His Little Neighbour

two

The howling of the wind and the darkness which surrounded the sky was scaring Mashal as nothing else could. She looked up, glaring at the blueish-black sky and muttered, "rain, rain, go away. Little Mashal wants to go to an interview. Rain, rain, go away. Come again, another day." A fit of giggles broke her trance as she noticed her younger sister, who was guffawing at her.

The straight face with which Mashal sang those lines made Meher laugh harder.

"I'm leaving without you," Mashal huffed before walking towards her scooter and Meher still hasn't stopped laughing as she kick-started her Activa.

It began to thunder suddenly and the howling only increased making her a bit tensed. Noticing her facial expressions, Meher stopped laughing and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulders as she came to stand beside her.

"Relax appi, it's okay if you didn't do well. There are hundreds of other companies. It's not the end of the world." Mashal could never understand how her sister can be so cool about such things. Meher never cared about her grades or achievements like her younger self did. But for her, it was everything she could ever think of.

She has always been like this. If she wanted to do something, she does it with all her heart and has always managed to win whatever it was. But those were just academic skills. Anyone could do it. This was real life we are talking about and Mashal was way too edgy about this interview, for its going to be her very first.

"Hop on, I should reach there on time. Stop with your nonsense," Meher shook her head before sitting behind her sister. Even as she sat, Mashal looked tiny in front of her, anyone would think she's the elder one and not the other way around, mainly because of their heights. Mashal got her height from her maternal grandmother. Her sister was actually smaller than their Nani.

The smallest in the whole Abbasi and Baig family, actually.

"All the best and again, it's okay if you don't do well though," Meher joked as they waved bye to their mother, who came out of nowhere to kiss her elder daughter all the best.

Malaika looked pretty emotional and even Arsalaan was the same in the morning, he gave her a long lecture on how to behave in the interview and something along those lines. Their parents can get somewhat dramatic at times. No wonder she's like this. Mashal bit back her smile.

"Thanks, mama, and please make dua for me," Mashal mumbled as she accelerated her scooter, "you both are always in our prayers, jaani, don't worry about it. You'll do well, Ameen." Malaika smiled like a proud mother and that gave Mashal an unknown strength. She smiled back at her before driving off.

"What will I get if you are selected in the interview?" Meher asked as they were in the middle of the signal, Mashal huffed looking at the sky. It grew darker. She had no problem with rain for she even got a raincoat as a precaution, but their traffic gets unpredictable when it rains. That's where it gets annoying. She wouldn't dare go late on her first-ever interview. Not happening.

"Why should I give you anything?" Mashal drove fast as the lights turned green, "excuse me, what you do mean why? Of course, you should buy me something. Let's go to The berries tonight, papa and Mama can tag along as well. It's been a while since we all went out somewhere," Meher suggested excitedly.

"I should do well for that," Mashal pouted as they stopped at Meher's school; her group of friends waved towards their direction as soon as she stopped the scooter.

"I know you will, don't worry. Papa said he'll be picking me up, so you don't have to come in the evening. Bye now. Allah hafiz,"

Mashal smirked mischievously, "what a relief to know that."