After

08| Evenings

08| Evenings

"Sithara??" She heard her mother call her name in a pensive voice over the phone. She hummed in response, putting a lighter, short nightie on her self for the night. "Ugh!! What did you mean by saying Ammi isn't over Madhia??"

Sithara raised her eyebrows seeing her reflection in the mirror, as she remembered her text to her in the morning. Ammi's words had really upset her and she couldn't help but type out her displeasure towards it to her mother.

She believed her mother was the only person who would listen to her without any form of judgment but soon she got too busy to give her any context. "Is everything okay hn??" Her mother insisted her to answer.

"Yeah, ah I'm fine." She answered in a mellow tone, noticing Arsalan's movements in the room as he came in. He kept his phone on the table, marking something on his calendar with a pen. "She thinks Madhia's marriage with Arsalan was more cordial. I felt weird." Sithara put in drawing her husband's attention towards herself.

"Why does she do that????" Her mother questioned, remembering several other similar incidents.

"I don't understand too. Sometimes it just does not sit right otherwise it's okay I guess." Sithara normally added when Arsalan put his hand on the speaker, glaring at her.

"Why are you snitching on us????" He complained. "We talked it out right."

"Arsalan." She frowned, pushing him back. She did not appreciate his action. She was simply telling her about the incident.

"Are you a child???" Arsalan did not like her discussing his mother with her's especially when he had gone out of way to take her stand.

Sithara could hear her father's greetings on the call but Arsalan wasn't letting her speak. "You angry me so much Arsalan."

She hung up. She did not want her parents to hear them fight. She did not want to worry them. "And you disappoint me so much Sithara."

"Disappoint??" Sithara scowled. She did not understand where he was coming from. "I.." She wanted to reply but she stopped. She did not want to have this conversation with him. It was pointless.

Arsalan on the other side was just awkward because of the diagloue he had with his mother. He did not want her to think that he was in any way trying to demonise her. He understood it was a very innocent mistake and he wanted Sithara to let go of it too. "Everything need not be dramatised?? Grow up.."

"I can at least share what I feel with my mother when you cannot even ask your mother to shut up about your ex wife and how good she was to you unless you agree. So do not interject, you have no right."

"Sithara mind your language."

"Arsalan, stop blaming me as if it's my fault..own up okay.." Sithara just turned around and called back.

"Hello!" She embarrassedly bit her lip, but broke into a smile at her father's voice. "Hii Papa!!??" She giggled at his cute response.

"Hi????? You have been ignoring me, day and night." He playfully complained.

"No, Papa. Not at all. Mumma and I are always talking about you, and I hear you in the background all the time." She justified.

"Isn't the same as you talking to me one on one??????" He stuck to his ground. "You don't take my calls nor you return them."

"I love you Papa. How are you doing???" She meant it. Sometimes she just misses being home more than ever. Life is so easy when you are with your parents, just being their child, feeling protected, happy and carefree. It did not feel worth staying away from them all the time.