.:.Manzil.:. Chapter 13 - Page 5!

Table of Contents

Introduction – Below

Character Sketch & Pictures – Below

Chapter 1 – Page 1

Chapter 2 – Page 1

Chapter 3 – Page 1

Chapter 4 – Page 1

Chapter 5 – Page 1

Chapter 6 – Page 2

Chapter 7 – Page 2

Chapter 8 – Page 2

Chapter 9 – Page 2

Chapter 10 – Page 3

Chapter 11 – Page 4

Chapter 12 – Page 5

Chapter 13 – Page 5

Chapter 14 – Page 6

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Introduction

Javed and Najma Rehman and their five children comprise a perfect family. Each one of them is intelligent, talented and motivated. As far as how much they can accomplish in life, the sky is the limit. When they meet Zaheer Akhtar, his wife Fatima and their four children, lifelong friendship begin to form immediately. The Akhtar family is also just as perfect. Two perfect families coming together. Seems like an ideal situation, doesn't it? But none of them knows what's really in store for them.

Within ten years of the day they meet, one of them will tragically lose their soul mates, one will possess everything except what she wants most, one will put his life on the line for his family, and one will betray her true love only to regret it later. Their paths will meet and diverge, but ultimately their destination is the same. Through the laughter and tears, they will discover themselves and see the inner beauty of everyone around them.

Perfect people and perfect lives do not really exist. However, as human beings, our goal in life should be to strive for excellence and set an example for others. The characters of my story will do just that.

Setting

The story begins on September 4, 2006 in Fremont, California.

Character Sketch

Rehman Family

Javed (45): A neurosurgeon by profession, passionate about his work and often puts duty before family. Don't get me wrong. He's not a bad husband or father. There just aren't enough hours in a day for him to spend as many as he wants with his family. However, any time not spent at the hospital or medical conferences is spent at home. Despite his efforts, he misses many milestones in his children's lives, which will ultimately force him to rethink his priorities.

Najma (43): A caring mother who always considers family as more important than anything else. She works as a Mathematics professor at the local community college. She only teaches two classes so her hours are flexible. Her children always come to her if they have any problems or need advice.

Aisha (19):

Just starting her third year as an economics major at the University of California, Berkeley, which is about an hour away from home. She lives in an apartment with friends during the school year and stays with family during vacations. Because she has always been a talkative and outgoing girl, her family is puzzled when she spends most of that summer by herself in her room. As much as they try to find out what is wrong, Aisha insists that she is fine.

Imraan (17):

One of the most brilliant minds in this story, but he would never acknowledge his intelligence. A final year high school student, he is shy by nature and emotional, almost too emotional for a guy. He can never hide his feelings from anyone. He trusts everyone, and so far, no one has betrayed his trust. In the next year, he will have to learn the hard way that the world is not always a friendly place.

Samira (16):

There is nothing she cannot do. Excellent student, accomplished singer and aspiring poet: these are just a few of her credentials. Even with her busy schedule, she manages to make time for family and friends. But there is someone out there who is not happy about her success. If she doesn't discover who it is soon enough, this harmless resentment might develop into something more dangerous.

Maryam (13):

She admires Samira and measures her own worth based on the things that Samira is good at. She always underestimates herself and is afraid to make mistakes. She will continue to have low self-esteem until a guy comes into her life and helps her realize her own potential.

Shamyl (3):

The baby of the family, born ten years after Maryam. The goal of the entire family is to teach him everything and make him a child prodigy. At such a young age, he speaks three languages fluently, reads chapter books, and knows basic arithmetic. Seems like their efforts have been successful, but what kind of social life will Shamyl have? Can he ever fit in with kids his age?

Akhtar Family

Zaheer (44): A total family man who is devoted to his wife and children. After his nine to five day as a mechanical engineer, he is always ready to help with the housework and assist the children with their homework. Every weekend, he wants the entire family to spend time together. As his children get older and they all begin to have their own lives, Zaheer is afraid that they don't need him anymore. Will the family be able to resolve his irrational fear?

Fatima (44): A good wife and mother, but not at all meant to be a housewife. She is a very independent and confident woman who expects her husband to be as active as she is in the home as well as outside of it. She met Zaheer when they were both studying engineering and is now just as successful as he is. The marriage is one of equals and she will never let him forget that.

Yusuf (21):

He loves to laugh and make others laugh. Anyone who knows Yusuf will say that he is fun to be around and adds excitement to any party. As his last year at UC Berkeley as a biology major begins, he is confident that he wants to be a doctor. Witihn the next year, he will change someone's life and start a new life himself.

Sabah (17):

The only sister of three loving brother, she has been protected and spoiled all her life. Her independence and confidence, which come from her mother, make her a very ambitious young woman. Her exceptional beauty attracts the attention of many guys, but she doesn't give any of them a second look. Her goal in life is to be more successful than anyone else she knows, and she's willing to do anything to achieve it, maybe even break someone's heart.

Rehan (16):

Intelligent and immensely creative, Rehan (like Samira) is good at many things, of which he loves singing, dancing and choreography the most. Thoughtful and good-natured, he makes friends easily. Despite having to deal with several tragedies and traumatic situations at a young age, he has never revealed his emotions to anyone. He believes that emotions are for the weak. It will take one more terrible event to change his mindset.

Amaan (14):

His life revolves around grades and soccer, both of which make him well-known at his school. But Amaan is a quiet guy who prefers to keep to himself. He has very few friends and he likes to keep it that way. There are many things about him that even his family does not know, but some of these will eventually be revealed.

Other (a few more will be added later)

Carissa:

Samira's best friend

David:

Carissa's boyfriend

Anne:

Maryam's best friend

Rahul:

Rehan's best friend

Nisha & Anjali:

Sisters, friends with Samira and Sabah

Faisal:

Amaan's only close friend

Hasan:

Someone from Aisha's past

Radhika:

Aisha's roommate

Jason:

Yusuf's roommate

Jyoti:

Samira's annoying classmate

Just to let you guys know. Some of the characters in my story speak Hindi to each other, which is important to the story. In case some of you don't speak Hindi or have trouble reading it the way I have written it, I have translated everything. The translations are in green.

Chapter 1

As Samira awoke on the first day of 11^th grade, she saw gifts and flowers on her desk, dresser and side table. On the wall above her desk was a banner saying "Happy 16^th Birthday Samira Apa." Feeling lucky to have such wonderful younger siblings, she got out of bed and began to get ready. Although Samira did not usually celebrate her birthday, this day felt special for some reason, so she wanted to look nice. She put on her favorite long pink skirt with a white blouse and tied a pink ribbon in her waist-length black hair.

When she went downstairs, she saw her younger sister Maryam eating breakfast in the kitchen. In the family room, their three year old brother was reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Samira was pleased to notice that although he had only started reading three days ago, he was already halfway done with the book. Both of them stopped what they were doing to wish her a happy birthday. Samira thanked them as she sat down at the breakfast table and began to pile pancakes onto her plate.

Maryam: Apa, aap ko pata hai, naye padosi kal raat aa gaye. Sis, do you know that the new neighbors moved in last night?

Samira: Achcha, tum unse mileen? Oh really, did you meet them?

Maryam: Nahin, lekin Mummy abhi abhi un ko welcome karne gayi hain. No, but mom just went to welcome them.

Samira: Jab school se wapis aayen, to humein bhi jaana chaahiye. When we return from school, we should go too.

Maryam: Haan, dekhen to sahi ke woh kaun hain. Achcha apa, main chalti hoon. Meri bus aati hogi. Have a great day! Yes, we should find out who they are. Alright, I better leave. My bus will be here soon. Have a great day!

Maryam grabbed her backpack from the family room and rushed off to catch her bus. Samira finished eating breakfast and went to get her backpack. She wanted to wait until her mom returned to hear about the new neighbors, but she had promised her best friend Carissa that she would meet her before class.

Unlike Maryam's middle school, which was across town, John F. Kennedy high school was only four blocks from their house. But just as Samira started to walk, she noticed the public bus at the nearest stop and decided to take it. As the bus arrived at her school, the familiar faces excited her at the prospect of another great school year.

As she entered the main quad, Samira immediately saw Carissa standing near the water fountain, holding a bunch of balloons. When she noticed who she was standing with, Samira stopped in her tracks. Talking to Carissa was one of the best looking guys she had ever seen in her life! She watched as he ran his hand through the dark hair that was falling on his forehead, moving it away from his deep brown eyes. His smile was radiant, and from the sound of his voice, he seemed genuine and soft-spoken.

Carissa: Hi Samira!

Carissa's voice took Samira out of her trance, and she began to wonder whether anyone had noticed her staring at the gorgeous stranger.

Samira: Hey Carissa!

Carissa (handing her the balloons): Happy Birthday!

As she hugged Carissa, Samira stole a glance at the guy, who smiled at her.

Carissa: Samira, this is Rehan. His family just moved here from L.A. He's a senior and as you can probably tell, he's yet another one of your people.

Carissa was referring to the fact that almost a third of their school was comprised of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or some other form of desi students. This was not surprising considering Fremont had one of the largest desi populations in the United States.

Carissa: Rehan, this is my best friend, Samira, who I was just telling you about.

Rehan (shaking hands with Samira): It's a pleasure to meet you.

Wow, he was a gentleman too? Samira could hardly believe that such a guy existed.

Carissa was just about to start up a conversation, when a loud voice saying her name echoed through the quad. Seeing her boyfriend David smiling at her from the entrance, Carissa excused herself and went to greet him. Samira decided to find out more about Rehan.

Samira: How do you like Fremont so far?

Rehan: It's a nice place. Seems much more peaceful than L.A.

Samira: Is that why your family moved here? You were looking for a more peaceful place?

Rehan: No actually, we just couldn't live in L.A. anymore…because of something that happened. It's a long story.

Samira (sensing that he didn't want to talk about whatever happened): Well, I'm sure you'll like it here. The kids at this school are pretty friendly.

Rehan smiled.

Samira: Where is your family originally from?

Rehan: Delhi. We came to the US when I was four. How about yours?

Samira: The same general area, Lucknow in UP. But I was born–

The sound of the bell interrupted their conversation. It was time to head to their first class of the day.

Samira: What's your first period?

Rehan (checking his schedule): Calculus BC, in room 313.

Samira could hardly contain her happiness.

Samira: That's my first class too! I'll show you where the room is.

They walked up two flights of stairs and down the hall to room 313. Samira noticed her brother Imraan in the back of the room and sat next to him, putting her balloons against the wall. Rehan took the seat in front of hers.

Imraan: Hi Samira. Happy Birthday! (he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek)

Samira: Thanks bhaiya., Aap aaj subah ghar pe nahin the to mujhe laga aap abhi New York se waapis nahin aaye. Thanks bhaiya, when I didn't see you at home this morning, I thought you hadn't returned from New York yet.

Imraan had been visiting a friend, who was a first year student at New York University.

Imraan: Sorry yaar. Mera plane delay ho gaya tha to main der se pahuncha. Tum tab tak nikal chuki theen. Sorry, my plane got delayed so I got home a little late. You had left by then.

Samira: Oh! Bhaiya, this is Rehan. His family just moved here from L.A. Rehan, this is my older brother Imraan. He's a senior like you.

As they were shaking hands, a beautiful girl walked into the classroom. Her dark curls, dimples, and perfect figure were so alluring that all the guys turned to look at her. She looked around nervously for a second, then spotted Rehan and smiled. Rehan waved at her. Samira's heart skipped a beat as she wondered how they knew each other. The girl walked over and sat down next to Rehan and in front of Imraan.

Rehan (realizing that all four of them could speak Hindi): Guys, yeh meri badi bahen Sabah hai. Baaji, yeh hai Samira aur yeh uske bhai Imraan. Guys, this is my older sister Sabah, and this is Samira and her brother Imraan.

Relieved that Sabah was Rehan's sister and pleased that his Hindi was so good, Samira smiled and shook hands with Sabah. As Sabah was shaking hands with Imraan, the teacher walked in and the class became silent.

After Calculus, the four of them parted ways and went to their respective classes. The next three classes went by extra slowly for Samira because she was waiting for lunchtime when she would get to see Rehan again.

During lunch, Imraan and Samira introduced Rehan and Sabah to their group of friends. Everyone was eager to learn more about the new kids. They found out that although Sabah was almost a year older than Rehan, they were in the same grade because Rehan had skipped a grade during elementary school.

Samira had the chance to see Rehan again in her 6^th period Spanish 4 class, the final class of the day. She had never before felt so happy to be taking classes that were advanced for her year.

As they walked out of class, they saw Imraan putting a textbook in his locker and Sabah standing nearby talking to him. When he saw them, Imraan signaled excitedly for them to come over.

Imraan: Samira, tumhen yaqin nahin aayega ke Sabah ne mujhe abhi kya bataaya. Guess karo ke yeh donon kahan rehte hain. Samira, you won't believe what Sabah just told me. Guess where these two live.

Samira: Kahan? Where?

Imraan: 1092 Coral Way

It took a couple seconds for this to register in Samira's mind. Coral way? That's where she lived. Her house was 1090, so….1092 had to be the house next door! So they were the new neighbors! When Imraan explained this to Rehan and Sabah, they were also glad to hear that they all lived so close to each other.

Imraan had brought his car to school that morning, so he gave everyone a ride back. Samira introduced Rehan and Sabah to her parents and younger siblings, and then she, Imran and Maryam went over to their house. They met Rehan and Sabah's parents and younger brother Amaan. They also learned that the three of them had an older brother named Yusuf who was studying at UC Berkeley. Imraan told them that their older sister Aisha was also at Berkeley, and they all wondered whether Yusuf and Aisha knew each other.

Later that evening, Samira called Aisha.

Aisha: Hello?

Samira: Hi Apa Jaan! How's it going?

Aisha: Pretty good. Tum kaisi ho? Pretty good. How are you?

Samira noticed that Aisha had the same gloomy, disinterested tone in her voice that she had all summer. This was not like her all! Aisha was the most talkative person that Samira knew, and it was very strange for her to be acting like this.

Samira: Sab theek to hai? Is everything okay?

Aisha: Haan, bas padhayi karte karte thak gayi hoon. Yea, I'm just a little tired from studying.

Samira: Achcha, to phir main aap ko zyaada pareshaan nahin karoongi. Bas yeh bataana chahti thi ke humaare naye padosi aa gaye hain aur unke bachchon mein se do humaare school mein padte hain. Unke ek bade bhai hain Yusuf jo Berkeley mein hain. Aap unko jaanti hain? Yusuf Akhtar? Okay, then I won't take too much of your time. Just wanted to tell you that our new neighbors have arrived and two of them attend our school. They have an older brother named Yusuf who studies at Berkeley. Do you know him? Yusuf Akhtar?

Aisha: Haan, ek do baar mili hoon. Lekin zyaada jaan pehchaan nahin hai. Yes, I have met him a few times, but I don't know him too well.

They talked for a few more minutes before Aisha had to return to her school work.

Samira got ready for bed and prayed before going to sleep. Like every night, she remembered the guy who had saved her life six years ago and included him in her prayers. She prayed that he would live a long, happy life and that someday she would meet him again. She also prayed for Aisha, hoping that she would return to her old happy self.

It wasn't until she was in bed that Samira thought about Rehan once again. She knew that it was ridiculous for her to think she was in love since she barely knew him. But she did know for sure that she was attracted to him and wanted to know more about him. Planning what questions she would ask him the next morning, Samira slowly drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 2

Rehan looked out the window of his room at his neighborhood. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning and the park across the street looked inviting. Rehan made a mental note to plan a family picnic there before the weather became colder. The neighborhood was one of wealthy residents, which was apparent from the sizes of the houses and the expensive cars. The maintained lawns and clean streets reminded Rehan of scenes from movies and TV Shows depicting the lifestyles of the rich. His old neighborhood in L.A. certainly looked nothing like this.

As he watched a group of kids play basketball at the park, Rehan thought about how nice his first week in Fremont had been. He and his sister Sabah had spent the last three evenings exploring the town with the help of Imraan and Samira. They had been to the mall, the bowling alley, and three different restaurants. Having the Rehman family next door had really made everyone in his family feel welcome.

Rehan looked at his watch and realized it was fifteen minutes to ten. He decided to head over to Samira's place for his first singing class with Mrs. Divya Sharma. Rehan had been taking Hindustani vocal classes in L.A. for the past eight years and he was glad that he could continue his training. Now if only he could find out where to take Bharat Natyam and Hiphop classes on weekends, he would be entirely content. Rehan was an aspiring choreographer and he loved experimenting with different styles of dance.

He stopped in front of Sabah's room and decided to ask one final time whether she would like to join him. Sabah enjoyed singing, but had never been interested enough to take a class. Plus, she always had other things that she was busy with. Rehan knocked on her door, and she told him to come in. She was sitting at her desk with her Princeton Review SAT book in front of her.

Rehan: You sure you don't want to come, Baaji. Ek baar dekh len, shaayad aap ko achcha lage. You sure you don't want to come, Baaji. Just try the class once; you might like it.

Sabah: Nahin Rehan, tum jaao. Mujhe SAT ki tayyaari karni hai. No Rehan, you go. I have to prepare for the SATs.

Rehan: Lekin test mein do mahine hain. Aap agle hafte se padhaayi shuru kar lijiye. But there are still two months until the test. You can just start studying next weekend.

Sabah: Rehan, abhi school se kaam zyaada nahin mila hai to humaare paas thoda time hai. Jab ek baar projects aur exam shuru ho jaayen to SAT ki tayyaari kaise karenge? Meri maano to tum bhi jaldi hi padhaayi shuru kardo. Rehan, we haven't been assigned too much homework from school yet so we have some time. Once projects and exams begin, how will we make time for SAT preparation? I think you should start studying soon too.

Rehan knew not to push the issue any further. Once Sabah's mind was set on something, she wouldn't change it for anything.

Rehan: Theek hai, Baaji. Aaj raat se hi shuru kar doonga. See you later. Okay, Baaji. I will start tonite. See you later.

Sabah: Bye.

Rehan walked down the stairs and outside through the front door. He didn't even bother asking Amaan. Amaan barely spoke in front of anyone he didn't know well. Singing was out of the question.

Seconds after Rehan knocked on the door of the Rehman residence, three year old Shamyl opened the door.

Shamyl: Hi Rehan bhai! Aap kis se milne aayen hain? Hi Rehan Bhai! Who are you here to meet?

Rehan (entering the house): Jab Shamyl Sahib ghar par hon, to aur kisi se milne ki kya zaroorat hai? When Mr. Shamyl is at home, who else do I need to see?

Shamyl: To aap humesha mujhse milne aate hain? So you always come to meet me?

Rehan: Aur nahin to kya. Of course.

Shamyl: To aap ne abhi tak mera kamra kyoon nahin dekha? Then why haven't you seen my room yet?

Rehan looked at his watch. There were still ten minutes until ten.

Rehan: Chaliye, abhi dekh lete hain. How about you show it to me now?

Shamyl took Rehan's hand and led him up two flights of stairs to his room. Like every other room in the house, not a single thing was out of place in Shamyl's room. Unlike most kids of his age, he had very few toys, and those that he did have were educational. His walls were lined with shelves of books and posters of wildlife animals. Shamyl introduced Rehan to all the books in his collection, specifying those he had read and those that he planned to read soon.

At 10 o'clock, Rehan tried to think of some excuse to go back downstairs. Just as he was about to say something, Mrs. Najma Rehman peeked inside.

Najma: Arre Rehan, tum kab aaye? Oh Rehan, when did you come?

Rehan: Hello Aunty. Abhi dus minute pehle hi aaya. Shamyl ne mere liya darwaaza khola tha. Hello Aunty. I just came ten minutes ago. Shamyl let me in.

Najma: Achcha. Samira aur Maryam basement mein tumhaara intezaar kar rahi hain. Mere khayaal se Divya Ji aa gayi hain. Oh, I see. Samira and Maryam are waiting for you in the basement. I believe Divya Ji has arrived.

Rehan went downstairs after promising Shamyl he would play Scrabble with him after the class. The basement of the house was nothing like any basement he had ever seen before. It consisted of a large sitting area, bedroom, bathroom and small kitchen. In the sitting area, Samira and Maryam had laid out three cushions and were sitting on two of them. Across from them in a low chair was a middle-aged woman with twinkling eyes and a warm smile, tuning her harmonium.

After Samira had introduced Rehan to Divya Ji, they began warming up their voices. Since they were all singing the notes together, Rehan did not discern whose voice was which, but he could tell that Samira and Maryam, like him, were not new to this. It was not until Divya Ji asked Samira to sing "Naina Neer Bahaaye" from Water, a song she had been practicing for some time, that Rehan really heard her voice.

As soon as the first word left Samira's lips, Rehan was entranced. Her voice was so beautiful and her rendition so perfect that Rehan was sure it was at least as well sung as the original. When the song ended, he wanted to tell her to sing it again, and keep singing it until he got tired of it, which he was certain would never happen. But instead of saying this, he just smiled and whispered "wow" when she looked at him. Samira returned the smile and looked down shyly.

They spent the rest of the class time learning a classical song based on Raag Bahaar. He discovered that Maryam also had a nice voice, but not nearly as enchanting as Samira's. When it came time for Rehan to sing individually, he became very self-conscious. He hoped that his voice sounded as nice to Samira as it sounded in his head. From the look on everyone's faces, it seemed that they were impressed, which increased his confidence.

At noon, Divya Ji immediately left for another class she was scheduled to teach and Maryam went to get ready for her friend's birthday party. Rehan helped Samira put away the cushions and they sat down on the sofa in the room.

Rehan: Your voice is beautiful, Samira.

Samira: Thanks. Tumhaari bhi kuch kam nahin. Thanks. You have a great voice as well.

Rehan: Thanks. Kab se seekh rahi ho? Thanks. How long have you been learning?

Samira: Paanch saal ki umar se. Aur tum? Since I was five. And you?

Rehan: Kareeb aath saal se. About eight years now.

Samira nodded and smiled at him. At that moment, Rehan felt a strange connection with her, as if he had known her for years. Ever since he had met her, he had been having these strange feelings on and off. Maybe it was because she was so much like him. She was ambitious, friendly, in touch with her heritage, had a passion for music, and seemed to enjoy living life to the fullest….all the qualities that those who knew Rehan credited him for.

Samira suddenly stood up.

Samira: Tumhen bhook lag rahi hogi. Chalo mein tumhaare liye lunch banaati hoon. You must be hungry. Let me make lunch for you.

Samira made turkey sandwiches and they ate them with Imraan and Shamyl. Afterwards, Rehan kept his promise to Shamyl and played a couple games of Scrabble with him in his room before going home. After going to Samira's room on the second floor to say goodbye, he walked down to the living room and saw Imraan there. Just as he was about to tell him that he was going home, the phone rang and Imraan answered it.

The way Imraan smiled and became nervous as soon as he realized who he was talking to made Rehan wonder who it was. Sure that it must be his girlfriend (though he couldn't remember Imraan mentioning a girlfriend), Rehan turned to leave, but Imraan stopped him.

Imraan: Rehan, Sabah ka phone hai tumhaare liye. Rehan, it's Sabah calling for you.

Imraan gave Rehan the phone and went into the kitchen, still smiling. Sabah was just calling to tell Rehan to come home immediately. After studying all morning, she was tired and wanted to watch a movie with him. After hanging up, Rehan sighed. Typical impatient Sabah. He said goodbye to Imraan and returned home.

awesome start, i love it!! the characters and everything is perfect, it'll take me some time to get use to em though👏

Chapter 3

It was Thursday afternoon. Imraan took his calculus book out of his locker, shoved it into his backpack, and rushed out the green double doors at the front of the school. He had promised Anne that he would reach her house at 4 PM to help her with algebra. Anne was a very studious eighth grader whom Imraan had been tutoring in math and science for the past year. She was Maryam's classmate and they were taking most of the same classes. Usually Imraan tutored both of them together, but Maryam had basketball tryouts, so she would be staying at school until later in the evening.

When Imraan started his car, it was ten minutes to four, which meant he would probably be a couple minutes late. He had been talking to Sabah after their physics class and completely lost track of time. That is what seemed to happen every time he spent time with Sabah. He would forget everything else and lose himself in her beautiful eyes. This was the first time Imraan felt like this about any girl. He didn't think he would ever be able to tell her, but he was pretty sure she already knew. Imraan had never been good at hiding his feelings about anything.

By the time he left Anne's house, Imraan was confident that she would ace the algebra test the next day. As he got out of his car after reaching home, he saw Amaan walking towards his house. Amaan was a freshman at Kennedy High, but he had missed the first week of school due to an eye infection. For the past four days, he was back in school, but Imraan barely saw him, because he spent lunchtime in classrooms catching up on work. He did ride in Imraan's car to school everyday with Samira, Sabah and Rehan, but even then, Imraan didn't get a chance to talk to him much. Amaan was very quiet and mostly kept to himself.

Imraan noticed that Amaan looked stressed and decided to ask him what was wrong.

Imraan: Hi Amaan.

Amaan: Hi.

Imraan: Kya baat hai. Tum pareshaan lag rahe ho. What's wrong? You look a little worried.

Amaan seemed to hesitate for a second, but ultimately decided to disclose his problem.

Amaan: Kal mera geometry ka exam hai. Maine kayi class miss kar diye, so I feel a little behind. Abhi mein library mein ek dost ke saath study kar raha tha, lekin abhi bhi bahut kaam karna hai. Tomorrow I have a test in geometry. I have missed some classes, so I feel a little behind. I was just studying in the library with a friend, but I still have a lot to do.

Imraan: Main tumhaari madad kar sakta hoon. Middle school mein geometry mera favorite subject tha. I can help you. Geometry was my favorite subject in middle school.

Amaan: Thanks. Abhi to mujhe book mein do chapters padhne hain, lekin uske baad main aapko phone karoonga. Thanks. I still have to read two chapters in the book, but after that I will call you.

Imraan: Theek hai. Good luck Amaan. Sounds good. Good luck Amaan.

As he entered his house, Imraan was greeted by Shamyl, who was reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryin the living room. He had finished Harry Potter two days earlier, and wasted no time in starting on his next book.

Imraan went to the kitchen where his mom was cooking dinner. He began to set the table.

Najma: Arre, Imraan , tum aa gaye? Anne ke ghar ho aaye. Oh, Imraan, you're back? Did you go to Anne's place?

Imraan: Ji, mummy. Aaj phir Papa der se aayenge? Yes mummy. Is Papa going to be late again?

Najma: Haan, beta. Unko aaj phir operation karna hai. Yes, beta. He has another surgery to perform today.

Imraan: Mummy, aap ko pata hai na ke papa ne dus din se humaare saath dinner nahin khaaya hai. Mummy, you know that Papa has not eaten dinner with us for ten days now.

Najma (with some resentment): Jaanti hoon. Lekin hum kar bhi kya sakte hain? Unko apne patients ki jaanein bachaani hain to family ke liye time kaise nikaal paayenge? I know. But what can we do? When he has to save his patient's lives, how will he have time for family?

Imraan didn't want to upset his mother so he stayed quiet. He couldn't help wondering how different things would be if his father were not a neurosurgeon. But he knew it wasn't his father's fault. And whenever he had time, he did spend it at home.

After dinner, Imraan went to his room to start his homework. Fortunately, he only had calculus that night, which took him about half an hour to complete. Math was definitely his strong point. If it hadn't been for his unfortunate car accident the night before his Algebra II final exam in freshman year, he would have been done with calculus last year. But everything happens for a reason, and Imraan was glad that he had been able to make his sophomore year was a little less stressful by repeating the class.

Amaan called later that evening and Imraan helped him with a couple problems. When he returned to his desk, he noticed that Sabah had sent him an instant message.

zindagi2011: hi imraan. hows it going?

imraan89: hi sabah. i'm good…what r u up to?

zindagi2011: not much. just wanted to ask if u would like to study together this weekend for the history test

imraan89: sure, when and where?

zindagi2011: i can come over to your place on saturday morning…it shouldn't take us more than a few hours

imraan89: ya, probably not. when we're done, u want to go to the cheesecake factory for lunch?

As soon as he sent the message, Imraan's heart began to race and he wished he hadn't hit enter. Was Sabah going to think that he was asking her out? Would she get mad at him? Or was it possible that she might say yes?

zindagi2011: sounds good, haven't tried that place yet.

Imraan was relieved, but still wondered what Sabah was thinking. It sounded like she was expecting a casual lunch with a friend, which is what Imraan wanted it to be. Or was it? In all honesty, Imraan wanted to know what Sabah really thought of him, but he couldn't figure out how to find that out without revealing his own feelings. He decided to cross that bridge when he came to it. After talking to her for a few more minutes, he signed off and got ready for bed.

Before sleeping, Imraan went to his sisters' rooms to check up on them. Both of them had exams the next morning. Samira had finished studying and was getting ready for bed, but Maryam was planning to be up for another few hours. Imraan tried to talk her out of it.

Imraan: Maryam, tum bahut padhayi kar chuki ho. Ab so jao. Maryam, you have been studying for a long time. Now just go to sleep.

Maryam: Nahin bhaiya, mujhe is test mein perfect score chaahiye. Aur is ke liye mujhe bahut padna hai kyoon ke main itni smart nahin hoon jitne aap aur Samira apa hain. No bhaiya, I have to get a perfect score. And for that I will need to study a lot, because I'm not as smart as you and Samira apa.

Imraan could not understand why Maryam always said this. She seemed to have an inferiority complex that she just couldn't let go of, no matter how much Imraan told her that it wasn't true. Samira and Imraan had always been great at memorization and problem solving, so math and science were a breeze for them. Those subjects didn't come as easily for Maryam, but she was a brilliant writer. Imraan believed that she would make an amazing journalist, but somehow, she had decided that she had to excel at the same things as her siblings were good at.

Imraan: Maryam, yeh sach nahin hai, aur tum yeh jaanti ho. Tum kisi baat mein hum se kam nahin ho. Maryam, that's not true and you know it. You are not less than anyone in anything.

He walked over to Maryam's desk and kissed her on the forehead.

Imraan: Don't worry. You'll do great.

Maryam smiled a little.

Maryam: Thanks bhaiya.

Imraan: Zyaada der tak nahin jaagna. Don't stay up too late.

Maryam: Okay, good night.

Imraan: Good night Maryam.

Imraan returned to his room and got into bed. His excitement about spending time with Sabah that weekend was slightly marred by concern for Maryam and the fact that his father had still not returned from the hospital. He knew that there were some issues that his family needed to talk about and resolve, but he still felt fortunate that they all cared about each other so much. Confident that it would all work out in the end, Imraan cleared his mind and went to sleep.

Chapter 4

Saturday did not start off well for Maryam. She had woken up with a sore throat so she sounded awful in the singing class, her whole body was aching from Friday's basketball practice, and her mother had yelled at her for forgetting to wash the dishes the night before. On top of all this, her father had received a call from the hospital and once again would be spending most of the day there. Why couldn't he get weekends off?

After the singing class, Maryam called up Anne and asked her if she wanted to hang out at the mall for a while. Anne agreed and they decided to meet there. Maryam let her parents know where she was going, grabbed her bike and headed towards downtown.

Maryam and Anne spent an hour shopping and trying on clothes and then went to the food court for lunch. None of the fast food appealed to them so they decided to leave the mall and walk to The Cheesecake Factory, which was across the street. Just as they arrived at the restaurant and were seated by the waiters, Maryam noticed Imraan and Sabah sitting at a table nearby.

Sabah seemed to be telling Imraan a story, and he was hanging on to every word. The way he looked at her was as if he had never seen anyone so beautiful before. Maryam couldn't believe how obvious he was! Yes, Sabah was gorgeous, but come on! There had to be more to this. Imraan was definitely in love.

They were so involved in their conversation that Maryam decided not to disturb them. Instead, she and Anne placed their order and began talking about the latest middle school gossip. It wasn't until Imraan and Sabah stood up to leave that Imraan noticed them. He gave Maryam a nervous smile. Before either of them could say anything, Sabah saw Maryam as well.

Sabah: Hi Maryam! I didn't know you were here.

Sabah and Imraan walked over to their table.

Maryam: I didn't want to disturb your conversation. By the way, I thought you two were going to be studying all day.

Sabah and Imraan looked at each other.

Imraan: We were just…um…

Imraan looked around nervously.

Sabah: …taking a break and decided to have lunch.

Maryam looked down to keep from laughing. Why did her brother seem so tense? There was nothing unnatural about a couple of friends having lunch together. But he was making it clear that for him, it was more than just lunch with a friend. If Sabah didn't know about his feelings by now, she had to be completely clueless.

Imraan finally pulled himself together and introduced Sabah to Anne. They all talked for a few minutes, then Maryam and Anne's lunch arrived, and Imraan and Sabah left to get back to their books.

After lunch, Maryam stayed at the mall with Anne for another hour, and then returned home. While putting her bike in the garage, Maryam heard a car pull up in the driveway next door. She looked up and saw Rehan getting out of the car with a large white box in his hands.

Maryam: Hi Rehan bhai.

Rehan: Hi Maryam. Just the person I wanted to see.

Maryam: Main? Kyoon? Me? Why?

Rehan: Ek cheez dikhaani hai. Pehle Samira ko yahaan le aao please. I wanted to show you something. First could you please bring Samira here?

Maryam: Theek hai, ek second. Okay, one second.

She went into her house and ran up to Samira's room. Samira was practicing her singing, but as soon as Maryam mentioned Rehan's name, she quickly turned off the music and they both went outside. Samira noticed the white box in Rehan's hands.

Samira: Woh is dibbe mein hai? It's in the box?

Rehan: Haan, zara andar chalo phir tumhen dikhaata hoon. Yeah, just come inside and I will show it to you.

Puzzled, Maryam followed the two of them into Rehan's living room. After they closed the front door, she heard Amaan's voice from the kitchen.

Amaan: Bhaiya, aap usko le aaye? Bhaiya, you brought it?

Rehan: Haan, abhi nikaalta hoon. Jaldi aao. Yes, I'm going to take it out. Come quickly.

Amaan ran into the living room, but seeing Samira and Maryam there, he slowed down.

Amaan: Oh, hi.

Samira and Maryam returned the greeting. Rehan put the box on the ground and crouched down next to it. He slowly opened the flaps and pulled out something small and white. Maryam moved to the front to get a closer look and realized that it was a kitten, completely white, except for green eyes and pink nose.

Rehan: Here is the newest member of the Akhtar family. Maryam, Samira ne bataaya ke tum dono ko kittens pasand hain, to maine socha tumhen dikha doon. Here is the newest member of the Akhtar family. Maryam, Samira told me that you both love kittens, so I thought you might want to see her.

Maryam: Bahut pyaari hai. Kahaan se mili? She's adorable! Where did you get her?

Rehan gave the kitten to Amaan.

Rehan: Koyi bech raha tha. Unke paas abhi bhi do hain, agar tumhen chaahiye. Someone was selling them. They still have two more if you want one.

Samira: Hum nahin le sakte. Papa ko allergy hai. We can't have one. Papa is allergic to cats.

Just then, Rehan's parents came down the stairs. After greeting Maryam and Samira, they all sat down on the sofa, and Amaan passed the kitten on to his mother, who eagerly took her and began playing with her. Rehan's father was also thrilled about the new addition in the family.

Zaheer (Rehan's Dad): Iske aane se ghar mein thodi aur ronaq aa jaayegi. Lekin jab hum apne family trips par jaayenge, to iska kya karenge? She'll make our home a little more pleasant. But what will we do with her when we go on family trips?

Rehan: Mahine main do din ke liye hi jaate hain. Is ko saath le jaayenge, ya phir Samira ke paas chhod denge. We only go for one weekend a month. We'll take her with us, or just leave her with Samira.

Samira: I would love to have her. But I'll have to keep her away from Papa.

Maryam suddenly couldn't stand being there. This family was so perfect that she was almost angry at them. She knew she was being unreasonable. But seriously, family trips every month?! Her family hadn't taken a trip together for at least two years. Maryam got up from the sofa.

Maryam: Sorry, mujhe ghar jaana chaahiye. Mujhe kuch kaam karna hai. Sorry, I should go home. I have some work to do.

Samira gave her a suspicious look.

Fatima (Rehan's Mom): Alright, beta. It was nice seeing you.

Samira: Main bhi chalti hoon. Thanks for inviting us, Rehan. I should go too. Thanks for inviting us, Rehan.

Rehan: Of course.

Zaheer: Sabah se please keh dena ke woh dinner se pehle ghar aa jaaye. Please tell Sabah to return home before dinner.

Samira: Keh doongi, Uncle. Bye. I'll tell her, Uncle. Bye.

Maryam was afraid that Samira would ask her why she was in such a hurry to leave, but fortunately for her, she didn't mention it. Back in her room, Maryam wondered what made her react that way. Was she angry at her father for being away from home so much? She didn't want to be. He was out there saving lives and working hard so his family could live in luxury.

Maryam needed to talk to someone about this. Her mind immediately went to her oldest sister Aisha. Would Aisha understand Maryam's feelings, or would she think that she is overreacting? With some hesitation, Maryam dialed Aisha's cell phone number.

Aisha: Hello?

Maryam: Hi Apa Jaan. Maryam bol rahi hoon. Hi Apa Jaan. It's Maryam.

Aisha: Oh, hi Maryam. Kaisi ho? Oh, hi Maryam. How are you?

Maryam replied that she was fine, and then asked Aisha about how her classes were going. Aisha answered her but seemed very disinterested in the conversation, almost as if she would rather be somewhere else. Maryam had almost forgotten that Aisha was no longer the same person she used to be, but in just a few seconds, it all came back to her. She remembered the entire summer she had spent trying to get Aisha to come out of the room and enjoy her time with the family. Despite all her efforts, Aisha remained unresponsive and secluded.

Why was Aisha acting this way? Maryam decided to get to the bottom of it.

Maryam: Apa, main jaanti hoon ke koyi baat hai jo aap ko pareshaan kar rahi hai. Aap humein bata kyoon nahin deti? Apa, I know that something is bothering you. Why don't you tell us what's wrong?

Aisha: Aisi koyi baat nahin hai. Main bilkul theek hoon. There's nothing wrong. I'm perfectly fine.

Maryam: To phir aap itni badal kyoon gayi hain? Pehle har din mujhe phone kiya karti theen. Aur jab bhi chhutiyon mein ghar aati theen, to humaare saath waqt guzaarti theen. Kahaan gaya woh sab kuch? Then why have you changed so much? Before you used to call me every day. And whenever you would come home during vacations, you would spend time with us. What happened to all of that?

Aisha: I've gotten older. Waqt ke saath logon ki aadatein badal jaati hain. I've gotten older. People's habits change with time.

Maryam: Nahin, yeh baat nahin hai. Aap mujhse kuch chhupa rahi hain. No, that's not it. You're hiding something from me.

Aisha (angrily): Theek hai, chhupa rahi hoon! Agar main tumhen nahin bataana chaahti, to mujhe pareshaan kyoon kar rahi ho? Just leave me alone! Fine, I'm hiding something! If I don't want to tell you, why are you bothering me? Just leave me alone.

Maryam was shocked. Aisha had never spoken to her that way before.

Maryam: I'm sorry, Apa. Main aapse phir kabhi is baare mein kuch nahin poochhoongi. I'm sorry, Apa. I'll never ask you about it again.

Aisha (calming down a little): Good. Maryam, main tumse phir baat karoongi. Meri roommate khaane pe bula rahi hai. Good. Maryam, I will talk to you later. My roommate is calling me to have dinner.

Maryam: Okay, bye.

Aisha: Bye.

Maryam's day had just gone from bad to worse. She wished she had never picked up the phone. She didn't want her sister to be angry with her, but she was still worried about her. No one's personality changes that much unless something is seriously wrong.

Chapter 5

Sabah couldn't take it any longer. She knew that the day she had met Imraan, he had fallen in love with her. For the past two weeks, he was making any and every excuse to talk to her and she always caught him looking at her. They spent hours together and talked about everything....well, everything except for what she wanted to talk about. Why couldn't Imraan just tell her how he felt?

It couldn't even be that Sabah wasn't giving him the right signals. She specifically asked him to show her around town, she was always with him, and she had arranged for them to study together, but nothing was working. It was time for Sabah to take initiative. She knew what she wanted and exactly how she was going to get it.

Sabah planned it all out carefully as she got ready that Wednesday morning. As she rode to school sitting in the passenger seat of Imraan's car, she was tempted to talk to him then, but she decided to be patient. She didn't want to make him nervous in front of everyone.

At the end of calculus class, according to her plan, she asked Imraan if she could borrow his notebook, making the excuse that she was confused about an example problem the teacher had done in class. She promised to return it in the evening. Imraan gave it to her and they left the classroom.

Sabah walked two doors down to her Spanish class and sat down next to her newest friend, Nisha Mehta.

Nisha: Hi Sabah.

Sabah: Hey Nish, what's up?

Nisha: Same old. My life isn't as interesting as yours.

Sabah: What do you mean by that?

Nisha: Well for one thing, I don't have a handsome admirer. Did anything happen this morning?

Sabah rolled her eyes.

Sabah: Not really. Imraan's a really strange guy.

Nisha: If you say so. But don't deny that you're falling in love with him too.

Sabah: Whatever Nish. I don't have time for a guy.

Nisha: Then shouldn't you tell him that. Or will you continue leading him on?

Sabah was saved from answering this question by the booming voice of Mr. Levine asking everyone to take out their homework.

Her next two classes, English and History, were with Imraan. In History, the teacher returned the test they had taken on Monday. Both Sabah and Imraan received perfect scores. Looks like studying together had paid off well.

As they walked to the lunch quad after class, they saw Samira standing there with Carissa and Nisha's younger sister, Anjali. Sabah and Imraan joined them and they began discussing where they should sit.

All of a sudden, someone at the baseball field hit a ball towards them, and Sabah saw it coming right towards Samira's face. Sabah was too far away to do anything. Samira screamed and shielded her face with her hands, and Sabah closed her eyes, expecting to hear the ball hit Samira. She heard a soft thud, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that Samira was fine.

Rehan had come between Samira and the ball and caught it before it could hit her. He threw it back to the guys playing baseball.

Rehan (to the baseball players): Be careful guys. There are a lot of people in the lunch quad right now.

He turned to Samira.

Rehan: Are you okay?

Samira: I'm fine. Tumhaara haath to theek hai? Ball kaafi tezi se aa rahi thi. I'm fine. Is your hand okay? The ball was coming pretty fast.

Rehan examined his hand.

Rehan: Aa to rahi thi, but I'll be fine. It was, but I'll be fine.

Samira: Thanks.

Rehan: Is mein thanks ki kya baat hai? Tumhen chot kaise lagne deta? There's no need to thank me. How could I let you get hurt?

Samira smiled at him. While everyone else had started talking amongst themselves, Sabah watched Rehan and Samira closely and wondered whether there was something going on between them that she didn't know about. It was possible, but then again, Rehan was a nice guy and probably would have done that for anyone.

Soon the rest of their group of friends, David, Nisha, Rahul, and Sana joined them and they all began to eat their packed lunches.

The two classes after lunch were uneventful and slow for Sabah. She couldn't wait for school to end. But once again, she didn't say anything to Imraan in the car. Instead, she went home with Rehan and got started on her homework.

She was writing her essay on Crime and Punishment when the home phone rang. Sabah's room was closest to the living room so she went to answer it. It was her brother Yusuf.

Sabah: Hello?

Yusuf: How's it goin', sis?

Sabah: Yusuf Bhai! Main aapko aaj shaam phone karne hi waali thi. Kaise hain aap? Yusuf Bhai! I was planning on calling you in the evening. How are you?

Yusuf: Main to maze mein hoon. Tum apni sunao? I'm doing great. What are you up to?

Sabah: Main bhi theek hoon. Bas aapko bahut miss kar rahi hoon. Ghar kab aa rahe hain? I'm fine too. Just missing you a lot. When are you coming home?

Yusuf: Yehi to bataane ke liye phone kiya tha. Main isi weekend aa raha hoon. Mummy Daddy se kehna ke woh Friday ko kaam se aate waqt mujhe BART station se pick up karlen. That's what I called to tell you. I'm coming back this weekend. Tell Mummy and Daddy to pick me up from the BART station while coming home from work on Friday.

Sabah: Zaroor keh doongi. I'll definitely tell them.

Yusuf: Great. Sabah, abhi mujhe volunteering karne hospital jaana hai. See you on Friday! Great. Sabah, I have to leave to go volunteer at the hospital. See you on Friday!

Sabah: Can't wait! Take care, bhai.

Yusuf: Bye.

Sabah: Bye.

Now Sabah had even more to look forward to. It was going to be an awesome weekend. She decided to finally head over to Imraan's place to return his notebook.

When she knocked on the door, Najma aunty answered it.

Najma: Hello Sabah.

Sabah: Hi Aunty. Aap kaisi hain? Hi Aunty. How are you?

Najma: Achchi Hoon. Tum sunao. I'm doing well. How about you?

Sabah: Theek hoon. Imraan ki ek notebook lautaane aayi hoon. I'm fine. I wanted to return Imraan's notebook.

Najma: Woh apne kamre mein hai. Main use de doongi, ya phir tumhi jaa ke de do. He's in his room. I'll give it to him, or you can go upstairs if you'd like.

Sabah: Main hi de aati hoon. I'll just go and give it.

Sabah walked up the stairs to Imraan's room. Everything was going exactly according to plan. She knocked and Imraan opened the door. His face lit up as soon as he saw her.

Imraan: Hi Sabah! Andar aao. Hi Sabah! Come in.

She went inside and sat on the bed.

Sabah: Yeh lo tumhaari notebook. Here's your notebook.

Imraan: Thanks.

He took it from her and put it on his desk.

Sabah: Mujhe tumse kuch baat karni hai. I wanted to talk to you about something.

Imraan became his nervous self again.

Imraan: Kya baat hai? What is it?

Sabah: Pehle yahaan aake baitho. First come and sit here.

Imraan came and sat next to her. Sabah's heart was pounding, but she knew that she had to complete what she had started.

Sabah: Tum mujhse apne dil ki baat kyoon chhupa rahe ho? Why are you hiding your feelings from me?

Imraan: Kaun si baat? Which feelings?

Sabah: Imraan, tum sab samajhte ho. Tum kayi din se mujhse kuch kehna chaahte ho, lekin pata nahin kyoon nahin kehte. Imraan, you know what I'm talking about. For several days, you've been wanting to tell me something, but I don't know why you haven't been able to.

Imraan: Main….I….

Imraan looked down at his hands. Sabah could tell that he was panicking a little.

Sabah: Sach batao, tumhaare dil mein mere liye kya hai? Tell me the truth. Do you have feelings for me?

Imraan: Sabah, main tumse….main….I love you. Sabah, I am….I….I love you.

Sabah smiled and lowered her gaze. She had been waiting for so long to hear those three words. She could hear Imraan's heavy breathing as he waited for her response. She looked up.

Sabah: I love you too.

She watched as a smile lit up his face.

Imraan: Sach? Really?

Sabah put her hands on Imraan's hands and looked into his eyes.

Sabah: Haan Imraan. Main tumse pyaar karti hoon. Yes, Imraan. I love you.

She put her head on his shoulder and felt his arms slowly enclose around her. After about a minute, she abruptly lifted her head.

Sabah: Mujhe jaana chaahiye. Tumhari mummy jaanti hain ke main yahaan hoon. Aur mere Mummy Papa bhi ghar aate honge. I should go. Your mom knows that I am in your room. And my parents will be home soon.

Imraan: Phir kab milogi. When will I see you again?

Sabah: Kal subah, Imraan. School nahin jaana hai kya? Tomorrow morning, Imraan. Aren't we going to school?

Imraan: Arre haan. Oh yeah.

Imraan smiled embarrassedly.

Sabah: Bye.

She kissed him on the cheek.

Imraan: Bye.

Sabah left his room and said goodbye to Najma aunty on the way out. She was almost skipping as she walked home. Life was perfect.

MY GOSH!..your amazing!..you can write soo good!..can't wait for the other parts!

Chapter 6

It felt nice to be home for the weekend, but Aisha hoped that her family wouldn't ask her questions about her behavior. She knew that she had been acting distant from them, but she really didn't know what else to do. No matter how much Aisha tried to forget what had happened in May, she just couldn't get it out of her mind. It seemed as if she would never be happy again.

When Aisha had arrived at the house, everyone seemed cautious and nervous around her. Maryam was still upset about Aisha's outburst a week ago. She just said hi and asked her how her trip had been, and then returned to her room. Imraan and Samira kept exchanging glances while talking to Aisha, as if they were afraid that something would go wrong. Shamyl was the only one who greeted her with the same enthusiasm as usual. He immediately began to inform her of all the books he had read in the past four weeks.

Aisha tried to suppress her grief and act happy for her siblings. It worked for a while, and she found herself smiling and asking them about the new neighbors.

Samira: Sabah and Rehan are awesome. Hum unko sirf teen hafton se jaante hain aur abhi se woh humaare itne qareeb aa gaye hain. Aap unse ek baar mil ke dekhiye. Sabah and Rehan are awesome. We only know them for three weeks and we've already become really close. You have to meet them.

Aisha: Agle ghar mein hi to rehte hain. I'm sure jaldi hi mulaqaat ho jaayegi. Well, they live in the house next door. I'm sure I will be meeting them soon.

Imraan: Actually kal shaam unhone humko dinner pe bulaaya hai. Unke bade bhai Yusuf bhi ghar aaye hain, na? To hum sab ne socha ke achcha mauqa hai get-together karne ka. Actually, they have invited us for dinner tomorrow night. You know, their older brother Yusuf is home for the weekend too. So we all thought that it would be a great opportunity for a get-together.

At the mention of Yusuf's name, Aisha was reminded of her university, and this led her to once again remember Hasan. Her depression returned and all she wanted to do is be alone. She told everyone that she was tired and would talk to them in the morning. As she stood up to go to her room, Aisha noticed Imraan and Samira look at each other with worried expressions. She knew she shouldn't be angry with them, but she wished they would stop making the situation harder for her.

Aisha went into her room and sat on her bed. It was only eight o'clock. If she slept now, she would be awake before anyone else in the morning and would have nothing to do. She took out her finance textbook and started on her homework assignment. It distracted her for about an hour, but when she was done, she once again didn't know what to do with herself. Finally, she decided to just go to sleep. Sleep was the only true escape from her feelings.

The next morning, Aisha awoke at six. It was going to be another long and tedious day. She put on her exercise clothes and went for a jog around the neighborhood. Being a member of the track team in high school had taught her that running was the best way to relieve stress. Aisha spent a couple hours jogging and hanging out at the park before returning home.

When she entered the house, she saw her parents eating breakfast at the kitchen table.

Javed: Good morning Aisha. Mujhe maloom tha tum jogging karne hi gayi hogi. Good morning Aisha. I knew that you must have gone jogging.

Aisha: Ji Papa. Jaldi uth gayi thi. Yes Papa. I had woken up early.

Najma: Baith kar naashta karlo beta. Maine tumhaare liye chocolate chip pancakes banaaye hain. Sit down and have some breakfast, beta. I made chocolate chip pancakes for you.

Aisha: Thanks, Mummy.

Aisha sat down and put some pancakes into a plate. She was feeling a little better and wanted to try to enjoy the beautiful day and the company of her family. Soon, Maryam joined them at the breakfast table, but seemed reluctant to talk much. Aisha knew that she should never have yelled at her and wanted to resolve things between them. When their parents finished eating and left to take care of errands, she decided to apologize.

Aisha: Tum mujhse naraaz ho na? You're angry at me right?

Maryam: Nahin apa, aisi koyi baat nahin hai. No apa, its nothing like that.

Aisha: Nahin Maryam, tumhen haq hai. Main bekaar mein tum pe apna ghussa utaar rahi thi. I'm sorry. No Maryam, you have the right to be. I was taking out my anger on you for no reason. I'm sorry.

Maryam: It's okay.

Maryam paused, but it seemed like she wanted to say more.

Aisha: Kya baat hai? What is it?

Maryam: Main bas yehi chahti hoon ke aap mujhe ghalat nahin samjhen. Us din jo bhi main keh rahi thi woh sirf is liye keh rahi thi, kyoon ke mujhe aap ki fikar hai. I just hope that you won't misunderstand me again. That day, everything that I was saying was just because I am worried about you.

Aisha: Main jaanti hoon. But don't worry. I'll be fine. I know that. But don't worry. I'll be fine.

Aisha wasn't sure she believed that herself, but she said it anyway. Maybe if she tried to convince herself that everything would be okay, she could make it happen.

Samira, Imraan and Shamyl came downstairs just as Aisha was finishing her breakfast. She stayed at the table to talk with them. Imraan had several questions about the college admission process which he asked her with some hesitance. Aisha happily answered, which seemed to reduce the number of times Samira and Imraan exchanged glances.

At about ten, Rehan came over for Divya Ji's vocal lessons. Talking to him for just two minutes convinced Aisha that he was a nice guy. He asked Aisha about her studies and future plans, and seemed to genuinely wish her well. When he left to go to the basement, Aisha thought about what she had told him. Yes, she wanted to become a lawyer and definitely had the ability to do it, but without Hasan, was it even worth the effort?

While her sisters and Rehan practiced singing, Aisha returned to her room. She was back where she had started. She could leave behind her feelings for a few hours, but ultimately they always came back. This wasn't the person Aisha wanted to be. She wanted to laugh and enjoy life again, but it was impossible to do so while the past kept haunting her.

Aisha remained in her room all day, only going downstairs once to make a sandwich for lunch. No one disturbed her until about five in the evening. At that time, her mother came to ask her whether she wanted to go to the dinner at the Akhtar family's house. Although she would have preferred staying in her room, Aisha agreed to come. She knew everyone would be disappointed if she didn't, and maybe later, she might regret not meeting the rest of the Akhtar family. She got ready and came downstairs, and the whole family walked next door.

Zaheer Uncle welcomed them into the living room. Rehan came and took all the kids into the family room, while the parents talked in the living room. In the family room, Aisha was introduced to Yusuf, Sabah and Amaan. She knew Yusuf from school, but had not run into him at all that school year. Yusuf, Aisha, Imraan, Sabah and Samira sat on the large sectional sofa, while Rehan, Amaan, Maryam and Shamyl grabbed bean bags on the ground.

Soon, they broke up into three groups. Aisha and Yusuf talked about Berkeley; Imraan, Sabah, Rehan and Samira discussed something that had occurred in school a few days ago, and Amaan, Maryam and Shamyl played Nintendo Game Cube.

Yusuf: Aisha, is saal maine tumhen Indus ki first meeting mein nahin dekha. Aisha, I didn't see you at the Indus first meeting this year.

Aisha: Haan, main nahin aa payi thi. Yeah, I couldn't make it.

Yusuf: Is baar bhi culture show mein participate karogi? Will you participate in the culture show again?

Aisha had always been active in Indus, the South Asian Club at Berkeley, and for the past two years she had been taking part in skits and dances for the culture show. But all that was before her life had changed.

Aisha: Pata nahin. I'm not sure.

Yusuf: Achcha. Oh.

Yusuf looked around the room. He seemed to be trying to come up with something to say. Aisha felt bad for being so hard to talk to. She decided to start over.

Aisha: Aap is saal medical school ke liye apply kar rahen hain? Are you applying to medical school this year?

Yusuf smiled. Apparently, this was something he was passionate about.

Yusuf: Haan, June mein application bhej di thi. Dekhten hain kya hota hai. Yeah, I sent in my application in June. We'll see what happens.

Aisha asked him more questions about what field of medicine he wanted to go into and how his volunteering at the hospital was going. Then he asked her about her classes and extracurricular activities. The conversation was going well, when Aisha heard Samira scream.

Samira had been returning into the room after getting a drink of water when she tripped over Rehan's kitten, who had suddenly dashed in front of her. Samira lost her balance and fell forward. Rehan, who was sitting on the ground, quickly moved towards her and broke her fall. Their eyes locked and for a couple seconds they froze. Then Samira realized what she was doing and quickly sat up and moved away from Rehan.

Samira: I'm sorry….woh….maine use dekha nahin tha. I'm sorry…it was….I didn't see her come in front of me.

Rehan: It's alright. Soni ki yehi aadat hai. Kisi warning ke bina hi saamne aa jaati hain. It's alright. That's what Soni likes to do. She comes in front of everyone without any warning.

Soni was the name that Sabah had chosen for their kitten.

Imraan: Samira, you owe Rehan your life now. This is the second time he saved you.

They all laughed and Sabah told everyone the story of the baseball. Then Fatima Aunty called them to dinner. During dinner, Aisha listened to the parents' conversation and learned more about the Akhtar family. She became sure that the friendship between the two families was destined to last a lifetime.

When it was time to leave, Aisha didn't want to go. She had enjoyed that evening more than any other in the past five months. She returned home hoping that her life would return to normal soon.

Chapter 7

It was Thursday evening. Amaan walked dejectedly off Kennedy High's soccer field with his teammates. After winning the first two games of the season, they couldn't maintain the streak. No one was expecting such tough competition from Fremont High, but then again, they also couldn't have anticipated Fremont High to have a new player who was good enough to play professionally.

As Amaan waited in line with his teammates for the water fountain, the Fremont High team finally stopped celebrating and joined them. Their star player was directly behind him. Amaan turned and smiled.

Amaan: Congratulations. You were excellent.

Soccer Star: Thank you. You were pretty good yourself. That goal you made in the first half was brilliant.

Amaan: Thanks, but it was nothing compared to the four that you made. I'm Amaan, by the way.

Soccer Star: Faisal. Nice to meet you.

They shook hands.

After quenching their thirst, both teams headed towards the entrance of Kennedy High. As they walked back, Faisal went back to celebrating with his own teammates, and Amaan discussed the game with his team captain, Adam Taylor.

At the front of the school, Amaan immediately located his father's Mercedes. He said goodbye to his teammates, walked over to the car and sat inside.

Zaheer: Hi Amaan. Kaisa raha? Hi Amaan. How did it go?

Amaan: Hum is baar haar gaye. We lost this time.

Zaheer: Oh, sorry to hear that. Lekin don't worry. Haar jeet to chalti rehti hai. Oh, sorry to hear that, but don't worry. You win some, you lose some.

While they waited for cars around them to move so they could leave the parking lot, Amaan told his father all about the game and Faisal's amazing talent.

They had driven about two blocks from the school when Amaan noticed Faisal walking. He told his father to stop the car on the side of the road.

Amaan: Hey Faisal. Are you walking home?

Faisal: Yeah.

He looked a little embarrassed.

Amaan: Where do you live?

Faisal: Near Washington and Driscoll.

Zaheer: That's quite far. I can give you a ride.

Faisal: Thank you Uncle, but it's okay. I'll just walk.

Zaheer: It's okay. It will only take us ten minutes to drive you there. If you walk, it will take at least half an hour.

Faisal hesitated for a moment, then opened the car door and sat down.

Amaan: I was just telling my dad about what a great soccer player you are. With you on the team, I'm sure Fremont High will be the champions this year.

Amaan wasn't usually so open with people he barely knew, but Faisal appeared to be a likable and modest sort of guy.

Faisal: Thanks, but I'm not sure if I'll stay on the team for much longer.

Amaan: What? Why?

Faisal: Some personal reasons. Not sure I can handle it.

Amaan: That's too bad. Well, I hope things work out, and you don't have to leave the team.

Faisal: I hope so too.

When they reached the intersection of Washington and Driscoll, Faisal told them to drop him off there.

Faisal: Thank you. I'll walk from here.

Zaheer: I can drop you at the door of your house.

Faisal (sounding horrified at the thought): No no. Please drop me off here.

Amaan's father did as told, and Faisal said goodbye. On the way home, Amaan wondered why Faisal had acted so strange.

After dinner that evening, Amaan went to bed early. He was tired from the game and had been staying up late the past couple nights to work on essays for two of his classes.

Around two in the morning, Amaan awoke from the sound of the bathroom door opening. He opened his eyes, peeked outside his door, and saw Rehan entering the bathroom. Amaan was just about to go back to sleep, when he realized that Rehan's breathing was abnormal. He got out of bed and walked to the door of his room. From there, he could clearly see that Rehan was standing in front of the bathroom sink, breathing heavily, with both hands tightly gripping the counter tiles. He looked as if he were about to throw up.

Before Amaan could react, Sabah came out of her room and walked towards the bathroom.

Sabah: Kya hua, Rehan? Tum theek to ho? What happened Rehan? Are you okay?

Rehan (with some difficulty): Haan, baaji. Aap so jaaiye. Yes, baaji. Go to sleep.

Amaan decided to stay back and listen to their conversation.

Sabah: Phir koyi bura sapna dekha na? Another nightmare, right?

Rehan looked down at the sink and hesitated for a moment. Finally after a few seconds, he answered her.

Rehan: Haan. Yeah.

Sabah: Main samajhti hoon. Jo tumne dekha, us ke baad to kisi ki bhi haalat aisi hi hogi. Lekin please tum usko bhulaane ki koshish karo. Ab hum wahaan se bahut door aa gaye hain. I understand. After seeing what you had seen, anyone would be affected the same way. But you have to try to forget what happened. We're far away from all that now.

Rehan: Main koshish to kar raha roon. Din mein to us haadse ke baare mein kam hi sochta hoon, par pata nahin kyoon, neend mujhe phir wahin le jaati hai. Mujhe bura bhi lagta hai. Meri hi wajah se hum L.A. se apna achcha khaasa ghar chhod kar yahaan aa gaye. Aur phir bhi main us baat ko bhool nahin paa raha hoon. I've been trying. I barely even think about it during the day, but I don't know why when I sleep, it all comes back. I feel really bad about it, too. We all left our home in L.A. to move here because of me, but I still haven't been able to forget what happened.

Sabah: Rehan, is baare mein tumhen sochne ki koyi zaroorat nahin hai. Hum sab yahaan khush hain. Bas tum apna dhyaan kahin aur lagaado taake tumhen bhoolne mein aasaani ho. Rehan, you don't need to worry about that. We're all happy here. Just try to distract yourself with something else, so it'll be easier for you to forget.

Rehan: Okay, I'll try.

Sabah: Ab tabiyat kaisi hai? How are you feeling now?

Rehan: Behtar hai. Ab main jaake so jaata hoon. Better. I think I can go back to sleep.

Sabah: Okay, feel better. Good night.

Rehan: Good night.

They both went back into their rooms. Amaan couldn't believe what he had just heard. He had been told that they were moving to Fremont because his parents had found better jobs there. In reality, they had actually moved because of Rehan! But what had Rehan seen that had traumatized him so much? And why had the family kept this from him? Amaan returned to bed but these thoughts kept him awake for most of the night.