CHAPTER 2- RED FLAG~ Ayesha💕

A Y E S H A : -

Stepping out of my last class before lunch break, I sighed tiredly. It's only been fifth week of senior year and I am ready for a mental breakdown. As relatively pressure of studies increases, the pressure in my life have also took a toll.

Rubbing my sleep deprived eyes, I walked towards the senior cafeteria on the ground floor, as I was descending the stairs of my block, I grabbed the railing as I felt a pressure falling on me, almost making me fall.

"Sakina! You almost made me fall," I yelped holding her arm which was wrapped around my shoulder.

"In love?" She quirked helping me regain my balance,

I smacked my binder to her arm playfully, "Kidding." She chuckled as we both descended down the humanity block stairs and walked towards the courtyard, which had basketball court at the centre, where all the sports scholarship students where practicing for the annual sports league, at least they were doing what they desire and achieving their dreams and not study.

"Damn, they are so lucky they just play all day, and all the lecturers pass them without any study, what a life." Sakina spoke my thoughts.

"For real." I agree looking down at my feet, watching my maroon pleated ankle length skirt sway along the early September breeze.

"I just want to be done with college already." Sakina groans,

I looked at her and said, "Are you a Seer now my girl? How are you reading all of my thoughts?"

"Nothing special, just in my blood." I chuckled as we neared the cafeteria and grabbed Sakina's arm as she started ogling all the basketball players who were all sweaty and ripped and was pouring water on their on heads from a bottle while shaking their heads like a dog.

I get that they are good looking, and are self aware, but they didn't needed to do that.

"Where is Sania and safa?" I asked pushing open the cafeteria doors,

"Sania texted saying she's running a little late because of a very important lecture, and safa is in a detention." Sakina replies still trying to steal a look at the basketball players.

"Detention? In week five? that's a record." I say trying to locate a empty table.

"Well yes it is." Sakina says as she points a empty table and we both head towards it,

"So what's up? What's going on that brain of yours, what made your prada bags appear?" Sakina asks as we settle down at a empty table.

I sigh setting my bag on other chair,

"Things, a lot of things. Senior year is the top of it."

She props her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her intwined hands, all the while giving me an intense stare with a raised eyebrow, for a second I got a feeling like I am in a interview, "Lie. Try again, and try truth."

I sigh again scratching my eyebrow with my thumb, "My parents have started finding a suitor for me.."

"Oh so you are stressed because of that? Don't worry babe you got all the boys on your feet." She winked.

Yeah all, except one.

"Now, the other truth." Her investigator demeanour was back,

My shoulders sag as I pick up the loose skin around my nails, "It's Danish." I let out finally.

Sakina's demeanour drops instantly and she sits up straight,

"What is it? Did he said or do something? Do I need to locate him and break his bones?" She threatens cracking her knuckles.

I shake my head, "No you don't," Biting my lip, I reply, "I don't know I feel like maybe he is avoiding me, or maybe I am just overthinking?"

"Avoiding? Did you guys had a disagreement or something?" She quirks her eyebrow.

"Disagreement maybe?" I shrug,

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks and I really appreciate her for this, I need to vent out really bad, and Sakina is one of the best people to vent your feelings to.

"As I told you, my parents started finding suitors for me and I have a feeling my father will get me married till the end of this year, so I did the most humanly thing...I panicked and called danish and...I talked about him sending his proposal to my house.." I bit out, realising I might sound stupid.

"And did he agreed?" She asks staring at me intensely.

I looked at her for a moment, and pry my eyes away from her, "Um...kinda.."

Her eyes hold an alert look as she grabbed my hand on the table,

"Oh baby...no that guy is playing with your feelings."

I felt my breath hitch at her words, "No Sakina he's not..he might be busy, yeah that's it."

"Look, that guy was a red flag from start and I tried to warn you many times, I mean out of nowhere he starts giving you attention and now after what six months of you both being together, he is resisting to a full commitment, Do I need to show you more red flags?" My stomach drops a good ten miles from her words, it's wrong, all wrong, but why a part of me agrees to it.

"No Sakina, it's not like that, calm down, if a boy doesn't responds doesn't mean he isn't serious, he is I am telling you. He might be busy with his business, I heard baba saying he got a very large contract from germany, he might...he might be planning to propose me after that maybe? Right? Yes. It could be." My words sounded like I was convincing myself rather than Sakina.

"Okay and let's say he sends his proposal after his project or whatever...what if your parents had already found you a groom? Or what if you're married till that time? Tell him you are not going to wait. Don't go all soft baby, keep your word." Sakina says firmly.

"I.." I lick my now dry my lips, "I don't think so....what if he had already send his proposal to my house? I remember yesterday I overheard my parents talking with Murat that there is a proposal for me, and the boy is from our family, it.... It could be him right?" My voice was full of hope. Desperate hope.

"It could be yes, but don't get happy thinking it's only him, it could be someone else, Ayesha just lay your expectations low....I am telling this so you could be saved from a heartbreak." Sakina says, her voice gentle now.

"I just don't know what to say..what to do, I want to hide somewhere and never come back." I say holding my head in my hands.

Maybe it was the desperation or panic in my tone, which made Sakina drop her questions, and pats my hand reassuringly.

"I don't care what he works or do, I only care about you, Ayesha. I just want you to be happy with a nice, sensible man, a man which you deserve."

I nod, "I understand."

Ignoring the look of pity in Sakina's eyes I go to the counter and ordered myself a coffee, and a burger meal for sakina,

Taking our orders back I passed Sakina her meal and pick my coffee, "Can we just ignore the conversation we had? I don't want to remember it, it's always in my head these days so...tell me about your day." I say taking a sip of my coffee.

Sakina nods in understanding, and starts narrating the incident which happened in her class this morning, making me laugh, while we were talking I didn't notice sania barging in the cafeteria and she slams her books down on the table, startling us.

"I am so done with college." She groans burying her face in her hand,

Me and Sakina looked at each other and share a laugh, "Same girl, Same."

Before I could say anything a voice behind me made me turn my head,

"Hello ladies." Imran greets dropping his bag on the floor and sat on the chair beside Sakina, he tried to steal a chip from her plate, and she smacked his hand away giving him a disgusting look.

Sania moved her chair towards mine and kept her bag on a empty chair for safa, as Affan, Imran's friend from came with him and sat on a empty chair beside him.

"Hi Affan, how you doing?" I greeted him.

"Hey, I am doing good, how about you?" He asks politely, being the son of an sergeant, this man always sits with a straight back which might put my posture to shame.

"Fantastic." I reply sarcastically to which Sakina rolls her eyes,

Sakina brought her fist forward and Affan met his fist to her, Affan being an super senior doing MBA, Sakina takes a lot of help from him for notes and exams and he being an absolute sweetheart helps everyone.

"So to what we owe this meet?" I asked imran, suspicious of his sudden presence.

"Why do you always think that I come to you all for favours?" Imran feign hurt.

"Because you do." Sakina replies bluntly.

"Ouch." Imran muttered and Affan let out a chuckle, from the corner of my eye I caught sania staring affan dreamily for a second and quickly ducks her head down.

"So pray tell Mr. Awan, what do you want now? Notes?" I asked him folding my arms, me and Affan share a class of environmental science along with Safa.

"Don't be so hard on him, let the boy speak." Sania says with a smile.

"Thanks sania, you know you're an angel right?" Imran swoons, making sania laugh, and I didn't missed a beat of Affan's eyes glancing at her.

Hmm, I smell....romance.

"So what you really want then, Sid the sloth?" Sakina asks sipping Mountain Dew,

"It's an offer for everyone and you too, Merida." Imran says referring her to the brave movie character.

"What is it?" I ask before Sakina could say any snark remark.

"Well," He says as he picks up his bag from the floor, and takes out a couple of....tickets? For what?

"Is that..?" Sakina says her chip falling from her fingers,

"The Annual sports league and fest passes? Absolutely yes." Imran says picking up her chip and plopping in his mouth.

"But how did you got those?" Sania asks equally shocked.

"My boy here," he patted Affan's shoulder, who looked down awkwardly,

"Is our department head of the student council, and he managed to grab a handful of passes for us." He said fanning himself with the tickets.

"Oh...so why are you giving us instead of Affan?" I asked looking at Affan who shrugs tiredly.

"Because only a true business man could do a real deal." Imran says tipping his collar.

"Oh so it is like that," Sania says glancing at me.

Snapping her mouth shut Sakina move to action, "Give me those." She tried to snatch it from imran but he held up in the air, she got up to grab them but imran hid those passes in his bag away from Sakina.

Those passes where really expensive for students to get, usually the students who are teacher's pet get that easily, or those who are associated or a part of the student council of the university gets the passes for free, interested and loaded students gets the passes with their own money, in our freshman year, we got the free fresher's passes for the fest, but it wasn't interesting so we all dropped the idea of going to fest for the rest of year's and not waste our money, but this year the news is fest is going to be amazing, and imran offering us free passes is a win-win.

Propping my elbows on the table I eye him warily, "So what do you want in return for that?"

"Now we are talking business." He grins moving away from Sakina.

"How much money?" Sakina asks slapping her palms down the table.

"Well just five liras, from you." Imran says and I am left a little speechless as Sakina quickly digs out money from her bag and slam it on the table and snatch a pass from imran.

Noticing everyone's shocked expressions Sakina says, "What? I heard the food is great."

Clearing his throat imran turns his attention to sania, "So for miss angel, you would have to give me a treat of milkshake."

Before I could think sania could object she says, "Done." She smiles as imran gives her a pass.

Okay, we are eager I get it, geez it's just a fest.

As imran directs his attention to me, I open my bag ready to grab the money when he stops me, "Here," he gives the pass to me smiling.

"How much are you asking from me?" I ask wryly.

"None." He replied with a large smile, not to criticise someone but this boy had this obnoxiously big smile always which is kinda scary.

I looked at him and the pass weirdly,

"Why do I get this favour?"

"No, you have to do me a favour." He says looking at me cautiously,

"What kind of favour?" I ask chuckling.

"That I will tell you on the fest day." He says grinning again.

I shrug grabbing the pass and keeping in my bag, "Well all right, anything which gives me pass for free."

What would he ask? Nothing more than a treat of something, It isn't like his favour would change my already miserable life.

"Now is the shakes time." Imran says getting up from his seat, sania was about to get up when Affan interjected,

"It's all right, I will get the shake for you, infact I will bring for everyone." Affan says getting up but sania stops him,

"Of course not, imran asked me so I am going to pay for his." Sania argues.

"Now I am doing that, it's all right he understands, don't you imran?" Affan gives imran a pointed look.

Imran was confused but as if something clicked in him he nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah of course why not, I just want a shake I don't care who's money."

"I will bring one for Safa too, which one should I get for her?" Affan asks,

"She likes a chocolate one," I say.

"With ferroro and sprinkles on top." Sakina completes.

"With a spoon too," sania adds,

"And I am going to buy for imran-"

"Absolutely not Sania, I told you please let me have this one." Affan says placing a hand on his chest.

Aw, such a sweet soul. Such a gentleman.

"But-" sania tries again,

"I got this, please let me do it." Affan says and saunters away to the shakes and ice cream section.

The cafeteria doors open and safa enters inside frantically searching for something, until she catches us and make a run to the table,

She almost slips while grabbing a chair and sits down breathing heavily.

"Okay, who's murder did you commit that you had to run like that?" Sakina asks, noticing her state.

"Better Mrs. Bathsheba, I hate that woman's guts." Imran says shuddering and Sakina agrees with him.

Catching her breath safa replies, "No one, I just ran all the way from English department, so that I couldn't miss lunch break."

"Oh no you didn't," sania says checking her watch, "We have like twenty more minutes left until next class."

Safa closes her eyes and takes a deep breath,

"So what was the detention for?" I ask her as she takes out her pink sipper bottle,

"It wasn't my fault that Mrs. Aydan caught me not concentrating during the lecture," She pants as she takes a sip of water from her sipper,

"Yeah I mean how dare she?" I say rolling my eyes mockingly.

"The audacity, telling ya." Sakina plays along.

"Right? Well, Sorry for thinking about more heartbreaking and sad things other than her lecture." Safa rolls her eyes,

"Which was?" Sania asks evidently confused.

Safa's face morphs into sadness and hurt as she says, "Tom Riddle had no right friends, he didn't see a true love in his life, if he had a true friend like me, he wouldn't had to become a soulless, no nose, disgusting teeth creature, from being such a handsome boy." She sighs in distress.

"Now that's a really sad matter," Sakina sighs.

"Oh yes, of course." I agree shaking my head.

"Yes it is," Sania nods in understanding.

Me and sania agree, and imran gives us a weird look.

"You all are miserable." He looks at us with a scrunch nose.

We all shrug in response.

"Oh by the way, Safa this is for you." Imran says passing Safa a pass,

Safa looks at the pass and smiles widely, "Annual Fest pass?" She squeals, "Thank you imran you're the best."

"I know, I know." He smiles, "You just have to bring me something to eat during break."

Safa looks at him weirdly and stuffs the pass in her bag and before snorting, "No."

"What do you mean no?" Imran scoffs confused,

"I meant No. do you wanna hear in spanish Nõ." Safa mocks making all of us laugh.

"You are not even a member of the council, Affan is, so why should I be scared of you?" Safa says looking at him under her nose.

"Why didn't I thought about it?" Sakina says thinking.

"Honestly," Sania laughs and I think about it too, but he just asked for a favour, couldn't be bad.

Affan brings shakes for all of us, and Safa beams happily seeing her choice of shake,

"How did your detention ended so early?" Affan asks her sitting beside imran,

"It didn't." Safa say sipping her milkshake, and we all look at her.

"I sneaked out." We all started at her for a good minute and she just shrugged picking up the ferroro from the top of the shake.

"That's my girl." Sakina says proudly.

"You are a rebel, damn teach me too." Imran whistles impressed.

"Well can't teach a person something, which he can't do." I sass making everyone laugh.

Before we could chat further the bell rang and safa groaned as everyone started to leave the cafeteria, "I hate college."

"Same, Okay you all see you Next Friday, the fest day." Imran says making finger guns.

"Bye everyone, Bye sania." Affan's tone changed while bidding sania, from the corner of my eye, I noticed Sakina shared my expression,

"Be ready." Imran winked at me before leaving the cafeteria with Affan.

Why did that wink sounded alarming to me? Whatever I think I need a good nap.

*_*

My body melted on the mattress as I flunk down on my bed after changing out of my clothes, the long tired day at college, instantly made my eyes droop,

But before I could lull completely to sleep, my bedroom door slammed open making me sit up startled.

"Murat!" I exclaimed scared, my heart pounding as all the sleep vanished from my eyes.

He holded a guilty expression, "Sorry my leg slipped, and the door just went flying open...Hehe." He laughed guilty.

"What do you want?" I ask rubbing my eyes.

"Mom told you to make tea." He replies making me groan internally.

"You make it." I bit out moodily,

He gives me a pointed look, "Let me repeat it, Mom told you to make tea, Now." He says going out of room, and slides down the banister of the stairs, smooth a like a butter in a pan.

Taking my duppata I draped it across my shoulders and made my way downstairs to the kitchen to make tea,

After finally making the tea, I poured it into four cups, placing the cups on the tray, I brought it to the living room, where everyone was seated.

After serving tea and I sat back on the loveseat across murat, sticking my tongue out to him, as he did to me earlier.

Real mature.

Finishing my tea, I was watching the news on the T.V as rest of them where still drinking it,

My droopy eyes opened again as mom called my name and baba closed the T.V.

"Beta, we have to talk to you about something important." Mom say and I notice murat sitting up straight.

"Me?" I asked unsure, my stomach twisted as baba nodded his head,

"As you know we have been looking for a suitor for you, for a while now and...."

I felt the colour drain from my face as Sakina's words rushed back to my head,

They found someone didn't they?

"And you got a Alliance from our family." Mom completed gauging my expressions carefully.

"F-family?" I stutter, feeling my heart pound.

"Yes, you might even know him, he's a trusted boy." Baba says, his tone firm.

A little hope rises in me, he told family. What if it is..it is danish,

What if danish decided to surprise me with this?

I controlled my expressions as a rush of excitement filled me and I sat up straighter, oh my god yes it could be, he has been planning for a while. Wasn't he? To give me a surprise he said like that,

But a small part of me was holding the red flag which Sakina tried to warn me about,

"And Baba would say no to them, if you don't agree with it, so don't feel pressurised." Murat assures and I nod my head.

"Beta, you remember your Aunt Ayeeza who lives in Istanbul?" Mom asks and I frown.

I nod unsurely, what about her? Did she recommend me to danish's mom?

The next words of Baba where enough for the rush in me to die, and the familiar feeling of panic and fear swelled in me,

"Well, she sent proposal of her son to you." My stomach dropped completely from Baba's words.

The red flag dropped.

I could feel the dull pounding of my heart as I stared at him shocked, hearing him continue,

"Yes, Her son, my nephew, Farhan."

"Farhan?" A shock whisper left my lips, the name sounded so foreign to my lips, leaving a strange feeling in me.

*************************************

A/N:-

Editing this chapters is making me cry, just how cringe did I wrote it.

Whoever reached till chapter 43 are real gems, who needs to be loved and appreciated for coming past that cringe.

But i am also happy seeing the change in my style of writing.

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