After lunch, that day, Ayesha's aunt helped her get dressed for the shopping spree. Parvaiz had heard that everyone else was going and decided it would be a good outing for Ayesha and him too. Her brother had been so childish that he shut his ears when Ayesha tried to tell him that she wasn't in the mood of going out. So now here she was, with her aunt trying to convince her that going shopping would be fun.
Ayesha controlled her emotions as she walked down the stairs in a pink salwar-kameez (Indian garment), with her hair underneath a matching headscarf, her eyes lined with kohl, and lips stained with lip gloss. She watched as her irritating elder brother raised his head in pride. She rolled her eyes at him and ignored his attempts to make her smile.
In total, they filled up three cars. Zeeshan drove one with Parvaiz in the front passenger seat, Ayesha right behind him and Shabana and Barkha next to her. The other had Iqbal in the driving seat, with Muadh in the front passenger seat with Abbas and Farah in the back. The last car had Maysudh in the driving seat with Hiyam in the front passenger seat and Lubna, Nabeeha, and Rubab in the back.
Once they reached the mall, they split up into two teams. One of the females, and the other of the males. Ayesha was overwhelmed at the amount of shopping the girls were doing. She watched as they tried on one after another. A red, then a pink, an orange, then a yellow, a green, then a violet. It was never-ending. She tried to sneak out of their group but was caught immediately after. Then, she just stood like a mannequin in front of them as they placed different color garments on her shoulder to see if they "matched her skin tone".
Fortunately, they found one that they deemed fit on her figure way faster than they did for the other girls. Ayesha was exhausted and desperately needed to visit the ladies' room so she excused herself from the crowd of girls around her.
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Zeeshan was beginning to feel an ache in his ears and soles. His ears hurt due to the number of official phone calls he had attended in the noisy crowd of the mall, despite having taken the day off. The sole of his feet hurt due to the amount of walking he had done. It felt like the shopping was never-ending. He didn't know the men in his family worried about the matching of shoes and cufflinks. Then again, he didn't worry about such unnecessary things personally. His mother was happy to re-style his closet every now and then.
Finally, the drama kings were done matching their outfits and Parvaiz and Zeeshan shared a look of utmost relief. They made their way to the food court after contacting the girls. On reaching there, the men organized for some of the tables to be joined so they could all seat together. They were just about done when the girls arrived and they settled. That was when Parvaiz noticed Ayesha's lack of mind. The girl looked like she was not present mentally and it got him thinking that maybe she was just tired.
He ignored it for the time being as they ordered and ate junk food. Ayesha kept a passive face throughout the entire meal, eating only bits, like a little bird. Parvaiz was starting to worry, but he knew it would not be right to create a scene in the middle of the mall. He waited with bated breath as they paid the bill, picked their bags, and drove back home.
Home, what a weird thing it was. A few days ago, his home had been abroad. With his parents and little sister. Now, it was just him and his sister left. He tried not to let tears drop as he remembered how he had to bury his parents so early in his life. He had to remain strong. For his sister, for his sanity. It was time he took on his responsibilities.
They reached the mansion quite quickly, despite the increasing traffic jam in India. Parvaiz assisted with taking the bags in, as the girls scattered to enter the house. He watched as Ayesha walked into the house in a daze. He followed to find her climbing the stairs to her assigned bedroom. He set the shopping bags next to the others in the living room and rushed to find out what was wrong with his little sister. As he climbed the stairs up to her room, he thought over what he was going to say. Life had never been as difficult as it felt at that moment.
He knocked thrice before letting himself into her room. Ayesha was standing against the window with her back to the door. One deep breath, and then another, Parvaiz finally was ready to face the obstacle.
"Ayesha?" He voiced. "Are you alright?"
Ayesha turned her head to the left and glanced at him. She gave him a small smile, but Parvaiz wasn't one to let go of things so fast. Ayesha let out a sigh.
"It's nothing serious." She said.
"In my opinion, it is serious if my sister is worrying her little head over it. I can't let you use the last of your remaining brain cells now, can I?"
Ayesha broke into a small giggle at the attempt of an insult. Parvaiz was relieved, albeit for a few short seconds.
"At the mall, I was washing my hands in the ladies' room, when I looked into the mirror and saw how wide I was smiling. It hasn't been long since their funeral and instead of mourning, I'm already laughing. I feel ashamed of myself. What sort of child am I?" Ayesha asked frustrated at herself.
Parvaiz was quiet for a while then,
"Once, dad and I were in his office. We were talking about my inauguration as his successor. He was explaining the entire process: the board of members and the importance of company rules etcetera. I was ashamed that I didn't know or understand more than half of it. So I told him what I thought. 'I felt the same way the first time.' He said. 'It was not easy, handling the business, but I knew my father trusted me and you should know that I trust you. That is all that matters.' I was shocked, to say the least. I then asked him how he dealt with granddad's death. He smiled and said, 'I moved on because it was what my father wanted for me. People around me, however, were determined to push me off a cliff, so I fell, spread my wings, then flew. So here I am today. It wasn't what the society depicts we do, but it was the right thing to do, moving on.' So Ayesha, smile and laugh all you want child because it is the right thing to do. Because it is what mum and dad would have wanted for us."
With that, Parvaiz left her room, careful to close the door behind him. He knew she needed time, and he would give her every second, only to make her happy.
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Ayesha moved from the window to the bed once her brother had left. She sat with her head against the headboard and carefully spread the blanket over her limbs. Then, she thought. About her parents, their sudden demise, the move to India, her brother, the upcoming festival, everything. Eventually, she dozed off.
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