Gamble

7. A trip to problems

"No. Laa. Non. Nahin." I rejected Zehra's stupid idea in the languages I could speak/read. I ran my eyes over the script of the novel. Not reading, only looking.

Zehra paced my room and I could swear that had there been no obstacles, she would've walked till China by now.

"Oh come on Yusur, only this once. I will never ask you for another favor ever again. I promise." She pleaded by but then thought better of it "No wait I take my promise back. You can never be completely sure."

"Oh no, I doubt it that you wouldn't come up with another stupid plan in a day's time." I glared at her.

"Yusur we're crime partners we do everything together, remember?"

"Yes we used to until you started coming up with these injudicious ones.'"

She stopped pacing and looked at me. "What's unwise in it? It's just a.........lunch." She declared doubtfully.

"Oh yeah we'd go alone for a lunch with two guys, both non-mehram. Without telling uncle or aunt about it. Nope nothing unwise at all." I spat, my words laced with sarcasm.

"Alright" she said at last.

I craned my neck above my book to look at her. "What?" I spat. Zehra would never give up so easily, I knew by experience.

There was a mischievous glint in her eyes that I was deeply afraid of.

"I'll go by myself." She stated her decision.

I abruptly shut my book and sat upright on the bed from my former position of lying belly down. Now that she had my complete attention she continued. "If you won't come with me I'll go by myself."

"You're kidding right?" I asked my voice rather uncertain.

"If I was kidding it would certainly be something funnier than this." she crossed her arms, challenging me.

"Zehra what if anyone sees us? What will they think of us? If uncle and aunty knew about it how would they feel?" I tried to talk sense into her.

"I am going no matter what. The question is are you coming or not?'

"Yes" I answered in a low voice.

'What? I'm sorry did you say something?" she asked dramatically, leaning towards me.

"I'M COMING" I yelled.

She smirked a smile of triumph.

Zehra handed the keys to the valet and straightened her maxi dress. She wrung her handbag on her elbow and walked with the gracefulness that I could never master.

The valet long took the car but I stood where I was when I slid out of it. I cracked my knuckles and eyed one of the fanciest restaurants in the city nervously.

"You know we could still go back home. Tell them you have diarrhea or something and we couldn't come" she turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow. "Or tell them I have diarrhea" I stuttered. "We could go watch a movie if you want. Hunger Games: Mockingjay maybe?" I tried to convince her but from the look on her face I didn't quite succeed.

"You know some other time I would've jumped at an offer like this by Yusur Khan. But for now shut up and walk." She turned a deaf ear to my pleas and walked right in the restaurant. Her heels clicking almost soundlessly whereas mine sounded as if someone was ramming a hammer on the ground.

The maitre d' took us took the assigned table where Naeem and Adnan were already seated.

The restaurant was quite sizeable and luxuriously furnished in maroon and skin hues. I could make out the silhouettes of the two young men as they stood up upon our arrival

"Asalam u Alaikum." We both said simultaneously as we took our seats. Zehra even passed a smile at Naeem but I kept my face neutral. I wasn't going to marry either of them anyway.

The rest of the lunch went smoothly and when it was time to leave everyone was reluctant.

I bought a croissant and coffee and headed back from school. Aunt Aalia had to go to her sister's for some work, so I bought some doughnuts for Zehra too. Zehra was under the influence of an on-going viral so she wasn't here to accompany me and even though abba had taught me how to drive I didn't trust myself enough to take her car. I was rather comfortable walking in the chilly November air than to sit behind a steering wheel. I had my earphones on and Black Street Boys 'I want it that way' blasting at full volume. Yes music was one of my guilty pleasures I am not proud to admit it.

I entered the house and headed straight to my room. I missed Aunt Aalia in the kitchen as I passed it and it wasn't until she called my name the third time that I finally realized she had called. I entered the kitchen and was greeted with the sight of a very sullen Aunt and Zehra had put up a grim expression, with tears in her eyes. Her nose was red, though I don't know if it was because she was ill or had been crying.

"Asalam-u-alaikum" I greeted and smiled which none of them returned.

A thousand thoughts rushed through my mind and a heavy feeling set over me. Out of desperation Ilooked over to Zehra, but her expression gave nothing out. I turned to Aunt Aalia and she introduced me to the reason of the hostility "Saima was here," she paused for a brief moment "She said her son saw you two at a restaurant, with Naeem" She gave a minute for the words to settle in. "Is it true?" she asked looking at both of us ever so briefly.

"It is." I was the first one to reply. I pulled my gaze off of the kitchen counter to meet my aunt's, that were filled with I couldn't figure out what, the corners of her mouth turned down.

"Both of you are rational adults and I cannot stop you from doing what you do, but there is one thing I want to tell you girls is that you both are our daughters, our pride and we wouldn't like our pride to be out and about with na-mehrams. I think it is my fault, that maybe I have missed something, that I wasn't good enough."

"I'm sorry" It was Zehra who spoke this time. "I really am" A lone tear fell from her eyes.

"Zehra I'm not stopping you from meeting Naeem. You are, after all going to get married to him and you have every right to talk to him or meet him but all I would tell you is that sneaking off was not the right way to do it. You could have asked me or Amir and we would arrange a meeting for you two. I just want to have the knowledge of where my daughters are so that people like Saima are not the ones telling me first catching me by surprise. She knew I hadn't known about it, and I wonder what tales she'll be spinning this very moment." She sat on the stool next to me.

Without saying any other word me and Zehra went towards her and enveloped her into a hug. We didn't break out of it quickly, but stood there embracing a much needed sense of closeness.

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As promised I've got another chapter up today ^.^

I am still writing chapter 8 and hopefully (can't promise though) I will be able to post it today-ish. :)

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