His Liability : The Beginning

♧HIS LIABILITY♧5B

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"Remember, no distractions—we're there for the daughter and no one else," Muhammad told Aabid. They were comfortably seated in the heart of the garden under a canopy.  "Whatever the circumstance, stick to the plan. Unless you want Uncle's head to explode,"

Aabid blew out cigarette from his nicely shaped lips, his eyes weakly staring at a rose blossom from a distance. You would conclude he listened not to what his cousin was pouring into him, however he verily was. With rapt attention. 

               This environment was the dwelling he was born within. His optics were strolling about the structures, sending signals to trigger his memory. This was where he played in the company of his pals when he was a little boy. However the memory was blur. Yet, he precisely knew this was it.

"You got it?"

A slow nod from Aabid. He despised the way Muhammad handled him now and then.

"Better. Now eat this and look good. You look dehydrated," he pushed the plate of strawberries to Aabid's front and resumed swiping his phone. Muhammad was recently married—less than a year.

"Is this very compulsory? This whole meeting and introduction..." came a gruff question from Aabid.

"No. You can just plan to disappear and then it wouldn't be compulsory after that," he stated with sarcasm. "Look—I don't know what's your issue. Are you one of those that think arranged marriages are pure nonsense?" he forked a strawberry and continued, "Look at me. I and my wife—arranged. I never knew her. But wAllah I am always thanking Allah each and everyday for setting me up with that angelic human!" he exclaimed, crossing his legs.

"I understand,"

"Then what... what is the problem?" he swallowed the fruit.

Silence.

After some minutes, Aabid said, "The thing is, you and me are different. Perhaps it works for you but not for me,"

"And why wouldn't it work for you?"

He shrugged.

A ring from Muhammad's phone brought the discussion to a temporary end. "I gotta answer this. We continue later,"

So he left him sitting on the garden chair, thinking about ways to get out of this 'family decision'

His head began to hurt out of the blues. This was not new to him. It happened either when he took those red pills or when he excessively overthought. Some minutes passed; Muhammad returned and sat back, observing his brother as he stretched on the chair. He knew he was in distress.

"Who did you intend to wed?"

After several debates battering in his brainbox, he at last replied, "Nobody."

"I was told you presented someone to uncle,"

A direct nod. "Ya. Although..."

" Well—needless to say it wasn't going to take place; because she is not even a muslim, Aabid,"

"I know—but you know... she holds expectancies from me," He gulped sparkling water from a small glassware and stashed the smoldering cigarette in contact with the smoke tray. "Yknow that feeling when someone retains towering confidence in you and you just cant fail them?"