Shamim walks back to the sitting room and sees his alleged sister's friends bury their head in their phones. Darifa is typing something, more or less like texting. While Asma is watching a video.
"What are you girls doing?" Shamim asks and sits opposite them.
"Just trying to have some fun, and also waiting for the food." Darifa replies.
"That's good." Shamim nods.
"What about you? What are you doing?" Darifa asks.
"Nothing." Shamim smiles. "I am just waiting for the food too."
Asma sniffs with her eyes closed and smiles. "Can you perceive that beautiful aroma?"
"Of course I can." Darifa says and nods. "Ella is surely a very good cook."
The girls had a very nice time fantasizing over the food, while Shamim is seriously thinking of all that happened and came to his mind earlier. "Who is the girl called Ella? What does she have a double live kind off? Why did my father even lie to me that she is my sister from the start? What is this young lady hiding from me? How can she successfully deceive me for the past ten years?" Shamim asks in his mind.
"Shamim, when are we meeting your girlfriend?" Asma asks pulling him off his deep thoughts.
"Uh!" Shamim whispers and scratches the back of his head thinking of what to say, nobody has ever meet his girlfriend and liked her, so it's best they don't meet her at all. But he can't tell them that, it's best to just lie about it. "Very soon." He says feigning a fake smile.
"I can't wait to meet her." Asma says with a smile.
"Why?" Shamim asks confused, did Ella already tell them the kind of person she is?
"I wish to see the lady that has you under super control." Asma teases.
"Has me under control?" Shamim asks again and laughs.
"Yes." Asma nods. "I mean look at the way you were so happy to talk to her on the phone earlier. We were all meaningless to you when you started talking to her on phone."
"Seriously?!" Shamim asks loudly and laughs again. "Well, love they say always seem to put you under control. No matter how tough you are."
"I actually agree with you on that Shamim." Darifa joins in the conversation, dropping her phone close to her. "Love is just so amazing and wonderful."
"You can say that again." Asma says sips her drink.
"Most times, you just happen to do the things you never thought you could ever do in your life." Shamim expresses.
"Doing what you never thought you could do isn't the problem." Darifa adds sipping her drink too. "It so doing it for someone else that keeps amazing me."
"Really? I don't think I understand that." Shamim whispers.
"Okay, let me use myself and princess as an example." Darifa says and drops her glass of drink. "Never in my life have I thought or assumed that I would drive all night just to make it to a place I love or cherish so much. But I actually did, when Princess had a beauty pageant in another state."
"Seriously?" Shamim asks loudly.
"You mean you drove all night?" Asma asks trying to be sure if she understood her friend right.
"That was exactly what happened." Darifa fumes. "Because of love you tend to go real extra miles."
"I totally agree now." Shamim whispers and looks at the kitchen entrance to make sure neither Ella nor Abdullah is coming out of the kitchen. "We can actually see the love Abdullah has for Ella too, isn't it so wonderful and amazing?" Shamim whispers to the girls quietly. "I mean who could have thought of using his entire savings to get a girl a car as her birthday present, Just because she admired the car once in his presence?"
"Abdullah's love for Ella is on another level." Asma whispers back. "He has crushed on her for good ten years, what less could you have expected?"
"I just hope he doesn't get rejected." Darifa hopes.
******************
In the kitchen, Ella holds a large tray filled with some seasoned chicken. She opens the oven and places the tray in it.
Abdullah stands with her, watching her to see if she needs help.
"Abdullah." Ella calls as she is placing the tray in the oven.
"Yes." He answers.
"Did you see what happened in the sitting room earlier?"
"Yes." Abdullah nods. "I did."
Ella closes the oven and faces Abdullah. "What do you think I should now?"
"I think you should tell him now, it's getting too late already. Thankfully, he didn't hear what Asma said."
"Tell him already?" Ella asks again.
"Yes." Shamim nods. "The earlier the better. He wouldn't be happy if he learns the truth from an outsider:"
"That means I have to tell Asma and Darifa the truth too." Ella whispers.
"Yes, if you think it might be difficult for you to do so. Just give them your diary to read." Abdullah whispers.
"He will never forgive us when he finds out." Ella whispers back.
"That's the main reason you shouldn't have lied to him from the start, you should have allowed him decide wether to love a total stranger as his own sister."
"But it wasn't me. It was all dad's initiative." Ella says trying to defend herself.
"Do not do that!" Abdullah cautions as he senses Ella trying to play safe and defending herself.
"You want me to take part of the blame too?" Ella asks pitifully.
"You are taking the biggest part of blame, you should have told them not to lie to him for any reasons." Abdullah shrugs his shoulders.
"Fine!" Ella groans already accepting the defeat. "So what is the way out now?"
"Just tell them, like I said if you feel you can't do it yourself. Give them the diary to read that's all." He repeats himself.
Ella looks at Abdullah, thanking him in her heart for always standing by and up for her. But she decides not to say it out, who knows he might decide to act like Vivian too.