Love.. against all the odds

Part 10

evening shadows were settling in when Ali's bike stopped infront of the gate. the guard opened the gate and he parked his bike in the garage. he was about to go in when he heard mina's voice calling him. she was sitting in the lawn, reading a book he had brought for her. he left his things on the bike and went to the lawn smiling.

'how's my princess today?' he asked pulling her nose.

'good good, Ali bhaiya i have a special good news' she replied with a beautiful smile, her eyes were shining.

'yeah? hmm.. i know what happened, you got the kitten you asked dad for?'

'No'

'have sama and maria been expelled from school?' sama and maria were the bullies of her class.

'Nooo' mina giggled.

he thought for a few seconds,

'did your story get published in the children magazine?' Ali suddenly asked enthusiastically. mina had been writing short stories for a long time. she never let anyone read them except for him. her writing was very mature for her age. he wanted for her to send them in some children magazine but she never agreed. he thought perhaps she had secretly sent them.

'big fat No' she said with a frown.

'okay.. ' ali was puzzled now.

'thats all you've got bhaiya?' mina asked with a mischievous smile.

'come on honey, tell me now' he pleaded.

'come on bhaiya, think harder' she replied in the same tone.

'have mercy on your poor brother mina, my brain's not working'

she laughed throwing back her head.

'okayy.. hmm.. sooo.. i got selected for the interprovincial arts competition'

'Whhaatt?' Ali pulled mina in a bear hug, squeezing her tiny frame. 'thats's such a great news sweety, i am very proud of you, mom would have been too, you are absolutely amazing.'

'thank you bhaiya' she burried her face in his shoulder. Ali smiled.

another car stopped infront of their house. Nadia was coming out of it, she had been out with her friends. Ali hurried inside with mina in his arms, trying to avoid another encounter

luckily he succeeded.

He took mina to her room, and then sat their with her as was his habit. she told him all the details of when and where and how she got the news, and how happy and amazed she was. Ali felt truly content seeing the colors of rainbows in her eyes.

'so when is this competition?'

'next month, but there's a problem..' she said pouting.

'whats that?'

'the competition is in the capital.. will papa let me go?' she asked with hope in her eyes.

'ofcourse he will honey, and you will return with a big trophey for your brother' he gave her an encouraging smile.

Ali came out of her room after some time. he was heading to his own room when he heard his father calling.

'Ali!! '

he turned to see his father sitting in the drawing room.

'yes dad?' he asked standing in the door.

'come sit here, there's something i want to talk to you about' he said in his voice that had a slight tone of command in it.

Ali didnt have the most comfortable of relationships with his father but he tried to avoid any conflict. which is to say he avoided conversations with his father because they usually ended with a disagreement. sometimes more severe than others.