Yaqeen ka Safar - The Journey of Faith

6

She had wired some money to her aunt the day she received her first paycheck. It had made her happy. The financial situation of Aunt's home wasn't hidden from her, maybe this money would help in gathering things for Shela's dowry. Spending the money she had earned on someone she loved and cherished made her heart full.

She tossed and turned for hours in her bed that night. Finally getting annoyed, she stepped out from her hostel room. This was her first time leaving alone like this in the middle of the night. As she breathed in the cool air, she realized how long it had been since she had stood under the open sky. Enjoying her spontaneous stroll, she walked on further than she had planned.

"Saim, won't you please take a photo of me by the flowers?" An enchanting feminine voice startled her from her thoughts. She couldn't see the owner of that voice, but it had definitely come from somewhere nearby. She moved a bit further and bent down to see a boy and girl standing at the far end of the slope.

"How many more photos do you even need, Kashmala? I'm tired!" The boy answered frustratedly. "When will your photo session end? Do your friends want to see the place or your stupid modelling, huh? I don't care, I'm done with this. You've done every single pose except hanging like a monkey from a tree!" He was shouting in anger by the end of his tirade.

"Fine! Leave it then, I'll ask Gulrez to take the photos for me. A few clicks and just look at your temper!" She replied furiously, just as her eyes fell upon Zubia. Zubia gave her a friendly smile.

"Hello," The girl said, ditching her companion and climbing up the slope towards Zubia. "I'm Kashmala. Kashmala Ard Sher Khan. What's your name?"

"I'm Zubia Khalil." The boy had also climbed up to them by then.

"Zubia Khalil..." Kashmala repeated, deep in thought. "Your name sounds familiar, somehow."

"Yeah, you might've heard it from someone. I was appointed recently to the hospital here." She smiled politely.

"Oh, so you're the new lady doctor in our town!" Kashmala exclaimed excitedly. Zubia nodded with a smile on her face. "Welcome, Dr. Zubia. Its a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hi, I'm Saim Ard Sher Khan." The boy spoke with a hint of annoyance, as if he didn't appreciate being ignored for so long.

"Oh, yes. This is my younger brother. Being jealous is an old habit of his, don't mind him." Kashmala smiled at her brother, in a way that was aimed purely to annoy him further.

"Yeah, this pig is my older sister. Bibi Jaan calls her an oily pot, anything you say to her just slides off her thick skin. That's why she's getting fatter everyday, too." The barb that came in retaliation was swift and lethal.

Zubia couldn't help the laugh that came out. "Please don't start fighting now. Where do you study, Kashmala?"

"Dao Medical College. I'm in my first year." She answered seriously.

"Ah, DMC! Cool, I studied there, too." Hearing the name of her old college made her happy. Saim sat beside the two, listening to them talk.

"Did you come from Karachi?" He asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"No, I actually came from Peshawar, but I used to live in Karachi years ago. I started living with my aunt in Peshawar after my parents died." The same memorized answer which she had given to many people before, was used once again. "Your parents must have sent you two for your studies, right?"

"Our Dad passed away. Its just Mummy, Lala, and Bibi Jaan, and those three are crazy about getting us educated." Kashmala replied, her tone solemn.

"Want some chewing gum?" Saim tried to diffuse the sober atmosphere. Zubia could guess that Kashmala was missing her dad dearly, as the mere mention of him had brought wetness into her eyes.

The two siblings were such a jolly pair, and they were the only new faces Zubia had seen in a month, which made her enjoy their company even more. Before she even realized it, over two hours had passed.

After saying her goodbyes, she returned to the hostel, and spent a long while thinking about the pair and their delightful mischiefs.