House of Ashes [Complete]

34. Strange | عجیب

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"Hey, big guy. Come here, have some water!" Safa plopped open the cap of the water bottle as she called Ayyan. She could see him running out of breaths due to all the rides he had been taking on the slides.

"No, I'm fine. It's okay." Not wanting to give her an impression that his health was deteriorating, he lied. And it was true, he was getting better but still he did not want to worry her with his quick exhaustions.

"But I'm talking about water here, not about you being fine, my love." She knew what he was trying to pull off. Guess, being a teacher had its perks or maybe it was the bond she had developed with him over the course of this time. "It's scorching in here. I'm thristy, too, you know."

She beckoned him with her hands as she sheepishly scrunched her nose. Retiring from yet another slide, he finally ran towards her and hopped on the bench.

"Easy there, strong boy!" She teased his hair.

As he chugged down the water, she pulled out tissues from her bag and extended them towards him so he could wipe the sweat away from his face.

It'd been quite a few days since she and Azlan had stopped feeding him themselves or doing minor of the tasks for him. He needed to be able to do them himself. They didn't want him to feel as if he was just existing and not living.

"I talked to Mansha Api yesterday." He divulged as he capped the bottle and splayed the rivulets of water away from his lips with the back of his hand.

"Oh really?" She grinned.

"Mhm. She told me she has exams." He nodded. "Can you believe it? Few months ago, even the meagre thought of going to school felt unrealistic to her and, now, she's having exams!" He giggled, flashing his teeth.

Safa smiled, seeing that glint back in his small eyes as she silently prayed for his quick and sound recovery.

"I just pray that I get recovered soon so I can gather all the happiness of the world and put it on her feet." He raised his small frail hands in a dua (prayer)."

"Ameen!" Safa hugged him sideways as she inhaled the smell of his baby shampoo.

******

Once the meeting was over Azlan ordered two steaming cups of tea for himself and Arham as they sat down in his cabin.

Azlan's phone pinged and as he pitcked it up to see who it was, Arham squinted at him.

"I know I'm pretty but I'm straight, too." He said on catching him.

Arham just rolled his eyes. "I'm just trying to read something." He hunched his face a bit forward to get a better look.

"From my face?" Azlan raised both his eyebrows as if he doubted his sanity. "Yeah, well, what else can I expect from someone who had spent over a month around that crazy woman's friend." He narrowed his eyes as he interlaced his fingers, proppoing his elbows on the ebony top as it made his biceps prominent, the sleeves of his pristine white shirt rolled up.

"Why do you always have to bring her in every conversation?" An amused snicker played on his lips.

"Come'n, don't be so sulky! This was the first time."