Chaos in the Canvas √

27 | plan

"So, where did you meet?" He probed and Hemayal sighed heavily, pushing the plate away and leaning back in the chair.

"Hotel. He happened to stay in the same one." She said with an air of calm she was barely feeling inside.

Allah, even the name of that man rattled her mind.

"Ooh, such coincidences." Anisha Bhabhi chimed and Hemayal shot her a glance before chuckling humorlessly.

Coincidences, her ass.

Nothing related to that man was a coincidence anymore, absolutely nothing - she had come to believe the reality fiercely. The confused woman had no idea if he was tailing her or had her continuously investigated, but one thing was certain - no such thing as coincidence was involved anymore.

It was just him being a creep and following her around.

"Yeah, amazing, isn't it?" Hemayal replied, a little too cheerfully but everyone was so focused on the topic that her expressions weren't given much heed.

"So, did you two talk about the future?" Shehryar Khakwani uttered and like every time he had opened his mouth to speak, he shook the world under her feet.

"The...the future?" Hemayal was smart enough to know what he meant but too shocked to respond anything but.

"Yes, the Rukhsati and stuff," he said simply and Hemayal felt goosebumps travelling up her arm and down her spine, her heart literally fluttering in her ribcage. "Why are you so shocked? You two are already married, didn't you think of it?"

Hemayal needed a moment to gather her rattled nerves and hazy brain but knew she had none. Whatever was required to say to her father to keep the idea of Rukhati as far away from his mind as possible needed to be said now.

"It...it didn't cross my mind. I've been so busy with the hospital and we've never been in that much of contact either." Hemayal said, the desperation in her voice too evident.

"Not staying in contact with him was your and Ibrahim's personal decision; we never interfered. But it's time you think about it, Hami. How long were you planning on staying like this?" Hadeed Lala said and Hemayal sagged her shoulders.

"Forever, I was hoping for." The reply crossed her mind but not her lips, her sweater clad shoulders feeling the chill.

"I just...I need some time to think this through. It's a big step." Hemayal managed to force some words out of her mouth, voice rough around the edges.

"I know it is but it was expected, right? And it's been a while since he moved to Islamabad from Karachi; I think it's the perfect time to go along with the marriage." Hadeed Lala said and Shehryar Khakwani hummed in response while Hemayal only fisted her hand beneath the table a little too harshly.

"Yes, Hadeed's right. I'll talk to his father about it." Her father said and Hemayal visibly shivered in her place before taking a deep breath and pressing her lips tightly.

"No, you won't talk to his father." Hemayal replied, having regained some of her previous calm.

"Why wouldn't I?" He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her daughter from across the table.

"Because I'm not ready." Hemayal replied, voice becoming clear with each uttered word.

"And when will you be ready?" Shahriyar Khakwani asked, voice becoming hard but that only resolved Hemayal's determination.

"I don't know but you won't talk to his father until I say so. You already forced this marriage on me; I won't let you force me again. I'm not sixteen anymore, Baba and nobody is goddamn murdered by you." Hemayal replied, voice ice, posture stiff before she vacated her chair with clenched jaw.