"I was on a goddamn vacation in this God-forsaken place. I never meant to get engaged to you. I never meant any of this to happen. You. Me. Us. None of it!"
That was Saira Malik's life in summary. Once a happy-go-lucky girl fantasized about two thin...
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My hand reached for my phone on the bedside table the second sleep wore off. Cracking an eye open, I flipped the device on and over. '8:00 AM' the time read, causing me to sigh loudly and change sides so I was laying on my back.
8 in the morning and I was practically locked in my own room. Last night after dinner, my sweet family had in fact sent me to sleep and bolted the door shut. From outside.
Why?
So I don't wake everyone up and make them run around as I had on the day Saira was coming back.
9 AM they'd strictly said. 'No one wakes up before that.' Mummy had said sternly pointing a finger at me. All I did was a huff, nodding at her words nonetheless. Because obviously I was left with no choice and had to force my mind into thinking a beauty sleep would only add to the wedding glow.
I check my phone again to see that only 10 minutes had passed by. Swiping it open, I contemplate whether to text Saira or not.
Maybe, she couldn't sleep like me? I shrug, typing 'You awake?' and hit send.
Drumming my fingers leisurely against my chest, I wait for her to reply. My phone buzzed with a new text, which was a picture of a sleeping Saira. Face bare of any makeup, her long hair sprawled all over the pillow, arms on either side of her head as she lay with eyes shut, facing away from the camera.
'She's sleeping, bhaiya.' The text read.
Smiling at the picture, I toss my phone away with a soft sigh.
A couple of hours, I told myself. Just a couple more hours and then I'll have her to myself for the rest of my life. The thought caused my heart to race abruptly. My Jaana will live here in this very room with me. Sleep on the same bed, change in the same closet, shower in the same bathroom. I could already see her hop around the room in one of my T-shirts. A stupid grin spread across my mouth.
Shuffling to my feet, I stretch my arms out and amble around the bed towards the bathroom. Washing myself, I freshen up make my way towards the closet and grab a fresh shirt. I pull it down my head, before looping my arms through. Taking a moment, I glance at the other side of the closet, Saira's side, and make sure I didn't leave anything in the luggage and all her clothes were in there. A faint click of the door sounded from my left causing me to take a peek to see mummy step inside.
"Let's have breakfast, chalo." she says, nodding her head to the side. With a small smile, I make my way over, glancing at the wall clock behind her that read 15 minutes to 9.
"Still got time for my bail to be granted." I joke.
"Your mother is very generous." She mocks. "You're welcome, by the way."
