Deceptions

Chapter 1

"Yes, Dad. I understand. I'll stop eating "foreign garbage" and bring out the vegetables you and Annie sent," I said, walking around the tiny white open kitchen and pulling toast out of the toaster.

"Of course! Eating way too much, McDonald's and Subway is going to ruin my baby's pretty face," my father's voice echoed off the walls.

I scoffed. "Are you calling me ugly?"

"No! I just don't want you to get sick, Ayra," was his counter defence.

I snorted, "Just kidding, Dad. Tell me, how's the weather back in Pakistan?"

"Very hot. Your Phupo(paternal aunt) wants me to buy 20 blocks of ice from her son to stay cool during the heatwave. Now tell me, why would I buy so much ice? Am I dying or something*?"

My eyes widened, the knife almost slipping from my hand, "Let me guess. Rayan Bhai(brother) is facing a loss again, isn't he?"

"I think so. She did the same last winter when he blew off half of his income by gambling," I could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

I placed pieces of boiled chicken on the bread after spreading mayo and ketchup paired with mustard sauce over it. Taking a bite, I rested my back against the kitchen counter.

"Phupo really is something. Have you been taking your medicines lately?" I asked.

"Yes. I have asked Jawad to keep track of my morning exercises, and I only have two more sessions with the physiotherapist," he sounded proud.

I smiled. "How's your leg coming along?"

"Fine. I only have a tiny limp in my gate now. I even went in for work yesterday."

"You went back to work? And didn't even tell me?" I sounded more cross than I intended to be.

"It's okay, beta(child). I didn't want to bother you when you're so far away," came his answer.

I finished the sandwich and wiped my hands with a blanket. "You've been keeping things from me lately, Dad. Once I come back, I'm so going to keep a really strict eye on you."

He chuckled. "Okay, I won't say anything. Don't you have classes today?"

"I just need to turn my thesis in and sit in for a chat with a professor. After that, I'l probably go to my part-time job, and then I'm free until the panel approves my work," I told him, taking the apron off and cleaning the counter.

My apartment mate, Iliana, was a neat freak, and I was sure she'd scream if I didn't clean up properly.

"In Sha Allah(if God wills), you'll graduate with flying colors, my love. Ushna is going to be in Germany for the entire next month. I asked her to attend your graduation ceremony on my behalf," Dad's voice buzzed a bit.

I was sad he couldn't make it, but I wasn't going to protest. "Okay, Dad. I better run. The professor won't wait for me too long. I'll call you once I'm back at the apartment! Love you!"

"I love you too, beta. Hurry back home, it's so empty without you," the sadness in his voice was genuine.

I picked up my phone and bid him goodbye before hanging up and sighing.

I loved my Dad, and sometimes he worried me more than I let on. Since I'm his only child, he showered me with love and care. That is what I wanted to do now. I came to Germany to specialize in computer engineering. Now that my degree was over, with only a week till graduation, I was more than excited to go back to my home country, Pakistan, to join my father again.

I was 8 years old when my mother died in a car crash. My father never likes to talk about it much, but I did get the vague idea that she had been pregnant at the time. He had been truly devastated but pulled himself together for my sake.