RAMADAN SPECIAL

Part 2

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Around six twenty pm, the first batch of guests arrived; the younger Ibrahims.

Mr. Ibrahim and Maama drove separately as Maama had gone to pick him up from the ministry on the way while the others were driven by Ahmad in one car.

"I'm going to arrange a photoshoot for him" Afra was saying as she played with Aalam in the car while Ahmad waited for the gate to be opened. "He's got what it takes to be a model, look at those dimples"

"Don't make money on what doesn't belong to you" Adil replied

"Shut up. I'm not doing it for the money, the boy is just so cute, aren't you" Afra blew on Aalam's cheek making the baby giggle. The gate opened and Ahmad pulled the jeep into the large compound. The beauty of the house was accentuated due to the evening lights that had been turned on, "Besides, the parents don't mind; Ya Akram, do you?"

Akram replied from the passenger seat, beside Ahmad "If his mum is fine with it, I'm good"

Afra looked beside her at Maheen expectedly who was silently staring out the window. "Ya Maheen?" still nothing. Afra gently tapped her before she realized her attention was needed

"Hmm?"

Afra was about to start repeating what had been said but she spotted a man walking towards their car so she said "We'll talk later" then opened the door and got out of the car. Everyone followed suit except Adil and Abu who waited for Maheen to lift her chair so they could get out of the last row of the jeep. Akram got out and came to stand beside Maheen "Is something wrong?" he asked quietly

She shook her head "No. Everything's fine" before she moved away to join Afra and Aalam.

Akram, Ahmad and Adil shook hands with the Farhan who had come out to welcome them. He exchanged cordialities with Maheen and Afra, even offering to take Aalam off her hands but the boy stuck to his aunt running away from the stranger making those who had seen Aalam's reaction laugh; except Maheen. Akram noticed her solemn expression which just intensified his worry; something was wrong and he swore to himself to find out that night.

"Humaira is waiting inside" Farhan ushered his guests toward the double door entrance of the house "Let's go"

True to his words Humaira was waiting by the door, she hugged Afra and Maheen and like her husband; tried to win the baby's trust but he wouldn't budge.

Humaira ushered her female guests to a smaller living room downstairs while Farhan stayed with his in the large living room.

"I thought you'd be coming with the friend you said" Humaira asked Maheen

"They're on their way" Maheen informed

"Afra how's the business going?" the hostess asked

"It's fine Alhamdulillah. I had quite a few weddings in the past three months"

"That's great Masha Allah. All the best"

Maheen's phone began ringing and the caller ID read Laila so she stood up "They're here, let me go walk them in"

"I'll come with you" Humaira stood up to accompany her.

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Yaseer looked through the rear-view mirror at his sister who was awfully quiet; staring out the window and completely unaware of whatever might have been happening in the car. Her silence, has recently become very unusual of her. Being with Laila had brought out the talkative side of her he'd long forgotten about. Another reason he loved the lady sitting beside him very much. Since she'd come into his life; his family had grown closer.

He nudged Laila and once he got her attention looked toward Yasmin with a questioning look.

Laila gave him a small smile before muttering "Boy issues"

Yaseer's face scrunched up in disgust and he suddenly regretted asking. Laila teasingly nudged his arm, chuckling at the look of mortification on his face.

"You asked" Laila chuckled

"Well I didn't know that was the answer"

"Now you know"

"How can she be having boy issues; she's like twelve"

Laila gave him a pointed look "She's sixteen"

"I don't see the difference. She's too young to be involved with all this"

"When I was sixteen; I was very much in love and would have married him if he'd asked"

With who?" he demanded all serious

"Some character from a Mexican soap opera"

"Don't joke with me like that" he frowned

Laila continued grinning at his jealousy as he pulled the car to a stop in front of the address she'd forwarded to him.

"I can't believe I finally get to see this house" Laila whispered to Yaseer as they got out of the car. Yasmin trailed behind them, her nerves all jumbled up to the obliviousness of her brother and sister in law.

"Will you please relax" Yaseer chuckled "The excitement is evident on your face"

"I can't help it" she giggled before composing herself as she spotted two ladies walk out of what she liked to call a mansion, and it truly was. One of them was Maheen and the other she knew had to be the hostess Maheen had told her about; Humaira; the daughter in law of the house. Laila could not wait to find out the type of lady she was to have attracted the attention of the sole heir of this fortune. Theirs must have been a love story for the record books. He mu

Maheen hugged Laila the minute she reached them "I'm glad you came" before she hugged Yasmin who would forever be shy to receive a hug from her special friend's sister in law. As Maheen greeted Yaseer, Humaira introduced herself to Laila, taking the latter completely by surprise when she came in for a cordial hug "So nice to finally meet you, Maheen's told me about you"

Very unlike her; Laila just smiled, totally lost on what to say. She was developing a lady crush on the lady; and who wouldn't. She was elegant, beautiful and kind. Did she mention sophisticated?

"Come in" Humaira said to the three of them and once inside the men stood up to greet Yaseer while Humaira and the rest of the ladies went toward where they had left Afra but not before Yasmin and Adil exchanged looks and he smiled at her. She shyly looked away and trailed behind Laila and the other ladies