Sisters torn apart by the fragility of the heart, how can love possibly hurt so much?
Hana Junaid decided two years ago, distance would make her younger sister Hanaan more independent but Hanaan's love and yearning for Hana during this time has drow...
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Delete. Delete. Delete.
I cannot delete the nightmares I have lived through these past few days but I can delete their shadows that stain my persona with shame, regret and tribulation. It is time I restore my pride, my composure and poise. Standing before the glass wall, staring down at the traffic buzzing by in the city below me, sky darkening as the sun surrenders to the night in a burning orange glow blending away to a twilight blue, I put my phone to my ear in Ahmad Mamu's office.
"Hana Aapi?"
"Zaid, where's Nashwa?"
"Scheming in her room. She made me go to the craft shop, buy her a white chart paper. She wrote Zimal's name in the centre and now we're making a spider web of ways to torture her. Uzair and Huzair are also helping. Do you want to contribute ideas or are you with the opposition?"
"I need a favour from you."
"..."
"Zaid?"
"Nothing's for free in this world, Hana Aapi. And you know how taxes have been increasing; the adverse effect of that on prices on the basic most necessities—"
"You're twelve, Zaid, stop teaching me economics when you don't even know how to expand square brackets."
"I do actually, I taught Nashwa Aapi how to do integration too—"
Of course he did. He's a math whiz.
"I'll subscribe to your YouTube Channel and like all your videos. Will you listen to what I have to say?"
"I've been listening ever since you called."
"Someone's sending Nashwa roses, you might have noticed."
"I think there are two people involved actually."
"Two?" My heart skips a beat.
"One is sending her red roses as usual but this evening, a more colourful bouquet arrived, larger than the red one."
"Was there a card inside?"
He hums. "And a very romantic message too. Nashwa Aapi's nose turned entirely red as she read it, pity I couldn't get to it first or film her reaction for a potential vlog: alvidaaapi, shadi ho gayeetumhari."
And Haala Mami hasn't kicked out Nashwa yet?
"Zaid? Does your mother know of all this?"
He hums again. "She wasn't happy when the red roses showed up but she got excited over the colourful roses, she made us all swear we won't tell Abba. I tell you, both these women are crazy."
Haala Mami approves?
Zaid clears his throat. "That favour you wanted ..."
If Haala Mami is aware then Nashwa is safe, I suppose. I need not worry about her turning against Nashwa or accusing her of something.
