01~THE GIRLS

My mom's voice pierced through my sleep. "Bete, wake up! Your prayer time is almost over. Your dad and brother have already left for the mosque. Get up quickly!"

I groggily replied, "Yeah, mom, just five minutes."

My mom's tone turned stern. "Are you getting up, or do I need to come upstairs?"

I hastily assured her, "No, no, I'm up."

I quickly got out of bed, rushed to the bathroom, and changed into suitable clothes. After performing my ablutions and wazu, I took my prayer mat and started my Fajr prayer.

Feeling a bit more awake, I decided to catch a few more winks. But my peaceful slumber was disrupted by a knock on the door.

My brother's voice called out, "Baji, wake up! Ammi is calling you downstairs in five minutes."

I ignored him, but he didn't give up. Suddenly, I felt a splash of water on me, and I shrieked in horror. I sat up to find my brother standing over me with a jug of water.

"What the hell?!" I yelled at him.

He grinned mischievously. "You'd better come downstairs in 10 minutes, or Ammi will be furious."

He left, and I shouted after him, "Kutta!" (a playful insult).

Now that you know a bit about my morning, let me introduce myself. I'm Saarah Khan, the eldest daughter of the Khan family. I'm a bubbly, extroverted girl with a kind heart (or so people say). But don't mess with me, or you'll face the consequences.

As for my professional life, I've completed my schooling and recently given my entrance exams for my dream college. I'm now waiting for the results (which you'll find out later). You might wonder why I'm pursuing higher education when I come from a billionaire family. The truth is, I want to build my own career and achieve my dreams based on my own talent.

After getting ready, I headed downstairs to join my family for breakfast. My mom asked, "Beta, are you done with your shopping? When will you start packing your bags?"

I replied, "Yeah, Ammi, I just need to pick up a few more things."

My mom sighed, "Iss ladki ka kuch nahi ho sakta" (This girl is impossible).

I giggled and continued eating my breakfast. Once I finished, I got up, grabbed my purse, and headed to the living room, where my brother was lounging on the couch, watching TV. I kicked him, and he fell off the couch.

"Ammi, dekho! Mar rahi hai apki beti!" (Mom, look! Your daughter is killing me!) he complained.

"Ammi, he threw water at me!" I exclaimed.

My brother retorted, "Ammi, she was sleeping like a dead body, so I just wanted to check if she was alive or not."

I slapped his head again, and he cried out, "Ammi, dekho! Fir mara isne!" (Mom, look! She hit me again!)

I shot back, "That's what you deserve."

My mom intervened, scolding us both. "Enough, bachho ki tarah ladna band karo!" (Stop fighting like kids!)

I stormed out of the house, got into my car, and drove to the mall for some shopping. Along the way, I received a message from Kritika, but I ignored it. I was still angry with her for not contacting me for two whole years after we left school.

Kritika was my childhood best friend, and we grew up together in Jaipur. We were inseparable, despite being complete opposites. She was kind-hearted, gentle, and an ambivert, whereas I was more outgoing and confident.

As I arrived at the mall, I felt someone's presence behind me. Before I could turn around, a hand clamped over my mouth, and I was dragged away. I was terrified, struggling to break free, but it was no use. Another man in black appeared, lifting me up from behind, and together they dragged me to their car.

Once inside, they released their grip on my mouth, and I yelled, "What the fuck! Who are you, and where are you taking me?"

They didn't respond, and I continued to plead with them, "Please leave me! What have I done to you?"

As we drove, my fear intensified. We eventually arrived at the basement of a nearby mall, and I was dragged out of the car. The darkness surrounding me made my anxiety spike.

Just as I was about to scream, a soft hand covered my eyes, and a familiar voice whispered, "Teri pakki saheli" (Your best friend).

I recognized the voice, and my fear turned to relief, followed by anger. "Kritika!" I shouted.

She dramatically covered her ears. "Uff, girl, my ears!"

Here's a rewritten version of the text in better English:

"You're finally here after two freaking years!" I yelled, hugging her tightly. But then I remembered I was angry with her. I pulled back and pushed her away.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to sound stern.

Kritika looked taken aback. "What, you don't know me?"

I glared at her. "Oh, really? Now you remember me? Where were you for the past two years? I tried to contact you, to reach out to you, but you just vanished."

Kritika looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Saaru. Please forgive me."

I listened as she shared her story, and my anger slowly gave way to shock and emotion. I hugged her tightly.

"I missed you so much, Kriti," I said, my voice trembling.

"I missed you too, Aaru," she replied.

I laughed, wiping away tears. "Chal, ab chup ho, warna teri nak nikal jayegi" (Stop crying, or your nose will come out).

Kritika playfully hit me. "Kuttiya" (Bitch).

I smiled. "Now, will you forgive me?" she asked, her puppy eyes pleading.

I pretended to think for a moment before nodding. "But first, you have to go shopping with me, and then you're coming home with me."

Kritika agreed, and we spent the rest of the day shopping, chatting, and laughing together.

As we sat down to dinner at my house, Kritika announced, "Aaru, I have a surprise for you."

She handed me an envelope, and I eyed her curiously. Inside, I found some papers that left me shocked, happy, and emotional all at once.

I hugged Kritika tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! This is the best surprise ever!"

That's All For Today, Hope You Liked it!

I know it's quite short chapter, I'll try to post longer chapter from next time.

Stay Safe

Love you all❤️