Her Bestfriend's Brother [Editing]

Part 25: And I Drowned In That Flood

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𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐚'𝐬 𝐏.𝐎.𝐕.

You know that feeling when you think that you are finally over a person and living a happy life with your current partner, but all of a sudden, your past hits you like a truck?

Yeah, I know that feeling. When I had convinced myself that 'Layla, you don't like Imran anymore and now he's just your best friend's brother', he came back in my life like a storm.

I am not saying that I like him and not my boyfriend Amaan, never, I like him a lot. We've been together for a long time and I'm so glad for it.

But now when I was talking to Imran, I experienced a different feeling, something that I have never ever experienced with Amaan.
We hadn't talked on Snapchat since I found out that he was Zayn's brother. But today, when he texted me there, all of those memories came back.

The reason why I saved his name as 'Imran💛', the name he used for me, our chats, everything came at me like a flood. And I drowned in that flood.

When I was little, I always had this image in my mind that happiness in yellow. Weird? I know. But since I met Imran, I started becoming happier. I liked it when we would spend time with each other, it always made me so happy. Which is why I had put a 'Yellow heart' emoji next to his name.

I wonder if he has my name the same way like before or changed it.
He said that the three leafed plant is often considered lucky and special, and that I am his good luck. Which is why he put that emoji next to my name.

"Layla!" The door to my room burst open and in came Zahra. Why do I feel that she's again gonna shout at me for some silly- "Layla, I want your brown pull over." "And why should I give it to you?" I asked at which she said, in a much louder voice, "Because I want to wear it. C'mon fast I've gotta leave in 15 minutes."

"I've said this before and am saying it again, I wont give you my clothes to wear, just like you don't let me wear yours, okay?" I said and began scrolling on my Instagram when she grabbed my phone and threw it. I watched in shock as my phone fell on the bed and bounced its way to the floor.
I hopped out of my bed and picked my phone, only to see a few big ass scratches on it.

I attempted to turn it on but it wouldn't switch on. I patted my phone a few times but it did nothing. I looked at Zahra, who stood there without a single trace of guilt on her face.

"Zahra what the hell? Are you nuts? Who does that?" I shouted at her as she said, "I- I didnt mean for it to break." "What else would even happen if you throw a phone with such force? You better explain this to Mom and Dad." I said and made my way out of the door when she held my hand and said, "You wanna tell this to Mom Dad? Go ahead, even I'll see what they'll say to me." She smirked and I went to my parents.

"Mom, dad! Look what she did to my phone!" I exclaimed and they looked at me and then at my phone. "Oh my God! What is this Layla?" Mom asked to which I replied, "Mom, Zahra threw my phone just because I wasn't giving her my clothes."

"Layla you should have simply given her the clothes she wanted. Why do you argue with her, huh?" Mom said, as if it was my fault. "Mom, she never lets me wear her clothes so why shall I let-" "Enough Layla! Is this what we taught you? To misbehave with your elders? I don't care about what she said, but you must listen to everything she says without questioning her." "But mom, is this acceptable?" "Go to your room now."

I couldn't believe that inspite of knowing how Zahra is, my parents were still backing her up and shouting at me for something I didn't even do. They always defend Zahra no matter what and make me feel abandoned.

I ran to my room and locked the door. My knees gave up on me as I fell on the floor and cried against the door. It hurts so bad when they do this. And I always end up thinking that they don't love me, because honestly, they don't!

I kept on crying as I remembered every incident where our parents have wronged me and shouted at me without even knowing if I was at fault. I remember when my mom hit me for the first time.

So around 4 years ago, Zahra and I had gone out to a mall, or what really happened was Zahra took me out saying she wanted a 'Sisters Day' with me. After an hour or so, a guy around her age came to us and hugged her. She introduced him to me as her 'classmate'.

Me being the silly me thought that he would go in some time, only for him to stay with us for the next two hours. When we had to leave, my sister went to take the parcel. Meanwhile I was talking to Ishan, that guy, and he got a phone call. After talking on the phone, he told me that he had to go and side hugged me.

I said bye to him and watched him go, while waiting for Zahra to come. When she came back, I simply said that he left and so did we. The actual problem came up when we got home. So apparently, some lady from our neighbourhood saw me with Ishan and also saw that he hugged me. She told this to my mom who then thought that he was my boyfriend or something.

I tried to tell her that he was Zahra's friend and not mine, and that in fact I didn't even know who he was until that day, but she wouldn't listen to me.
And the worst thing was that even Zahra didn't say anything to support me.

In fact when I said that he was her friend, she straightaway said that I was lying and she had no idea who he was. I was literally pleading against her to tell the truth, but she didn't.

That was the first time when my mom had hit me. What actually hurt me was that she didn't believe me, but Zahra. I remember her saying that, "You are a shame to me. I wish that rather than having a shameless daughter like you, I had only one daughter- Zahra."

These words broke me inside out and it still hurts. Every time my parents choose her over me. How is that fair to love one of your children and just ignore the other one?
Do they not think what effect must it have on me? On my mental health?
Do they not know that it is not permissible even in Islam to be biased towards your children, to show love and over affection to one child, and be unjust to the other or to have a favourite child?
These memories just added more to my pain as I continued crying.

Oh my God I slept on the floor whilst crying. I checked the time on my smartwatch and saw that it was 9:23 pm. I have to get my phone repaired anyhow by today itself. I washed my face to make sure that I wasn't looking like I slept from crying for an hour or so. My eyes were red and swollen from the crying and so were my nose and cheeks. Basically, my whole face was red.

You don't want someone to look at you when you look like a swollen potato now, do you? I changed my clothes and got ready to go and get my phone repaired, but then I remember something.

I opened my laptop and logged in through my Instagram. I messaged Iqra, Shifa, Zayn and Amaan that my phone is broken and isn't working. Else they would be calling me and I would have no idea of it.

I took my purse, my now broken phone and my car keys and left my home without informing anyone. I'm very much sure that they would have an objection against this as well and I had no power to argue with anyone right now.

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