The Wife Games

Zaid finally cracks.

Zaid-

Being the somewhat mother hen of a group of gaggling girls is not easy, especially when you have no support from your parents no matter how rich you are. Honestly, Allah only knows how I am going to cope if I get married. I guess what I am hoping for is a mature woman who will understand my sisters and see them as her own sisters. That's all I really want.

My prayers for being able to cope were somewhat answered, but then again, the way in which they were was definitely not agreeable for me. In some ways I saw the solution as the devils temptation rather than God's mercy.

Earlier this morning I received a message from my father telling me that he wanted to get Tahlibah married within the year. In a sense I knew it was a good idea, she wasn't really getting any younger, and to find the best for my sister I needed time too. The catch was that it was my father who suggested it and he and the stepmother wanted to be involved in the process of it all. I knew immediately that if I suggested to Tahlibah that our parents should have a say in her marriage, she would ignore me for the rest of my life, which is why I kept the thought to the back of my head. The message from my father also told me that I had until tonight to decide whether I wanted to be a part of his decision or not. I was ready to reply to the message straight away and tell him to do one, but then I remembered something a wise woman once told me. Never rush into any decision, especially ones which don't even involve you. The decision I made was to gather the troops and take a vote on what we should do. I knew that even though my sisters were giggly and girly and not to mention annoying, they were definitely not stupid. I mean some of my best business deals were made based on their ideas. In the end I sent a text in our Whatsapp group telling them all to meet me at home by 7pm.

When I reached the house most of the Annoying's were there, well the younger Annoying's were home anyway. With the exception of Ateefa, Tahlibah and Zareen everyone else was there. after refreshing myself I casually strolled to the kitchen which is where we all left messages for each other if we were going out or if we needed anything in the grocery shopping. Unsurprisingly, there was a note from Zareen claiming she had gone out for 'air'. Like there isn't air at home. Idiot. I knew Tilly would on her way back from work, and I had absolutely no idea where Ateefa was. Starting to make pasta I rang her to find out what was happening.

She picked up after the first few rings.

"Salam Bhai Jaan" she answered. The surrounding noise told me she was probably at a store or something.

"Wa Alaikum Assalam, where are you? Did you get my message?" I asked. I heard a lot of shushing from her side before she finally told me she had gone out for some sweets.

"Who are you with?" I asked. Generally I trusted my sisters, and if there was one I definitely trusted it would be Ateefa, but as a brother I had to do my job properly.

"Just a friend" she answered.

"Are you coming home soon?" I asked deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"Uh... 25 minutes? I didn't take my car, I took a bus" she said.

"Okay, try to be home soon" I told her before promptly disconnecting the call.

"Right Bhai Jaan, I'm home, what do you have to say?" Tahlibah called from the front door.

"Go and change, by the time you finish Ateefa and Zareen should be here" I told her loudly. Within the space of 15 minutes Tahlibah came downstairs and sat in the lounge, thinking that my pasta would slowly boil on a low gas, I left it and joined her.

"They're not back yet and I've got a movie to watch" Tahlibah pursed her lips as though telling me to get a move on. I let out an irritated sigh before deciding to tell them the news.

"Dad wants you to get married" I told her simply. I don't think any of my sisters actually clicked on to what I was saying as hey were awfully quiet. Or perhaps they didn't really know how to react. Anywho I remained quiet to give them a chance to speak.

"Well... Dad can just...." Tahlibah struggled to find a suitable insult.

"He can go fuck himself" Halimah said quietly.

Immediately there were coughs and splutters from us all as we tried to digest Haleemah swearing! She is well know to be the calm one and definitely no swearing ever comes from her!

"No I'm being serious" She continued, raising a palm as though trying to quieten the psychic noise coming from us.

"Where the hell has been to give us... Any of us... Orders. He's absolutely a pathetic excuse for a father. He let his barely old enough son take off with his 7 daughters, without a care in the world on how they're going to survive. Granted he gives us money, but he definitely doesn't give a shit" she exploded.

Immediately I became slightly defensive inside.

"Hey! I did okay! And I didn't take off with you, you came running to me remember" I pointed out.

"Maybe, but he hasn't ever actually rang us to see if we're still alive has he? And neither has his wife. Nusrah is 12 for God's sake! They haven't ever rang for even her! And I would bet everything I love that he didn't even ring to tell you that he wants Tahlibah to get married, I bet he got his assistant to leave a voicemail or some crap like that" she finished miserably. The others looked at me to confirm if what Hallie said was true. I couldn't bring myself to even look at them I was that ashamed. Hallie was basically right.

"Your silence speaks a thousand words" Saraah gravely said in a tone designed to compliment that of her twin's.

We must have sat in the room silent for a good 20 minutes which was really abnormal given all of my sister's chatterbox natures, and then the house phone rang. Simultaneously our heads turned to face the enemy which was the phone. No one moved as the phone continuously rang.

"Nusrah go get it" Haleemah pushed.

"No! I hate talking on the phone you go!" She retorted.

I shook my head at their bickering. As the eldest I should have probably been mature enough to offer to get the phone, instead I made puppy eyes at Fakhirah who rolled her eyes at me and answered the phone. Seconds after she had done so the front door clicked open and we were all greeted by shouting in the hallway.

"Who do you think you are?!" Ateefa's enraged voice came through, and then whoever she was screaming at started to speak. Through the closed living room door came muffles to accompany Ateefa's shouting. Tahlibah and I shot to our feet to see what as happening. As I got closer to the ruckus, the second voice started to sound very familiar.

A voice which brought dread to my stomach.

Of course Fakhirah's announcement at the same time didn't help ,y nerves either.

"Bhai Jaan! Zareen is at the police station. They arrested her!" She said panicked.

"Well you really have messed them up haven't you Zaid?" Came the loud, stern voice of my father from the hallway.

Shit.