BY ZEE ASLAM
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Khaleel sized her from head to toe then asked in a harsh tone, “where are you coming from this late”?
She did not provide a reply rather, she walked passed him and sat on the sofa adjacent to him and was removing her shoes.
“Am sure you didn’t just turned a deaf ear to my question”? He asked again.
“The last time I checked, I don’t owe you or anyone else an explanation of my whereabouts”. She replied twisting her mouth.
Khaleel only shook his head
“Eheenn to what do I owe this August visit”? She asked.
He cleared his throat and started, ‘My dad would be undergoing a surgery in few weeks time and he wants this marriage to take place before then’. He uttered doubting his choice of words.
She stared at him like she was trying to figure out something. If eventually this marriage takes place soon then she would be getting her payment earlier than discussed.
“No problem, his wish is our command”, she said and he smiled.
“How do we go about the formal introduction, who are the people am to meet”? He asked.
His words sunk deep into her head ‘which people’.
“Follow me” she said and stood up sluggishly leading to Umma’s room. He followed behind till they got to the room.
Just a stare at Umma got him stiffed.
“This is my mum and she is the “said people” you should meet but unfortunately she has been bedridden ever since she was delivered of my kid brother. She is the reason why am doing all this” She explained as a tear left her eye.
Khaleel was touched by this sight. ‘Umma will be hale and hearty again In Sha Allah’. He said.
Farida put up a bright smile and led him out.
In the sitting room, they had little discussion and planned the wedding before he left.
Farida was beginning to feel secured about this whole thing. Why wouldn’t she be? Atleast her mother will be fine again.
Few days later, Farida received a call from Zarah asking how far she had gone with the wedding preparations.
She told her what transpired between them and did not leave a stone unturned. Zarah was impressed even though she was not told about the contract.
They rounded up the conversation with Zarah teasing Farida. She hung up and went down memory lane to when she was preparing for her first marriage.
Bello had stood by her firmly and taken care of all the expenses.
Khaleel suspended everything at work and took the list Farida had given him to Didi.
Didi stared at it smiling saying, Boss man you are indeed lucky. This list is casual and not extravagant nor bulky.
“What do you expect Didi, this isn’t her first marriage, what’s the need of being extravagant”? Ramlat chipped in.
Khaleel gave her a bad stare sending a message to her with his eyes. She understood what he meant and hissed then vacated the sitting room.
“Don’t mind her”, Didi said.
He left after devouring lunch.
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Farida on the other hand, cross checked the contracts sent to her mail by her manager and picked out those she was comfortable with.
She was no longer that young lady whom was consumed by youthful exuberance. She love the woman she was becoming.
The wedding preparations went on and on as the D-day was fast approaching.
On the eve of the wedding of the wedding fatiha, Zarah packed a bag and came to sleep over.
After the henna design and everything, Didi and the driver brought the kayan lefe.
When they left, Zarah ransacked the boxes like she was looking for something. She hung her mouth open in awe as she saw expensive dresses, shoes and bags that caught her attention.
“Babe you are so lucky ooooo” she kept saying.
“Please return everything into the boxes and arrange them over there” Farida said to her not minding to check them out.
Zarah looked at her curiously. She knows her friend don’t get swayed by materialistic things but this is way too much.
If only she was the one, heaven knows she wouldn’t have kept calm this way. She quietly stood up and put everything back into boxes then did as she was told.
The night was a long but it seemed short to the latter. Farida did not close her eyes a bit, she thought about how her new life was going to be all night.
The first cock crow made her heart skipped a bit like it went out of it’s position. There was nothing much to do at her place, they just had breakfast and arranged the whole house.
At exactly 10:30 am, Farida received a message from Khaleel, they had just concluded the wedding fatiha with his father standing in as hers and would be coming to convey the bride by 4pm.
Farida showed the message to Zarah and she led out a shout of joy. She assisted Farida in arranging her things then prepared lunch.
Farida went into Umma’s room to bid her farewell before the arrival of the groom and his friends. The bride was conveyed to the royal home towards evening.
Didi had arranged Boss man’s chamber where they would be spending a week before moving to their own apartment.
Zarah was with her friend all along but left after she had settled. Sufyan would be joining them after a week.
Later at night, Khaleel and his friends came into the room. They advised and teased her before leaving.
Afterwards Khaleel did not say a word to her rather, he picked the duvet and a pillow and went out to the sitting room.
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The next morning, Ramlat brought breakfast for them. He opened the door and collected the food carrier from her and was about closing the door when she called his name.
She went closer to him and whispered to his ears “how was it”? as she used a finger to draw on his chest.
Peeping through she saw the duvet and pillow on the couch. She smiled mischievously and left.
Boss man was not surprised, this isn’t the first time Ramlat was exhibiting such behavior.
He kept the food carrier on the centre table then lay on the couch again. His whole body aches as he wasn’t used to sleeping on the couch.
Farida had woken up earlier and prayed but remained on the bed. A beep sound made her check her phone.
It was a message from Khaleel “come take breakfast before it gets cold”
She dropped the phone and wore her hijab then came out. He was already serving his breakfast. He handed her a plate and pointed to the flask on the table.
She collected the plate and dished out hers too then went back to the room. There she ate comfortably and took her bath then lay on the bed again.
She placed a call to the nurse maid enquiring about Umma and Sufyan and soon she dozed off.
