•RIYA•
I entered the room which I and Kanwal shared. It was basically hers but here I was again living in there as a guest. One thing I loved the most about her room is her balcony. It was so soothing to be standing there breathing the night chilly air.
She who was sitting in her bed, called me. I bolted balcony door and came to her. It was half an hour ago that the girls had left after applying her henna.
"Hey. Do you need anything?" I asked smilingly. If I say I didn't miss all of them in the past five months. I would be extremely wrong. I missed this family with all my life. It was never this heartwarming in Australia, sure they were sweet.
"Can you get me a glass of water." She requested. "My henna hadn't dried yet."
"Oh sure." I stood up and placed the shawl at my shoulder. I was wearing hijab but it was only covering my hair. I went down to kitchen. Strong smell of gayndy kay phool hitting my nose. To my good luck, Yawar was there sitting on the table. Good thing, he didn't notice me and kept indulged in the phone.
I filled a glass of water and looked at him one last time before leaving.
"Didn't see you since the time you arrived. Where have you been?" I stopped with his voice.
I shrugged. "I have been with Kanwal."
"Sad if she is making you do work." He spoke and returned back to his phone. I nodded slowly, lining my lips.
I went to Kanwal and gave her the glass of water. She didn't even look at me and kept checking her henna, talking to someone on phone.
I know when she was this engrossed in a call, it was Raheel, her fiancée. It sure was!
Something was wrong with me today. I didn't feel good. I felt missing. May be it was the way Tayi (oldest aunt) was taking care of Kanwal because she would leave in a few days. It constantly disturbed me that my mother wouldn't be there for me when I would need her in the days of my wedding.
Some unexplainable emotions kicked in and I felt a heavy weight on my chest. I slowly opened the door of terrace. I would go back when Kanwal would be done with the call. I stepped up and a cold nerve-calming breeze hit me. I wandered from one corner to another, eventually stopping at the railing to look at the twinkling lawn where trees were decorated with colourful fairy lights.
"Hey." I heard a voice and instantly turned around. My heart thumped in my ribcage as I saw a silhouette but as the dim light from the railings fell on the person, it came to be Yawar.
I clutched the brown shawl close to me. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to smoke." He lifted up his hand to show me a cigarette in his fingers. "What are you doing here?"
"Just breathing."
He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Good impression that i am casting." He mumbled lightening up his cigarette.
"I don't judge."
He took a whiff. "I just sometimes take it to calm myself. I won't recommend it to you though."
