Meher walked into the dining room, the soft glow of the chandelier doing little to ease the restlessness swirling inside her. Her parents were already seated at the table, their composed expressions instantly telling her this wasn't a casual family dinner. Something was coming—she could feel it.
She pulled out a chair and sat down slowly, her movements restrained, her thoughts still tangled in everything she'd been trying to avoid the earlier thoughts.Breaking the silence, she looked straight at her father.
"What do you want to talk to me about?" she asked, her tone controlled but edged with impatience.
Asad glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the food in front of him. His voice was calm, almost unreadable.
"You know me well, Meher. Eat first. I'll tell you."
Meher gave a short, humorless smile.
"Of course," she said. "We don't sit together like this unless it's something important. You must have your reasons to call me down."
Zehra, sensing the tension thickening in the air, intervened gently.
"Eat, Meher," she said softly, placing a plate in front of her daughter. "Take this."
Meher inhaled deeply, as though bracing herself. She forced her thoughts into submission, schooling her face into neutrality. Picking up her fork, she began to eat, though the taste barely registered.
Minutes passed in near silence, the clink of cutlery echoing far louder than usual.
Then Asad spoke.
"I met Kamran Hashmi today."
Zehra looked up, startled.
"Huh?"
Asad continued evenly, as if discussing business matters rather than something that could upend lives.
"The chairman of Hashmi Enterprises."
Meher froze mid-bite. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to her father, suspicion tightening her chest.
"So what?" she asked cautiously.
"We talked," Asad said. "And eventually, the discussion turned to you and Zayn. Mr. Kamran is worried about Zayn's marriage as well. So… we decided on a date for you two. You'll go and meet him."
For a second, the world seemed to tilt.
Meher's eyebrows shot up, disbelief flashing across her face.
"What?!" she exclaimed. "A date? With him? Never! I don't want to get married now—never! Don't even think about this!"
Her chair scraped harshly against the floor as she stood up abruptly, the sudden movement cutting through the room like a blade. She turned toward the exit.
Asad's calm shattered.
"Meher!" he snapped, his voice sharp and commanding. "You have to go! I don't want excuses. Sit down. I'm talking to you!"
But Meher didn't stop. She walked faster, her heart pounding, anger flooding her veins.
"My life is not yours!" she shouted over her shoulder. "I'll do what I want!"
Zehra stood up, her voice trembling but gentle.
"Meher, eat your food! Meher!"
Meher paused at the doorway, her back still turned.
"Don't worry," she said coldly. "I'll eat at Inaya's place."
Without another word, she left.
The front door closed behind her with a finality that echoed through the house.
Outside, Meher climbed into her car and slammed the door shut. She started the engine, her hands shaking slightly as she gripped the steering wheel. As she pulled onto the road, frustration spilled from her lips.
"What is happening?" she muttered through clenched teeth. "Marry him? Zayn? Have these people completely lost their minds? Never."
One hand stayed tight on the wheel while the other pressed against her forehead, as if trying to hold her thoughts together. The streetlights blurred past as she drove on, her mind racing, her heart refusing to accept the future others were trying to choose for her.
She kept driving—away from the house, away from the conversation, and away from a decision she wasn't ready to make.
^
To be continued....