shattered hopes

I rush to my wardrobe, frantically searching for the perfect outfit. I can't mess this up—today might be the day I meet the man of my dreams! I have to look the part: confident, beautiful, and graceful.

"Na'am, yes, I'm on my way out right now, Mum," I call out, but my voice echoes back in the dead silence of the mansion.

As an only child, I'm all too familiar with the emptiness of this big house, where only the domestic workers are ever present.

I decide to go with the black Range Rover Dad gifted me for my 24th birthday last week. I glance at myself in the mirror—I don't need makeup to radiate beauty. From my arched dark brows to my almond-shaped eyes, thick lashes, and full lips, I know he won't be able to resist me. It will be love at first sight. I'm sure of it.

After all, who could say no to me, Nadeem?

---

The smell of oil fills my room. I hear my siblings running around, making so much noise that I wish I had a gun to silence them. I'd regain my only-child status, but I'd be demented and left to rot in prison. Even the thought makes me smile.

My eldest sister, Babbu, kicks down the door to our shared room.

"Don't expect to eat if you don't help out in the kitchen," she snaps.

"Fine, then. I won't eat. I'll just fast for the day," I retort.

She never lets me be. All I want is to meet the man of my dreams. I was already on my way to see him, to fall in love with him instantly. But here I am, stuck with mindless kitchen duties.

"Peel the yam," Babbu orders. "Is that how you peel yam? You're cutting away the flesh! Even a simple task, and you can't do it right," she barks, her voice harsh, singling me out from the rest of our siblings.

We used to be so close, Babbu and I. But after I got back from… everything changed. She changed. I changed. No one talks about it—as if I'm a plague to be avoided.

Most of the time, they leave me alone to lie down and dream. But when guilt creeps in, they surround me, trying to involve me in their conversations. It's always forced. I never feel anything from their efforts. All I want is to lie down and dream.

My mom rushes out the door, late for work. Babbu and I finish cooking breakfast—golden yam and egg sauce. She does most of the work; I just follow her orders, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

Mum leaves with the twins, dropping them at school. Babbu heads off to work an hour later, and finally, I'm alone. As usual, she leaves a mess of clothes piled on my bed, while hers is neatly tucked in. The scent of her perfume still lingers in the room.

I wouldn't dare move her clothes to her bed—it would be a whole issue when she gets back. So, instead, I start to neatly fold them, just as…

---

I arrive at his house, a beautiful mansion adorned with white marble decorations. After passing through multiple security checks, I finally make it in.

I park my Range Rover next to a Maybach Mercedes, glancing at all the other luxurious cars—Rolls-Royces, Aston Martins, SUVs, and even a humble Toyota Camry, which looks so out of place among the other vehicles.

I head directly to his mother's room—this woman has taste.

---