It was eight o'clock in the morning. The semi-dark room was cool. He was lying face down on one side of the bed. Brown hair spread on his forehead. He was sound asleep when Star entered his room and turned on the light. She stared at his cute face interestingly for a moment. Then she smiled and nodded her head, moved the blanket away from Moon. When Moon felt cold, he awoke.
"Get up Moon." Hearing Star's thunderous command early in the morning, Moon was scared. He immediately opened his eyes and saw Star standing in front of him. He wondered. Star was looking at him with her hands on her hips.
"If the surprise is over, get up." He got up quickly.
"w….. what happened? …. You so early ..." he was saying nervously.
"Nothing has happened yet, but if you don't listen to me, a lot will happen and it's not so early in the morning. Look, it's eight o'clock."
"So?"
"It would be a good time to go jogging." Star advised.
"Jogging?" Moon was very worried. It was so foggy outside.
"Yes. Now freshen up quickly. You have five minutes." Star ordered, glanced at the watch on her wrist and left the room. Moon grimaced, took a deep breath and dropped his head in his hands. His eyes were closing again.
"Hurry up." Hearing Star's voice from outside, he quickly came into his senses and got out of bed.
Yesterday, Moon's test was bad, so Star punished him for running on the terrace. The condition of Moon had deteriorated in the fifth round. His breath was badly swollen. Star had planned to take him for a jog in the morning.
….....
"Star … wait. I can't walk anymore." Moon put his hands on his knees and bent down. He was out of breath. Star, who was running on the track at normal speed, stopped and turned. Moon was a few steps behind her.
"Is that all power you have?" She snorted and approached him.
"We've done twenty laps. And it's a big track. I can't even breathe now." He gasped.
He was overjoyed when he found out that Star would be jogging with him. The grief of leaving the warm bed was also forgotten, but now he was tired. Even in such cold weather, he was sweating. Star's pretty face also had tiny drops of sweat reflected in the light of the sun. Moon could hardly take his sights off her.
"Why are you so weak, Moon? Men should not be weak. They should be encouraged to fight every difficulty so that they can make their life decisions. How long are you going to depend on me? " She was saying seriously.
"I don't know how to make decisions. You are with me. I need your guidance at every step," he said carelessly.
"And when I wasn't with you?" Star raised her eyebrows. The heart of Moon had sunk. He didn't even want to think about it. But sometimes it had to happen.
"Then I will die. It will be difficult for me to live." He thought.
"What are you thinking?" Star looked at his face with narrow eyes.
"Nothing." He nodded and moved on. Star also started walking with him.
"What do you intend to do after the exams?" She was sometimes so friendly with him.
"I haven't thought about it yet. You tell me what to do."
"Decide yourself what you have to do," she said bitterly.
"My intention is to get some sleep after the exams," he said merrily. Star slapped him on the head.
"That's what I expected from you," she said sadly.
"I have to do as you expect me to do," he said, blinking his eyes innocently. Star laughed. Moon's heart was pounding. He didn't make the mistake of taking another look at Star's smiling face.
"It means, you're not so innocent." She stared at him sharply.
"Yes, I'm not innocent. You think that I'm a child." He grimaced. Star stared at him. Moon turned his eyes and looked around. Then his gaze fell on a dog which was running fast towards him.
"Star …!" he screamed and hid behind star. Star laughed sarcastically. He was just complaining that she considered him a child. And now he was scared like a child.
"Oh… Moon scared of the dog." She spoke, leaned closer and started touching the dog's head with love. Behind the dog was a young girl.
"Mano …" Girl said. The dog turned and moved towards her. Star also got up and started looking at the girl.
"Mano? It's a cat's name, isn't it?" Moon asked Star in a wondering tone. That girl also heard this. When she looked at Moon, she could not move for a while. Then she smiled. Star was watching the girl's expression.
"Hi. My name is Zoya. And yours?" She stood in front of Moon and extended her hand towards him, speaking in a very sweet tone. Feeling Star's angry eyes on himself, Moon swallowed. Star was waiting for Moon to respond to that girl. But Moon hid behind star like a child. Zoya raised her eyebrows and looked at him congenially. She had not yet moved her hand back. Star was now angry at the girl. She slapped Zoya's hand. Zoya felt the pain in her hand and stared at her with bloodshot eyes.
"He's not shaking hand with you, so be a little ashamed." Star embarrassed her.
"It's a matter of me and him. You better not get in the way." Zoya groaned. Moon was angry on her. He could have been beaten by Star because of this girl.
"And it'll be better if you control your eyes." Star encountered, grabbed Moon's hand and moved on. Moon felt the touch of star's hand and went into a strange state.
…....
Haniya was standing by the door outside the lounge listening to the conversation of the elders. Mr. Imran was discussing Star's marriage with his brother Sikandar.
"Oh wow. Star is getting married. It will be so much fun? I'll do a lot of shopping." She cheered. This was good news for her but it was going to be as depressing for moon. She decided to wish Star with a cake.
She was baking a cake in the kitchen, when Moon came here.
"What is this cake for?" Moon asked eagerly, looking at the beautiful chocolate cake.
"Not for you." Haniya grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.
"I don't expect you to make me a cake."
"It's good. You shouldn't set expectations in the wrong places." Haniya said in a busy tone, scattering chocolate chips on the cake.
"Thanks for the advice. Now tell me, who is it for?"
"For me," she lied. She wanted to wish Star before Moon. Whenever Star's birthday come, Haniya and Moon would compete over who would wish Star first and who would give her a better gift. In Haniya's opinion, if she had told him the real purpose of baking the cake, Moon would have taken the lead over her.
After a while, she was in Star's room.
"Look, Star. I have baked a cake for you." She sat on the bed in front of Star, chuckling.
"Why?"
"In the happiness of your marriage."
"Oh, you knew that." Star made a face
"Yes. I heard uncle Imran talking to Baba."
"You're so smart."
"Yeah, I never feel proud. Well, now stop praising me and check the cake." She laughed. Star cut the cake with a fork and put it in her mouth. The cake was really delicious.
"It's delicious," she beamed. Haniya's face lit up.
"I made it. How could you not like it?" She was a little too fond of compliments.
"Hmm. That's right." Star nodded.
"Well, how is the brother-in-law? Show me his picture." She asked puckishly. Star stared at her.
"I don't have a picture of him." She was telling the truth. She had no picture of Asfar.
"Come on…." Haniya laughed.
"Don't madden me." Star frowned; her laughter stopped.
"Oh no no. I'm not saying anything." She quickly became serious.
"By the way, when you will leave after marriage, I will miss you very much," Haniya said sadly.
"Don't be sad. I'll keep in touch on the phone." While consoling her, Star remembered Moon. He was so attached to her. She knew how much he will miss her after she leaves. She was also very close to moon. Apparently, she had a rude attitude towards Moon and kept scolding him all the time but she loved him very much. Getting away from him was not easy for her either.
….....
"Again, that mistake." Star shouted. She slapped the head of Moon. He couldn't memorize an important essay. He was normal in his studies while Haniya was a topper.
"I have learned this essay. I don't know how I forgot," he said helplessly.
"Now stand here and study, you won't forget. Come on." Star could barely contain herself. If she had started her own lecture, the time would have been wasted.
Moon grimaced, grabbed the book and stood up. Haniya passed him a smirk.
"There is no need for enemies if there is such a sister." He thought. While taking the test of the essay, he had given so many gestures to Haniya that she could tell her a line but she did not care. She swore not to help Moon.
He began to memorize the essay. His eyes fell on Star. She was disturbed by the sunshine on her face. Because of the cold, she would sit on the terrace in the sunshine . The whole-body temperature would have been normal but her face would have been extremely hot. Moon thought something over and took a step forward. The shadow of the book in his hand fell on Star's face. Star startled and he stared at the book. He thought that Star would not know about his action but she did.
"Thanks." Star smiled slightly.
"Why? ... I didn't do anything." He spoke quickly. Star laughed. Moon took a deep breath.
"For this shadow." Star pointed to the book. Moon acted surprised.
"Oh well, for that." He was speaking as if he was unknowingly helping Star.
"Hmm. I'm considering, I should keep you standing there all the time."
"Do it." He shrugged.
"Really?" Star raised her eyebrows. Moon nodded his head without looking into his eyes.
"you've never made such a shadow for me," Haniya complained.
"Have you ever done anything for me?" He asked sharply.
"I made the lunch for you,"
"All right. Don't start fighting." Star had seen the signs of war, she put a full stop on them from the beginning. They both stared at each other and started reading again.
"Sit down, Moon," Star said after a while.
"No, I'm fine," he said.
"How will you write the test like that?" His throat became bitter at the mention of the test.
"There's still a little bit left," he said nervously. Star took a deep breath and turned to her book.
…....