REMARKABLE

48

Armineh took a breath of relief, filling her lungs with fresh air as she sat under the evening sky in the garden.

It had been an exhausting month for the whole family and Armineh was glad she wasn't the only one who had to look after Yahya Firas, he had been difficult. It seemed like they were all suffering through his withdrawal symptoms along with him but he took the title for being the most confused, annoyed and irritated person in the household which was expected to happen but none of them thought it to be so extreme in contrast to Yahya's rather calm personality but he wasn't a calm person, he was someone who'd bottled his feelings and it all erupted once the cork was off. Not to forget angry. He only had one thing under his control, himself. He had scared all of them when he had lashed out, turning his room over, breaking things because he couldn't seem to control his cravings or the tremors in his whole body. Physically and mentally, he was raging chaos. It had been worse after that because Sarah wouldn't go anywhere near him living in the same house after that.

"Your husband is coming, "Alizeh said in a sing-song voice beside her ear.

"And yours too," Armineh chuckled.

Yahya Firas's heart skipped a beat seeing her lips pulled into a glorious smile as she talked to her sister, he scraped a hand against his stubble. He had only just returned from the barber's. He felt better and he hoped he looked better, too.

Yahya Firas moved to sit beside his wife on the bench, he shouldn't have hoped for his copycat brother to not follow in his steps because he did.

"Jaga banao meray liyai, begum," (Make space for me, wife)Anaam eyed his wife, expectantly who was looking up at him while she sat on the bench, unmoving.

"Three people can sit here and three people are already sitting, "Alizeh said as she turned to look at Armineh and Yahya Firas by her side."You, go and sit on that chair," She pointed to the empty, lawn chair.

Yahya Firas had surprised Armineh by sitting right beside her on the bench instead of the vacant chair which was awkward to say the least as he sat forward with his elbows resting on his thighs, his hands clamped together to hide the occasional tremor while Armineh chose to look away from him, her eyes fixed on her sister and her husband.

"No, scoot. Armineh and bhai, please," Anaam requested, his hands resting on his hips.

Anaam grimaced when Yahya Firas didn't move, suppressing the urge to smirk when Armineh moved, closer. His brother's discomfort was a sight to behold, his ears turning red and Yahya Firas bowed his head, holding it in his wide palms, subtlety hiding his tinged ears.

"Thora door ho jain, please? (Please, move away from me a little?)"Armineh whispered to Yahya Firas.

For someone so confident, she endeared him when she became flustered because of him.

"Jaga nahi hai," (There's no space) Yahya Firas said, sitting up straighter and spared a glance at his brother who was already seated beside Alizeh. He smacked his lips, together to keep the smile off his face when Armineh glared at him.

"There's a lot," Armineh said, scrutinizing his face, her eyes flitting from the space beside him to him, "Please, move. Ammi, baba are here. What are you doing?"

"I am sitting beside my wife, what's wrong with that?" Yahya Firas muttered, innocently.

"Allah, "Armineh said, exasperatedly."You're literally stuck to my side, that's what. Who sits like that in front of one's parents?"Armineh tapped her heated cheeks, looking away from him.

"We have a respectable distance between us, Armineh," Armineh arched an eyebrow at his ridiculous observation. They were sitting too close. Too close. Their arms brushing, thighs pressed, together even when there's a space of two palms next to him.