Divulging Remorse ✔

Chapter 19

The mansion was hustling with workers all over the place; arranging the seating and decor for the big day tomorrow. The celebration had already begun and it was a riot of colours, smiles and laughter with relatives and friends pouring in from all over the world. Music filled the air, festive beats perfect sync to the hearts of all who felt alive and be silly like never before.

Riya's mind buzzed, her limbs so charged up that she walked with a bounce in her step. Every normal thought and worry were banished, there wasn't any room for all that excitement exploding in her mind. She chattered and giggled, joked and danced. Moutasim had ruined her performance the night before, but she had let it go. Astonishingly, she did. 

The wedding blast that had been going on for weeks, those crazy nights which had turned into days with her mad cousins, simply lying around; doing nothing and being a complete potato, everything was coming to an end.  She remembered when Aleesha and she were kids, they'd play dolls and house together. They'd dress up and play wedding; they'd always make Ammar the groom and Aleesha the bride, Riya the bride's loud mother who'd cry like a baby when her daughter was gone and Shahraz, the sober old father. While all the other guys were made to be waiters! She recalled how Moutasim wailed and made a fuss about not wanting to be a servant, he wanted to be a bride, always!  She tugged at her earlobe and smiled to herself. 

The next day, her cousin was getting married for real! Back in childhood, the future and the obsession to be grown-ups was all they wished, now she would give anything to go back and be little again, where the only problems were lost crayons and broken toys. 

She took a deep breath. I'll miss all this so badly.

As she was excitedly hurrying down to the orchard where the huge breakfast table was laid, she paused when her father called her.

She shook her head and eyed those perfect rolled up Spanish omelettes waiting on a platter and a rounded tower of fluffy pancakes with Nutella dripping over it on another. She reluctantly strode in one of the guest rooms where he waited for her.

Zar Wali was restlessly pacing across the room, apprehension evident on his face when Riya entered. 

He held up a file and pen, "Riya, sign these papers, quick!"

"What kind of papers, Baba?" Her eyebrows snapped together in bewilderment.

"Just do it, I don't have time to explain."

He looked at the wall behind her so that he couldn't meet her sceptical, pinning look and handed her some stapled sheets. She tried scanning the written text, but he snatched it out of her grip, placed it on the table and kept the pen beside it, tapping on the space where the signature was required.

Still finding her confused and rooted to the spot, he said, "You trust your father, don't you?"

Riya gave him an embarrassed smile, she was doubting something which was unquestionable. For a second there, by the looks of him, she thought he was getting her into something he shouldn't. So, what, even if he was? As if she was a millionaire for people to trick her on things and steal from under her nose! Besides, there weren't some people, it was her father.

Without answering, she picked up the pen and inked her name down, not shooting further questions or giving him any doubtful glares. He flipped the page over and gestured her to sign once more and then again, for the third and last time.

She didn't know that she had scribbled her fate away with a few strokes of a pen. 

"Listen to me very carefully Riya-"

"What's going on, Baba?" She interrupted him, her expression dulled. 

"I know, this is going to shock you beyond words but..."