I looked up at the man who helped me. He had the most darkest green eyes I have ever seen. For some reason, I dont know why it kind of scared me. He also looked at me straight in the eyes as well. I squirmed in his hold when he looked at me.

I quickly looked away, as he kept staring at me studying my face. "I'm so so-sorry. That was by accident, I didn't mean to bump into you" I said. I tried to push him away from me, but his hands were still held around my waist.

"Oh, sorry. It's alright and I didnt mind at all" he said, giving me a side smirk and taking his hands off me to let me go. I gave him a small smile to show my appreciation. I turned around and started walking ahead to the ladies bathroom.

As soon as I get inside the bathroom, I let go of my breath that I was holding in for so long. That guy looked so scary for some reason. He looked like someone important with all the bodyguards he had around him. The way he stared at me also, it felt like he was looking straight at my soul. I tried not to think of it much and did my business in the bathroom. I fixed my duppatta like scarf covering my hair and my chest and headed back to Kate and Noor.

I walked to my table where Noor and Kate were sitting down, they both were chatting about something. "What took you so long? Your phone has been ringing for the past ten minutes. I think it's your mother" Kate said. "Really?" I asked looking at my phone. It had six missed calls from ammi. "Yes. Noor had to pick it up because she kept calling non-stop" she said. "What did she say?" I asked looking at Noor. "Nothing really. She just said to tell you to call her when your coming home on the way."

"Okay, I'll call her when were leaving" I said. I wondered what ammi had to say that she left six missed calls. I should call her right away once we leave. Kate called one of the waiters and payed for the food. We headed straight to the car and on our way back home.

When we were fifteen minutes away from my house, I called ammi to ask her why she called. She picked up

"asalam walaikum ammi" I said. "Walaikum asalam" ammi said. "Ammi, kya howa? sab theek thou hain na? (Mom, what happened? Is everything alright?)" I asked her a little worried.

"Sab theek hain. Kab pahunchegi? (Everything is alright. When will you arrive?)" She asked. "Bus pundrah minute main. (In fifteen minutes)" I said."Jaldi aaj joa. Main intezar karti hoon. Plar de raghale da job na (come fast. I'm waiting. Your father is here already from work)" she said. "Gee ammi (yes, mom)." I hung up the phone. Why was abu back from work so early. That's very strange. I don't know why but for some reason I feel like something bad is about to happen. The feeling when your gut tells you that something is about to happen and it not going to be good. I felt exactly like that now. I quickly make a small prayer to allah to please help me pass through whatever it is and not make it difficult on me. He's the only one that knows what will happen in the future after all.

"Why weren't you in class today?" Noor asks Kate. "Because I didn't felt like waking up early in the morning to hear a boring lecture. Plus I got you guys to get the notes from" she said. "Really, Kate? You know the professor takes attendance too, it can bring down your grade really badly" I said. "Mom, please relax. I'm doing good in my exams though. You don't need to worry about anything" she said, while I just rolled my eyes at her. "Plus I talked to professor Lovasco. I told him that I had a ladies problem, so he let me stay home." This girl comes up with best excuses so that she doesn't have to come to class. I don't know how she does this because whenever I miss one day of class I feel so lost when I come back to class the next day. I hate it, so I try not to miss any days at all.

Once Noor parked her car right in front of my house, I quickly got out. Noor rolled down her window and I said my goodbye's to them and to see them in school Inshallah. I ringed the bell to my front door and ammi opened it for me. I hugged her so tightly because I missed her and she gave me a kiss on my forehead.

"Kaisi hai meri pyaari bachi. Aur college ka din kaisa gaya? (How is my beautiful daughter? And how was your day in college?)" She asked. "Main theek ho ammi. Aur college ka din bhi acha tha ammi. Bus thak guyi hoon aur neendh arahi hai (I'm good mom and my day in college was good. I'm just tired and sleepy)" I said.

"Acha tum jaldi se fresh hokar aaj jao. Tumhare Abu ko tumse zaroori baath karni hai (okay, go get freshen up fast. Your father has something important to tell you)." Ammi said. "Kya baath karni hai abu ne? (What does abu want to talk about?)" I asked my mother. "Tumko pata chal jayega (you will find out). Now go freshen up" ammi said.

I nod my head at her and heading straight up the stairs to get to my room. Once I entered through my room door, I slumped right on my bed and closed my eyes to think for a few minutes. I wondered what abu wanted to talk about. I got a little scared and thought to myself. I hope it's not what I think he's planning to doing. I am not ready to take that step in my life yet and I still want to do so much more.

I know my abu has given me permission to go to college and finish my education, but he's never stated that he would wait for me to finish school and get me married off. "Oh allah please, I hope abu has not done what I think he did. Ya allah please help me in this situation and give me strength" I made dua to allah. I changed my clothes to red and black shalwar kameez (traditional pakistani dress) before going into my bathroom to make wudu and perform my maghrib prayer.

Once I was done performing my maghrib prayer and freshened up, I fixed my dupatta on my shoulders and headed down the stairs for dinner with my family. I came down and headed to the kitchen on my right. I started helping out ammi to set up the table. She made my favorite food today. I was so excited, it was biryani. Me, Sara and my brothers love my mom's homemade biryani. It's the best thing in the world and the best pakistani dish ever. I could eat that for the rest of my life not complaining about at all. Ammi saw me getting excited for the biryani and smiled at me. I went to her, hugged her so hard and kissed her on her cheek three times while thanking her.

"Acha baas bhi karo. Ab jaldi say Kana khao, main tumhare bhaiyon aur abu ko bhulati hon (okay, now stop. Start eating your food and I will call your brothers and father for dinner)" she said. I started eating my food and three minutes later abu, Armaan, Hamdan, Azaan and ammi were here and we were having dinner together. I don't know why, but for some reason it felt weird because no one was talking. Normally abu would talk and ask us about how work or school was when we have dinner together as a family, but today no one was talking. Not wanting to ruin the silence between all of us, I also decided not to say anything until Abu asked me "college de nun sarnge wae, gualle? (How was your college today, my flower?)." "Theek wae, abu (it was alright, dad)" I said.

"Acha, that's good. Mujhe tumse zaroori baath karni thi ( okay, that's good. I want to tell you something important)" he said. "Gee Abu, bhule kya kehna hai? (yes, father. What do you want to say?)" I said. I knew what abu was about to say, but I was mentally, emotionally, and physically not ready for it at all. I don't want to take that step yet in my life. I also know that I can't say no to abu if he has made the decision for me already. But I will still try to and convince him. It will be hard based on his strong beliefs of marrying daughters off early for their betterment, but I dont want that. I don't want all my dreams to be shattered because of this one decision in my life that my abu makes for me.

"Maine tumhara rishta thay kiya hain, mere dost Bashar ke bete Haider se (I have set up your marriage with my friend Bashar's son Haider" he said. I stayed quiet for a minute looking down at my plate of food not wanting to say anything to abu to get him mad. "Kya? Baba, tumne Zara ka rishta thay kar dia aur mujhe aur Feroze bhi ko bhi nahi bhataya? (what? Baba, you set up Zara's marriage and did not inform me and Feroze?)" Armaan bhai said.

I tried my best to control my emotion, but I couldn't and tears started falling down from eyes. I looked up at Armaan and saw him with his clenched jaw looking at my tear stained face.

Yeh kaise ho sakta hai? abhi toh woh sirf attarah sal ki hai. Uper se woh abhi bhi parh rahi hai (How can this happen? She is only eight-teen and still in college)" Armaan bhai said.

Is main puchne ki kya baath hai, baap hon main iska. Meri zimmedari hai. Shadi tho karni hai wase bhi, kya hoga agar abhi hojai? It's for her betterment.(What's there to ask from you, I'm her father. She's my responsibility. She has to get married anyways, so what if it happens now)" abu said.

I looked at Hamdan and Azaan, as they looked at me and could easily tell by looking at my face that I didn't want this marriage. Armaan, Hamdan and Azaan knew how much I wanted live my life freely. I didn't want to take such a huge responsibility. I want to make a future for myself.

"Aur Feroze ko pata hai is rishte ke baare main. Maine sabse pehle use bhataya tha. Usko koi aitraaz nahi hai (and Feroze already knows about the marriage. He was the first person I told this too. He doesn't have a problem with it)" abu said. How can Feroze bhi even agree to this? This is so unfair.

"Zara apni paraye shadi ke baad be kar sakti hai, Bashar aur unki family ko bhi koi problem nahi hai (zara can finish her studies after her marriage aswell, Bashar and his family don't have a problem with it)" abu said. How can he say this? You never know when people can change. They can change their decisions and tell me not to study more once I get married to their son.

'Abu, tum kaise yakeen se keh sakte ho ke woh log mujhe apni paraye khatam karne denge shadi ke baad? (Dad, how can you be so sure that they will let me finish my studies after marriage?)" I said not looking at him in the eyes.

"They will. Tumhare Bashar uncle ne wada Kia hai mujhse (your Bashar uncle promised me)" abu said. I looked at my brothers with hopeful eyes to try to convince abu not to do the marriage. They were my last hope to convince him, because I know if I tell him again he won't listen to me. But they didn't say anything because they knew that they couldn't go against my father.

"Acha, tho woh log ayenge Saturday ko. Shereen begum, tum tayari shuru karu. Usi din baath bhi pakhi hogi (ok, so they are going to come on Saturday. Shereen, you can start the preparation. The wedding date is going to be set on that day also)" abu said kissing me on my forehead and left the dinning table.

"Ami, yeh kaise ho sakta hai?. Mujhe shadi nahi karni hai. Mujhe aur parnah hai, abu ko kyun samajh nahi arahi? (mom, how can this happen? I don't want to get married. I want to study more, why can't dad understand?)" I said looking at ammi and my brothers.

"I'm sorry beta, tumhe toh pata hai na kay tumhare abu kaise hai. Woh apni rivaayat aur usool kisi ke liye bhi nahi badle sakte. Meri aur tumhare bhaiyon ki bhi nahi sunege (I'm sorry my daughter, you know how your father is. He would never change his traditions and rules for anything or anyone. He won't even listen to me or your brothers)" she said. I looked at her with my eyes full of tears. She hugged me and tried to calm me down.

"Tum fikar maath karo Zara meri bachi, hum tum per koi zor nahi dalenge. Tum faisla un logo se milne ke baad karna, theek hai? (Don't worry Zara my child, we won't force you. You can make your decision after you meet them, okay?)" Ammi said and I nodded my head at her.

"Ammi is right" Azaan said. "Yeah, don't feel pressured when they ask you for your decision. If you want some time you can ask them" Hamdan said. I nodded my head. "They're both right goulle (flower). Don't worry were going to be with you, so don't stress yourself out)" Armaan bhai said. I nodded my head at them.

"Now stop crying because you look like a monkey crying for its bananas" Azaan said. I quickly wiped my tears away and stopped crying. All three of them came closer to me to give me a hug together, squeezing me in between. "I can't breath" I said. "Leave me, or else I'm going to die with all three of you squeezing me so tightly" I said a little louder. They all started laughing and let me go. I feel better now since I have my brothers with me looking out for me. "Zara go to bed now. Kal tumhe college bhi to jana hai na, jao (you have to go to college tomorrow right? Now go)" ammi said.

"Gee ammi, jarahi hoon main. Goodnight (yes mom, I'm going)" I said hugging her and kissed me on my forehead again before I left. I went straight to my room. I made wudu to perform my isha prayer before I go to bed. I made dua for myself and asked allah to please help me out in this hard time. I asked him that whatever decision is made at the end to please make it be the best for me, with no regrets at all in the end.

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