She Is My Hayaat

Chapter 37: And In Her Eyes, I See A Canvas Of Stars

Long chapter for all my lovely readers. Those who take the time to read this whole chapter, comment, and vote are the real MVPs! :D Don't forget to smile!

My last days at Mama's were coming to a denouement, and not an instance progressed by where I didn't think to myself that I had to tell Izhar the state my body was under. I would find myself preparing in front of the sun cut mirror in my room or I'd sit a bit longer on my Jai Namaz while reading Tasbih, lost in thought. Ya Allah, bestow upon me the courage.

I was leaving tomorrow, and Izhar had said he'd pick me up in the evening after he got out from work. I was in the kitchen helping Bhabi make spinach pakoras and cold sandwiches for lunch when Sabr ran down the stairs crying my name. Subhan and Sila were on their high chairs on the other side of the black marble kitchen counter. Bhaiya was attempting to feed them Gerber baby food like a maniac.

"And here comes the airplane! Wooooooooo, open woo!!!" Bhaiya swirled the clear purple plastic spoon in front of Subhan's face and he watched his father with wide drab bronze eyes, and his mouth a small O. He lips were pinched together in agitation, faint eyebrows mushed together in annoyance.

Sila jaani banged her small chubby arms on her highchair table, and the cheerios from her purple and white flower bowl erupted everywhere. She chuckled whenever a single round cereal fell to the floor and Bhaiya would sigh in response. Their mirth, Bhaiya and Bhabi's banter, and Sabr and Mama's urge to control the chaos in the house was everlasting entertainment. It had kept me busy and my mind off of the uncontrollable concepts I kept disbanding.

"APPI!" Sabr squealed and ran into the kitchen, her feet padding against the linoleum floor.

I turned around from the stove and Bhaiya scolded, "Sabr, be careful! You'll trip, and the stove is turned on." He convulsed his head and bent down to Sila's height where she sat in her pink and lavender laced highchair.

"Daddy's princess, open up!" he waved the spoon in front of Sila, and she made a mean face when he shoved the pear puree in her pink heart-lipped mouth.

"Good girl," he smirked at Bhabi who had sworn he couldn't feed the twins.

"Mhm," Bhabi stuck her tongue out at him.

"Please, Daddy knows how to feed his munchkins. Doesn't he?" he gushed in a high baby voice and looked back at Sila.

Before we knew it, Sila jaani gave him an innocent closed mouth smile and spit out her pear puree in his face. We all chortled in laughter and Sila habibti joined us in success. She giggled, the noise high-spirited like bells, and a little bit of drool fell out of the side of her mouth. Her slightly chubby cheeks turned rosy as her naive laughter buzzed through the kitchen. She looked at her brother, but Subhan just gave his dad a disapproving look.

"Ga ga ga," he angrily mumbled.

Sila threw her small, fragile head back in laughter, the big red polka dotted bow on her head turned towards the cushion beneath her head. "Goo goo ga!" she banged her hands in triumph on the table again and the cheerios went flying everywhere.

We all laughed and tried concealing ourselves when Bhaiya slowly turned around, facing us. The front of his hair and face were coated and dripping with the tuscan sun colored fruity blend. Bhabi and I covered our mouths with the back of our hands, and Bhaiya put his hands on his hips. His brown slacks unspoiled, but the white button up shirt splattered with half spit and half puree.

"Uh oh," Sabr dauntingly grimaced with my phone in her hand.

Bhaiya looked like he was fuming inside, but we were stuck with our rapid fit of giggles. "You think this is funny?" he asked slowly.