The Oops Factor

Hayy and Spozhmy

Adjusting the cushion — a printed design of a plant on the cover I ordered, in a pack of 5, from Eposh — on the couch, I lean my back against it, and stretch out my legs on the centre table.

Opal: I don’t know nana what exactly do you want out of this?

I frown, What do you mean

Bia: She means why do you feel the need to make up to him

I type furiously, pausing midway to take a sip of the mango shake Bait Chacha served me in my Starbucks tumblr cup. Come on you guys you know i don't want him to think i'm a bad person

Bia: What do you care???

I legit cry when someone I don't hate doesn't like me. If I think they're a decent person they have to love me back. Of course i care. I don't want anyone to think im a bad person. Because i am not

Jelly: YES

Bia: But do you guys wanna know who actually is the bad guy here

Jelly: WHO

Bia: I am

Bending down in front of the couch, Sfar grabs the empty wrappers of Chuckles chips, and Sisi layer cake — some snuggled Iranian stuff that sells in the canteen — and throws them in my face. I kick his butt the moment he turns to walk away. Geez why, I ask Bia just when someone enters noisily through the front doors, and I am certain it's Wais.

Bia: Because my stupid cr told me he likes me and i turned him down and much as i am flattered i feel bad for rejecting him

Opal: Oh come on men do that all the time

Wais stops by the couch and offers me a rose, which I am sure he picked from our garden's rose plant. But I am flattered nevertheless, and inhale its scent.  'Thank youu.'

Wais smiles sweetly, gives me a salute and walks off.

Tucking the flower behind my ear, I type hurriedly. No actually they dont
Men dont reject right away like that unless they are incredibly hot and can get a generous amount of equally incredibly hot girls. What other men do is they accept the girls, use them and then dump them. Thats why we think men are trash

Opal: I cant tell that to ammi though, she brought yet another rishta proposal for me.

Jelly: GET MARRIED OPAL AAPI PLEASE FOR ME I WANT TO ATTEND A WEDDING

Bia: brb gotta pee also @opal i have opal sabun dont worry

I am in the middle of 'laugh' reacting to her message when I accidentally glance up and spot Papa coming from the direction of the kitchen. Instinctively, while my features shift to form a surprised expression, I drop my phone and jump down from the couch, crying out 'Walaikum Salam!' to his equally passionate Assalam Alaikum. I hug him and he kisses my head, asking how I've been. Wais and Sfar come around to welcome him in a hug too, only instead of kissing their heads, Papa thumps their backs.

'You didn't tell me last night on the call that you were coming today.' I always say that when he returns after a few days away from home.

'Then it wouldn't have been a surprise.' and he always says that too, because he's always coming unannounced.

Then we sit down in the living room to talk and catch up and Bait Chacha brings him refreshments. I assure Papa that Wais and Sfar have been going to school regularly and they tell him I got a tetanus shot, despite my prior warnings not to. Papa gets carried away with the concern whenever something bad happens to me,  and I catch myself wishing he gets nature's calling so he'd leave me alone. He is way too dramatic and it’s honestly irritating.