Lemons and Sherbet ✔️

7- Lemons and Watermelon

"Yar Hadi kitni bari lete jaa rhy ho?! Utro ab!"

"Abhi ten nhi hua.." Hadi replied breathily, the swing he was on went flying again with a whoosh as he pushed himself off for the twentieth time regardless of his whining cousins.

"Hadi Ten turns kab ki complete ho gayin hain tumhari yar! Utroo ab!!" Lyba yelled louder kicking her feet to destabilize him.

"LYBA! Yeh nhi karo main phir shuru se shuru karwaoun gaa! Tumne do dafa mera jhoola kharab kiyaa hai!!" Hadi yelled trying to straighten himself and regain the momentum of his swings.

"Haan toh utrooo naaa! Hum log nhi jhooleyn ge kyaa?!" Lyba cried again advocating the rights of the girls and Sameer.

"Abhi ek last full speed wala lene do.. Koi bhi rokne ki koshish nhi karey gaa.. Phir utar jaoun ga. Lekin agar kisi ne laateyn maari toh nhi utrun ga!"

There was a unanimous groaning in response to his statement but they knew they had no other option but to comply to his demands. Abdul-Hadi always had his say, this way or that.

"Abhi dekhna bachu .. Kitna uper jaata hai mera swing, tum log koi bhi match nhi kar sako ge!" He grinned kicking his legs out to fly higher up.

"Haan! Chand pe chaley jaou.. Phir wahin rehna InshaAllah." Lyba muttered distastefully falling on the ground besides the others picking at the grass as they waited for him to get down.

The rest of the children Lamiya, Aarij, Sibgha, Abul Hassan and Afrah were busy with the other swings; filling the park with their screaming and shrieking.

.........

At a distance from the playing children, not too far as to lose sight of them, but a little closer to the street, walked the lonely figure of Zubair Rashid.

His eyes travelled from his nephews and nieces to the houses lining the street besides the park stopping at the last one.

Random uncle and Aunties passed by, some who recognized him he nodded at with a Salam.

Chewing on the inside of his cheek he wondered why he was loitering here in the first place. It was very out of character this curiousity regarding new neighbors and he certainly never felt this rushing in his blood.

Kicking a stray pebble Zubair was weighing his choices, planning out possible scenarios in his head none of which were quite ending up in a good result for him.

This was stupid...

He shook his head letting out a huff and raked a hand through his hair turning around.

A low creaking sounded and the black metal gate of the said house swung open. His figure stayed rooted to his spot watching as she dragged the large polythene garbage bag dropping it into the garbage can by the side of the wall before turning to walk back in.

He was half shadowed by the dark, only one side of his profile visible in the orange street light falling at an angle from above him.

Suddenly Zubair hoped she'd go back in without seeing him.

Wished she didn't turn around and catch him there. He was suddenly feeling very un-prepared for this encounter.

She turned her head nevertheless. Dark eyes crinkled, skimming over the half empty street habitually and though Zubair wished he had become invisible he was still very solid when her gaze landed on him.

*Ahem..

Miss Muneeza frowned. Or he thought she was frowning as he looked at her face from the corner of his eye. It was too dark to be sure.