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Laila
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I slowly opened my eyes, blinking against the dim light above me. My head felt heavy, as if someone had stuffed clouds inside it. For a few seconds everything looked blurry—shadows moving around me, hushed voices, someone sitting beside me.

Ammi.

I relaxed instantly.

Her fingers were running softly through my hair, worry etched across her face. Danish Bhai stood near the window with his arms crossed tightly against his chest while Khala and Khaloo sat on the couch nearby. The room felt suffocatingly silent.

"What happened?" I whispered, my throat dry.

"You fainted," Danish Bhai replied immediately, almost too quickly.

Fainted.

Right.

The gunshots.

My chest tightened at the memory.

I pushed myself up slightly against the pillows. "Who was firing outside the office?"

The room went still.

Danish Bhai exchanged a look with Khaloo before speaking carefully. "No one was firing at us, Laila. Some boys nearby were messing around. That's all."

"That's not true."

My own voice surprised me.

Everyone looked at me.

"I heard it clearly," I continued quietly. "And Bhai Jaan looked scared too."

Ammi sighed softly, rubbing her forehead. "Beta..."

Before she could continue, Khaloo spoke.

"I told Danish this would happen."

His voice was calm, but it carried enough authority to silence everyone.

"You cannot enter politics and expect enemies not to form." He leaned back against the couch, eyes fixed on Danish Bhai. "People threaten first. Then they act."

A cold feeling settled in my stomach.

"Which is exactly why," he continued, "we need to start thinking ahead."

I already knew where this conversation was going.

My fingers curled tightly around the bedsheet.

"Alaya's engagement was finalized quickly for a reason," Khaloo said. "Strong families protect each other. That is how this world works."

I looked toward Alaya instinctively.

Her eyes were lowered.

Something inside me cracked.

So it was true.

This wasn't just about love or timing or destiny.

It was strategy.

Security.

Protection.

My throat burned.

"And now," Khaloo continued, looking directly at Danish Bhai, "you need to think seriously about Laila too."

The words hit me harder than the panic attack had.

For a moment nobody spoke.

Not Ammi.

Not Danish Bhai.

Not even Khala.

As if the decision about my life was already floating somewhere above our heads waiting to happen.

I laughed softly in disbelief.

"Wow."

Everyone looked at me.

"So that's it?" I asked quietly. "You'll just marry me off because someone sent threats?"

"Laila—" Danish Bhai started.

"No Bhai, answer me honestly." My eyes burned with tears now. "If tomorrow someone threatens Shahzain too, will you marry him off as well?"

"Laila!" Ammi warned sharply.

But I couldn't stop.

"Why does everyone act like girls are solutions to problems?"

Silence.

Heavy silence.

The kind that makes your chest hurt.

Khaloo stood up slowly. "This discussion will happen when your Abba returns. Until then, everyone will be more careful. Especially you."

With that, he walked out.

One by one everyone followed him, the tension lingering behind like smoke.

Only Alaya remained.

She stood near the door quietly, twisting her fingers together.

"You didn't know either?" I asked softly.

She shook her head.

A tear slipped down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away.

"I thought..." she laughed bitterly, "I thought Abbu just liked Afan."

My heart hurt for her.

I moved a little and opened my arms.

She came immediately, sitting beside me as I hugged her tightly.

For once neither of us joked.

Neither of us teased the other.

We just sat there quietly, carrying the weight of things we were too young to understand.

——

The next morning the atmosphere at breakfast felt painfully normal.

Too normal.

As if last night had never happened.

Khaloo was reading the newspaper. Danish Bhai was checking something on his phone. Khala instructed the servants about dinner preparations while soft old songs played in the background.

And me?

I felt like I was drowning silently in the middle of the room.

"Laila, eat properly," Ammi said.

I nodded absentmindedly, pushing the paratha around my plate.

"Stop doing that," Alaya whispered beside me.

"Doing what?"

"Thinking too much."

I stared at her.

How was she acting so calm?

"How are you okay with this?" I whispered back.

She looked down at her tea.

"Maybe because fighting won't change anything."

I hated that answer.

Absolutely hated it.

Before I could say anything else, Danish Bhai looked up.

"I'll drop you girls today."

"I can go myself."

"No."

Just one word.

Firm.

Final.

My irritation flared instantly but I stayed quiet this time.

The entire drive to university felt awkward. Even Shahzain, who usually never stopped talking, remained unusually quiet.

Rain clouds covered the sky outside.

The weather matched my mood perfectly.

As soon as we entered campus, the noise of students swallowed us whole—people laughing, rushing to classes, arguing over assignments.

Meanwhile my life felt like it was quietly falling apart.

"Laila!"

I turned around to see Afan waving toward us.

Alaya immediately straightened beside me.

Even now she blushed around him.

I genuinely didn't understand girls.

Afan walked toward us with a small smile. "Good morning."

"Very bad morning actually," I muttered.

Alaya elbowed me hard.

"Ow!"

Afan chuckled softly while Alaya glared at me.

For the first time since yesterday, something felt a little lighter.

Maybe not everything was ruined yet.

Maybe life was still trying to give us small moments of normalcy between all the chaos.

The rest of the day passed in a blur.

I attended classes or at least physically attended them.

Mentally? I was somewhere else entirely.

Mr. Mirza explained something on the board while students scribbled notes around me, but his voice sounded distant, muffled beneath the noise inside my own head. Every few minutes my mind drifted back to Khaloo's words.

Find some good man for her.

As if my entire life could be solved by handing me over to someone else.

"Laila."

I blinked.

Mr. Mirza was looking directly at me.

"Yes sir?"

"The answer?"

Oh.

I had absolutely no idea what the question even was.

A few students snickered quietly while Alaya subtly pushed her notebook toward me trying to help. I glanced down quickly.

"Cognitive behavioral therapy?" I answered uncertainly.

Mr. Mirza narrowed his eyes suspiciously before nodding slowly. "Correct."

I exhaled softly.

"Your soul nearly left your body," Alaya whispered beside me.

"Mine already has."

She rolled her eyes but a small smile appeared on her lips.

At least one of us was still functioning properly.

As soon as class ended, students rushed out excitedly discussing assignments and upcoming exams while I packed my bag slowly.

Everything suddenly felt strange to me.

Everyone around me was planning futures.

Careers.

Trips.

Relationships.

And meanwhile my family was planning my marriage like some emergency safety protocol.

The thought made my chest tighten again.

"You're doing it again."

I looked up to see Alaya staring at me.

"Doing what?"

"Overthinking."

"I'm not overthinking."

"You're literally stabbing your notebook with a pen."

I glanced down.

Right.

There were now angry ink marks all over the page.

"Oops."

Shahzain snorted while sitting on the desk in front of us. "At this point we should pray for the man who marries you."

"Shut up."

"No seriously," he continued dramatically. "One argument and you'll probably throw a flower vase at his head."

"I already threw one at a wall yesterday. Progress."

Alaya burst out laughing while Afan looked utterly confused.

"What exactly did I miss in this family?" he asked.

"Too much," Shahzain replied immediately.

We all started walking toward cafeteria together while students rushed around us loudly.

For a few moments things almost felt normal again.

Almost.

Until Afan slowed his steps slightly and looked toward me.

"You okay?"

The simple question caught me off guard.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Because you look upset."

I looked away awkwardly. "I'm fine."

He didn't look convinced but thankfully didn't push further.

"Liar," Alaya muttered under her breath.

I kicked her lightly from behind earning a gasp from her.

"Violence!" she whispered dramatically.

"More is coming if you don't stay quiet."

Afan chuckled softly while shaking his head.

"You people are insane."

"Thank you," me and Shahzain replied together.

And somehow, despite the heaviness sitting inside my chest, I found myself smiling too.

——

By evening the weather had completely changed.

Dark clouds covered the sky while rain poured heavily outside Bashir Mansion's huge windows. The entire house buzzed with wedding discussions again—decorations, guest lists, venues, jewelry.

It was exhausting.

Khala and Ammi sat with designers in the living room while Alaya tried on different color combinations for her nikah outfits.

Everyone looked happy.

Or pretended to.

I quietly slipped away upstairs.

The hallway was silent compared to downstairs chaos.

I walked toward the balcony outside the guest room and stepped into the cold evening air.

Rain immediately kissed my skin.

The city lights blurred beneath the stormy sky while thunder echoed somewhere far away.

I closed my eyes.

Usually rain calmed me.

Today it only made me feel emptier.

"What are you doing here alone?"

I opened my eyes.

Amaan stood near the balcony door holding two mugs of coffee.

Of course.

"Following me now?" I asked.

"Unfortunately for me, we live in the same house half the time."

I snorted softly despite myself.

He walked over quietly and handed me one mug.

"Thanks."

We stood there silently for a while listening to the rain.

"You're scared," he said suddenly.

I looked at him sharply. "I'm not scared."

"You fainted after hearing gunshots."

"I had a panic attack."

"That doesn't make it less real."

His words settled heavily between us.

I gripped the warm mug tighter.

"What if they're right?" I whispered before I could stop myself.

"Who?"

"Everyone."

He stayed quiet.

"What if this is how life works?" I continued softly. "People decide things for you and you just...adjust."

Amaan looked out toward the rain.

"No one adjusts," he said eventually. "Some people just become better at hiding disappointment."

Something about the way he said it made my chest ache unexpectedly.

Not for myself.

For him.

Thunder rumbled again across the sky.

And for the first time in days, silence between two people didn't feel lonely.

It felt understood.

——

Later that night, I sat on my bed with my diary resting in my lap while the house slowly quietened around me.

Rain tapped softly against the windows.

Usually I loved this sound.

Tonight it only made everything feel heavier.

My eyes drifted toward the outfit laid neatly beside me on the chair Khala had sent for tomorrow's dinner.

Soft blue.

Simple.

Beautiful.

I should have been excited about dressing up, about family dinners and wedding preparations and all the chaos that usually made Bashir Mansion feel alive.

But my mind kept replaying the conversation I overheard outside Khaloo's study.

Threats.

Security.

Marriage.

As if my future had suddenly become some problem everyone was trying to solve.

I opened my diary slowly, running my fingers over the empty page before writing the only thing my heart wanted to say.

Abba Jaan, please come home soon.

I stared at the words for a long moment.

Maybe if he came back everything would start making sense again.

Maybe he would understand me without me having to explain every single fear sitting inside my chest.

Because for the first time in my life...

I felt left behind in decisions being made about me.

And no matter how much everyone claimed it was for my safety—

it still felt frightening.

Like somewhere along the way...

my life had stopped belonging entirely to me.

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