BooksBarbecue
Back Counting Down with You
Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  7. Part 1
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. Part 2
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. Part 3
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. 49
  59. 50
  60. 51
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I force myself to speak again. “Ma, I don’t want to be a doctor. Please, just listen—”

My mom looks at my dad, shaking her head. “I can’t believe how disrespectful—”

“Farah,” Dadu snaps.

The room goes silent, all of us staring at my grandma with wide eyes. I start counting down from ten right as Dadu unleashes hell.

“What is wrong with you two? Your daughter is so smart and so talented, and you turn her away when she’s honest with you? You shame her? Are you absolutely insane?”

Baba blinks in surprise, looking between his own mother and me. “Ammu, I don’t know what Myra told you—”

“Oh, don’t even start, Hussain,” she says, waving a finger in warning. “I’m so disappointed in you. You wanted Myra to be a doctor. She told you she doesn’t want to do it and that she wants to study English instead. Then you yelled at her for being a shame on our family. Is that right or wrong? Don’t even answer that. I already know the answer. I almost watched a repeat performance mere seconds ago.”

I wince at her brutal recap and the way my mom starts giving me the evil eye.

Still, I don’t cower away. I want this. I have to stand on my own two feet.

“Eyes over here, Farah,” Dadu says, noticing my mother’s gaze. “Your daughter is so respectful of both of you. You treat her as less than she is, and she never says a word. The one time she wants something, you kill her dreams? How dare you? Where is your shame? What would Allah say about this? You are supposed to love your children unconditionally. Your Abbu and I never treated you this way, Hussain, so why are you doing it to Myra? She’s done nothing to deserve the way both of you dismiss her passion and skills. If she wants to study English, what’s the problem? Is she killing someone? Is she robbing someone? Is she breaking a law? Where in the Quran does it say she has to be a doctor, that you two are so adamant about it?”

“Ammu, we’re only looking out for her,” Baba says, scratching the top of his head. He’s beginning to look contrite. My stomach starts doing cartwheels. Could this actually work?