"Asiyah! Come on, help a sister out!" I heaved, while Asiyah, my younger sister, sat on my bed, laughing at my struggle.
"Who on earth told you to get such a heavy dress for your graduation?" Asiyah asked, raising her eyebrow at me, as I tried to force the zip of the dress up, in order to close it.
"First of all, you're only 15! You hardly know what people wear for their graduations! And second of all, it's not like I would pick such a dress for myself, either way!" I told her.
"Oh, come on, Aliyah! It's not like this is a university graduation! You've just completed A-levels so you're graduating from senior school basically! And wait, you mean to say you didn't get this dress?" Asiyah said.
"No dearest sis, I didn't. Asif did, and paid a ridiculous amount for it! So I have no choice but to wear it now!" I said, scowling. Mentally, I was planning on how to poison Asif's tea. Well, not really, but you get it. I was pissed off at him! I mean, I didn't even tell him to get me anything! Besides, it's every girl's dream to be able to go and pick her own dress for graduation! And that jerk went and ruined everything! Wait till I get my hands on him!
"Wait, wait! So why on earth did Asif even get you this dress?" Asiyah asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"You know Asif and his obsession with expensive clothes. He came to me with this dang expensive dress, telling me 'Aliyah, you have to wear this, because this will show your status as Zakir Hamid's daughter who is as good as a princess' and I just looked at him and told him 'do you think I'm a show off like you? I won't wear that dress because I'm not arrogant and it's not my type of a dress. I mean look at how heavy and uncomfortable it is!'. Then he told me the price he got that dress for and I gasped. And he was like 'see, now you have to wear it!'. Urgh, Asiyah if you see that boy, drag him to me so I can send him to his grave!" I ranted.
"Sorry, Aliyah! Next time, don't ever tell Asif to get you anything!" Asiyah said, coming and helping me to close the zip and adjust the dress.
I looked at her skeptically. "Do you really think that I told Asif to get me this dress? He got it himself without even asking for my permission!" I said.
Asiyah rolled her eyes. "Asif thinks he's all that! Designer clothes, and all, you know. He loves flaunting money, Astaghfirullah! Just because he is like that, why on earth does he also want you to show off?"
"You'll find the reason so ridiculous!" I told her, while I pinned on my hijab now that I was finally in that dress.
"What was it?" She asked.
"Just because you guys are all going to be coming, everyone is going to know that the Hamid family is present so he wants me to 'live up to our reputation as the royalty'," I replied.
"Asif is so narrow-minded! I really can't believe he's our brother and mum and dad's son! He's way too different!" Asiyah said, rolling her eyes again.
"Well, he's not the only one though. Arif is hardly any better!" I said, stepping back to look at my reflection in the full length mirror.
"I know. But no matter what, I really do love those guys, you know!" Asiyah said.
"Yeah. They might be arrogant brats and big-headed and pretty useless, but they have got big and good hearts," I replied. My brothers weren't as bad as people had labelled them to be, even though I knew they weren't all that good either.
"I know. Now, Aliyah, hurry up! You know your graduation starts in like two hours and you're still here! Get ready quickly!" Asiyah said.
"Asiyah?" I asked, making a puppy dog face and looking at my sister. "Please do my makeup?" I begged her.
"Aliyah!" Asiyah groaned. "No!"
"Please? Please, please, please?" I continued to beg.
"Why don't you ask Asif to do it for you? Since he bought you the dress, he should even do your makeup, right?" Asiyah said, and started giggling. 15 year olds! I thought.
"Fine. It's alright. Don't do it. I'll do it myself. Then when I leave for university, you'll miss me. There will be no one for you to talk to, considering how Asif and Arif never spend time at home. You'll be lonely! And there will be no one to make you your favourite type of Mexican food that Mr. Suhail never makes. It's okay, Asiyah. I'll do my own makeup!" I said, trying to emotionally blackmail my sister.
"Fine!" She muttered, and came upto the dresser where I was sitting. "If it turns out to be bad, then don't blame me!"
"Asiyah, please don't ruin it, though. I want it done nicely!" I told her.
Half an hour later, Asiyah was done with my makeup. I was completely ready. Since the dress was long-sleeved and decent, I didn't need an abaya. I looked at my reflection for the last time in the full-length mirror.
"You look pretty, MashaAllah, sis!" Asiyah said.
"Aww, thanks, baby!" I said, turning around to pinch her cheek.
"I'm not a baby!" Asiyah said, pouting.
"You're four years younger than me so you are a baby!" I replied, smirking.
"Anyway, you know, you look just like dad!" Asiyah said, attempting to change the topic.
She was right. I did actually look like our father. I had his jet black hair which was covered under my hijab. And his grey eyes, thick lips and tanned complexion. I had also inherited dad's height, so I ended up being quite tall. Dad and I were the only ones in the family with light eyes, everyone else had mum's dark eyes. As for Asiyah, she looked just like our brothers.
"Yeah, I do. And you look like Asif and Arif," I said.
"Talk of the devils!" Asiyah said, rolling her eyes. Looking towards the door, I saw both of my brothers standing there, with identical expressions. Arif and Asif were my 17 year old, identical twin brothers, and to the rest of the world, they were impossible to tell apart.
"Hey clones! What are you upto?" I greeted.
"Nothing much!" They both said simultaneously.
"Stop doing that!" They said, once again at the same time, glaring at one another.
"Quit it!" They both hissed at each other, simultaneously again.
That always happened with them and it never failed to crack us up. Or for that matter, anyone who was present. Asiyah and I both started laughing, and their glares shifted to us.
"Don't laugh!" They both snapped at the same time.
"Okay...stop...stop...both...of you!" I said, between laughs.
"Had your fun? We came here to tell you that mum and dad said we should leave now because we might get traffic on the way!" Arif growled, frowning at us.
"Okay, bro. We're coming. Aliyah is ready. And hey, Aliyah? Didn't you say you wanted to kill Asif or something like that?" Asiyah said.
It was so funny how shy and reserved Asiyah was in front of strangers but when she was with us, she could talk so easily and have absolutely no problem with being herself.
"Maybe after the event," I told Asiyah, obviously knowing that I'll probably forget all about me being pissed off at Asif.
We followed the twins out of our mansion which people liked to refer to as a 'palace', and to the Escalade waiting for us outside with dad in the driver's seat and mum in the passenger's seat. The four of us got in and dad drove off to the school where the graduation was to be held.
When we got there, the Principal himself came to receive us to take us to the auditorium, what with us being the Hamid family which was considered 'royalty'. Although I always thanked Allah for our wealth, and Alhamdulillah we had everything and anything and perhaps even more that money could buy, frankly, I didn't like the status of my family. Because it reminded me that perhaps because of our riches, we had everything that money could buy, but this money could never get me back my family members who we lost three years ago, and that too, due to our 'royalty' status. I still had a bitter taste in my mouth due to the catastrophic events that took place three years back.
Snapping out of those thoughts due to Arif and Asiyah's bickering, I focused on how the auditorium had been set up. With the school being a private school, no expense was spared in the decorations and arrangements. The words 'CLASS OF 2009' were displayed on the stage. As soon as we took our seats, my mum immediately spotted an old friend of hers whom I knew as Aunt Naila and she rushed over to greet her.
"Wow, sis! You don't seem excited today? I mean, if you look at all these classmates of yours, they seem pretty happy" Asif observed.
"I am. It's just, I remembered the f-" I was cut off immediately by mum coming back next to me and beginning to gush over her meeting with her friend.
"You know, I met Naila. Apparently her son Saamih is in the same class as Aliyah, and he's graduating also!" Mum said.
"Wait, Saamih Ashraf is Aunt Naila's son?" I asked, curious.
I hardly knew Saamih because being a Muslim girl, I always lowered my gaze and avoided talking to all the non-mahrem boys and men, unless it was absolutely necessary. However, from what I had heard, unlike all the boys in my year, Saamih was one of the only respectful guys who actually lowered his gaze and was a religious guy, and that's what made me actually kind of know him, because that information about him distinguished him from all the other boys.
"Yeah, her oldest son. I knew he was 19, the same age as you, but I never knew he attended this school!" Mum said.
"Oh, right," I mumbled.
"By the way, Saamih is planning in studying here. He wants to study Islamic Law, but if that doesn't work out, then International Relations. He isn't interested in going abroad!" Mum said, trying to hint something to me, which I brushed off.
"That's really cool, MashaAllah," I said, trying to match her enthusiasm.
"And then, she has two younger daughters! One is seventeen, just like the twins and the other is sixteen! And trust me, they're so pretty!" Mum went on, whispering the last part in my ear because she didn't want to interest the twins, although, I knew my brothers well enough to know that although they were spoilt brats, they were religious enough. Besides, the two of them were busy talking about god-knows-what to even pay attention to what we were saying.
"That's nice, mum. It's good you got to meet your friend!" I told mum, who nodded. Aunt Naila was my mum's only true friend after mum got married to dad. Upon realising that mum was now the wife of a man belonging to the richest family, all her friends became jealous and ditched her, except for aunt Naila, who got married much later herself.
The ceremony started and all of us were called on stage. The top student from us gave a speech, on behalf of all the students. We received our certificates from the school, although our A level results were not out yet. There were a few more speeches, performances and other things, and then the function finally ended.
When we went home, I knew exactly what was to come. Mum had hinted something during the event, and I knew for a fact that she would most definitely raise it.
That was confirmed when mum called me into hers and dad's massive room and made me sit on their bed to 'discuss something'.
"Aliyah, please reconsider! See, it's not necessary for you to always stick to your plans! Even Naila's son is going to be here and he'll just study here!" Mum said.
"What has that got to do with me, ma?" I asked, slightly grumpily.
"To show you that people don't necessarily have to leave their country in order to study! And what better example than your own classmate?" Mum replied.
"Mum, I've made up my mind. I've always wanted to go abroad. I would do anything for the two of you, but frankly, staying here with the 'Princess' label is getting suffocating for me. If I go abroad, people won't recognise my status. Besides, being here would give me unwanted memories of what happened three years ago!" I told her.
"Aliyah, my child. Think this through. I would stand by you, no matter what you decide, as long as you know what you're doing and that what you're doing is halal. Just remember, you'll be all alone, no family, when you go abroad!" Dad said.
I looked at dad and gave him a reassuring smile. "Dad, you know me. I've thought about this properly. I've made my plan, and now, all I need is you guys to support me and be happy for me. I want to go abroad to study, and I've been accepted into two universities. I've also planned on which one of the two I want to go to, as long as Allah wills. And In sha Allah, abroad is where I want to study so please don't try to change my made-up mind!"
"Okay, dear. In sha Allah, we'll send you abroad. May Allah be with you," dad said, and I felt relieved. I always stuck to my plans, but if my parents wouldn't be happy, then I would have to cancel. But Alhamdulillah, dad's acceptance meant that once again, things went according to the way I wanted them to go.
"But-" mum began to protest but was cut off by dad.
"Marwa! Just be happy for her! This is Aliyah we're talking about. Aliyah! She's not like me only in looks but also in character hence I understand her perfectly well. She's strong-willed, ambitious and extremely hard working. My daughter has big dreams and I don't want them to remain unfulfilled. Let Aliyah do what she wants, the way she has planned," dad said.
Mum sighed defeatedly. "Fine. Just...just be careful Aliyah. In every way. And I don't need to elaborate because you know exactly what I mean."
I nodded. I did know exactly what she meant. I felt so happy and relieved that my parents had allowed this. They allowed me to go abroad to study! And In sha Allah, my plans would work out again, as they always had, Alhamdulillah!
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First chapter! Second book!
And a long chapter! Wow!
So dearest readers, I present to you all in this chapter, Aliyah Hamid!
I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. I plan on making this book very interesting In sha Allah, and I hope you can continue enjoying it.
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