[Enjoy]

My back was paining after sitting for hours on the computer, making those 30 slides presentations.

I looked at my phone. It's 2AM and I have to wake up at 6AM, I have five... four? I counted on my fingers; two, three, four, five, six... How is that five? Wasn't six minus two supposed to be four?

Damn. I looked at the enormous black wall clock hanging on the white walls of my bedroom. Two to three makes one, three to four makes two, four to five makes three, five to six makes four... That's four? Why did I count five?

I counted on my fingers again; two, three, four, five, six... THAT'S FIVE WHAT THE FUCK.

Math is useless, so are these presentations. What does Azaan pay me for sitting five hours straight on the computer? Isn't his business big? Why can't that stingy man get his company a presentation maker?

Omygod he's STINGY! Got to ask for his debit card right on the first night.

Five or four hours left to sleep, I should go to bed before I get dark circles under my eyes.

I turned the lights off and went to bed.

I closed my eyes trying to sleep but my parents started shouting way too loudly. Ugh I'm so freaking tired of them fighting all the time.

I took off my duvet and walked across the marbled floor down the stairs into the living room.

"Larrna band karein!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, losing the voice in my throat. "Bas karein! Tang aa gayi hoon main iss roz roz ki larraayi se, aap joh keh rahe hain kar rahi hoon naa papa? Badle mein bas do hafte ke liye hi, larrna band kar dein, iss ke baad main aap se kuchh nahin maangoon gi." I said as if he has given me anything I've ever asked for.

"Sawera-"

"-Subbhaah ke do baj gaye hain, nau bajey itne dour office jaana hai iss ne tumhaari wajaah se lekin tummhain iss ki koyi fiqr ho toh tum yeh cheekhna chillaana band karo na." Mama cut off papa. "Sawera meri jaan, jaao jaa ke so jaao." Mama wiped her tears and kissed my forehead.

I glared at papa and went to my room, he always does this. He doesn't care about any of us and he keeps fighting with mama all the time.

My parents have never had a normal relationship, all my childhood went by them fighting all the time.

I know it's all because of me, my father never wanted a daughter, and I won't blame him for that. Pakistan's mentality has changed a lot in the last 20 years but in his time, raising a daughter was equal to raising
a burden.

I'm totally fine with the fact that he doesn't love me as much as he loves bhai, -he doesn't give his time to any of us anyways- but what hurts me is the way he treats mama. She's his wife, and if not his wife then he should at least respect the mother of his heir.

A typical night in my life.

I went to sleep.

—  A Z A A N  —

I twisted the first row of the rubik's cube clockwise, then placed the white corner onto its place, I rolled the rubik's cube to see what colour was left and once again I realised how hard making these 5x5 rubik's cube is.

I started from the beginning, tilting the cube and shifting the completed row downwards then making a cross with the blue one and-

"-Tum khel rahe ho?" I looked up to see Sawera in front of me.

"Get out and knock on the door." I halted slouching on the backrest and sat up rigidly.

She slowly rolled her eyes, "Yaaaaarr-"

"-Now." I gestured her flicking my fingers away.

She got out and slammed the door, then knocked on it. "-May I fucking come in, sir?"

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "You may come in decently."

She came inside, "wait, why did you say yes? 2 weeks...? Isn't that a short period of time?"

"Did you come here to say that?" I asked.

"No, I just thought about it. I couldn't say no because my father said yes but what about you? Why would you say yes? I don't think I am a your type of girl..." She looked at me suspiciously. "Unless you are a paedophile."

"Ms. Sawera Ahmad Khan, my secretary informed me that you came late today, any problem?" I changed the topic.

"Are you trying to cover-"

"-I do not mix my professional and personal lives, why did you come late?"

She clenched her jaw, looking fiercely into my eyes. I'm sure she loves Bollywood. "Some personal issues sir, I don't mix my professional and personal lives either."

"You cannot come late to your office because of your personal stuff Ms. Ahmad Khan." I retorted.

"Okay whatever. Here are the fucking presentations, do whatever you wanna do with them, I couldn't sleep last night because of this shit." She threw the pen drive on my table and left.

An insolent, impudent and ill-mannered girl.

I called my secretary using the intercom and told her to email all interns to come to the meeting room for the presentations at 11 and to tell Ms. Ahmed Khan to write me an apology email or a resignation letter.

—  S A W E R A  —

Why are all brown men so dramatic? Azaan is more dramatic than my brother.

I searched for the emails I used to write to my school's principal and copy pasted it, though that was also a copy paste from google. I changed the names.

"Dear Azaan Ali Khan,

I'm writing this letter to sincerely apologise for my inappropriate and childlike behaviour in your office, I deeply regret my actions and conduct.

It was foolish of me to behave in a disrespectful manner. I'm really sorry for acting so childish, immature and insincere. What I did was indeed unacceptable and disrespectful.

I offer you my deepest apologies. Please accept my apology and I promise that this type of misbehaviour won't happen-"

I stopped, I'm lying. Of course this will happen again. But I'm also lying about being sorry.

I think I should erase this though...

Ugh, I called my friend.

"Samia, I'm writing an apology letter for Azaan for using foul language, should I write 'I promise I won't do it again'?"

"Lmao really? Are you writing an apology letter for that? How old is he? Twelve?" She snorted a laugh.

"No, he's six. Should I write that or not?"

"Nope, delete that line, liar. Even he knows you'll do it again." She laughed.

"Yeah right, byee."

I erased that.

"Sincerely, Sawera Ahmad Khan." I added at the end and clicked on 'send'.

I threw my body back on the seat, yawned loudly and stretched.

I checked my phone.

WhatsApp Hum Aawaara;
Thirty-five new messages.

Damn they're going for a movie night.

Oh shit, I got to behave now. That motherf... Azaan better not give me homework.

Sawera: I'll try. Can y'all start a hashtag? They are torturing me here, #PrayForS-S-Sawera. Every retweet is equal to a prayer.

Neeti: What's that S-s-s for?

Sawera: K-k-kiran with S-s-sawera's name, dumb baby.

Someone tapped on my shoulder. Stacey. S-s-stacey "Time for the presentations."

Stacey is a new intern, just like me. We both started on the same day at the same time and got to know each other in the waiting room. She's a nice girl.

I got up and we both walked to the meeting room along with other people, we sat on the chairs and waited for Azaan to come in.

I started doodling on my macbook. Shahrukh Khan weds Sawera Khan.

Uwu.

I made a wedding hall, McDreamy -aka my SRK- and I dancing on "Yeh Ladka Hai Allah". Though I love Kajol and don't want to ditch her, but we both would look better.

"Ms. Ahmad Khan, what's your opinion on this?" I heard Azaan's deep voice and looked at his direction.

I looked around to see the room darkened and a guy presenting an unfamiliar presentation. I saw the opponent party and looked back at Azaan. What the fuck is he doing asking this to me?

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I apologised, embarrassed. I'm not in college to say this, damn.

He did it on purpose, fuck him.

He moved onto Stacey and asked her the same question, to which she replied correctly.

Azaan is a meanass.

I walked out of the room with my macbook, I'll write him another apology email but won't go back, he deserves this.

I went outside to take a fresh breath, this is tiring.

How does he manage all the day in the office? I can't sit still on a chair all day long.

My phone rang. Mama. I picked up.

"Sawera shaadi ka jorah teh karna hai, saat bajey tak ghar aa jaana." Mama told me.

"Haaye, itni jaldi shadi ki tayyaariyaan bhi shuroo kar di?" I asked.

"Do hafte mein rawaana karna chaahte hain yeh tummhain, abbh tayyaariyaan abbh nahin haun gi toh kab haun gi?" She asked.

There's a small part in me who hates the thought of everything changing all of a sudden, but I keep ignoring it. This change is for the better.

"Achha mama main bas aa rahi hoon." I told her and hung up.

I was about to pack up and leave when I realised that I haven't informed anyone that I'm leaving.

It feels like going to ask the teacher if I can go to the washroom or not. I rolled my eyes and walked to Azaan's secretary. A blonde blue-eyed in her late twenties, who doesn't give me good vibes.

"Hey, can you please tell Azaan that I might not come for a few weeks? He knows the reason."

"A few weeks? But you just started!" Her expressions went from an eyebrow raise to a fake-shocked eye widening one.

"Um yeah but he knows why I'm-"

She rolled her eyes. "-Well, I'll inform him but you have to write a leave letter."

What the heck? Why do I have to do so much paperwork for everything? Duhh. "Okay, thank you." I went back and wrote him an email.

"Bro I'm taking a leave for the wedding preparations, see you in the wedding hall, so goodb- oh Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, um Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte...?"

I sent him the email and packed up.

I walked to my car and drove home. I reached and saw a few angrez in black suits sitting in the living room, showing something to mama in their iPads.

I walked in and sat next to mama, she showed me different designs for my lehengas.

I want what Kajol was wearing in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, but papa won't let me wear peach colour. I rolled my eyes and went for a red lehenga. I scrolled and scrolled.

I want Kajol's colour and if not that then I don't care.

"Azaan se poochh lo nahin samajjh aa raha toh." Mama advised, seeing me confused.

"Nahin, apni pasand se koyi bhi kar lein." I walked out.

I don't even have his number, how do I ask him anything? And even if I had his number, I wouldn't talk to him.

Embarassing me in front of the dealers was enough.

~~~

I got ready for the movie night in a short, black, simple dress; curled my hair; wore a little bit of makeup; winked at my reflection in the mirror and walked outside.

It was 7PM and I couldn't wait to leave for the movie night, we'd most definitely have a sleepover after that.

My friends were downstairs, waiting to pick me up. Brown people have always been closer than whites, white people don't watch Shahrukh Khan and I don't like people who don't watch Bollywood.

Ramsha, a long and black-haired Pakistani girl, with dark brown eyes and THE perfect brown skin tone.

Neeti, Indian but not Indian at all, I know more about hindi festivals than her. All she does is party all-night, after all she has a beautiful curvy body. Though she is very loyal to her boyfriend, they like having threesomes and stuff.

Samia, Indian-Bengali, she's from Kolkata and we all know how beautiful Bengalis are. Dark skin tone, big hazel eyes, long eyelashes, perfect nose, pulpy pink lips. Probably the most beautiful girl I know. I mean, the most beautiful after me man. But when she wears sarees... Ugh I sometimes feel like I have a crush on her.

Neeti honked the horn and I ran to the black 2019BMW 5-Series. I sat on the backseat with Ramsha, Neeti drove to the cinema while we all chatted.

"Sawera tum abbhi se tayyaar hone meinitni dair lagaati ho toh shaadi ke baad kyaa karo gi?" Ramsha asked.

"Shaadi ke baad yeh hum se mile gi bhi? JEEJU kamre se shaayad hi nikalne dein iss-"

"-He's an oldie." I rolled my eyes and cut Samia.

"And attractive as fuck." Neeti spoke. "Age gap is hot, baby."

Ramsha gasped. "Damn, he'd make a nice sugar daddy-"

"-Eww, y'all suck." I cringed loudly and they all laughed. "I'm finally getting rid of this jail, you should be happy for me but y'all are making me want to run away."

"The runaway bride. Perfect title for a Wattpad book." Samia's a lot into Wattpad.

"Damn yeah, he's a billionaire-"

"-Not a self-made billionaire." I rolled my eyes.

"Em, what about your brother?" Saima raised an eye.

"Do you not like him? Don't tell me that you don't find him sexy." Neeti looked at me from the rear mirror.

"He's boring, man. He reads books all the time, what nerd does that?"

"Look at her, all whiny." Ramsha giggled.

"We never thought you'd be the one from all of us friends to get married first." Samia stated.

I frowned looking down. "Me neither to be honest, all of this happened too suddenly."

"Well, her father is narrow-minded, what did you all expect?" Neeti snickered.

"He's not." I defended him, as always, even though I and everyone in this car knew the truth.

"Oh really? Then why is your brother not married yet?" She asked.

"Because he didn't want to. My father asked me if I was okay with this decision or not-"

"-Wow so he took your life's biggest decision by himself and later asked for your opinion! And what if you disagreed? What if you told him the truth that you don't want to get married?"

"Stop hating my father. If I told him that I don't want to get married then he'd not make me get married."

"Yeah sure, then why didn't you?" Neeti asked and all I knew was silence.

Because I don't want to live in this house, I can't bear my parents' fights. I feel like I'll get a brain tumour, I'll die if this keeps going on.

My phone rang, Kylie. Azaan's secretary?

"Kaun hai?" Ramsha asked then laughed. "Sugar-"

"Ew no, it's his secretary."

I picked up. "Yeah?"

"That lax email was so unprofessional, childish and dumb, it shows why you felt the need to cheat on your exams, I CLEARLY told you to write a lett-"

"-Eh, how dare you talk to me like that? Do you know who I am?" I cut her.

"My boss got angry at me for the FIRST TIME in these two years because of you!" She stressed on every single word as if it should matter me.

"What happened?" Samia turned around and looked at me.

She kept going on. "I don't give a fuck if you're a businessman's daughter, you're not getting a leave."

"Bro what the fuck, who the fuck are you to tell me all this? A worthless secretary with no class? Just in case you didn't know, I can make you get fired, and you ARE getting fired in a while."

"I'm not his secretary, I'm his personal assistant, you don't even know the difference, I wonder if you even went to school or not."

"You-"

"-YOU are just an intern, behave like one. You're not getting a leave and you're coming to office tomorrow and writing a proper letter." She hanged.

"What. the. fuck." I exclaimed.

"What's wrong?" They all asked.

"This did not just happen." I fanned myself with my hands as my cheeks started heating up. I told Neeti to open the car and leave me alone for a while and got out.

A damn middle-class woman will come and give me instructions, use cuss words and talk to me as if I were nothing?

'I wonder if you even went to school or not'

She really called me dumb, wow. I tied my hair as my cheeks started flushing with anxiety. How dare she!?

My stomach started aching.

I went back in the car and told my friends to drop me home after explaining them everything.

Neeti sighed. "See? It's all because of your father."

"No, it's not." I defended him again.

"Yeah right, do you really think anyone would ever dare to call you just an intern in your father's office?" Neeti asked.

I remained silent.

"Sawera for God's sake get a brain and take a stand for yourself. If you don't want to get married you don't need to."

"I'm okay with-"

"-You're not. You're mature enough to take your decisions by yourself." Neeti cut me.

I fiddled my fingers, confused. Azaan better fire that secretary when I tell him about this.

"Haan so you won't do anything, right? You'll marry your father's choice , won't you? Perfect, get out of the car." Neeti told me and I got out of my thoughts.

I opened the door, got out and walked back inside.

I was going upwards when I heard my father's voice. "Sawera, idhar aao."

I breathed in and walked to him.

"Yeh kaise kapre hain? Tum aise kapre aakhri dafaa pehen rahi ho, abbhi badal kar aao innhain-" He started lecturing and I walked out up towards my room. I heard him sighing and calling mama, probably to fight with her again.

Isn't that woman Azaan's secretary? Did he not tell her about us?

Bhai stopped me midway. "Kyaa huaa hai? Munh kyun lattkaaya huaa hai?" We heard papa shouting and looked behind to see them fighting again. "Innh ki wajaah se? Yaar fiqr naa karo innh ka toh roz ka hai, shukar karo tummhain innh se azaadi mil rahi hai."

I nodded and walked to my room.

Does bhai have Azaan's number?

"Bhai?" I turned around.

"Hm?"

"Do you have Azaan's number?"

"Um... I have his office's number," He took out his phone, then looked at me a little worried, "is there anything I should know?"

"No, everything's fine, can you WhatsApp me his number?"

He nodded and I walked to my room.

How could she even think that she could talk to me like that? TO ME? Even my teachers used to talk with me with respect.

How fucking dare she?

Bhai sent me the number and I dialed it. How hard can it be to talk with respect?

I waited till a woman picked the phone up. Kylie.

"Give the phone to your boss." I ordered.

"He's busy right now. Do you want to leave any message?" She asked politely.

"Give him the phone. Tell him that I called." I used an authoritative voice tone.

"I'm sorry, he's busy." She hanged the call.

I exasperatedly tossed the phone across the floor and walked to the washroom to change.

I came out and lied down on my bed. I'm not going to office tomorrow, this was disgusting. I turned off the lamps and tried to sleep. A woman with no importance cannot ruin my mood.

I turned and tossed from one side to the other, convincing myself that she won't be in the office after whatever happened today.

Ugh! Tears rolled down my cheeks and quickly wiped them, I'm really crying because of a shitty woman?

~~~

I was walking fast to Azaan's office when the receptionist of his floor asked me where I was heading.

"To Azaan's office." I replied, still angered by Kylie's behaviour.

"Az...?" She looked at me confused. "Mr. Ali Khan is in a meeting out of town."

"What!?" My lips separated and my jaw dropped. "How c... Where is he and when is he coming back?" I asked desperately.

"Sorry but I think that's confidential. Let me ask Kylie." She picked the telephone's handset.

I tapped my fingers on the reception table waiting and looking up to see two cameras. I raised my eye at one of the cameras and wanted to do the throat-slitting gesture but my brain analysed the receptionist's words and I quickly looked at her. "WAIT, Kylie is with him!?"

She looked at me confused, as if I were an alien. "She's sir's secretary, she's obviously with him."

Wow, this guy is definitely cheating on me. He thought I was too innocent to discover his affairs, that's why he agreed to marry me. I get it all now. Fucking asshole.

"How long is he going to be there for?" I asked frustrated.

"He's coming in a week." She informed me.

I looked around, saw a vase, took the flowers out, smelled them, threw them away and broke the vase throwing it on the floor.

I walked out of the building and drove home.

I knew something was wrong when he agreed to marry me.

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