Collection of Short Love Stories

Chapter 1

Amal's POV:

The blaring alarm interrupts my peaceful slumber. I quickly shut the alarm just as I heard Ammi's (Mom's) voice from downstairs.

"Amy, have you forgotten about their arrival? Wake up quickly!" Arrival? My eyes widened in panic when I realized what is today. He is coming today.

Jumping from the bed, I raced to get myself ready. I hadn't selected a dress beforehand as I'm too lazy.  Grabbing the first thing infront of me which happened to be a pistachio green and white salwar kameez (traditional Pakistani dress), I sling my veil lightly over my head and wore my white slippers.

"Rizwan bhai, apne sahabzade ko boliye ke yahan bhi kabhi ghalti se chakkar laga liya kare. Itna waqt guzar jaata hai or hum apne bete se mil bhi nhi skte."
(Rizwan brother, tell your son to visit us sometimes even if he does it mistakenly. So much time has passed and we haven't seen our son.)

I heard my father's voice talking to Uncle Rizwan, his older brother, about him.

My father, Saleem Ali Sikander, adores the not-so-lovely son of his brother. After my birth, my mother, Aria Sikander, had gotten very weak and it was not beneficial to her health if she got pregnant. Now, I only have two stupid elder sisters. My parents consider him as their son. Everyone else is petrified by the monstrous Chief Of Army Salaar Sikander.

"Arey Saleem, ab aesi bat nahi hai. Mere bechare bache ko aaram karne ka waqt nahi milta or ap milne ki bat karte hain." Ammi (Mom) says to Abu (Dad) as both my uncle and aunty chuckles.

(Oh, Saleem. It's not like that. My poor son doesn't get time to even rest and you're talking about meeting him leisurely.)

Upon entering the living room, I'm graced with the presence of the Sikander family lounging around. Eyes drift to me and my shy self has a embarrassingly red face after realizing that I'm late. In my own home.

"A-assalam o alaikum, T-taya abbu(Uncle), tayi ammi(Aunty)." I feel his intimidating gaze on me while his parents smile at me lovingly. I don't know how he is related to these sweet human beings that are my Taya and Tayi.

"Ye dekho, hamari shehzadi aagai hai. Aj to hum isse apne sath hi lekar jayenge." Maria Sikander, wife of Rizwan Sikander, exclaims as she kisses my more reddened cheeks after her proclamation.
(Look, our princess has arrived. Today, I'll take her with myself no matter what.)

"Le jayen isse. Wese bhi ammi ko bohot pareshan karti hai. Crybaby." My witch of a sister, Aina, who is the middle one, says. My cousins laughed except him. Getting the hint, everyone quietened down instantly.
(Yes, take her with you. She troubles mom a lot anyways. Crybaby.)

"Salaar, dekho zara. Kesi hamari sabse choti shehzadi ko tang kar rahe hain." Tayi ammi said and my eyes widened. Why would she say that to him?! I'm already scared by his freezing stares on me. I don't need his cold words terrifying me more.
(Salaar, look how they are teasing our only youngest princess.)

"Shayad koi kaam nahi hai. Iss liye falto baton main lage hain." His deep, gravelly voice instantly made everyone disperse from the room like flies. I felt a shiver as he set his eyes on me again. I need to abort. Now!
(Maybe they don't have any work to do. That's why they're talking around nonsense.)

"Uhh....n-nashta lag gaya hoga. C-chalte hain." I mumbled softly and the elders nodded. Walking towards the dining room, everyone sat down to eat when I noticed that there was no mango juice on the table. Oh no, Salaar bhai only drinks mango juice at breakfast. Why didn't the maid put it?!
(Breakfast should be served by now. Let's go.)

I sat up abruptly and almost knocked over my coffee cup, gaining the attention of everyone unwantedly. My eyes drift to the unpleasant frown on Salaar bhai's face looking around the table and I paled. It didn't help that I was the one who had to prepare the table today.

"I-I'm coming from the kitchen." I said distractedly and got to the kitchen, getting the bottle and entering the room again. He was sitting beside Taya abu on the second seat.

I grabbed a glass and reached him. Standing beside him, I quickly pour out the juice and put it beside his plate. In my haste, the bottle in my hand which I was trying to put away on the table, slipped and fell on his branded suit, perfectly ruining his shirt and pants. Everyone gasped as he stood up to wipe himself. I'm dead.

"I don't think the stain will leave like this. Amal, washroom lekar jao usse." Ammi exclaims.
(Take him to the washroom.)

"No, it's okay. I'll manage myself." His voice woke me from my daze and I stepped back a little.

"Shush. She is getting used to creating mess. She will clean it herself. Bewakoof larki." Ammi scolds me and I blink the tears away from my eyes.
(Stupid girl.)

"Also, give him a suit of your Abu." I nodded and he walked upstairs and I followed him with blurry vision. Reaching the bathroom, I wet a towel and moved forward to try and lessen the stain which is on his abdomen when he grabbed my dainty wrist suddenly. I looked up at him with my wide teary eyes to see his infamous scowl.

"Ap ko zaroorat nahi hai ye karne ki. Main karlonga. Bas mujhe uncle ka koi suit de dein." It's not like I'm dying to clean his shirt. With a frown, I freed my wrist from his warm hands, threw the wet towel on the sink and left the bathroom. I took a suit out of Abbu's (Dad's) closet and left the room.
(You don't need to do this. I can do this myself. Just get me a suit of Uncle's.)

The moment I'm alone, my tears fall like a waterfall and I lock myself in my room. His presence alone is misfortune for me. Him and his stupid mango juice! I should've slapped that bottle on his face instead.

Hearing a knock on my door, I gazed at the door. I know it's Abbu. It's always him coming to console me but this time I won't listen. Ammi scolded me infront of everyone! I'm so humiliated right now. I heard a knock again and got frustrated.

"Main nahi baat karongi ab unse, Abbu. Hamesha yahi hota hai mere sath. Jayein ap." I hate how my voice comes out wobbly. I wanted to seem strong.
(I won't talk to her now, Dad. This always happens to me. You should go.)

"Open the door, little one."
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