Saliha's POV
After a lengthy journey, dad had finally arrived home, and even mom was delighted to see him. After several hours of conversation, she left his study with a dull face that portrayed her frustration. Completely unexpected. Before she disappeared from my sight, she shot me a glare—a terrible glare and my heart almost ached—I was scared as hell.
What in the world happened?
What wrong did I commit now?
"Take his herbal tea inside—now." She had poured into my ears before getting in her room and slamming the door. I quickly got to work.
I walked to the kitchen to get the herbal tea, and as I stepped upstairs, Zara had arrived from wherever she went, and she too shot me a glare.
"Your fiancé is saying hi," she told me. I looked at her, completely confused.
"I don't get you," I told her back.
"Aabid. He sends his greetings."
"But... why would he do that?"
"What do you mean why would he do that?" she asked, then again said, "Isn't he your arranged fiancé?"
"But you two are together," I mumbled dumbly.
"Since when?" she gave a quick scoff. Her face was pale; she looked tired and sweaty. Her makeup was ugly.
"Can you please stop messing around?" I glared, fed up with the games she was playing.
"I'm no longer interested,"
"In what?"
"In meeting your fiancé, I'm no longer interested in being acquainted with him."
"Why?"
As she flipped through her phone, she turned her back on me. I stood there, feeling a wave of emotions wash over me. unfortunate ones.
"Why?" I asked again.
"It wasn't even serious friendship. I thought you knew that," she gave a short wave before moving to mom's room. I was completely disoriented.
What was happening?
Neglecting what just occurred a short while ago,I gently knocked on my father's study door, and as if sensing my reluctance, he then gave the all-clear for me to enter. I served the tea and observed his mood—he was angry. Very very angry—he didn't even look me in the eye.
"Get Zara to come here, immediately," he stated in a low speech, however the annoyance was detectable in his voice.
"Okay," I quickly went out.
At that precise moment, Zara emerged from mom's door as if she knew she was needed.
"Dad said yo-"
Before I could finish, she interjected, "I know,"
Now I was standing in the corridor feeling anxious. With sweaty hands. And a weak mind.
I shifted to the door to eavesdrop. However, Zara always closes the door shut so I couldn't hear much. Nevertheless, I picked up
'We are just friends,' and 'I'm not doing that anymore,' from Zara, and nothing from Dad because his tone was mild.
I waited for her to emerge rather than try to cover up the fact that I was listening in. Of course, I was faced with her malicious eyes, which shot at me with no mercy.
"Your dad is calling you," she noted with so much resentment in her voice. I couldn't help but feel relieved as I quickly made my way towards my dad, grateful for the interruption that saved me from her toxic presence. As I walked away, I couldn't help but wonder what had caused her to harbor such animosity towards me.
END OF SALIHA'S POV.
--
Aabid was carried by Farhan and led inside through the front door.
"F—k! My head hurts," Aabid cursed, gripping the back of his head.
"Stop moving, or else you're going to fall down!" Farhan roared, sounding frustrated. He extended his hand to help his friend steady himself, reminding him to be careful while walking, then hurled Aabid recklessly onto the couch.
"Stay here, and don't move an inch," he glared, pointing his fingers at Aabid.
Next, he rushed towards the staircase and was met by a young lady, who reluctantly peeked from where she stood.
"What's happening?" the lady asked, sounding terrified as she stood in the dark, too scared to come down.
"I was about to notify you. It's just me and a friend. Stay in your room and worry not," Farhan assured.
"You sure?"
"Ugh, yes, Tahseen. I'm very sure it's better if you just stay in your room, okay? Don't worry," he said with a fake chuckle and went to meet Aabid, who was now twirling on the ground.
"I'm thirsty, bro," Aabid informed his friend, trying his best to maintain his equilibrium.
"Hold on,"
Farhan brought him a bottle, then sat down and observed Aabid, wearing a shameful expression on his now fatigued face. He was still in his work suit and hadn't changed or eaten.
"Let's get you to the guest room, cmon," he motioned to Aabid, who by now had chugged the whole bottle and was drowsy—in fact, sleeping on the floor. Aabid's condition was concerning, and it was clear that he needed rest. As they made their way to the guest room, he wondered what had caused Aabid to drink so much.
--
Aabid tossed and turned, groans coming out of his throat as he tried to figure out where he was. In a short while, there was a loud thud, and before he could make another move, he was on the floor.
He hissed, and massaged the back of his head with his hands, while the pain in his head compressed the meninges of his brain.
"Sh--!" he cursed and groaned, waiting for the pain to stop. He wondered if it was just a headache or something more serious. He decided to take a painkiller and rest for a while. Luckily, there was one on the lamp-table together with a glass of water.
He hadn't even eaten much the night before, but he still drank on an empty stomach. The resulting hangover was severe.
Now that he was able to stand up, the young man went to the washroom to freshen up. Since he was able to remember his encounter with Farhan, he felt safe wherever he was.
.
.
.
The table was put together so well, you would think a special guest had landed. And yes, Farhan did see Aabid as a special guest—in fact, a very special one. He was immensely affectionate toward this childhood buddy and still regarded him respectfully, despite his rubbish practices.
On the table were some left-over borek (meatpies) from yesterday, fried veggies, sauce, and orange juice.
"It smells so good, " said Aabid as he slowly came towards the kitchen and gazed at Farhan who was frying pancakes.
Before he could say anything else, Farhan moved quickly towards him, spun him around like a child, and then struck him hard with his elbow. Aabid cried out as a result. Farhan's sudden attack left him dazed and confused. He stumbled back a few steps, trying to regain his balance.
"What was that for?" Aabid angrily asked, while Farhan lazily walked back to flipping his pancakes, as if he were not the one who moved vigorously just now.
Even he understood the reason for the elbow attack—he had drank alcohol, which Farhan detested with a vehemence. Aabid himself ignored his own question the and walked to the dining table to settle down.
"Start eating," Farhan said to him, pouring the last batter into the pan.
"No appetite, bro,"
"Eat,"Aabid noticed Farhan's glare and realized it wasn't just a simple proposal, but a demanding command. His stomach grumbled in protest as he tried to come up with an excuse, but Farhan's stern expression left no room for negotiation. Reluctantly, Aabid picked up his fork and began to eat, hoping to appease his friend's insistence on finishing the meal.
They were joined by a smiling young woman.
"OmG! Aabid!" she exclaimed with excitement, staring at him. "I haven't seen you in years! How have you been?"
"Tahseen? Wait—this is Tahseen?" Aabid's expression showed a look of astonishment.
They shook hands with affection, but they did so hurriedly and politely. He was like a big brother.
"Tahseen, you have grown big! When was the last time I've seen you?" Aabid grinned as he watched her with pleasant eyes and good intentions while she dragged a chair to sit.
"I think 7 years ago!" she exclaimed, giving a short giggle. "It's so nice to finally meet you after this long, Aabid. Even Papa will be surprised—in fact, does he know you're here?"
"Don't tell papa, Tahseen... Farhan stated, also dragging a chair to sit opposite Aabid, yet next to her.
"Oh, why?"
Both parties remained quiet. The father will first ponder why they had such an "abrupt" sleepover without telling him, and he will then wonder why Aabid had to be hurried to his bungalow at nine in the evening. Finally, Tahseen was unaware that Aabid had consumed alcohol yesterday. She will keep talking and thinking about this secret.
"Because I forgot to tell him that Aabid is coming—completely skipped my mind to."
She merely replied, spooning the vegetables, "Alright." She didn't seem bothered by the fact that Aabid was coming, so perhaps it wasn't a big deal after all.
"Ayo princess has really grown up," Aabid muttered, stretching his arms. "I remember when she was just a little girl running around the palace. Time flies so fast," he continued, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
Farhan stared at his sister Tahseen as she ate her breakfast, "She's just very stubborn," he said.
When Tahseen was younger, she was the tom-boy. When the father was away, she hung out with her brother Farhan and his pals because the father was a divorced man. Farhan will frequently be the one to watch over her, and if the father's trip was lengthy, a housekeeper would stay with them. Despite the challenges of growing up with a divorced father, she found solace in spending time with her brother and his friends. The presence of a housekeeper during her brother's long trips provided some stability and support.
--
"Please tell me what you meant by that…" Saliha urged Zara to speak out however Zara totally ignored her.
"I meant what I said. It was not a serious friendship," Zara stated after a while.
She stood up to leave the kitchen and Saliha got hold of her arms. Saliha's eyes were now glaring intensely into Zara's and the latter could sense Saliha was pissed off by her behaivours.
"Tell me what exactly happened. I know you will not back off to things like this even if the whole world were against your friendship with him. Therefore you tell me what exactly made you say those words to me."
Zara rolled her eyes and calmly said to Saliha, "Fine. I will tell you what took place tomorrow morning. I'm tired now. Let me be," then she pushed Saliha's grip off her.