Not That Interested

Chapter 24: The One With The Gift

Well, it's official now. I am engaged. To my best friend.

I wake up on the morning after my engagement party, and simply lay in bed mulling over the surrealism of it.

I lift my left hand to inspect the glittering stone on my finger. I don't feel any different though.

EMV snorts; 'Were you expecting to turn blonde or something?'

Umm...No...but still, shouldn't I feel something? Other than the idiotic desire to head to my roof and apologize to, and thank Shehzer in person; for attending the engagement reception

EMV is on a roll; 'Yeah because that's where he spends most of his life right? On the roof, waiting for your exalted presence to appear?'

It's weird, but whenever I thought of my roof, I just thought of Shehzer and Rania...In a couple of months they had completely ruined me for lonely swing moments.

Mom didn't bother waking me up early today, which was a first. She knew I had a late night, trying to scrub of layers of make-up off my face.

Each time I thought I was finally touching my own skin; BAM another layer of foundation would come off.

All you girls going crazy over celebrities and supermodels' faces, hear me; IT IS ALL FAKE! There's no earthly way to look THAT perfect without painting yourself with the contents of, what seemed like, an entire MAC store aisle. And the fake eye-lashes! dear lord! They look so creepy once they aren't glued to your eyes....

My head also hurt from a sum total of 68 bobby pins stuck to my hair. The huge amounts of hairspray made my hair all crackly and gross.

Overall, the whole after-party in my bathroom was filled with undignified tears, moans and a whole lot of curses towards irrational beauty salon workers.

After a brunch, Mom told me to sort out all the Engagement presents I had received from the guests. This made me perk up. I love presents!

The excitement was premature though. Most of it was old-married lady stuff. I mean who wants a steam cooker on their engagement?

Mom kept most of the stuff for "When you leave for your own home" AKA after wedding dowry. That made me curious; "Did Areeb's parents demand a dowry?" I asked casually.

"Hmm, No, they didn't. In fact, they explicitly told us not to buy anything for you. They said Areeb is more than capable of providing stuff for your home." She smiles contentedly; "Mashallah, you're lucky, your in-laws aren't greedy in any way. Most people send out lists of demands for the girl's side to fulfill."

I guess I was lucky. That's what everyone kept telling me yesterday. How lucky I was.

"You fiancee is gorgeous! you're SO LUCKY!"

"He is so gentlemanly! You truly hit the jackpot!"

"Lucky bitch! your guy is not only hot, but also loaded! WOW"

"You both are so cute together! it is rare to see a couple so well matched in terms of looks! LUCKY girl, your babies will be gorgeous!"

My luckiness was a unanimous opinion held by everyone.

I just prayed that my good luck would stay with me throughout my entire married life. This is just one phase of it.

.......

I was almost done with all the presents when I noticed a medium sized square one. It was gold wrapped with a navy blue ribbon on it. I checked the card on it.

Here's to your happiness.-From, Shehzer H. Khan

My hands shook as I unraveled the ribbon, and tore open the neatly wrapped box. It was a calendar. Not just any calendar; It was custom made with a leather binding engraved with my name. Each day of the calendar was printed with a unique quote he had chosen for me. I greedily flipped through it. Laughing at some, crying at others.

I. LOVED. IT.

This was hands down the best thing anyone's ever given me.

Damn him. How the hell am I supposed to forget him? when each day LITERALLY will be a visual reminder of what could have been!

........

Kulsoom Nani is finally leaving. Ali cannot be happier. I feel kind of sad though. I was getting used to her acid tongue and weird ideas. She sure kept us on our toes.

"BOY! be careful with the blue hand bag, it has my special tea-cups in it"

Ali paused in the act of roughly shoving the blue bag into the boot of her lexus.

He turns to her wide-eyed.

"Why on EARTH do you carry your tea-cups around with you?"

She sniffs; "They help with my diabetes of course"

Whaaa? Ali opens his mouth to argue in the name of science and common sense. I mouth "DON'T" at him, and he catches himself.

"Hmmph. Where is that cursed driver of mine. Probably out there Phoning his girlfriend. I told him time and time again, she is playing with his feelings, but does he listen to me? No. I swear, if people just start doing what I tell them to, the world will be a smarter place..."

Me and Ali are in hysterics by now.

"You...gave...love advice...to your...your driver?" I giggle.

"Of course I did. The idiot thought the girl loved him. I set him quite straight on that. She used to ask him for cell phone credit all the time...HAH! probably to call her other 20 boyfriends....females these days. Tch."

I hug her impulsively, much to Ali's horror.

"Kulsoom Nani, I want to be brave like you, and be able to say whatever I please."

"Well dear, I'm afraid you have to wait until you're as old as me. At my age, what is the point of holding my thoughts back? I'll probably be dead by the time stupid people realize I have offended them." She cackles, thumping her cane dangerously close to Ali's ankles. She pats me on the cheek, "I do like you....Boy, you should be more like your sister."

"What? should I start eating a lot?" Ali shoots back. I stick my tongue out at him.

"Hmmph...growing a spine now are we?....Good good....Tell that lovely girl of yours that I only did what I did, because you were taking too long to go about figuring your feelings out." She smirked, settling her frame inside her car. "Don't forget to invite me along, when you take the proposal to her parents."

My brother snorts; "Over my dead body."

"HAWHAWHAW! you young people in love is just painful to see...Like a bunch of puppies running around, chasing tails... blindfolded." She stares at me meaningfully for a long minute. "Best to take off blindfolds quickly. Saves a lot of pain."

She left then, leaving me wondering about blindfolds.

A/N:

Hmm....

Quick note. All Further chapters will kick off with the unique quotes from Shehzer's gift. :D

Cheers!

<3

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