Father of the Bride

Chapter 18: Holding on

Before she opened her eyes, tears ran down Amirah's temples dampening her pillow. The mornings were weary and troubling. Despite sleeping for 9 hours, Amirah couldn't shake of the tiredness. The moment she sat up, her stomach somersaulted and bile gushed to her throat. Quickly, she jumped off her bed and dashed to the bathroom where her  year old brother sat on the toilet in his smaller toilet seat. Amirah gagged in the sink holding back her hair.
"Ammi! Baji!" Yelled Saadi.
Amirah found it difficult to keep anything down, even water. Nadiya made her way to the bathroom and stood over Amirah holding her hair back so she could vomit. 

Once Amirah was in her bed , Nadiya stood over her wondering how long she could hide her morning sickness. Soon, she would begin to show. Her mother Robina was asking questions about Amirah.

"I've decided to go to Pakistan." Nadiya announced. "Imran's phupi is unwell and I have to take the boys. You're coming too." Nadiya began folding Sonya's messy clothes into a pile.

"I'm not going." Amirah sunk into her bed.

"Not going is not an option. You are going and that's it. On Monday we're going to the embassy to get a visa."

Amirah sat up. Her mother was serious. "Why do I have to go to Pakistan? It's your husband's phupi who is ill? What's it got to do with me?"

Nadiya couldn't lie. "I'm doing this for you." Nadiya sat beside her. "Your dad doesn't care about you. He's washed his hands off you. So, I'm left to sort it out. You're far too young to be tied down with a baby; you have a future ahead of you."

Amirah sensed something sinister in her mum's tone. What had she planned in Pakistan? "What do you mean? What are you going to do?" She asked with creeping fear.

Nadiya softened her tone to pacify Amirah that this was the right decision. She held her hands and stroked her gently. "Imran has a phupi. She is a lovely woman you will like her. Once you have the baby she will take care of it and you can go back to your single life."

"My baby?" She gasped pressing her hand to her chest.

"That is not a baby, but a disgrace in your womb." She pointed. "It's not yours to keep. It's a shame we must remove. Sooner or later, your nanny will find out."

Amirah shook her head in despair. Who could she call for help? This was wrong.

"Come to Pakistan. Then soon after you can return to your university life and find a job." Nadiya settled Amirah. It was decided that she was to travel to Pakistan.

"Ammi, isn't there another way." She pleaded hoping that her mother would agree with auntie Mahnoor and marry her to Ayaaz. After all Ayaaz was willing to take care of his responsibility. Nadiya could see Ayaaz in her daughter's eyes and yanked her daughter by the arm. "You will have nothing to do with that boy! He is just like his father."

"Ammi don't do this please! I love him. I don't want to go to Pakistan. You can't do this."

"You have left me no choice! The sooner I take you away the better."

Nadiya slammed the door shut on Amirah's pleas. Amirah was left in pieces crying over her future. Soon she would be taken away to a far away country, forced to give birth in risky conditions and then her baby taken away from her. How could her mum do this to her? Was this the only option?

Troubled by the turn of events, Sonya entered the room to find her sister sobbing under the blanket early morning. 
"Why aren't you getting up? Why aren't you fighting?" Sonya sat at her feet.
"What's the point?" Amirah mumbled from under the duvet.
"You've given up?"
"There's no point."
"Surely you can do something. You're not some illiterate fool who knows nothing. You have rights."