The Wedding Tonight

Chapter 14: The Call 📞

My eyes lifted up and landed on the wall clock. It was 7pm in the evening. We were all here sitting on the couches with Mom and Dad. TV was also playing in the background. Mahreen had just prepared us tea and we were sipping from it when Ahmed barged inside. The romance novel I had been reading dropped down as I jerked.

All the eyes turned to him. He raked a hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh, his arm resting on the door seiling. "My car." He panted. "The crow just shitted on my car!!" He groaned.

"For Allah's sake Ahmed don't barge in, like there is some bad news!" Mom said placing her hand on her chest as she took small breaths.

"This is a bad news, the neighbours always park their car under the roof so I had to park under the tree!" Ahmed added. "I'm gonna sue them! What do they think of themselves. It is their daughter's car. This stupid lady doesn't even know how to drive. Ugh!!" Ahmed ranted out. "I can easily park two cars under the same roof but this stupid lady just..."

"Calm down son. We don't plan on shifting, so don't get in trouble with our neighbours." Dad added.

Ahmed was angry enough to understand anything. "I'm not free enough to wash crow shits, every morning. I have work to do." Ahmed said and marched out of the house.

"The neighbours daughter is damn pretty. I've seen her drive for work a couple of times. She is also a doctor." Mahreen nudged and whispered in my ear.

"Ohoo.. gossip girl! How did you find out?" I winked.

"Oh she brought sweet dish last month and said she had completed her studies and now decided to shift with her parents until she gets married." Mahreen added.

"Let's get her married then" I winked at her.

"Where is Sohail, Samreen?" Mom asked. Shit! I forgot to tell him I'm here. Not that I intended to but I was suppose to be back home soon so he wouldn't ask.

"Uhmm-"

"Oh I asked him to join us for dinner since Samreen is already here." Dad informed, I couldn't help but scream inside my head.

"What?? Why did you do that? I was going home.. why did you have to call him?" I groaned.

"Why? What is so wrong with this? We haven't had dinner with you and it would be great to have Sohail here with us as well." He reasoned. I wanted to hit my head on the wall.

"Yeah right." I scoffed and sighed. Mom was silently observing me and she knew I was annoyed but I just looked away and walked out of the room.

I walked upstairs in my room and jumped on my bed, that still gave me more comfort than the bed I shared with Sohail. The door to my room creeper open and I lifted myself up. As expected, Mom!

I don't know why was I being to grumpy about that fact that Sohail was coming here but I just didn't wanna see him. I didnt tell him I was coming here and it would be to awkward and I'm not willing to answer him either. "What is it? Something is wrong I can sense that?" She walked and sat on the bed beside me.

I crawled and put my head on her lap, usually when you cry your throat gets heavy and heavier everytime you hold that drop of tear from slipping out of your eye but this time, it just slipped and not just tears but I wailed. I lost control and I didn't want her to be worrying about me yet I cried my eyes out. She did not utter a word just drew plain soothing circles on my back.

After a few sobs, I gasped out. "I'm fine." I muttered.

"It's okay, let it out." She muttered and patted me. Upon getting the invite, I cried harder and finally it was time I sobered up a little. "Wanna talk about it?" She asked, I shook my head. "Your life has changed a lot in the last ten days. It's okay to feel confused but remember, you always have me on your side." She patted my cheek and got up.

"Thank you!" I muttered. She wiped her eyes and I knew she was crying too.

"Now go and wash up your face. Sohail must not think that you're unhappy. Just give it some time everything's gonna fall into place." After those words she walked out of the room. I walked inside the washroom and washed up my face with facewash, put a little bit of make up to hide my dark circles and forced a smile before walking out of my room.

"Sohail bhai is here," Mahreen told me, we both walked down the stairs and my eyes immediately went on the dinning table. Sohail was sitting next to Dad and the empty chair beside Sohail I assumed was mine.

"Asalamualaikum." Sohail's eyes snapped up to me, even though he seemed to be in a conversation with Dad. We held each other's gaze for a brief moment until I looked away

"WalaikumaSalam." Was all he said after that I walked in the kitchen to help Mom. We both served the food while Mahreen passed everyone the plates. We all settled down, Ahmed thankfully took the seat beside Sohail so I happened to sit between Mom and Dad. "So how is everything at work?" Ahmed started and ended the deadening silence that casted over us for a few minutes.

"Fine Alhamdulillah, what about you? My doctor friends seem busy and sick all the time though, I hope you don't get sick from the patients?" Sohail asked Ahmed. Sohail's eyes once again fell on me and my eyes were already on him since he was the one talking.

Ahmed let out a chuckle. "Yeah you go get flu sometimes. Especially when they are illiterate and shake their sneezed hands with you."

"Eww!" Mahreen groaned. "I don't feel like studying medicine anymore." She added.

"Son, please have some more rice." Mom insisted Sohail, he gave in and let Mom put some rice into his plate and once again we glanced at each other.

The dinner ended, I stood up piled up the empty plates and washed the dishes while Mom and Mahreen tidied up the table. Soon after fifteen minutes Dad called me. "Samreen dear, Sohail is ready to leave." I wiped my hands with my clothes, avoided sharing a gaze with Sohail, he bid his good byes, I bid mine.

Soon the both of us were in the car in a deep awkward silence. Sohail was on his way to his place but he missed the turn, I was about to put that into his notice until he talked. "I don't mind dropping you at your parents. You are not a prisoner at my place, at our place." He corrected himself.

"I didn't want to bother you." I reasoned.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say. I'm not bothered by dropping you at your parents place." He stated. I nodded and stayed silent. I can't even tell him that it was him that I didn't want to see.

"I thought you might not like it since I just came back." I added. That was another reason why I didn't want him to know.

"Noo, feel free to do whatever you want." He said in a soothing tone. I couldn't help but feel guilty, I was guilty for loving another man when I was married to him. He didn't deserve this, he deserved better.

This time with a comforting silence we both drove home. Upon reaching we unlocked the door with keys, didn't have to answer to Uncle or Aunty since they were asleep. I turned right and took the stairs, and walked in our room with Sohail following after.

We did not talk, just used bathrooms. I got into bed whereas Sohail performed Isha prayers, I had a habit of turning my face to right as I fell asleep, and I didn't want to stare at him either.

With one last sigh I prayed. Oh Allah help me! Until I drifted off to sleep.