A hundred silent ways

Chapter 1

Bismillah♡︎

Mohsin stood near the kitchen counter, holding its island, he kept peeping out of the door every now and then glancing the stairs. Mohsin's attention was diverted back as he noticed someone standing before him, his eyelids flickered to that person. It was Mishal that stood there holding a cup of tea for her brother. "Mohsin, she will take a bit time to come. You can drink tea until then." She said coldly before turning back to her work.

Mohsin breath hitched a bit taking the cup of tea, "i am waiting for no one." He mumbled to his sister. Who shot him a glare, "Mohsin i am not blind." She retorted making him uncomfortable.

Even if It was true yet his eyes went up to meet his sister's accusingly. "Fine! Take these notes and when she comes, give them to her. I must take my leave now. Allah Hafiz." He placed the notes on kitchen counter and strode out leaving the cup of tea as it was before.

He had come to his sister, Mishal's, home to give notes to Amarha that she had asked him to prepare because she was already stuck in studies. Mishal never liked the friendship, Amarha and Mohsin shared.

It was Amarha who always considered him a good cousin and friend, never more than that. But Mohsin, on the other hand, had started to feel something else. After all those years he, now, had started to think about her in a different way. His sister could see it all in his eyes.

ENTHUSIASTICALLY SHE CAME down for breakfast holding her bag. Her hijab was around her head as she wore her brown abaya, her eyelashes little elaborated with mascara. She sprinted down the stairs, throwing bag on her shoulder.

When he was walking down the lobby, his eyes on its own went to stairs as she appeared. "Assalam-o-Alaikum!" It was a bright smile that she passed. His eyes lowered because he couldn't make eye contact with her. It was awkward for her too to make eye contact with a man even if it was her childhood best friend.

"Walaikum Asalam Amarha!" He paid it back. "Its in the kitchen."

Her eyes lit up as she looked at him. "You know what you are the best of the best friend who always helps me through." She chirped happily.

He nodded, an exchange of a slight glance between them. "I must be going, Marha. You know we both are running late."

"Yah but at least have something to eat."

He thanked her politely and left as she stared at his back. She noticed he had eye bags. So had she. Because both were MBBS students and had to work till late at nights. There were times when they even stayed up all nights studying but that mostly happened during exams.

Walking back to kitchen, she thought of his weird behaviour. In there Mishal cooked breakfast as 6 years old Faheem had to go to school too. Rest of the members weren't at table yet. "Good Morning! Mishal." She picked up notes as Mishal nodded at her. Kissing Faheem's cheeks she took out her lunch box and water can from refrigerator, stuffing them in her bag.

***

Mohsin held a pile of papers in his hand as he went to library to find Amarha's bag already on a table they usually used to sit on. Looking around he found her turning the pages of some book. From the cover he could say it was a geography book and he almost shook his head, laughing to himself. This girl was so much interested in random books even when she couldn't understand an ounce of it.

She took a seat beside him after noticing him there. "You got the copy of the notes. I am proud of you." She mumbled as she took something out. "Mohsin you do a lot for me. This is a small thank you." She pushed the lunch box to him. "Even if its nothing comparable to the notes you made for me."

He watched her and then shook his head seriously. "Dost! You don't have to thank me if you consider me your bosom friend."

"Yah but friends can give each other gifts. Consider it one."

This time he didn't say anything. They both ate the lunch which she had made. It was club sandwiches. She hoped he liked them.

He smiled at her with twinkling eyes. "These were delicious. Thank you so much."

She nodded, stowing the container in her bag as her ears heated up. She didn't know why would he smile at her and look into her eyes deeply. She couldn't take these things in. When she zipped her bag and looked up, she caught him already looking at her longingly. But both looked away at the same time as an awkward silence fell between them.

Dismissing all the notions she looked at the pile of papers he was holing before. "What are these?"

"Nothing. These are just some past papers." He pushed the chair back as he stood. Mumbling an Allah Hafiz, he left. She stared at the closed door after him for a while. She could sense the change in his goodbyes. What was that sudden change caused by? She thought but then shrugged the thought away.

She was home after a taxing day at university. After playing with three year old Khadijah, she walked up to the room that she and her elder sister, Almas, shared. She stood in the doorway, eyeing her sister lovingly. She was getting ready for her fiancée, Qasim, and his family as they were coming over to fix the day of their marriage.

Qasim belonged to a powerful family of the city. Their family were into police, politics and business as well. So they were known very well around the place. Often relatives talked that how a girl from middle class family got to marry in one of the wealthiest families of the city.

Qasim had always liked Almas in University. He was in-fact mad for her. Her beauty, that dupatta of hers placed neatly over her head, that soft colours of Shalwar Kameez she wore for University, everything about her mesmerised him.

She liked him too so they both decided to take it to the halal level.

Unlike Amarha, Almas never wore hijab. It was just dupatta that she placed over her head lightly and pinned it in her hair so that it won't fall down. For tonight dinner Almas chosen to wear a parrot colour shalwar kameez with golden dupatta draped around her as her curled hair fell loose on her shoulders.

"Beautiful." Mumbled Amarha, a soft smile danced on her lips as she walked in to her sister and removed her hijab and abaya. She too changed into a nice light pink dress with her white dupatta pinned to her shoulders and the same coloured hijab on her head covered her hair.

When Almas saw her younger sister. She was awestruck, "you look so modest." A blush crept on her cheeks as her ears warmed up again.  It was always with the compliment that made her tomato. It was natural. The more she would try to calm herself, the more she would get scarlet cheeks.

"Thank you. You look beautiful too, Almas." There was exchange of smiles between two sisters. Almas got up, finding something in drawer she came back. She held a small box and opened it revealing a thin gold chain bracelet.

"Thats cute. Qasim bhai got that for you?" Amarha grinned holding the fragile bracelet from which hung small gold stars. Her fingers tenderly went over its symmetry.

Almas shook her head. "I bought that with my first earning for you. Wear it for today's dinner." She said, taking the bracelet from her hands. Before Amarha could open her mouth to say anything, she shook her head at her. Slowly she slipped the chain into her wrist and hooked it. "Moreover you worked very hard in the sophomore year of your medical college. Thats for it."

Her eyes brimmed "Thank you, Almas. That's beautiful." She whirled het wrist in the year. "Everyone sees result but i am glad you saw the struggle too."

"You and Mohsin both are the shining stars. I wonder what would you two turn out into."

"What?" Awkwardly, said Amarha. For it was not the sly smile on Almas lips, she wouldn't have asked it. But it was something in there, lurking. That sudden change in Mohsin, Mishal's cold behaviour to her and now Almas giving her sheepish smile—all made her think even more but she couldn't reach to the depth.

"Nothing. I will have a look of kitchen" Almas patted her shoulder and left. Leaving her behind with a churning mind. There was something fishy going on.

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Here comes the first chapter. How's it?
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Allah Hafiz