Dressed in a gray sweatshirt and black leggings, Minha had her chin resting over her knuckles of both hands supported by her arms on a soft cushion. She was sitting still like the cold ice on top of the roof and on the banks of the street. Her brown eyes were strange and empty just like the winds knocking at the glass windows of her apartment. Her head was full of thoughts and memories just like the people in the city.
With the peculiar peek of sunshine, her contemplations wander aside to admire the beauty of the moment. The bizarre traffic of humans down the bakery, the flames of the fire in the hearth, but still she couldn't figure out the truth. In an involuntary instant, she scratched her head and tossed the cushion brutally on the face of about-to open door which flung over to the new contestant of the war.
Karina was surprised with the highly impressive welcome. "You wanna fight?" she picked up the nearby cushion and hurled it towards Minha. She was taken aback, but controlled her freakiness and returned Kay's favor until they both were exhausted.
"What's up?" Karina nibbled on the bakery biscuits.
"You bought them from the bakery, right?"
Karina nodded. "Gran bakes a lot of nice biscuits. They had the sale for these peanut biscuits and the street down there smells like ever-sweet food. I am upset for you darling, you can't smell them." And she slid open the window. "Or maybe you can!" She said excitedly and handed the paper bag to Minha who was rolling her eyes at Kay.
"I am going to Karachi, Pakistan, a south east Asian Country this weekend." She mumbled.
"Did I hear you say you are going on a vacation?" Kay snatched the bag away from her best friend and sat down beside her to know more, "looks like you did a pretty research about it."
"It's where my sister lives." She ignored her friend's comments about her so-called vacation.
"Wait, what?" This was Kay's second strike today. She was not taking this. "Are you okay, Min?" she pressed her palm over Minha's forehead.
"Don't freak out. You are going with me." Not again.
"Can you explain? I am in a triple- shock condition right now." Karina narrowed her eyes at her and waited for Minha to explain her massive decision.
"I met this old man thrice since last week and he seems to know about Maaz and his girlfriend Elisa, his daughter. She died when Maaz did too. According to him, they both were involved in the school head's secret about illegal stuff and since this was supposed to be a secret, the principal arranged an explosive weapon to kill them in it and name it an accident. Whole school blew out and not one hint remains about any life there. I went with him this morning. That place is a whole freak-out. I couldn't find anything there…" she looked in Kay's blue eyes, "except this Leica 0-series no. 122."
Karina's mouth was wide open in horror or shock. Her eyes popped out. "Nice murder history." She showed a thumbs up. Minha stared at her for a second and then moaned. Kay licked her lips, "Okay, if this is a Leica 0-series number I don't know. What does it have to do with anything? Plus who is this old man? And why didn't you tell me about it earlier? Also, didn't you say that your sister was supposed to be responsible for your brother's death?" She stopped to take a breath, "Seriously, how much have I missed out?"
"Look, this camera belongs to my sister. Do you remember when we used to make those stickers a while ago and sell them? I learned them from my Playgroup teacher. And I made this eye one, right here-" She pointed towards the sticker on the camera. "For my sister when baba gifted her this on her," she paused, "on her 13th birthday. No doubts. It isn't in such a bad condition meaning she was here not a while ago. If Harris's statements are right and my sister has been here, there is something I don't know. And I need to know it." She said,
"Who is Harris? And how can you believe HIS statements?"
"Harris is the old man. He had these pictures of Maaz and Elisa in his phone. Their chats and their Facebook profiles and stuff." Minha replied.
"So we are going to Karachi, to find the truth?" Kay concluded.
"Definitely. Pack your bags. It's just the weekend. After Friday piano classes, meet me at the school's playground." She said it with such self-sufficiency, Kay was wondering if everything was already ready.
"You are forgetting I need permission from my mom."
"I already did. Pack up. It's just two days to Friday."