Irrevocably In Love

Chapter 13

"But when there comes the Deafening Blast - that Day a man will flee from his brother, and his mother and his father, and his wife and his children.   For each one of them that Day will have enough preoccupations of his own.  Some faces, that Day, will be bright – laughing, rejoicing at good news.  And other faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.  Blackness will cover them.  Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones." (Quran 80: 33-42)

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Rida glanced at her mother who now had a stern look on her face. She knew that her mother would be upset when she would tell her about her decision and she had every right to be angry because she had just rejected a proposal that could made her life a good one. She looked everywhere except her mother who was now boring holes in her.

"And why is that so?" Her mother asked her voice rough and a little loud and she hated how her mother's demons had changed just by a simple no.

"I.... I....don-just like that." Rida murmured clear enough for her mother to hear her. She looked at her mom who was staring her without blinking at eyes. She didn't knew what was going on in her mind but she hoped that nothing of wrong things would pop up in her mind.

"Are you dating someone?" She asked making Rida look at her in horror. Rida couldn't believe that she had just asked her a question as such!

"WHAT!? Astagfirullah no never. I would never date anyone or neither have. Just because I reject a proposal that doesn't mean I am dating. I rejected this proposal since I did not feel that he was the right one for me." Rida said feeling a lump in her throat. She hated how her mother had accused her for something she would never think of. Yes her family had given her the utter most freedom and that was the reason she was friends with Rehan but she had never taken any advantage of that freedom. She had got many proposals from a few boys but she had never agreed to any and even her mother knew that her daughter would never do such a thing but the fact that she had rejected such a good proposal had her triggered off.

"I am sorry for asking you that question, I know that, it would be the last thing of the earth you would do." Her mother said feeling guilty for accusing her daughter for no reason. Rida nodded her head understanding how her mother was feeling and without speaking anything else she just laid down on her lap while Mrs Shaikh smiled at her daughter.

Mrs Shaikh knew that out of the two daughter's Rida was the most sensible and the matured one and would never do something that would bring shame to the family but she had loved the proposal but she couldn't just force her daughter to marry him just because they liked the guy; it was her life, her decision.

"Rida I know I had always told you that you should concentrate on your career rather than marriage, but beta you should know that you are 21 now and you would come across this question many times. Your parents are getting old and they want you to be settled with a husband we can assure you will be happy. I hope you are getting my point?" Rida heard her mother who was now caressing her head. She nodded her head a single tear escaping her eye.

"But I am hardly 21." Rida said looking up at her mother pouting a little and her mother smiled before patting her cheeks.

"You are not just 21, you are 21 and we have been rejecting way many proposals from the time you have been 18 and I don't think we can anymore, until and unless you like the guy." Her mother said and she looked at her mother baffled. She didn't knew that she was getting proposals from when she was 18? This was something that was hidden from her.

Rida sighed nodding her head because she knew she cannot escape any further. Safa was married and expecting a child, Aafia was fixed and now it was her turn, she should be mentally prepared for the proposals and not behaviour like a cry baby.