Don't Remind Me

Chapter 45: The Real One

"Hey, Nightlife. You regret ditching me for Peeshay, yet?" Azaan's cheerful voice, soothed me. It was like the comfort of a blanket in a stormy night, and other cliches that I would have previously laughed at.

I wasn't laughing now, as I hung onto his words.

I could hear traffic in the background. He was obviously driving from work. And I was selfish enough to not urge him to hang up the phone. 

"Can you meet Shay and me for Hi-Tea?" I asked quietly, "I changed my mind. I do want you there today."

"Err...really? I was kidding, Layla. You should have fun with Peeshay alone, occasionally. I'm not going to butt in every aspect of your life." He sounds almost panicked, "You need to have some girl time. So just go ahead and have it without me."

"But I--" I bit my lip, closing my eyes. I needed him desperately right now, but he was right in his own way. I couldn't set this precedence of summoning him for every little mishap in my life, regardless of our relationship. Lately, we'd shared almost every waking minute together. I couldn't let this become a routine.

"You're right." I finally breathed. "I dunno why I called you. I just needed to hear your voice...but you're right. I do need some girl time."

He is quiet for a breath, "Is something wrong, Nightlife?"

"No. No waaay! Everything's under control." I answered cheerfully, to hide the real panic.

"Alright. I believe you." He replied gently, making my heart soften. "Have fun with Shayshay, okay?"

"Okay." I whispered.

"Don't forget to instagram everything you eat. I need a blow-by-blow pictorial record, for educational purposes, of course." Azaan instructed seriously, and I broke into a helpless laugh.

"You don't have to remind me."

"That's my girl!"

................

"Where are we going next?" I asked after helping Pareeshae waddle inside my car. We had to rush out of three different Chinese food places, because Shay couldn't 'STAND THE SMELL OF THIS STINKING FOOD!'

She's apparently developed an unhealthy attachment to Fried Chilis, served at a restaurant located approximately 5000 miles from either of our homes.

What with her blackmailing me, with the size of her female reproductive organs, watermelons, and cantaloupes and what not, I had to cave in and buy her 15 boxes "For after-dinner snacks", (which is a real thing apparently). She'd already wiped out 6 of those boxes in the car, before she yelled at Khan to stop the car for  dessert: a roadside Kufli-Wala. She'd randomly spotted the wheeled cart, (and bullied the owner into giving us extra dips of Rooh-Afza with the traditional ice-cream).

I certainly don't envy Faris sleeping in the same bed with Shay, after all those chilis...

"Want some 'after-dessert' Dessert?" I asked straight faced, while my best friend chewed idly on the licked-clean bamboo kulfi stick. She paused to glare sideways at me, and I nervously shifted away from her. Preggo Pareeshae, is the stuff of nightmares....

"I was thinking, we should go back to college today." She suggested loudly, "It's been years, and I saw on the alumni Website that they're having a Bake Sale today. Remember that year I sent Faris an anonymous love-note! And that year Azaan and Asad got sick, because Daniyal bet that neither of them could eat lemons with the peels..."

I snickered, overcome with nostalgia. "Yeah! and that year when I beat all of your asses in soap soccer! you broke a toenail and cried like a baby."