Please, Find Me

Chapter 8

"Happy birthday, my son!" Ihsaan shouted jovially as Mikaeel made his way towards their table.

"Thanks." He replied, thoroughly unimpressed with the spread ordered for him.

"So 25? You're a big boy now, ne." Ihsaan grinned at him. It had always been a long standing joke that Mikaeel was the youngest from all of them and had to wait months before he could join them anywhere.

"Hmm."

"Now that you're finally old enough to join all of us," Is'haaq actually moved away from his wife for their huge announcement, "You're celebrating with us on Friday."

"And where am I going?"

"It's a surprise." Is'haaq's wife Farah piped in, still drawing little circles on her husband's knee under the table.

"Can't we make it Saturday? I'm pulling an all-nighter on Thursday."

"Seriously?"Ihsaan asked, annoyance pulling at his voice. 

"Fine..." Mikaeel shook his head. Better to give in to the whiny bastard. His moody face was just too pathetic to look at sometimes. "So what's all this rubbish you ordered?" Mikaeel looked down dubiously at the assortment of desserts on the table.

"Oh ya, I forgot you're abnormal. You don't eat dessert." Shuayb groaned.

"That's not my fault now is it?" Mikaeel chose the dessert closest to him before he picked up his spoon and began to dig in- reeling at the overly sweet taste in his mouth.

...

"Hey." Mikaeel peeked into the sunroom to make sure Hoori really was there. He didn't trust Nandi's directions.

"Hi." She looked up at him from behind her book.

"How are you?" He asked, sitting down on the chair across from her.

"Okay." She put her book down allowing Mikaeel to catch a glimpse of the title. He never thought she would be the type to read anything remotely similar to it but there it was- A copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula perched happily on her lap. "And how are you?"

"Good."

"You're writing on Friday right? I'm sorry to have troubled you today."

"It's fine." He brushed away her apology distracted by the ghastly thing around her neck. "What on earth is that?"

"This?" She pulled the little elasticated necklace away from her neck to peer down at it. "They're sweets."

"I doubt your uncle bought that for you."

She looked amused at his reaction. "My cousin's daughter brought it for me."

"I see..."

She looked around, feeling almost embarrassed when she saw Mikaeel stand up to leave. "It was your birthday yesterday right?"

"Uhm hmm." He stood up, looking down at her.

"Happy birthday." She smiled up at him somewhat cautiously.

"Thanks."

"Do you want this?" She gestured to the necklace feeling very silly altogether at what she had just said. "She gave me too many."

"Do I want that?" He looked almost repulsed at the idea. "No, not particularly." He opened his laptop case, hoping to distract himself from their disastrous conversation. "Here's your laptop."

"Thanks." She gestured for him to leave it on the side table. "Sorry again that you had to drive all this way to bring it."

"Your little stories couldn't wait. I get it."