A Midsummer Weekend (The Extended Version)

18. The Drama

Note: Oops! I lied in the last chapter that this one would be the last. It was become too long, so this is the second last. 

Two Days Before the Wedding

Farah

I had finally graduated from medical school exactly a week ago. Since then life had only just sped up. I had family all over the world. From Canada to UK and Australia. And mine was the first wedding in the family after a gap of several years, so of course everyone was invited and everyone decided that it was high time they made a trip to Pakistan. 

Ami tried to make me one of those traditional brides, who just sat in their room and relaxed before the wedding. Mayun bethna as they call it sometimes, where the bride is not allowed to leave their home after the Mayun rasam in which tumeric paste is put on the bride. I had the Mayun event soon after graduation, but cabin fever hit me hard and before my Ami could object to it I was out with my friends celebrating surviving 5 years of the most gruelling learning experience I had ever had. 

Ami was not happy, but I compensated by helping out with getting the house ready for the deluge of guests that had descended in Karachi. But today, even I was nervous about pushing my limits with her. 

"Ami, can I please go with my class to the beach trip tomorrow. This is the last time I will ever be with them as a group..."

"Tumhara demagh kharaab hai? Do din mein tumhari shaadi ho rahi, saari kaali ho ke aajao gi. You don't have to rebel against every tradition?" (Are you out of your mind? Your wedding is in two days, you'll become all tan)

"Ami aap ne pichlay panch saaloun mein meray rang ki parwah nahi ki, tou ab kyun kar rahi hain?" (You haven't cared about the color of my skin in the last five years, why do you care now?)

My father was listening to our conversation and whether it was my pouting face or he just wanted some peace around house, he gave his two cents as well and convinced my mother to let me go. 

"Begum if she wants to be a rebel one last time at her parents' home, let her. Aage ja ke tou sirf responsibilities he hoyen gi bechari per" (Going forward she'll only have responsibilities, poor thing)

Ami threw her hands up in frustration and huffed out of the room, and Abu grinned at me, "Make sure you put lots of sunscreen on"

"Deal", I flung my arms around him, "I love you, Abu!"

Kamran

"Could I get a window seat please", I told the women at the check-in counter for American Air. 

On the counter next to me, Safdar pointed at me and said, "Could I get an aisle seat next to him?

We were going to attempt the oldest trick in the book to get some extra space in the economy cabin. Book the aisle and window seat in the same section of a row and hope the plane is not full and that no one wants the middle seat. 

Two hours later when the pilot asked all the ground crew to leave the plane, and the middle seat was still empty, we high-fived and laughed. 

"Ready to get married?", Safdar asked. 

"I am, but are you ready to meet my sister?", I replied. 

"Yes", he said dreamily without looking at me. 

I didn't mind talking about Komal with him, now that my parents and his had officially spoken about Komal and his rishta. But he was still shy about it, which always humored me, because Komal was anything but that when it came to Safdar.