Chapter 1
HAPPENSTANCE
The clouds
roared yet again pouring heavy drops of rain on the cars windscreen. Kashaf,
who by now was annoyed to the extremes, sighed in despair. "Things couldn't
have been better." She thought out aloud. Her sister, Sidra, seated beside her
on the passenger seat rolled her eyes and slowly lowered her wet hand, shining
with the fresh droplets, in. "Come on don't be a hopeless romantic...rain is
fun." She squealed.
Kashaf
pulled down the glass of her 80's model Daihatsu Charade to have a better look
at the traffic jam ahead of her. "Fun my foot... is sheher mein barish nai
hoti, selaab atey hain selaab." Sidra made a sick face at her sister, "Tumharey
munh se ye sab kuch hi nikal sakta hai..."
The traffic
thinned within an hour but the rain didn't. Kashaf and Sidra reached their
Phupho's house after an hour of slippery drive and rotten moods, Kashaf at
least was brimming with annoyance if not Sidra. They entered a posh area,
Kashaf ignored the fire her thoughts caught at the sight of those elegant mansions,
and also the stingy past that flickered in front of her eyes in bits but enough
to make her nostalgic and contemptuous at the same time.
"Ammi ko
bhi aj hi yaha ana tha?" Kashaf mistreated the boiling anger inside her.
Sidra
shrugged, "Phupho is her best friend... besides she comes her so less now..."
Kashaf
scuffed at the word best friend'... "Yeah woh best friend jo un ka ghar nahi
bacha saki..."
"Woh chah kar bhi kuch nahi kar sakti thi...
we all know that..."
"Nahi... woh kuch karna hi nahi chahti
thin... warna kia abba un ke bhai nahi they?"
"Jo bhi hai... please aj phir ammi ke samne
mat shuru ho jana."
Kashef
rolled her eyes and got out of the car, Sidra caught up behind her. She almost
crushed her anger on the door bell outside the main gate and entered into the
last place she would ever want to visit. Her eyes scanned the huge stretch of
the green grassy lawn lined with an artificial dwarf waterfall, which gave an
extra percentage of grace to the already ingenious dwelling of her Phupho. The rain
had stopped now, but the sky gave a clear indication that the pause will be
short-living. Her eyes ran on the wet porch of the house following the trio
cricket desperados having a little game there. She recognised one of them as
her cousin, but soon doubt clicked in as she hadn't been here for the last five
years. Remembering every visage clearly was out of question. Her slow steps
were in process where her eyes were busy scanning the triple story mansion in front
of her. She wasn't really over with her scrutinizing when she saw a cork ball
making its way towards her. Her hands instinctively wrapped around it in order
to stop it from hitting on her face. The rock pressed hard on her long cylinder
fingers giving rise to a twinge she was capable of taking.
"Out!!!!!"
One of the guys yelled. Sidra let out a spontaneous cackle. Kashaf sighed
shaking her head.
"What a welcome..."
They saw the three heading towards them.
Kashaf face palmed in her thoughts, if it weren't for the stupid rock in her
hands she could have easily made inside the house without catching any attention.
But here she was caught in the middle of an unanticipated intro yet again.
"Sidra...
Good to see you... and let me guess app in ki behan Kashaf Murtaza hain..."
The one she thought was her cousin addressed them together. Usama, she remembered
his name now, he was her age but she never found him any mature to spend a
little of her precious time with him in the past. The same was the case with
all her first cousins. The filth of wealth lingered around them; at least this
was what she perceived about everyone of them. His voice brought her back to
her senses,
"Aaj aap kaise rasta bhool gain...?" He seemed
pleased to see her there, much to her surprise.
She
returned a forced but disguising furtive smile. "Ammi ka israr tha varna time
kaha hota hai..."
"Anyways...long time..." he tucked the bat
under his arm to remove the gloves on his hands and smiled pleasingly
forwarding his hand towards her for a shake. Sidra cleared her throat where
Kashaf felt like tossing the rock in her hands on his face. That was when she
realised two equally unknown faces with increasingly interested eyes eyeing her
bizarrely, much to her awkwardness. She pasted another fake smile and extended
her hand to deliver the ball in his. Usama stood there surprised where the
plastic mannequin girl standing right next to him pressed a mocking smile on
her pride stricken visage.
"That
was an amazing catch..." The other guy interceded, obviously trying to ease
the atmosphere.
"Of course..." Usama added awkwardly. "Anyways...
i almost forgot you guys don't know each other...well Kashaf, Sidra...this is
Zaroon Junaid... my best buddy and Sara his sister...and Zaroon, Sara...
this is Kashaf and she's Sidra my cousins."
"Nice seeing you Kashaf and Sidra..." Zaroon
said pressing his words.
Sidra
smiled back where Kashaf didn't even bother doing that.
"Ammi ander
hoon gi...?" Kashaf instead addressed Usama.
"Yeah..." He nodded. She excused herself from
their, Sidra awkwardly followed behind.
Zaroon
frowned, "Is she always that rotten..."
"Can't seem to remember..." Usama pondered.
"Okay...lets get back to play before the rain
gets the better of us..." Sara was least interested in discussing Usama's
cousins at the moment. The two shrugged and trailed out of their thoughts.
***
Kashaf and Sidra
entered inside the house...
"That was so rude Kashaf..." Sidra almost
announced.
Kashaf
looked back incredulously, "I'm sorry what?"
"You didn't
even reply politely..."
"Come on Sidra...you know me better than
this..."
"Still... he's our cousin and they were his
friends..."
"So?"
"Your hopeless!"
"Thankyou for reminding..."
Kashaf plodded inside, leaving a wondering
Sidra behind.
What's
wrong with her?' She repeated the same old question in her mind yet again to
fail to find any suitable answer to it. She shrugged and followed behind her
complicated sister.
Edited by SaneWhispers - 10 years ago
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