"On judgment day only your deeds will count.
No one will ask about your caste or status."
Nadia was to marry her father's friends son Rayaan. They had come for her hand in marriage, I think both parties were unaware. I don't know, maybe he had more of an inkling than she did. Or maybe he just had a better poker face than her.
I felt bad for Nadia. She was entirely blind sighted.
I pretended not to hear her cries throughout the night to save her the humiliation of facing me in the morning, but we had to go to class together, so she knew I had heard her anyway.
The proposal her parents had given her was that she'd finish her studies, and then soon after they would do her nikkah. They bargained with her, tried to convince her that this was not forced and if she really did not want any part of it they would put it to rest. At least Nadia wasn't foolish. I would've believed them.
I heard her mother speak with her. She tried to win her over by telling her how rich his family was. How handsome he was. How he was a doctor now, how their family was raised with the same values. How good of a fit they would be.
She didn't respond.
I went up to my room, their house was one of the biggest in the entire of Lahore. Nadia's family was one of the most known families in Punjab. My mother and I were the help. They gave us rooms, and treated us nice, so I couldn't really complain. We went to the same university, me and Nadia and although we hadn't known each other long, I think we got on quite well.
Though we didn't have that much in common. She was always wrapped up in her books, but when you lived with someone, you grew to find similarities.
My heart ached for her. I knew we were both at that age now where our parents would start the marriage talks. My mother hadn't started with me yet thankfully. I was sure my father would have but he didn't live with us now. He lived in Sargoda for work, to send us money.
But I knew that marriage for me and marriage for Nadia would be two entirely different stories.
Her family, like I said, was one of most well known in Punjab. Me on the other hand?
Families wouldn't exactly be lining up to marry the daughter of a maid and a clerk.
A week had passed since the dinner. Me and Nadia didn't speak much about it, instead we talked about other things, clothes, family gossip, the talks of the university.
She told me about a boy she had bumped into at Adnan's bookstore. She said she found it strange to see an Arab in Punjab. That's what she said anyway when I asked why she took an interest. Bad poker face, like I said.
She was out with her parents, I had no idea where. I was home alone, mama had gone out to get groceries. I was in the middle of studying when I heard a knock at the door. Covering myself with a long dupatta I opened it slowly.
Rayaan was here.
His hair was open, last time he had come he had tied it up. It was longer than I expected. And curly. It was wet, he pushed some of it back away from his eyes.
I lowered my gaze, but he followed it, tilting his head down.
"Salaam." He greeted politely.
"Salaam." I responded meekly, all of a sudden shy from his stare.
"I left my jacket."
He came all the way from Faisalabad for a jacket?
"I'll get it straight away Mr Shah."
As I hurried away to get it, I almost shut the door on his face like an idiot. He walked inside, grabbed my arm lightly.
"What's with Mr Shah, call me Rayaan?" He joked softly with a hint of confusion on his face.
"Sorry. Rayaan."
"You're Nadia's cousin?"
Why was he talking to me?
I shook my head in shame. I don't know why, but I felt an overwhelming urge to burst into tears. There was absolutely nothing wrong with being the daughter of a maid and a clerk. It didn't define me or what I was capable of and such stupid systems were to keep us all divided. So why did I still feel so ashamed?
"Have I offended you?" He asked, taking a few steps back away from me.
No wonder Nadia's parents approved of him. I could just tell he was fit for her.
"No."
He nodded slowly. I was being weird and awkward, he was just being normal and friendly and here I was ..
His arms moved, his biceps strained against his shirt as he lifted his hands to tie his hair back. I looked down again, shoved the feeling down. It would never ever happen. Ever. There was no point in allowing myself to feel.
"I'm not Nadia's cousin. My mother is her maid."
There it was.
That look I was waiting for.
I swallowed the lump down in my throat.
"And your name?"
"Laiba."
"Hm."
I couldn't read his expression. Like I said. Good poker face. I'd rather him say what he thought, but I didn't know if I was just overthinking, if my own insecurities were just playing with me.
He clicked his tongue a few times. Like he was biting back what he was trying to say. But then he spoke, and it was the last thing I expected him to say.
"Have you ever been to Faisalabad Laiba?"
I shook my head, he smiled the tiniest bit. So small. He looked so intimidating until he smiled.
"I'm an average girl from the pind." I mocked sarcastically. That's what they called me at that snobby university anyway. Pindu. It means villager. There was so much beauty in the villages of Punjab, I would scream it from the top of my lungs if I could. We had only moved to Lahore for my university, but if I had the choice, I would go back and stay there forever.
"Nothing wrong with the pind."
"I didn't say there was."
"Kya baat hai? Hai? Have I offended you?" He asked, genuinely concerned, I was surprised. I didn't know why he cared.
"No. You haven't... I'm.. just stressed."
"What's stressing you?"
"With all due respect, I don't know you, I don't really need to tell you anything and.. Nadia's parents will be home soon."
He moved past me to pick up his jacket from the rack. He shrugged it on and looked at the time on his watch.
"The pind is beautiful but there's a whole world outside it Laiba. If you want.. I can take you."
I looked at him in utter shock. The way he said it was so blasé, as if he wasn't literally said to marry Nadia. My face gave whatever I was thinking away.
"Friends can hang together you know." He joked. His chuckle was..
"And who said we were friends?"
"If I'm to marry Nadia, I should get to know her family right?"
My heart dropped to my stomach again. It had never dropped as much as it had these past few minutes. Why was this stranger having such an effect on me? Why was I disappointed? I didn't even know him.
"I suppose."
"Faisalabad is beautiful, I'm sure you'll love it."