Zara Betrayed Ch. 01

The rain did nothing to dampen her mood. Not tonight. Zara was full of excitement at the thought of her holiday, which she'd been planning for over a year with her best friend Jas. The two girls had been thirteen years old when they'd made a promise to each other that they would go on a round the world trip one day. After years of saving they were finally going. It was to be the trip of a lifetime, a promise that would be acted upon almost fourteen years after making it. They would take the ferry from Dover in two days' time and would start their four month trip in France. They were planning to travel by road as much as they could, both girls agreed it was the best way to travel, they'd get to see more of each country they visited if they travelled by road instead of flying everywhere.

Zara still couldn't believe they were going. Her parents were ultra conservative and it had taken months of persuading them that she would be safe and even then, Zara knew her parents had finally only relented because of the simple reason that Jas would be there. They doted on Jas and thought she was wonderful, a really good Muslim girl and it was her presence that ensured Zara was allowed to travel without her family. Although Zara was twenty six now, her parents still thought she was their little girl. Frowning, she thought about the pleading she had to do in order to move out. Her parents, like most Muslim parents she knew, did not approve of unmarried girls living away from home. It was sheer luck that Zara had found a job in Nottingham and not in Birmingham where her family lived. Even then her parents had not been happy about her moving out; she was the first girl in her family, both immediate and extended, to move out before she got married. Her parents had flat out refused to let her live alone and only when she suggested that she could flat share with Jas, did her parents relent. They believed Jas was an angel and could do no wrong. The fact that Jas wore a hijab and observed all the religious and cultural rules in front of them fooled them completely and they, along with everyone else, believed Jas to be a sweet, pious girl.

Zara had been allowed to attend the University of Nottingham after persuading her parents that it was the best university near them. She'd also hinted that if she didn't attend the University of Nottingham she may have to travel further, to Leeds possibly. At that her parents had given in and she started her uni life by commuting every day. It only took a couple of weeks of doing this before her parents understood what she'd been telling them all along, it was just too much extra hassle to travel everyday by car or train, not to mention expensive too. Jas was already living in halls from the start of the semester, she'd actually moved in a few weeks before uni started and after crashing at hers a few times during those first few weeks, Zara's parents allowed her to move into halls, provided she called them every day and was able to share halls with Jas. Zara hadn't been able to believe her luck and without any further delay she moved in with Jas and finally started living her own life with total freedom during the week -- she had to go home most weekends. It was lucky that most student nights in town were on Wednesday and Thursday nights so she didn't really miss out. She'd been really good to start with, went home dutifully every weekend but inevitably, assignments, deadlines and essays got in the way. Before she knew it she wasn't going home for three or four weeks on a trot and eventually, her parents accepted it. When they asked her to visit more often she'd tell them how snowed under she was with work and that put an end to any budding arguments or summons to come home.

Zara knew that if her parents had ever found out what her life at university was like they would have flipped. They trusted her to always to the right thing; the only problem was their right thing wasn't always the same as hers. When she was younger she'd instinctively known without being told that masturbation was seen as wrong. She'd grown up being careful to never get taught touching herself and had always voiced disapproval when the subject had come up fleetingly between hushed conversations with aunts and cousins. She'd never believed she would have lost her virginity at a young age either. But it had happened. She'd been brought up to believe sex was an act that should only be shared between man and wife and she thought she'd believed in it too until the day she actually lost her virginity.

She'd been sixteen at the time and had been going out with an eighteen year old boy called Adam. He too was Muslim and had grown up believing in the same rule about sex before marriage. Sure they'd made out and touched each other, lots but had always stopped short of penetrative sex. That hadn't stopped them from indulging in plenty of oral sex. The first time Adam had gone down on her she'd been mortified at what he might think of her 'down there' as she used to refer to her pussy. She'd been excited too and the excitement had eclipsed the embarrassment, especially when she'd realised just how deliciously naughty it made her feel. When it came to giving Adam a blow job for the first time, she'd been a little scared. His cock looked so much bigger when it was inches from her face, it was thick, hard and circumcised as most Muslim men had the small surgery performed on them at a very young age, when they were babies usually. Adam loved it when she went down on him and soon Zara loved it too. She'd suck him off in his car, behind the bushes in the park in the evenings when she was supposed to be studying with Jas and even once when they'd gone to the cinema.

Adam had started pushing her for sex about three months into their relationship and after a while, Zara grew tired of saying no. She didn't see the big deal in it any longer; they'd done everything else apart from sleeping together. She still remembered how excited Adam had been when she'd agreed all of a sudden after an evening of heavy petting and going down on each other. They'd ended up losing their virginity together on the back seat of his car. She didn't know why she'd given in on that particular night Adam had taken to carrying around a condom with him all the time in the hope Zara might agree to sleep with him. Even so, she'd made up her mind to go to the chemist in Walsall and get the morning after pill, she couldn't risk a pregnancy, it would kill her family. She also couldn't risk anyone seeing her in Birmingham, people tended to ask too many questions and she didn't want to chance that. The sex had been awkward with the lack of space and it had hurt too, not as much as she'd thought it would...but she hadn't exploded and almost passed out like the women did in the novels she read. It was over quickly, Adam hadn't lasted long and afterwards, as Zara had lain there feeling hot and sticky, Adam still lying on top of her breathing hard, she'd wondered what all the fuss was about. After that Adam had wanted to do it every time they met up and although it was better than the first time, Zara still thought sex was over rated and usually touched herself and brought herself to orgasm after she returned home.

They kept seeing each other, Zara knew that their relationship wasn't a big love story but after losing her virginity to Adam, she felt like she should stay with him. After all, what kind of girl would she be if she broke up with him after losing her virginity to him? Sometimes she thought about what had made her do it, she'd been so sure she'd wait until she was married so why hadn't she? This very question troubled her and she tried to convince herself it was because she loved Adam...but deep down she'd known it wasn't true. They'd broken up that summer when Adam left for uni and although they'd said they would keep in touch, they both knew they wouldn't. Zara liked Adam enough but she wasn't madly in love with him and in no hurry to settle down in a long term long distance relationship. In a way it was a relief to have Adam leave Birmingham, she no longer had to be with him just because she'd stupidly broken the rule and slept with him.

When she was in her final year of college she met her next boyfriend when she and Jas crashed Fresher's Week at University of Aston. It was the kind of thing Jas liked to do, she had a rebellious streak in her, a wildness which she kept hidden from everyone but Zara. Jas had headed straight for the rugby club stall and had struck up conversation with the two guys manning the stall. As the four of them chatted, Raj had been checking Zara out quite blatantly and charmed her into giving him her real number. Within a week they were going out and in less than a month they were sleeping together.

A week after going out with Raj she knew she'd be sleeping with him, he was gorgeous, funny and his kisses and the way he touched her turned her on and made her shiver. She nervously made an appointment at the family planning clinic near the halls of residence where Raj stayed and was put on the pill. She'd been terrified the entire time that she'd see someone she knew but luckily she didn't. The first time they slept together was a revelation for Zara; she finally understood why people made such a big deal about sex. Raj was great in bed and taught her how to please him with her hands, mouth and body and in return, he pleasured her until she'd scream out and score his back with her nails until she'd find her release.

They were good together and Raj put no demands on her in terms of how much time she could give him. He understood that her parents were strict and that she couldn't be seen out with him in public around Birmingham. They'd often take the train to Nottingham and spend the day there, sometimes renting a room for the day and staying in bed all day until it was time to head back home. The secrecy and danger of getting caught was a rush for them both. Zara would always tell her parents she was with Jas, who was more than happy to provide Zara with an alibi. Jas was never at home anyway, she'd tell her parents she was with Zara or at this or that class after college but would be at daytime raves where more often than not she'd meet a guy and hook up with him.

Once they were both in Nottingham, Zara was free to see Raj as she pleased and would often stay the night at his place in order to give Jas privacy if she ever wanted to bring a guy back to theirs. Zara never knew when Jas might meet a guy and had once accidentally walked in on Jas and a guy from her course indulging in frantic sex, moaning so loudly they didn't realise for a moment that she was there. With an embarrassed "Oops" Zara had walked back out grinning. She'd teased Jas about it after mercilessly although she'd later admitted to Jas with a blush that she never knew Jai had such a sexy body.

Although Jas and Zara were best friends their outlook on sex was very different. Zara couldn't imagine sleeping with a guy she wasn't going out with whereas Jas couldn't see the point in being tied down. To look at her nobody would ever guess that Jas had such a wild streak in her. She was tiny, barely five foot two, she usually wore jeans with long tops and covered her hair with a hijab, she'd done so for years at the insistence of her parents. She looked like a good, obedient Muslim girl but Zara was the only one who knew the full truth about her best friend. She loved sex and men and wasn't afraid to experiment with both. She saw sex as something to enjoy whenever the urge hit her, which was often. She tended to not dwell on the religious aspect of what she was doing, she'd always tell Zara God would surely forgive them for indulging themselves and besides, other people did worse.

Zara knew if Jas' parents ever found out what their daughter was really like they wouldn't think twice before either disowning her or shipping her off to Pakistan and marrying her off to an unknown relative. Jas was meticulous in her planning, she had reasons for why she might have to be in an unusual place at an unusual time, she'd usually cite her degree and some sort of pilot study they were doing on behaviour and so on to cover her tracks. She always carried a change of clothes with her and never took her hijab off outside, lots of guys found it a turn on she'd confided in Zara once.

Zara and Jas didn't have any secrets from each other. They were closer than sisters and would do anything for each other. When Jas had once been afraid she was pregnant, it was Zara who went with her to the clinic to get a free test done, she'd held her hand as they waited and even gone into the toilets with her when she had to pee. Zara loved her and knew Jas would always be there for her no matter what. Living together at university for three years had been a blast, filled with giggling nights and secrets. They'd have impromptu fashion shows at three in the morning after one of the other would get back home. They were comfortable enough to sit in their panties and bras while they swapped sex tips and gossiped endlessly. They'd spend evenings waxing and threading themselves, laughing at each other's mud pack covered faces. Zara had even once helped give Jas herself a full Brazilian wax. Jas had been going on about it for ages and couldn't be bothered to wait for an appointment at the salon. In between gales of laughter, Zara had stood over Jas as she lay naked on her back, her legs spread wide for Zara to reach everywhere. Jas had even got on all fours for Zara to reach all the way down comfortably. Zara would never have done it for her sister, she'd have been too embarrassed but with Jas there was no such barrier.

Zara had been shocked when Jas' parents had agreed to let her attend university in Nottingham. Jas had pleaded and cried and begged her parents to let her attend the University of Nottingham to study Psychology. It was only after her parents had visited the university and spoken to lecturers that they'd agreed. What had swung it for Jas was one of the lecturers telling her father that the university was ranked fifth in the world for their Psychology degree and they were leaders in the field of research. Her father always wanted the best of everything and knowing his daughter would be attending somewhere that was renowned worldwide for their course was a big selling point. It helped of course that Jas was gifted, had passed her A Levels with the best grades in Birmingham and had been interviewed for the local paper. Even so, Jas had that if her parents ever caught even a whiff of scandal, they'd not think twice before pulling her out of university.

After they'd graduated, Jas completed her Masters and got a research job with the university. Her father had been proud of her achievements and in a moment of unguarded happiness, he'd agreed to let her accept the job and move to Nottingham for the foreseeable future. Jas had made sure that none of her exploits, her one night stands and countless 'relationships' had ever gotten back to her parents. Whenever she went home she was the epitome of a good Muslim girl and she followed every cultural and religious rule under the watchful eyes of her parents. She was so successful in her façade that people within their community would use her as the perfect example of a modern Muslim girl who had kept her father's pride and respect intact even when she lived away from home.

Jas would often laugh about it to Zara, sometimes bitterly, and would mention Muslim boys they both knew who were well known within their community for their blatant disregard of religious and cultural rules. They would indulge in the consumption of substances which were illegal or 'haram' within their religion, be it weed, alcohol or hard drugs. Getting involved with girls and having a reputation for sleeping around was nothing new for some boys...but those same boys would be looked upon indulgently by many of the elders "They're just boys, they'll grow up when they get married and become responsible" was one of the many pathetic excuses that were shamelessly used to explain away their behaviour. Jas didn't drink and she stayed well away from drugs too but sex was something she enjoyed, loved even, and it was something she would not give up. She just made sure she never got caught, unlike 'those silly boys' as she'd often say to Zara.

Zara smiled as she thought of Jas and how excited she'd sounded when they spoke barely an hour ago. Jas was supposed to have finished packing by last night and was due to arrive in Nottingham to spend two nights with Zara at their shared flat before they left. Unbeknownst to both sets of parents, Jas had been working in Leeds for the past two weeks. She'd been offered a place on the research team at the University of Leeds; she knew it was a great opportunity to get her work published so she'd accepted. Her parents knew she worked late hours because of her research and would always call her on her mobile. Neither sets of parents ever turned up unannounced to Nottingham to see their daughters, they preferred to have them come to Birmingham instead. While the flat was big enough for Jas and Zara, it had only two bedrooms so there was no space for the parents of either girl to sleep there, a fact that both girls were immensely grateful for. Zara knew if her parents ever found out she was living alone even though it had only been a temporary thing while Jas was doing her research, they'd be furious. Zara knew her father would have sent her sister or mum to stay with her while Jas was away and though Zara loved her family dearly, she did not want them staying with her. Her life was too different to theirs now. They'd disapprove of everything if they saw how she lived, her clothes, her friends, everything. Zara knew her parents would not find it acceptable that she hugged Al or any of her male friends when she saw them, if they ever found out about her boyfriends, or the fact that she'd slept with them and was no longer a virgin, Zara knew her parents would never forgive her. They'd believe she had betrayed them and let them down. Shaking her head, she told herself she had accepted a long time ago that she would never really fit in with the rest of her family. To get over the issue of Jas not being there if they called, Zara had taken to using conference calling on her mobile so her parents would think Jas was with her in the flat. So far the idea had worked a treat and they were none the wiser.

Their friends had organised a leaving party for them tonight but in typical Jas style, she'd not finished packing and was running late. Zara had been expecting Jas to be late, it's why she insisted Jas come to stay with her at the flat first, at least that way they'd be able to start their trip on time. Jas promised she'd be there by two in the morning at the latest, she would be leaving Leeds by midnight and would drive down to the party and meet her there.

The party was being held by a group of their friends; they'd all been to university together and had remained close even after they all went their separate ways. Samia, the most organised of the bunch had arranged everything and the party was to be held in an old nightclub which was no longer in use. Samia who was a property consultant had managed to twist her boyfriend's arm to let them use the venue for the night, Jay had his own estate agency and it was his company who was leasing out the property to event management companies to use for their parties.

Zara looked at the time and realised she had just under two hours left before she had to be at the party. She'd already decided what to wear and had enough time to have a shower and wash her hair. Undressing and dropping her robe on the bed she looked at herself in the floor length mirror. She was much more comfortable with her body now than she'd been a few years ago. She wasn't overly tall thanks to her genes; she was an acceptable five foot four, more with heels. She had clear, smooth skin, a light brown colour which was set off by long black hair which framed her face in gentle layers. Her ex-boyfriend used to tell her she had bedroom eyes, big light brown eyes with long lashes that never needed mascara. She had a small button nose and pouty lips which were usually softly glossed and otherwise left bare of excess colour.