A Page Left Blank

Chapter 11: As Expected

"Instead of making Afreen feel at ease, what's all this that you are saying," the old lady added.

"Oh Ma," Mubeena replied, "Where am I talking about Afreen? I'm just sharing my experience so when we get Rufaida married, we can look into all these things."

"First of all, Mubeena, my Asma has raised Rufi to turn out to be such a gem that the guy who marries her will anyway get all the treasure in the form of a wise wife, all these materialistic things do not matter. So please, leave Asma and Rufi out of it, they know what they have to do."

"You don't have to get so agitated," Mubeena remarked. "After all, my experience can be a lesson to her."

Mumbling a few incoherent words, the old lady sauntered to her room, unable to take her daughter in law's disrespect towards Afreen.

A couple of seconds later, Afreen, who had turned red from gulping down all her emotions, stood up to leave while Mubeena halted her.

"What happened? Why aren't you eating Afreen?"

"I had my share," she answered, softly, before keeping her plate in the kitchen and heading back to the room.

"The show is over, my son," Mubeena casually sighed, "You aren't going to get anything from them, might as well start looking out for jobs."

"Ammi, I wasn't expecting anything from Afreen's family anyway, I didn't marry her for that," Zubair made known. "You shouldn't have brought this subject up," he remarked, remorseful.

"I see," Mubeena nodded slowly, eyes wide. "Not even a day since you're married and you are already taking your wife's side over your mothers?"

"It's not like that," Zubair quickly corrected.

"It better not be like that," Mubeena emphasized, and having finished his meal, Zubair stood up to leave, trailing behind his wife.

Upon entering the room, he found a furious Afreen pacing from one end to the other, and he was almost scared.

"Afreen... I'm sorry about what happened during breakfast."

"Sorry? Really? Is that all you can say about your mother's backward mentality?" She fumed.

"It's just that she was expecting a lot, and your family's actions have left her disappointed."

"Excuse me, Zubair," Afreen seethed. "It's her fault if she was expecting so much, Islam does not bind the girl's family to meet any of these 'expectations'," she quoted. "Instead of feeling let down that her high hopes weren't met, she needs to realize it was wrong of her in the first place to anticipate it."

"Okay, relax, calm down now, she'll come around. I don't want to spend the first day of our wedding like this. Cheer up, please?"

Her lips tilted in dismay, she looked away but after a while when Zubair came closer and started reminiscing all those plans they had made of the things they wanted to execute together after getting married, she found herself melting.

She gazed at his eyes, and in them, she saw sheer adoration, the one emotion for which she had willingly turned her world upside down. She loved him too, and sometimes in love, you had to let go.

***

"Hey."

Afreen jumped up at the sound, not having expected anyone to come here on the terrace at this time. It was a week since she was here, and for the first time today, Zubair had stepped out of home without her as he began hunting for jobs. Since Afreen was getting bored, she had decided to come here, contemplating her life, now that everything was settling in.