Asmaira's Wish

To Fariya, Amaan was giving one surprise after another. With the afternoon incident with him at that pent- house, she was still in dazed when again he surprised her with his presence at the dinner table much to the amazement of the family. It was a complete family dinner with Amaan and Mehwish sitting beside each other talking happily. However Fariya noticed Asmaira's absence and when Ishaal inquired, Amaan replied that she was not well and would skip the dinner.

Except Fariya rest all believed him and why not seeing him in a happy mood after a long time didn't create any doubt. She wasn't sure what her son was up to and hence asked Maya about Asmaira's whereabouts. It turned out that since evening she was sitting in the garden area or rather hiding. First Mehwish and now Amaan how will she take care of Kabir. So far everybody in the family was good to her and she didn't find it difficult to fulfill her duty but now she was helpless.

After dinner, Fariya went to meet Asmaira who was lost in her own thoughts. When Fariya noticed her swollen face and hand print mark on her face, she understood what happened the previous night. Though she didn't ask Asmaira not to embarrass her. She couldn't believe her kind son would raise his hand on a woman. This was it!. 'I have to talk to Salar'.

"This is great, the presentation you prepared is exceptional, with this strategy the Singhania's will definitely agree for the contract", Salar said beaming at Amaan and could not be more proud.

'My son is back!', Salar thought proudly.

When Fariya went to Salar to talk about Amaan's behavior, he was already cheerful. However, when she tried to raise concern over Amaan's marital life, Salar quickly retorted.

"It's between them. We can force them to marry, but we can't dictate them how to live their marriage".

Seeing his wife's dissent he added, "he is doing well at the office now, give him some time to adjust to his marriage too. Didn't you notice he was happy at the dinner".

"But Salar his behavior towards Asmaira is not good, he tried.....", before she could talk about Amaan slapping Asmaira, Salar interrupted her irritated, "She is nowhere like Raina, do you think he will adjust to her so easily, if it was not for Kabir I wouldn't have agreed for her in the first place".

Fariya was disheartened to see Salar's disdain towards Asmaira. She felt helpless for her. Amaan had already taken his father on his side and it won't be easy to persuade him either.

When everybody retorted to their room, Maya helped Asmaira with her dinner. She ate and cried silently. She always felt as an outsider and today it proved her right.

'Poor soul', Maya sighed.

Asmaira again loiters around the garden as Amaan was in the mansion and she didn't want another encounter with him. She waited till midnight and reluctantly went to the room, assuming Amaan would have slept. She cautiously stepped in the room, tiptoeing in the darkness and she saw the silhouette of someone sleeping on the bed. She sighed and moved to the closet, for her mattress. The moment she stepped into the closet light flickered, startling her. She froze when she saw Amaan sitting on the bed staring at her. Her breathing stopped and she went numb.

'Why does this devil not sleep yet? What did I do now to make him angry?', she cried inside.

"Where were you?". He said indifferently.

Not hearing her response again, he stood up making her take a step back.

"G... Garden", was all she could manage, looking at the flooring fidgeting with her fingers.

"Do you remember I told you before, one word goes out of this room, the consequences will be dire?", he said while walking towards her. Sensing his movement, Asmaira starts walking backwards stammering, "ye.......yes".

"What were you doing in the garden then?". Still walking towards her.

She didn't know how to answer him, he was the reason she was hiding the entire evening and he was the one asking her the question. What an irony.

She violently shook her head, trying to say something, but as if her tongue was paralyzed, she could not manage to utter any words, with no place to retreat further she stood there trembling.

Mehwish words were ringing his mind, 'she is conniving, don't go by her simple looks'.

With that thought he became furious, banging his hand on the wall just beside her, making her jump in fear. She closed her eyes while a lone tear fell from her eye.

Amaan felt something strange when he looked at her pitiful appearance, something that he felt the other day. Unable to understand the new wave of emotion in him, he immediately moved back and snarled, "Get out".

With that, she ran towards her haven shutting the balcony door tight.

"Why do you always have to ruin everything for me? Why do you always take away my happiness? You took Raina away from me and now you want to take Kabir too?", she was cursing him.

"I finally got my peace and like always you took that away too", she whimpered holding her knees to her chest.

It was a fact that although she loathed him, she still married him so that she could take care of Kabir in Raina's absence.

"Abbu, Amaan is a good man, please once talk to him". Raina spoke.

"What sort of a good man will be with a girl alone in her room".

Ehsan was furious when he saw his daughter with Amaan in her room. He was beating him mercilessly, but Raina stopped him. Amaan did not retaliate as this will make things more difficult for him and Raina. He wanted to marry Raina but before he could propose Ehsan had already thrown him out of the house.

Raina wanted to tell her father that it was all a misunderstanding as it was her birthday and Amaan only wanted to see her first at midnight. It was her 22nd birthday and he wanted to surprise her with a marriage proposal. He was a man with high morals and never behaved inappropriately.

However, judging by the scene it looked more like Amaan had bad intentions. Before Raina could stabilize the situation her father gave his ultimatum.

"Your mother wanted to talk to you tomorrow, but now I see no point in delaying. We have set your marriage with Adil's son Azeem and they are coming next week to see you"

"What? How? ... Without asking my consent how can you arrange my marriage", Raina shrieked. She never backed down in voicing her opinion, even to her parents.

"Behave yourself Raina", this time Suraiya warned her daughter.

"No, let her talk, Suraiya, this is what that rich brat had taught her". Ehsan told while pulling Suraiya back.

"I am not like Asmaira, ammi. Who blindly follow whatever you tell her. You know I make my own decisions. I will only marry Amaan and nobody can force me, not even my parents". Raina said confidently.

"What", Ehsan and Suraiya said in unison. Suraiya was deeply hurt by her daughter's outrage. She subconsciously moved back and was about to fall, but Ehsan caught her.

"Our daughter has grown up, Suraiya and can make her own decisions. Why are you sad?". Ehsan said sorrowfully.

He was not an orthodox man, he believed in giving freedom to his children, but he never thought his daughter would argue with him for a stranger. His love for his daughter was compared with a stranger she hardly knew.

"Raina, I know boys like him belong to a rich family, they only use girls and then dispose off of them". Ehsan tried to reason with his daughter.

"Abbu, please trust me, he is not like that. He loves me and will never do like that in fact he wants to marry me. That is what he was telling me when you saw us and misunderstood". Raina tried persuading Ehsan but in vain.

"I have seen the world more than you, I have seen these so-called rich brat promising marriage and ran away. I can't let you spoil your life". Ehsan said sternly.

"I am sorry abbu, I will not leave Amaan".

"Since you want to take your own decision, then you have to choose between your family and him". This time Ehsan spoke strongly.

Asmaira who was till now silently listening to her father and sister's argument could not believe her father's words. What was more shocking was her sister's answer.

"I am sorry abbu, I will not leave him".

Taken aback, Ehsan took some time to realize and said slowly, "Very well, you can stay here for tonight and leave the house by morning".

"Ehsan!"

"Abbu!"

Suraiya and Asmaira said in unison.

Throughout the night Asmaira and Hassan, her brother tried to persuade Raina who seemed to turn deaf. She was sad to leave her family, but she knew her father's view about Amaan will not change and she cannot marry anyone except Amaan. Asmaira's pleadings were breaking her heart and she couldn't see her crying.

'Who will look after you Asmaira after me?', Raina cried pretending to sleep, not to look at the Asmaira pleading face.

When morning came, Ehsan still had hope with his daughter, however, it soon shattered when he saw Amaan outside the house.

'He is more important to you than your father, Raina'. Ehsan thought.

He went to Raina's room and said, "Once you step out of the house, never come back". Without waiting for her reply he left and never came to see his daughter.

Not wanting to see Asmaira's sorrowful face or hurt her more, Raina called Amaan in the early morning and left without meeting her or her brother Hassan. However, Suraiya knows her daughter well. She was waiting for her in the living room. That moment nobody spoke anything, just kept looking at each other and crying. Nobody knows how much time went by, they were back to their senses when Amaan called Raina. With that Raina left with Amaan.

When Asmaira woke up, she could feel something was missing. She immediately went to her sister's room and found a note,"I will miss you".

Asmaira was heartbroken, she still couldn't believe her sister, her idol, her savior who promised to be there with her left, left her and her family for a guy she knew only for a few months.

"Amaan, I wish you never existed in the world, you took away my everything and I wish one day God takes away your everything", she cried and cursed Amaan everyday.