DISAPPOINTMENT

Disappointment

The day of her birthday Zainab woke up at her usual time 7:00am she washed her face in the small bathroom at the end of the house and while drying her face she realized that her face was getting more tanned and the cheek bones were starting to become prominent, her brown eyes shining from happiness as it was her birthday! She noticed that her height is also increasing, in short she was feeling older just like all of us feels on our birthday.so after drying up she went to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast for her parents and her only sister Hafsa who was 2 years younger than Zainab. Hafsa was like her father, she believed that a girl should always remain quiet unless asked to and never have an opinion of her own unlike Zainab who believed that a girl should always know her worth and have a opinion of her own, besides their differences both the sisters loved each other dearly. After preparing breakfast Zainab went to wake Hafsa, they lived in a small house which consisted of 3 rooms, 1 room was occupied by their parents and the other bedroom was for both the sisters there was a small lounge which was reserved for guests, a small kitchen and a single bathroom. While Zainab went to wake Hafsa she realized that her parents room door was open as both rooms were next to each other so she thought that she should wake her mother first and with that thought she knocked the door her parents bedroom and slightly opened the door more for her to enter. She saw that her mother was sleeping on the floor while her father was sleeping soundly on the bed, she could hear her mother sobbing on the floor while her eyes were closed, Zainab made her way to her mother and called her while shaking her slightly " Amma! Amma! wake up" ( amma means mother in urdu )

Her mother woke up frightened and looked at her in pure horror she quickly started to wipe her tears so her daughter could'nt see them, little did she know that Zainab already saw her sobbing. "What happened amma? Are you alright?" Zainab asked her and she just nodded "did abba beat you again?" This sentence made her mother look up to her "how did you know that he beats me?" Her mother asked, "i've heard you two before amma i know he beats you, tell me what happened this time?". Her mother stood up and told her to come with her while wiping her tears away when they both reached the kitchen she made Zainab sit in the chair of the 4 seated dinning table and started speaking "Zainab i know you are grown up now you have turned fifteen Mashallah! But there are things you still don't know about this world, this is a cruel world every person looks for the benefit of their own no one here is going to help you and you are the only one who could help yourself. I have been living with you father for 20 years now and from the first day he told me to listen to him and never disobey him! I was a young girl like you free as a bird and having dreams to conquer the world and thus i made a mistake which i cannot tell you now because you are not old enough just remember that no matter how old or mature you get never disobey you father or the father of your child, this is what my mother told me and now iam telling you this and trust me if you won't listen to this you will regret it." By the time her mother had tears threatning to fall from her eyes " but mother i must be allowed to stand against wrong and make my own life decisions this is my life i have the right to live as i please!" Her mother stood up from the chair she was sitting on and slapped her across the face "have you not listened to what i said before? Are you deaf? have you not learned that we live in among monsters? Now go wake your sister up and i will wake you abba (abba means father) and never you dare to talk back to me or else i will not hesitate to show you your place" With that her mother left her all alone weeping in the kitchen wishing she was a boy to have the right of living her life according to her desires. Hafsa was watching from behind the door of her room listening to every thing her mother said but unlike Zainab she thaught everything their mother said was for their own good.

8:00am

All the four members of the family were seated on the small table, nobody talking or saying anything as it was a rule of their father to never talk while eating! Zainab was quiet and looking down at her food, a cup of tea and bread along with some margarine. Suddenly her father spoke up "Razia! Teach your girl some manners tell her to cover her head from now on she is not a child anymore" he said in a loud voice gaining the attention of the three women from his voice. " i will make sure she cover her head from now on" her mother said quietly and stood up from her chair "come with me zainab" she said and went in to the sisters bedroom, and Zainab knew one thing from now on that her life is not hers and never was. To say Zainab was disappointed will be an understatement because she was shattered! She knew now that either she fight for her rights or she die living someone else's dream and with that thought she stood up and went to her mother ready for a new rule.