Qurban

•03• Grandfather / دادا

Altamash stopped his big bulky bike right outside the gates of the house. Taking off his shiny black helmet, he steered one leg over the bike and hopped off. The guard standing outside the door running over to him to get the keys to park his bike, his baby safely in the porch. Away from all the other expensive vehicles. From Mercedes to audi, every car adorned the Nawaz Villa. Still, Altamash rarely used any car. To him, his baby bike was everything. A thrill, a fruit of freedom, a fragment of his excitement and peace. With riding his bike, he knew he was untouchable. With his bike, he was him alone and not the grandson of the great Idris Nawaz.

Altamash entered the living room, feeling the quietness of the house waved off him like leeches. The house has always been eerily quiet. Even with all the members inside, it always reeked of such perplexed loneliness, he felt his own subside a bit.

Just down a very very small notch.

The click of heels resonated in the hall before he came face to face with his sworn enemy. Round and big eyes, filled with an intensity of distaste he was all too familiar with, he causally matched the lethal stare, not backing down any soon.

"Well, well, well, at last...here."

The taunt and bite was so potent in the tone that he could taste it. The bitter hatred and vile distaste wasn't foreign to him. At first, it made his angry and retaliate in ways that put him in a far more vulnerable and costly situation. He understood since then that emotions wouldn't come in handy while dealing with such anger and animosity.

He learned something more powerful, more beneficial. More useful in situations like these.

Indifference.

The art of ignoring the jab each time with a bright smile. Showing it didn't hurt or angered him, but instead letting the other see he was untouchable.

He did exactly that. He smiled. His lips curling up in a thin straight line and he saw it. The flicker of annoyance running in those eyes that were looking at him with every ounce of hatred she felt in her bones for him.

"Good morning to you too, Mansha."

His soft greetings only managed to fuel that fire of annoyance in her eyes. Altamash almost laughed at the stupidity of the girl standing before him. She'd been trying the tactics every time and yet she failed to see, to clearly see it wasn't working. Not anymore.

"Altamash Bhai?"

Another soft voice penetrated in the air as soft footsteps surrounded them before a figure appeared in the living room. Light blondish brown hair, eyes so blue like the ocean, a soft and genuine smile coating the lips, the rosy cheeks and everything friendly. Altamash too grinned before walking to the new girl that joined them and ruffled her hair.

"How are you, Faryal?".

The girl before him, Faryal, grinned back. Lips widening in a smile, at his presence that only a few cared about made Altamash forgot the enemy standing just few feet from them.

"Don't you have university, Faryal? Why do you waste your time?"

Mansha's equally disturbing voice made Faryal's shoulders sagged a bit and smile falter a bit that made Altamash glare right back at her.

"I don't waste time. I have classes later in the afternoon."

Altamash felt a wave of pride and satisfaction hitting his chest as Faryal retorted back with equal amount respect and warning. Mansha rolled her eyes and walked away while muttering

"Whatever."

Faryal watched her leave before smiling again at Altamash. He ruffled her hair again and she shrieked.