A cluster of short stories
My Top Secret: I love happy endings because I know my life won't have one, reading an imaginary character's happily ever after somehow makes me happy, as if it's me who got a happy ending.
And my writings are based on my t...
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The next morning, Aafreen woke up with a terrible headache. First of all, she wasn't used to sleeping on a soft mattress. Secondly, she cried herself to sleep after her encounter with Shahaan. And lastly, she could still feel his lips on hers.
The ancient wall clock produced a sound as the pendulum hit on the metal exactly at noon. Aafreen stepped out of her room at noon. Wearing a grey Kurta and Palazzo, dupatta hanging on her right shoulder. Her face was devoid of anything artificial and her wavy black hair was kissing her cheeks from time to time.
Aafreen hoped that Shahaan wasn't present at home. She didn't want to again encounter him. She went downstairs, rats were doing a break-dance in her stomach.
"Bibi Ji, today is parent's meeting at Zoya's school. I have to attend it." Rania was talking to Hiba.
"Okay, you may go," Hiba said without looking away from the book she was reading.
Rania immediately went out of the villa.
Aafreen tip-toed to the kitchen, but Hiba sensed her presence. Nonetheless, she didn't stop her. She was aware that Aafreen would feel uneasy in her presence.
Aafreen looked for a cooked meal. The previous night she had just started eating when Shahaan came and kissed her. Well, there was no leftover food. Hence, she had to eat fruits again.
Then she went to the garden on the west side of the villa. She and Shahaan used to spend their evenings in the garden. Playing hide and seek, planting trees, listening to the chirping of birds and birdies.
Aafreen saw a little girl sitting in the garden. She smiled looking at the cute little angel. She sat beside her. "What's your name?"
"Zoya." Zoya smiled, she instantly developed a liking towards Aafreen.
"What is your name?"
"Aafreen."
"Aaf... it's too difficult. I will call you... Ummm... Aafi!"
Aafreen smiled when Zoya called her with the same nickname which Shahaan used for her.
"Will you play stapu with me?"
Aafreen instantly nodded as she also liked this game.
Like that both the girls began playing stapu in the garden. Aafreen drew a rectangle which was divided into eight blocks on the ground with a piece of marble. Turn by turn both of them showed the art of balance and brains by not touching the boundary of any block and not throwing the marble at the wrong block.
Time flew like a bird and Rania was back from Zoya's school. She looked around for her daughter and had an idea that she will be in the garden as always. But when she found her playing with Aafreen she got scared. Aafreen was a murderer for God's sake. She could hurt her daughter. Rania ran to Zoya and picked her up in her arms. Without uttering a single word she left with a whining Zoya.
