THREADS OF LOVE

BROWN EYED JERK

He started the car and then we drove off, i was literally so nervous that my hands were shaking. "Its gonna be okay Shahista! Just be yourself!", said bhaiyaan reassuringly. I nodded at him but scoffed inside, easy for him to say he literally radiates confidence wherever he goes, I don't.
The ride was very short, and in no time we reached the venue. I could hear the buzz of the music and people from a distance.
As soon as we reached, i noticed something else to, "bhaiyaan! Are the? Are the?", said I doubting whether what i have seen was correct or not. Bhaiyaan looked at me and nodded in affirmation, "Yes! They are the paparazzi! But don't worry they won't bother us, actually many rich business families come to this function, so the paparazzi basically goes after them.", he said assuring me. Somehow it didn't cheer me up and i became more nervous than i ever was. To my dismay bhaiyaan stopped his car right at the entrance where their was a hoard of people with cameras and mics

Before i could say anything he got down, as soon as he did, i heard a lot of cameras clicking away, with mics flying with questions like, "Mr Ahmed! How are you?", "have you come alone!" "Who is they in the car with you?". He ignored all the questions and came to the passenger side of the gate to open my door. I gulped in and took a death breathe and said to myself, "This is it!". I grabbed bhaiyaan's hand and stepped outside, i regretted it a second later, because as soon as i stepped outside a dozen cameras pointed at me clicking my pictures & the flash almost blinded me .
"Who are you?", "Are you Mr ahmed' s sister?", "We have heard you lived in India? Why did you live in a third world country , when your brothers were a millionaire.", all sorts of questions were flung at me and mics were poked demanding answers.
"Don't answer! Just walk with a firm face!", whispered bhaiyaan in my ear. I nodded and blindly followed what he told me, i was very nervous and i squeezed bhaiyaan's hands so hard that i knew i must have hurt him. Finally we reached the end of the red carpet, and luckily paparazzi people weren't allowed inside the hall. We stepped in, and again i found out i was not lucky at all. All around me where ladies and gentleman mostly young around bhaiyaan's age all dressed immaculately talking to each other about various business related topic. I immediately felt lost and out of place in that bizarre, and the worst part is heads kept on turning towards us wherever we went. I could hear whispers and people glancing at me judging me, maybe trying to guess who I was. I felt so nervous with all that gazes on me that i really wanted to be invisible. Somehow i managed myself and grabbed hold bhaiyaan's arm tightly and walked ahead as gracefully as i could manage.

"Come let's go meet dad!", said bhaiyaan. I nodded in affirmation, i was not eager to meet him, but anything would have been better than this place. Bhaiyaan led me more interior to the massive halls, where to my relief people didn't took much notice of us. We walked more and reached another opening to the hall, where i found the familiar buzz of paparazzi and media men with mics. There amidst it on the red carpet was my elder brother Rizwaan posing for the camera with an arm around my sister in law who looked as if she had come out straight from a fashion magazine. The paparazzi were going insane over them, the scene felt so revolting to me that i averted my eyes, looked away.
"There is dad!", said Bhaiyaan. I looked his way and surely there stood my father with my other brothers standing and discussing something with a man who looked like a rich businessman to me. People standing nearby were keenly hearing him speak. Before i could muster courage my brother took my hands and pulled me towards dad partying the crowd. When he reached there, he didn't interrupt, he waited patiently for my father to finish talking to the gentlemen which took some time, and after that gentleman shook hands with him probably signing a business deal, he left .
Then bhaiyaan called out "father!".
Dad turned towards us said , "Ah! My son! Where you been!", and hugged bhaiyaan.
I realised dad might not have noticed me , so i said in a vey low voice, "dad!", he turned towards me as i stepped out from where i was standing behind my brother. My dad looked at me with open wide eyes, i knew he had recognised the dress, his expression was unreadable, but his eyes held a deep emotion which i faintly resembled sorrow.
He opened his mouth to say something but before he could speak, a voice came from behind, "father they are asking for a family picture.", said the most irritating voice ever. "Sure Aisha!", my father said and moved away from me to where bhabhi and Rizwaan bhaiya were standing. The rest of my brothers followed him, including bhaiyaan. I don't know what to do so i also tagged along behind him towards the red carpet.
"Aisha maam you look so beautiful!" "Really never seen a more perfect couple." "Sir all of you brothers stands on either side of Mr ahmed please." "Ya that looks like a perfect family." and cameras were flashed and paparazzi went on shouting stuff like this. I was about to move ahead when i looked at them, they looked perfect, perfect without me, with dad at centre , bhabhi next to him, and all my 5 brothers on both side, the family looked complete. I stopped and pulled back, my space which was at the Centre between my father and brothers was already occupied, and I don't think so i was needed anyone.