Light Upon Light

#10 The Moment

Assalamualaikum!!

I hope everyone's fine. After hours and hours of working here is the next chapter. I almost thought I wouldn't be able to get it done today, but Alhamdulilah it is done.

I really like how it has turned out.

Have fun reading! ;)

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#10 The Moment

Safe to say after last night's conversation with Dad I was an emotional wreck. Quite unlike the cool and poised Junaina Ali if you ask me. After talking to him for about an hour or so I ended the call. I spent a good half hour crying in Dadi's arms. She comforted me by telling me that my father loved me a lot and my silence had pained him a great deal. She also told me that Muslims are not supposed to stay mad at each other for more than three days. I promised to keep that in mind.

With her consent I skipped dinner and went back upstairs to my room. All my friends called me for a group Skype just then. They were all hanging out in Jeni's home. Her parents like mine were almost always out of station. They instantly figured out something was up and coaxed me into talking.

All the craziness finally helped me calm down. Before sleeping I posted Samar and bhai's picture in my cousins group in WhatsApp. Apart from Di, Shoaib bhai and Samar it also included Samir and Faiz, son of dad's other sister Raziya Phuppi. He also lived in Dubai and came down to Salimabad only during vacations. The guy was a total jokester.

My phone was buzzing with messages even as I slept, but I didn't bother to check them. They could wait for tomorrow. One thing was sure, I need to get protection from Chachi and Sumi Phuppi first thing in the morning. Both Shoaib bhai and Samar would have revenge in their plans for tomorrow.

Once I was done with getting ready in the morning I stepped out of my room carefully, checking for booby traps. Only Di and Samir were innocent of pranks, all the rest of were born pranksters. Both Samar and Shoaib bhai pulled excellent pranks and I don't even want to imagine what horror they'd concoct together. To be safe I went down the main staircase instead of the kitchen one and walked boldly across the courtyard. They wouldn't bother messing with me in front of Dadi. She always sat in the living hall in the morning reading the news.

Once I reached the kitchen I asked Chachi if the boys were up.

"Nah, you know your bhai. He's a grown up and yet he needs me to wake him every morning to go to work. That idiot," the last part she said fondly.

Di came up to me with a loaded plate and set it in front me even as Phuppi brought me cut fruits and coffee.

"Samar will be down soon. Don't worry they won't do anything in the morning. I don't know if Samar will bother you from school though. You might want to be careful. And eat every last bit if you don't want your grave to be dirty."

The last part she had added on seeing my expression.

"Yes, you skipped dinner. You'll have to make up for it now. And what's this about the boys bothering you?" Phuppi asked sitting opposite me.

"You desi aunties", I mumbled the same time Di spoke.

" Did you say something sweetie," Chachi asked with a piercing gaze.

"No, nothing." I faked a smile and began stuffing myself.

Di, Phuppi and Chachi had a laugh at my expense. Di showed both of them the post from last night and all the comments that had followed. They were hilarious.

Samar: Bhaiii... Juju has betrayed us! Just look at that caption!

I had captioned the picture as 'Shoaib and Samar hang heads in shame as they lost to the girls'. I was proud of myself for coming up with that. The rest of the conversation was funny. Samir and Faiz had rebuked the other boys for letting them down and damaging their man pride. Di was left alone to deal with the boys. On reading everything Chachi and Phuppi burst out laughing.