The pale orange lamps all over the walls shone down on the beautiful 6 seat dining table and the occupants of the wooden chairs with a golden crown on the top. The table was simple, but the food dressed it with beautiful jewels. Minha's favorite Bun Kebabs, Chicken Karahi, and Pizza bite's Chili Pizza. A smile appeared as the delicious smell swelled her nose. She forgot all the resentment, all she cared was her hunger. She didn't wait for someone to serve her. She served herself. All the food, she was used to of eating before last 4 years, dwelled up inside her gut and filled it with tasty Pakistani food. Everyone was focused on their own plates. Zimal sat in front of her, Rohail sat beside Zimal and Kay took a seat beside Minha.
"You should publish your journal, by the way." Karina whispered in her ear while she was munching on her pizza with her other hand on her stomach.
"What journal?" she asked. Pizza still in her mouth.
"The black diary. Fire day. And when love is-"Minha's surprised eyes wide open and she quickly covered her friend's mouth to stop her friend's words. Zimal and Rohail who were talking about some relative's wedding, stopped and looked at them. Minha was embarrassed. She pursed her lips. "Sorry." And she took the last bite of her slice. They kept talking about the neighbors and the relatives. Minha was busy eating. Her mind was blank and she did not want to think. Why did she come here? There was nothing for her in Pakistan.
"Are you done eating, Min?" Rohail asked piling all the used plates when she was zoned out.
Gathering herself, she replied, "Yeah." And kept hers over the other piled ones.
"So, what do you guys want to do now? Since you are leaving tonight, I think we should move around together. Where shall we go?" His hands were clasped against each other and now he was focused. Zimal sitting beside her, had her bun loosened now falling on her neck, her Blue Dupatta was loosely wrapped around her face. Minha didn't look at her. She never did.
"I don't want to go. We need to leave for the airport." Minha replied shorty. How could she enjoy? Pretending was a lot hard than spitting facts.
Kay wiped her mouth with the napkin and observed the tensed surroundings. She hooked Minha from her seat and took her outside.
"What are you doing? Why are you constantly rejecting them?" She whispered.
"I thought they'd change. But they keep telling me to move forward. How would I move forward when I can't move?" Karina looked at her friend with sympathy. Minha was somewhere far away. Seeing her friend in pain made her want to console her. She knew she'd be doing the wrong thing, but Minha didn't want to know the truth. She was in pain because her family abandoned her.
"Min, it's okay. We are going back." She said. Minha nodded. "You should go inside, I am going to stay here for a while." And she embraced towards the swing. Karina stood there watching her slowly go insane. But what could she do? Minha was self victimizing, and no one could save her, but Minha herself.
Kay walked inside. Zimal and Rohail were sitting on the table. Both quiet. She walked towards them, and sat on one of the chairs.
"Min, was very young when we met." He was saying. "I am not related to her in any relation except that we were neighbors when we were young. Our parents were really close. Sir Qureshi was a CSS officer and he helped me a lot to cope with the same profession. During that time, we used to have a lots of gathering and Zimal was also interested in CSS. So both of us used to take tuitions from him." He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue. Zimal was staring at some point on the floor.
"Whereas Minha was very young and she used to draw a lot. I taught her Python. She used to pick up things quicker. But she was more interested in creativity. She used to draw 2D designs for all types of houses. She was a very talented architecture. After my tuitions, we used to play cricket with the other boys around the society and soon Minha joined us. Maaz always used to defend his sister even though she was wrong but we never said her a thing." He paused.
"I liked Zimal and Minha was like a younger sister. I never had one. My dad died when I was young and my mom used to work for our fees. But she was well educated so she got a nice job and Minha's father was kind enough to help us every time. I felt happier when I, my mother and Minha's family used to gather and spend time together. They were like a family to us.
"Then one day, in an accident both of them passed away. It was time, we repay all the help and so we did. But Minha went away. Both of them left each other and they thought they'd be hurting other person but all the time all they did was hurt themselves." He stopped and twisted his neck to look at Zimal who was still staring at the point on floor.
Karina looked at him in pity. He didn't know that the girl who just went away had a lot of reasons. There was a lot of misunderstanding and there was a lot of people who broke her. She flipped her hair back when a bell rung inside her head. Tara. Hotel. Flight.
"Rohail, what's the time right now?" she asked. Rohail brought his wrist forward and the clock displayed 9 pm.
"We need to go back to hotel. We have to leave until 10. Our flight's at 1am." She said quickly.
"Why do I still think that there is something you are not telling me?" Minha asked. Her voice low. She was standing on the door side, observing Zimal searching through her phone.
Zimal's head stooped in guilt but she didn't said anything. She kept scrolling through her phone.
"I know there is something, Zee. If baba would have been here, he would have told you be honest and let the thing pass on." She almost murmured, but the environs there were so tensed, ears of girl with almond eyes heard every word.
"If mama would have been here, she would have told us to let go." She said. Her scrolling looked useless as if she didn't want to confront Minha. As if she wanted her to go. As if she was exhausted. She was two years elder than Minha, but both of them seemed same age.
"Look Zee, if there is something, just share it now. Before it's too late to accept anything."
"I am elder than you. Can't you just believe what I am telling you? For God sake Min. people who live in past can never see the light of today. Our bother is somewhere beneath the floor we walk on and you are still fighting over the cause of his going there!" Zimal busted. Minha's face was still spot. She looked in one picture now ready to face everything.
"If people are so keen to live in today, then why don't you let Rohail go? He was your study partner, but you knew I liked him. Why did you told him I left? Why didn't you tell him that you told me to leave? Why didn't you forget your study relationship with him and let me tell him that I like him?" Her voice was raising. Her eyes were red, but she didn't cry. She wasn't fighting for a man who had disappointed her to her sister who was playing games. She was making her thing clear.
"Stop it, Minnie. He used to call you sis." She slammed her hand on the table but Min didn't move.
"Stop it, Zee. Maaz used to call you sis too. Respect his going beneath the surface you walk on with pride." And she started walking towards her in the room. Zimal stood up and shoved her by pulling her arm to the other side.
"I helped him to do the right thing. He sacrificed himself to save others. Why do you want to waste his sacrifice and let the war begin again so they may eat you too? I know they name it an accident and you are living in that accident, Minnie. You don't understand. This world is alive. Like a Forest. And this is hunting for those who are preys. Act like a predator!" She said louder but she didn't yell. Her words creaked like a chalk on a soft board. Like blade on flesh.
Minha came closer and looked in to her almond eyes. "I am a hunter, Zimal Qureshi, looking for the animals who preyed on my brother. And I wouldn't die before I take them with me to the flames of Hell." She jerked away the grip on her arm, "Even if that's my own sister." And she walked away. Just like she always did. Just like all the afraid people do.
"This is not easy. They are still there. They are big, Minnie. I can't lose you." Zimal said behind her. Her voice so powerful to stop her in her feet. Minha was quite. She was opening Maaz's wardrobe. The clothes were still hung there like they always did. Everything was like it always did except time flapped it wings violently this time and some of the passengers lost their seats.
"You already did."
"I can't believe you can be such a fool. Whenever you get your senses back, come back!"
Minha swallowed, she picked up her white leather bag and exited. She thought she'd never associate herself with this family. But when did someone said that your all assumptions are correct?
Indeed, blood follows you like a nightmare.