Hanan

01. Maafi || Forgiveness

You're so brave and quiet I forget you're suffering.
- Earnest Hemingway

The three of them sat huddled around the fireplace in her cozy apartment, trying to tug the blanket towards themselves , breathing in the ever so familiar scent of books and sandalwood mixed with petrichor - the last being a courtesy of the pitter patter of rain that could be heard from the open window. Nothing ever did feel more like home to them more than that apartment. It was their place of refuge whenever they had to run away from their demons. There was something about this place situated away from the hustle bustle of the metropolitan that they could never describe through words. There was a sense of peace and serenity that seemed to engulf them as soon as they stepped into the apartment.

Zachary sat with his back against the couch in front of the fireplace with his twin, Zeenia or Zee - as they liked to call her, almost dozing off on his arm right beside him. She sat across from them, playing with her hijab, lost in her own thoughts like she always was around them.

Zachary elbowed his sister in the ribs when she almost drooled over his shoulder. "What the aitch, Zach?" she whined, rubbing her eyes to get rid of the apparent sleep that was close to consuming her whole.

"We didnt come here so that you could sleep all the time, Zee. And moreover, I am getting bored." He responded, moving a little farther away from his sister to prevent her from sleeping on him again.

"So? Do you want me to act like an Oompa Loompa to keep you entertained? And I came here to spend time with my friend. You weren't even invited. You just need excuses to crash at her place."

"Hey! She's my friend as well. Arent you, M? And she'll never mind me coming over because I don't eat her head off all the time unlike y-"

"Alright guyz, keep me out of your bickering. And no, I don't mind you coming here as long as you have someone with you." She glanced at him once and then looked back down, stating the obvious.

"Oh, I know. That's why I am always here to play the third wheel between you two. Keeping it halal for you guyz, uno. You guyz should get married already so I can leave you alo-" Zee stated cheerfully with a glint in her eyes and not so subtle smirk on her face.

"Don't start again, Zeenia." She interjected, pinning her best friend of years with a sharp glare. An unreadable but apparent look of displeasure on her face.

Zeenia has been friends with her ever since high school. Zeenia and her were at stark contrast with each other. With Zeenia being the most extroverted and lively person one could ever come across with the most unfiltered mouth which didn't think twice before spluttering out whatever came to her mind, and with her being the person of few words that she was. She was not timid or shy, no, she was far from it. She spoke few words but those words were always spoken with so much authority and confidence that people almost felt compelled to abide by her at any cost. She was an enigma and a ray of light through and through.

It was only around the time of getting into med school when she had become acquaintances with Zach and then later on something close to friends, after Zee had introduced him to her saying that she needed at least one of the two Ahmad siblings to get through her school without losing her sanity. And since Zeenia was going to art school, so in the meantime, Zachary would have to fill her place ("I know I am one single irreplaceably unique and most amazing person out there, but my brother here is not so bad himself. He'd do for the time being," Zeenia had said with 'absolutely no exaggeration,' as she had mentioned later on.).

Although, she didn't need anyone to keep her sane - neither in her life nor in the med school, not after she had been living alone in the foreign land all by herself for the most of her 22 years of life. Life away from the comforts of her home at an early age had made her tough and taught her things beyond her years of age - she had still just played along and accepted his hand in friendship, not literally but only figuratively since her and Zachary, both, respected the boundaries that their religion had placed between them. Although, they had been friends for a few years now, she still preferred to keep her distance from him and made sure to never be alone in his vicinity for long stretches of time given the fact that they were not related to each other, after all.