Lemons and Sherbet ✔️

3- Lemons and Lemon Squash

"Yar yeh log taraweeh parhne jayen ge naa, phir hum log uper chaht pe chaleyn ge." Lyba whispered to Sawera as they cleared away the Aftaar dishes. Saira wiped the dastarkhuwaan.

Sawera nodded eagerly moving along handing the aftaar dishes to Azra aapi at the sink.

"Haan, theek hai! Yeh sarey bachon wachon ko idher hi chor ke.. akele bss hum teeno jayen ge.." She responded excitedly. Now working had a motivation because there was a reward in mind.

The open roof, empty, deserted far and wide. Cool Karachi evening breeze.. Silence, solitude, chaye and lots of gossip.. Ahhh...

***

Getting a good scolding from Azra Aapi the group had dissipated to offer Maghrib properly. After, the guys Sameer and Hadi disappeared from the house, loitering out in the street waiting for the call for tea. Actually, just hiding away from the inquisitive gazes of their Fathers who would want to know why they were not found amongst the line of Men during Maghrib Jamaat.

For Hadi it wasn't an issue. He'd simply go like, "Abu main agaye waley Mohaley ki Jama-masjid se parh ke aa raha hun. Idher jagah khatam ho gayi thi.. Rush tha.."

And when his father would want to know where the other Jama-Masjid (that suddenly came into being) was, he'd say, "Yehh jo saaamne waley Aleem uncle ka ghar hai naa?.. uskey pichey Khan sahab ki dukan hai, udher se right side pe Faisal ka ghar hai... Faisal hai na, Faisal?! Lamba saa? Jisko aap ne daanta thaa? Cigarette pee raha thaa ek dafa? Pakra nhi thaa aapne?!"

"Oh woh Faisal? Uss se phir miley tum??!" *insert disapproving frown.

"Nhi nhii! Abu main nhi mila! .. Main toh ayse larkon ko mun nhi lagata Abu! Aap ko toh pata hai apne bete kaa! Roza bhi nhi rakhta Abu woh toh Toubah Toubah!!"

"Laa haul wala quwat!" his father muttered disdainfully, "Aaj kal keh maa baap kyaa deen seekha rahy hain bachon ko.. Aysi aulaad inke liye kyaa sadqa baney gi? Kyaa khidmat karey gi unki jab usko Islam kaa hi nhi pata.."

"Ji Abu.. sahi keh rhy hain.." nods his head in agreement.

"Chalo jaou tum.. Ammi ko bolo chaye de den.." And there Uncle Mehmood would walk away shaking his head and pressing his temples, muttering some more lines about the declining generation of the future and the rising atheism amongst youngsters...

You see how artfully Hadi escaped the actual question? The Jama Masjid is still being searched for by Google Maps.   
..

But such wasn't the case with the 'Sharif-est' cousin Sameer Farid.

The art of lying didn't come easily to Sameer, hence when uncle Farid would ask him why he wasn't in the masjid for Maghrib, he'd look at Hadi then try to lie and go like, "Aaa...abu..... meri.....meri... meri chapal nhi mil rahi thi! Toh main dhoond raha.. thaa... Or..or... jamaat nikal gayi..... lekin main phir bhi— main aap ke pichey aa raha tha.. magr woh raastey main—"

Farid uncle didn't believe him, however he also didn't have the patience to listen to all the stuttering. It would either be a straight chamaat ending the matter or if Sameer was lucky he'd be saved by an "Achaa Achaa theek hai! Bahaney bana lo bss.. *scoff*  jaou Amma ko bolo apni chaye de den!"

So, to save his cousin from this humiliation Hadi took Sameer out, walking down the lane waiting for all the men to collect in the chilled Drawing room and forget the world around them as they lost their senses to 'Chaye and Politics' arguing till the Azaan called for Isha prayer. After which they'd be leaving for Taraweeh.