Marry me. - Sounds bossy.

Will you marry me? - So filmy... Plus isn't this what men say sitting on their knees. No way she was going to beg someone.

Let's marry. - Ugh! This is way too straight. Also so close to an order.

Can we marry? -  Yup! Perfect. She could ask this way. It looks like a polite request. Not like begging and neither like a command.

****

The sharp afternoon rays radiating in the orange hue penetrated through the glassy windows, enough for her exposed skin to heat up and go red,  while her gaze has been transfixed on the rushy roads with vehicles wandering up and down the path as she stayed still since past half an hour, sitting in the corner of the coffee shop, rehearsing with her words to propose a man, to marry her.

She was very well aware of the norms of her out-dated society, there wasn't any option of dating someone in her diary too. But at this point of her life, she was in desperate need of a person who would understand her, talk to her, take care of her and love her.

All in twenty-nine years, she had never been comfortable under the company of a person belonging to opposite gender. But now, she knew it was the time. Time to eradicate those insecurities. Time to get married and live a havoc free life. In hope of finding someone to hold her and support in need.

She could find dozens of people commenting on her age, on still being single, but none would actually do the honors of finding her a groom, not that she wanted them to. And so, she had no option but to own up this responsibility too.

She wasn't even a minute old, when her mother had left the world. At the age of ten, she found her father dead, leaving her all alone, under the cruel gaze of her step mother, who curses her with passion and holds her responsible for the every misery the latter had to face.

Anything and everything worse that has ever happened to her family, she has been the only one to get accused, punished with harsh comments. Making her living as a curse. And all she could do, was to only dream for a peaceful life, calm and happy one.

Year by year, all her wishes turned into a crave. A strong crave to call a place as her home. A home that could relieve her from exhaustion. A home that she would enjoy living in. A home that she could design according to her wish. A home with people who would care for her. A home that is far away from any shadow of her step mother and step sister. And to make that happen, marrying some one is the only option she could see.

Is she being selfish?

No! Her conscious spat back.

And before she could indulge more in her thoughts, the man she was waiting for, approached her with a smile, that she almost found herself less confident. But soon composed herself, as her mind smacked away the nervousness by reminding her to be nothing but sound serious and avoid getting embarrassed.

"Heyy!"

He was all decked up in plain dark marooned shirt, matched up with a pair of beige colored trousers. And as he occupied a seat across her, she could inhale some rich scent, also noticed his hair differently styled. But what brought astonishment on her face, was the bouquet of red roses, that he has now placed them, onto the table resting in between.

All for her...?

She then glanced down at her own abaya clad body, the same old one that she has been wearing for almost three years now, regularly. But then, heartily thanked the Almighty for making her to opt a month old scarf.

"So what's that important thing you wanted to discuss??" He asked her trying to get on the topic directly, but the constant pings on his mobile kept him distracted.

She was in acquaintance with him, for quite six months now, since the time she has joined her job as a saleswoman in the mall. And though she had not interacted with him much, yet she could understand that he could be the one, as he simply possessed the everything that she's wishing in her groom.

A good job. Hard worker. Loyal. Polite. Understanding. And not to forget, he owns a house. What else would she need?

About love, she holds a different concept. She was sure that she would eventually fall for him, as he's with everything that she needed, and would also make him fall for her, by prooving herself as a good wife.

"That...I'll order for a coffee first." She hesitated first, but then rubbing off the sweat from her palms, she voiced out.

"Can we save that for next time?" Turning his lips into a smile, he started. "Actually...I'm in a hurry now." And as he finished, she could find colour raising on his cheeks.

"Ohh..but this is really important." This can't be done in few minutes, she thought. Gazing periodically from his face to his mobile at the every ping sound it made, she could understand that he really was busy with something.

"I'm all ears." Eyes still glued to his phone, he uttered, sounding bossy all of a sudden. Reminding her of him being her senior.

"No... We'll speak some other time." She stuttered. Not that she had changed her mind now, but because she couldn't finish executing her planned words in such hurry, especially when his mind is involved in something else.

"Are you sure...?" As he received a nod from her, he jumped out of his seat, as though somebody has passed current to it. "Thank you. I must leave then, my fiancé is already waiting for me."

Leaving her fully drained with his final words, he lurched out of the coffee shop, not before picking up the bouquet from the table, that he had so lovingly bought for his fiancé. 

Shahrukh is married. Aamir has two kids. Salman...heard about his engagement too....what on Earth! Why is every eligible man already hooked up?

Wait, there's Fawad..

No...he's banned!

Ugh!! If this goes same for some more years, either she would end up in a mental asylum or with a man already a father to two to three children.

****

Tossing her body from side to side, she covered her eyes with the thin covers, trying to protect them from the sharp intrusion of morning rays. But then, she was awaken with the jerk, finding the sheets mercilessly pulled away from her body in a force, allowing the cool air to attack her skin.

All her senses wide now, as she groaned listening to the sound of running water. But the lady in mid-forties before her, who has just snatched her sheets away, now began to spat in her bitter voice.

Calm down.

"You deaf woman! That tap is running from half an hour and here you're taking your beauty sleep...

Don't you stare. Just rush and fill the water. You've already wasted a lot."

Cursing under her deep sigh, she stood on her mattress that layed on the cold floor, and leaving it the way it is, she ran on her way to reach the flowing tap. Though she was out of the room, she could hear the woman roaring, actually cursing her for sleeping an hour extra, on Sunday.

Calm down.

"Be patient on my utensils, don't let the whole neighborhood know that you're in kitchen today." With the tone Samina uttered these words, probably the whole neighborhood has already got aware of what she was trying to stop her stepdaughter from.

Rubbing her eyes to open them more wide, she found her way to the kitchen. But what laid before her sight, almost got her pupils out. Then quickly grabbing the pot and placing it under the flowing tap, she turned around to have all her insides burn up with anger.

The shells of eggs lying carelessly on the surface, flour sprinted all around the area and the long dried unwashed utensils thrown in the sink was all normal to her. But finding the refrigerator's door hanging from it's side, gave her the reason to fume.

Calm down.

Only she knew how hard it is for her to earn money, dedicating almost thirteen hours of her day to her job, as a saleswoman in a mall. And then when she reaches back in exhaustion, loads of untouched work awaits her attention. Plus to this, there's always something thrown on her way that requires extra bucks.

She's not going to pay for this.

Vowing to her own self, she replaced the pot under the flowing tap. After the tiring week, she gets a day off and even on this day she's not allowed to rest, but to fill the pots and buckets with water. Every house in their neighborhood had tanks fitted onto the roof. And they, still work in the old traditional way, simply because she couldn't afford the modern way.

Shoulders slumped down as the result of excess work, she dragged her body back to her room. With the thought of having a shower, she then moved towards the shelf where all her clothes rested, but as she ruffled them to pick one complete decent piece, her breath hitched away with the sight of her very new dress, shredded into bits.

Her eyes welled up instanty, as she truly had admired the dress deeply. It was the first one that she had bought something such expensive, according to what's running in fashion. Plus she never had got a chance to wear it even for once.

Blinking away all the tears, she turned on her heels with rage burning in her. She knew who could do this. And this time she vowed to not be weak and make the person regret on doing this.

"How could you Saira?" Reaching to her sister's bedroom with her boiling blood, she pushed off the soft pluffy blankets that were wrapped around the sleeping girl.

"What the hell...Mom!! Mom, what is she doing in my room? How dare she enter my room and disturb my sleep....? Mom!!"

Calm down. Calm down.

Saira's ear piercing voice rang throughout the two bedroom house, as she called out her mother. Dark circles surrounded her sockets as a result of her over scrutinizing the newly bought smart phone.

"Why can't I get some privacy here!! Mom!" Saira exclaimed again, reaching out of her bed to snatch her soft blanket, from her elder sister's grip.

"Stop whining. Just answer my question. Why did you do this?" Bringing the shredded pieces to her sister's eyes, she asked, trying hard to sound calm.

"My wish. Got your answer? Now get the hell out of my room!! I need privacy here." Finally grabbing her blanket, Saira took her previous position on her bed, waiting for sleep to take over her again.

Cal--- No. There's no privacy here?

Her younger sister has got a separate room, where as she lives in a store room, with rats, insects and what not. Saira has got a bathroom in her room too, where as she, herself has to travel to the backyard, and the bathroom there being too small, it doesn't even have a proper lock...

Yes.. it was Saira who broke the lock.

Grinning at herself, she rushed out of her sister's room, only to be back with a hammer in her hand. And once she reached near her sister, finding her eyes closed, she spoke out loud. "Won't you see what I've got?"

Saira's eyes widened in horror, not knowing the reason why her older sister was swaying the hammer in her hand, before her sight. And before she could get up and ask her, the older one beamed. "Don't worry, this is not for you."

As her younger sister gulped hard in utter fear, she grinned more. Then turning to Saira's bathroom's door, raising her hand too high, she banged hard near the lock and succeeded by breaking it in her one hit.

"Is this much privacy enough, little sis?" Exhibiting her smirk, she looked up to her younger sister Saira, and sang in a honey coated tone.