Oops I guess?

I looked up from my AP Physics homework as Daneen stormed through the front door. I had never seen her walk so fast in her life but today was full of surprises overall. She paused on her way to the stairs, glared at me and mouthed 'You're dead' and resumed her previous speed up the stairs.

Mayhaps I flinched.

There was only one thing scarier that an angry Daneen. A serial killer getting into your house and turning off the power. And an angry Yusuf, but no one worries about that. I haven't seen him get mad since some random kid threw sand in Mihirmah's eyes back in 7th grade.

I shuddered again.

Deciding I had had enough horror in one day, (between my physics homework and my sister), I decided to eat something because what's better than consuming unhealthy amounts of food even though you know just how bad the consequences are.

Nothing.

My heroic journey of saving the last donut from the trash was thwarted by my dad who came out of no where, snatched it, and then disappeared out the front door.

"BABA!" I screamed, but he was gone. Leaving me hungry, and angry like Daneen.

There was only one thing left to do now.

Angrily bake lemon tarts.

Senior year of high school wasn't as stressful as I had initially thought. Of course there was the constant worry about getting into your preferred college, but the work load was much nicer. I had taken that to my advantage. I had plenty of time to sit around these days and do whatever I liked. Hence my scrumptious lemon tarts that (almost) burned.

After I was completely sure that Daneen wouldn't bite my head off, and I had devoured all the lemon tarts, I decided to pay her a little visit.

Luckily for me the door was unlocked and I walked in to see my sister on her phone, listening to some Bollywood songs probably.

"Sooooo, how'd it go?" I asked feebly, afraid of a dramatic reaction.

She sighed, taking out an earbud. "He hasn't changed. Now he's a flirt, and a jerk."

"What does that mean for the two of you? Will you say no?"

"No, I'll give him a chance, I mean I guess I kinda liked the compliments, and wellllll, he's maybe a little cute so" She shrugged her shoulders, smiling a little.

"So why were you angry at me"?

"You took my purse with you so he had to pay, and you KNOW what goes down when it's time to pay a bill".

I nodded eagerly. I did know. Every Asian knows.

I excused myself from her room and went back to my homework, sighing in relief, glad that things were going to work out between them.

///

Daneen and Azaan's engagement was nearing, and to say I was excited was a huge understatement.

Our house was literally a florist shop, as we had decided to host the engagement party in our home so that all the funds could go towards the wedding.

#TheThriftyLife

My mother was turning into a literal hyperactive zombie, with bags underneath her eyes, as she flurried around the house and outside the house at the speed of light.

And Daneen was having the biggest crisis of it all.

"I can't believe they did this! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!" She screamed as she paced the floor of our sunroom before her engagement dress.

"I said dusty rose, they gave me silver! I REFUSE TO WEAR THIS!"

Her best friend, Hira, tried to console her but was rudely glared at and took her seat with a huff. Our cousin Aleezay, who was a designer, examined the dress, trying to make sense of it, while our other cousin, Roma, was on the phone, arguing with the designer.

Our other cousins were heavily dispersed around the house, helping with whatever they could, Yasmin taking care of the flower arrangements, Nura assigning seats appropriately, Farah helping my mother cook.

And their mothers, my khalas, mumanis, and chachis.

"It isn't so bad, Dani! I mean we can add some baby blue and rose appliques and we'll be good!" Aleezay protested.

In the meanwhile, Roma had gotten through to the designer and was busy yelling at her in the backyard.

"Yeah, Aleezay's absolutely right! We can add some here, and litter them throughout the skirt!" I added.

The doorbell rang, and I went to answer the door. Although Yasmin had gotten to it first.

I watched, stifling a couple giggles here and there, as she dropped sultry comments about poor, stranded in the doorway, Yusuf who was still trying to be polite. He locked eyes with me and pleaded through facial expressions alone and I decided to pity him.

"Meena chachi! You look so good today!" I mentioned Yasmin's mom as Yasmin's head, and the rest of her body, jerked away a considerable distance from Yusuf who beckoned me to come to the door.

"What's up mi amigo?" I walked to the door.

"What's up? What's up? Your mom is going crazy that's what's up! You need to help me Ahlam! She's taken the whole 'you're like my son' thing too seriously. I don't know what half the things on this list are!" He shook me violently.

"OK, first of all, no touchy touchy. Second of all you can suffer for tripping me in the hallway yesterday."

"Ahlam!"

"What?" I feigned innocence.

"Please, I'm literally begging you, I can't let Lyra aunty down!" He made puppy dog eyes at me and I rolled my own.

"My mom is probably going to forget about this list in less than an hour!"

"No she won't. She wrote everything in red pen, indicating how important it is!"

I paled. My mother never used red pens.

But then an evil idea came into my mind.

I took the list from him and wrote down an address with the pen which was available in my hair.

"You'll find these things here."

"Oh my goodness, thank God you exist!" He ran to his car and drove off as fast as he had gotten here.

An hour later after a howler-like of a call from him, I was successfully blocked.

"Oops, I guess" I shrugged mischievously.

No one trips me and gets away with it.

///

"Betrayal is the only truth that sticks"-Arthur Miller