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It was her favourite hour of the day; the time when sparkling rays of the sun kiss Goodnight to the drowsy earth and return to where they had come from. A crimson hue spread in the sky making it appear like a smoldering coal as the sun prepared to leave the earth behind. Trees and winds swayed on the melodies of chirping birds while they flew towards their adobe, a cacophony of vehicles could be heard fading as the distance increased. The ambience looked relaxed and peaceful as if it had no care of the world.
She loved this; gazing at the world outside while relaxing on the swing she recently bought and a cup of tea. She had spent almost all her evenings like this; sitting at her window while trying to decipher what the people walking outside were thinking of, what they were juggling with or where they were heading to.
It was something she and Noor did all the time to keep themselves occupied. She had always found it fascinating to anticipate what was going on in others' hearts. However, today it felt like an arduous task to understand what her own heart was thinking of, what it wanted or didn't want.
Everything was going the way she had been planning all these years. She was taking a step closer to where she wanted to reach, yet her heart didn't allow her to move. She wanted to cease the time and live a little longer before it was too late. How was she going to survive without listening to the taunts of her Ammi, banters of her parents, the nagging of her sister and all the things she was going to leave behind?
She would miss everything. Not only the people but also the things that might look lifeless but carried a significant part of her life; the mango tree she planted in the backyard, the plants she gives water to, all the kids in the neighbourhood, the window she sat by and not to forget, Zono, her white Persian cat.
"Appi, ammi is calling you into her room" Noor informed announcing her presence in the room while the girl only hummed back in response still looking outside the window.
"What's the matter Appi?" whispered Noor, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder and occupying a seat next to her.
No one uttered anything, silence lingered in the room. Both the sisters sat by the window staring out at the busy road. The silence was loud as if trying to hold millions of unsaid words and unexpressed emotions. Noor caressed the back of her sister's palm in an attempt to provide some comfort. Thousands of words were said in unsaid but the eyes never met for they both knew if they did, words would fall in the form of hot tears.
"You are going a step closer to your dreams Appi" Noor murmured which her sister wouldn't have heard if she weren't sitting too close.
"and a step away from my family" Zoha replied with a shaky breath as if trying to resist bursting into a flood of tears.
The frail voice made Noor avert her eyes from the window to her sister. She yanked her sister into her protective arms trying to soothe her quivering form. And as if this was all that her heart needed, she burst out in tears while the streaming hot water poured out of her eyes. They caged each other tightly in the confines of their arms, trying to put an end to their restlessness by seeking peace in each other.
