to your father and me by eating the food we put on the table, which by the way I cooked especially for you on his request as he hasn't eaten anything either since last evening and yet he was more concerned about you starving yourself on a whim."

With these words ringing in the silent room, Huma closed the door quitely and leaned against it while closing her eyes. Ya Allah reham kar, meray ghar ko har buri nazar say bacha kay rakh, meri Nazia ko aqal daye, meray Raza ko himmat. (Oh Lord, have mercy on us. Restore my house from the evil eye, give intelligence to Nazia to make the correct decision and give strength to Raza to deal with this).