Virtuoso

Chapter 8

Thin strands of sunlight filtered through the open window, tickling my eyelids softly. I opened one eye to look at who had pushed back my curtains this early in the morning.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Alisha said as she came into focus. I closed my eyes and pulled the comforter over my face.

"Let me sleep!" I mumbled and turned my back to her. With my eyes closed, I waited for her to leave the room but that didn't happen. The next moment, my quilt was grasped from grip and pulled back.

"Come on, Maira! Get up!" she said cheerfully, "We are going on a vacation."

I turned around to face her.

"What vacation?" I asked, sitting up in bed and tying my hair in a messy bun at the top of my head.

"Well, Anis and I planned a small family vacation with Sadaf, Shahmir, Hashir and Aida." She said as she picked up clothes that I had strewn last night. "And you are coming with us." She added as an afterthought.

"Me? Why me?" I groaned. I didn't want to go on a vacation with the newly married couples. It was definitely going to gross me out.

"Because Mom and Dad won't be around and we are not leaving you alone here so you have no choice except to jump out of that bed, get dressed, pack and be ready to leave with us in three hours."

I was about to speak when she turned around and smiled that natural soft smile of hers.

"No tantrums sweetie! I will drag you with us if that's what you want." Without waiting for a reply, she left. I cursed my brother for marrying such a headstrong woman. Before I could even step out of the room, she poked her head inside.

"And your time starts now! Hurry up!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm getting out of bed." I called back at her.

I quickly showered and dressed in black tights and white t-shirt with Mickey Mouse printed in front of it. After my brushing my wet hair, I slid down the stairs to the kitchen from where the delicious smell of omelet wafted, tickling my taste buds. Anis was seated at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in front of him while he read the newspaper.

I called out a greeting to him and then perched on the table top, picking olives from his omelet. When I was going to pick the third one, his hand shot out and gripped my wrist in a painful grip.

"What do you think you are doing?" He asked as he put the newspaper away and looked at me. Although his expression was serious, I could see the humor lurking in his eyes.

"Picking olives out of your omelet, what else." I said as I twisted my wrist to get out of his hold.

"Get your own omelet!" He whined like a kid and let go off my wrist. I rolled my eyes at him and turned towards Alisha who was holding identical looking omelet for me.

"Thank you, Alisha! You are a lifesaver!" I said as I took the chair in front of Anis and seated myself.

"I didn't think that was your opinion a little while ago when she woke you up." Anis said with a grin. "I could hear you whining down here."

"I wasn't whining, big brother! I was half asleep." I scoffed.

"You were!" He agreed.

Alisha joined us at the table after some time with her breakfast. I dug into my breakfast.

"She's usually grumpier in the morning than today." Alisha told Anis. "So we can forgive little whining, can't we?"

Grinning, she addressed me.