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"Beta, I heard some noises outside. Tum log theek ho? Sab theek hai? Darvazakholo!" [ Are you people okay? Is everything okay? Open the door! ]
Shaheen looked at Karim in shock, "Shit, that's Nishat khala. You got to hide! It'll be gossip of the family if she sees me with a guy. Hide somewhere!"
Karim didn't stop to argue. He was scared of getting into trouble with the Raza family. No, he was supposed to get along excellently with them. He knew he would never be on good terms with Irfan if he was caught trying to seduce his daughter in the middle of the night. After all, he was totally innocent here. He had only come to apologize. He kicked the rose plaque under the bed and jumped to the single cupboard in the room.
The cupboard was, like all hotel cupboards, too small and he could never have fit in it but he did try.
Chand came running in and jumped into her bed, pulling the covers over her head, "If you let her in, tell her I'm sleeping. I'm already in too much trouble. Good night, you two."
Outside Nishat khala was adamant, "Shaheen! Chand! Open the door, I'm getting worried."
By now, Karim was trying to hide under the bed which was too low. Shaheen was closing the balcony, drawing the curtains close and when she saw Karim darting into the bathroom, she hissed, "That's the first place she'll look, idiot."
Karim gave up and bounded into Shaheen's bed, pulling over the blanket over himself, curling himself into a ball, "If she asks, I'm just a very voluminous blanket."
Chand snorted with laughter.
Finally, Shaheen opened the door, "Nishat khala, what's happening? You okay? We were sleeping so I didn't—hear you?"
"I heard noises and you know Iffat, my girl sleeps without a care in the world. Of course, she didn't hear anything but I decided to come here and check since you guys are the only ones beside me." She walked in, speaking rapidly, considerably rattled by the ghostly noises. "I could have sworn it was coming from the balcony as if some thieves were climbing up but by the time I raced out, there was no one there. I know, I know, I shouldn't worry but then what if it were jinns [ spirits ] ?"
"Khala, aap dua padhkesoyithina? Jinns won't harm you, don't worry. Plus, I'm pretty sure it wasn't jinns," Shaheen tried to comfort her. [Khala, you did recite prayers before going to sleep, right? ]
"Then what was it? I didn't imagine it, did I?" Nishat khala looked perturbed and as if needing a support, she walked over to Shaheen's bed and sat down.
The blanket moved slightly and something that sounded suspiciously like a groan emitted from it. Shaheen coughed loudly trying to cover it up while Chand tried to control her giggles.
