The Roses of Rishtay

Chapter 5: Welcoming Butterflies

MAHEEN KHAN'S POV:

I practically run out of the library as fast as I could in order to avoid the awkwardness after handing him a note that said,

"This is my number, text me your address and I'll be there at 5pm."

I called my Ami (mum) since she was blowing up my phone with loads of text messages and asked her to send the driver to the library so he can drop me off at home since my Abbu (dad) is attending a business meeting in Lahore, Pakistan and my other family members weren't home yet either from work - they usually come back near 8pm.

I go to sit by the bench and patiently wait for our family's trusted chauffeur.

While I wait, I tie my hair into a low ponytail and secure it with a few clips after I had adjusted my plain yellow dupatta.

(dupatta - scarf)

I always keep a hair tie with me; Pakistan's heat is amazing until you start to sweat real bad.

Feeling bored, I unlock my phone to distract myself from thinking about Kareem.

However, it was obvious that I was failing miserably as there was no doubt that I was practically obsessed with him.

Brushing off my thoughts, I open my phone that was burning due to the known Islamabad heat but unfortunately, the battery had ran out.

Just my luck.

Luckily, a huge white Range Rover parked right in front of me.

It was cleaner than anything and was glistening like a pearl in the scorching sun.

I open the car door and sit down on the leather seat whilst taking off my bag and placing it in the seat next to me. I put on my seatbelt as I politely greet my family's driver.

"Assalamu Alaykum, Uncle." I say to him as he kindly hands me a bottle of water and greets me back.

(Assalamu Alaykum - May peace be upon you)

I call him Uncle out of respect.

I'm so grateful that he handed me some water; I was dying in this temperature.

(A/N: It's quite common in Pakistan to call people above your age as Auntie or Uncle as it's a gesture of respect.)

I reach home to my Ami (mum) and she embraces me as if she hasn't seen me for several years.

"Assalumu Alaykum, meri shehzadi." she greets me with my famous nickname.

(May peace be upon you, my princess)

I reply to her greetings with, "Walaykum Salaam Ami. Mujhe boht bhook lag rahi hai. Can you please send me something to eat in my room?"

(May peace also be upon you, Mum. I'm feeling very hungry...)

"Haan theek he. Also, I recieved a message from your school. Wo keh rehte ki tumhare koi project kal due hai, toh phir tum khab kharogi ?" She asks me as I gently pull back from her hug.

(Yeah, okay... They were saying that one of your projects is due in tomorrow, so when are you going to do it)

Before climbing up my dual, white-marble staircase, I tell her that I'm going to my friend's house to do it at 5pm and will be back by 7pm.

If Ami or Abbu or anyone else in my family found out that it was a boy, they would never let me go especially because his family just moved into this town - a disadvantage of being the youngest member in the family.

(Abbu - dad, Ami - mum)

I enter my room that had its own bathroom and walk-in-closet attached to it. A king sized bed with two nightstands next to it and a large window seat on one side of the room and an entrance to the balcony with two pots of plants and an eggchair.