The Expensive Daughter Of A Pauper

Chapter 20

The array of the silver food flasks on the dinning table was attention-arresting. It forced me to smile not because I was hungry but because I cooked myself. The feeling when you cook after a long time and people sit round to consume it is satisfying.
     After serving Mama and Aunt Zaliha, I moved on to Rayyan whose favorite dish I cooked - masa. I wanted him to calm down completely for mother stopped him from meeting Swabir earlier that morning. I served Maryam then myself. I enjoy doing stuffs with respect to age. Yes, Maryam is four months older than me.

     The door bell rang which interrupted our silent lunch. Maryam made for the door and ushered Hanan and her sister- the bride-to be. I embraced them all and was glad they came. They brought invitation cards, and also the my bridemaid's gown. To me, all that was a little too formal. Later, me, Hanan and Maryam isolated ourselves and landed in my room.

"Aisha will not be around during the wedding,"said Hanan.
"Oh yeah she told me she will be going to Scotland,"went my reply.

"But Aman will be around, Aisha's absence should not be an issue,"teased Maryam.
"Mary shut that you mouth if you don't want us to start the daily business." I scolded.

"Hmmm.. my assumptions are now true. Maryam you know sometimes I call Zarah but she will be busy with Aman, she always call me back after they are done,"Hanan wasn't a good teaser but she got it here.

"Do not let Maryam infect you,"I defended myself.
"It's the truth," both ladies chorused.

The argument went on for sometime before Hanan and her sister left. I was about to plead with Swabir to take us out before the door bell rang again. "Today is visitor's day," I jubilated, making my way to the door.

I was awestruck for seconds, my jaw dropped. My heart skipped. I immediately regretted opening the door. I couldn't usher them in nor send them back for they are guests I never expected- unwanted, uninvited.
"Who is by the door?"mother enquired?
"Usher them in Zarah,"she continued after my silence.

"Mom I thought you said you were tired, go take a nap. This are my guests and I will attend to them,"Rayyan said as she was about to reach the door. Mother nodded and went to her room. Rayyan has probably seen Swabir's car from the balcony and so, he came to my rescue. I thanked Allah deep down.

"What is it? What are you doing here?"enquired the angry Rayyan as he averted his eyes from Swabir to the police he came with.
"Don't ask me, ask this human beside you."Swabir sent a filthy look.
"I now remember. There should be a misunderstanding here because Zarah wouldn't send you thugs to snatch your money,"Rayyan decided to be soft.

"Why do you think she can't? I'm actually not surprised,  what will you do if not defend her,"ranted the accuser.
"Swabir don't create a scene here,"went Rayyan.
"I'm not here to create any scene but to arrest her." Swabir gestured the police to arrest me. I just remain fixed.

"You can only place handcuffs on her when I'm no more breathing,"Rayyan stood before me.
"Sir understand that your wife is accused and have to follow us to the station for interrogation. The robbers we arrested have given their statement and according to them, she paid them for it. So please cooperate,"the policeman mistook me as Rayyan's wife but that was not even the issue. How can i do that?

I couldn't even move a finger but stood there like a statue. I felt fear travelling along my veins, full of dismay.

Rayyan continued to protest before the police managed to use law against him. He agreed that we should follow them under the condition that non of them will lay his hand on me. He assured me everything will be okay. And after that,  Rayyan drove to the station.

"Swabir why have you become so rigid." A voice yelled as the interrogation was about to commence. The voice was clearly Malik's.
"Did I not stop you from bringing this case to the station. After all, the thugs were arrested and your money have been retrieved, what else do you want?"he scolded his son.

"It's not about the money, is for her to learn a lesson,"the son replied.
"Shut up! For Allah's sake just end this case now please,"pleaded the father. I felt so embarrassed that all that was happening because of me. I didn't even had an idea about the money or thieves they were talking about but I still felt bad. Rayyan's eyes were focused only on the apprehended thieves with an angry face. He made sure to beside me all the time, defending me.

Swabir agreed to end the case and that moment Malik sir went out and drove away. All the time he spent at the station, he never gave me a single look. I remembered how I drove him out of my life but was still helping me. Have I done justice ? Was I fair to him at all?  Such questions kept bumpimg into my mind before I managed to ignore it all. 

The police station incidence became a secret known only to me and Rayyan.

A week later
Hanan had been inviting me to thier house for the weeding preparation of her sister but I always dodged. The probability of seeing Swabir there was high so I always find excuses to back myself up. Two days before the main weeding day, Hanan came and took me and Maryam with her, forcefully.

"I can't wait for your weeding day to come," a friend of the bride-to-be shouted.
"Drag it closer then,"replied Ayat-the bride.

"Ayat the wedding planner is really good, your husband made a wise choice,"went another bridemaid.
"No, he actually told me a friend of his took care of the dinner and its planning. Yes and not my husband but husband-to-be"

"Whatever. Who among his friends?"enquired the first friend as she drank orange juice.
"Swabir Yasir son of Malik Samir,"the ladies squirreled upon hearing the name while my heart skipped. I wasn't scared of him but I didn't want to hear a word about him.
"I have been hearing of his name and I follow his social media accounts, like all of them. The guy is cool,"said the Ayat's friend.

"How does he look like?"asked the other friend.
"Zarah tell them how he looked like."Ayat said to me.

"Why...why are you...asking me?"I stammered.
"Remember you took drinks to them when they came sometime ago."
"Oh that means he was among them. I can't reallly remember is face now,"I lied and I thanked God Hanan wasn't there at that moment, she could have recalled all the times Swabir came to our school back then. She could have proved me a liar. Well to lie is a sin, absolutely bad thing.

I laid on my bed after arriving back home. A gentle knock landed on my door and I predicted it was Rayyan. I jumped from my bed and opened the door. Noticing I wasn't having a headscarf,  he didn't give me a second but demanded my audience in the parlour. I covered my hair and decended the stairs.

"Swabir's robbery was a set up against you."
My heart pounded when I heard that.
"Who would do such a thing just to blackmail me?"a warm tear rolled down my check.
"The thugs were bailed and I had someone following them. He took a picture of the lady who planned all that happened. I will only tell you if you wipe that tear and stop crying like a baby."
I did as he suggested. He brought his phone out and placed the picture before my eyes.  I was not just surprised but shocked by the person I saw. Why would she do that?

Hello my lovely reader!
Who is she? Any guess?
I hope you are all in good health. I apologise for the late update. It actually had been 2 years since I started this book. I want to say a special thank you to all my readers.

@sahbeerah I dedicate this chapter to you for the lovely comments you made.

Question of the day.
Choose your favourite among the following;
(A) Swabir
(B) Rayyan
(C) Aman
(D) Malik sir
(E) late Idris
Comment your answers. Let's met in the next chapter.
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