Chapter Four

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The moment, we were in Adilabad, a wave of freshness welcomed us.

We were finally home. Adilabad is one small city but this city is full of warmth and comfort.

I expected things to be as it were before but that wasn't the case with Abba.

It was only two days since we had returned and he was having a high temperature already.

I advised him to visit a doctor or let me call him home but he wasn't ready for it instead he asked me to prepare him a herbal tonic as a home remedy.

While I had finished preparing the potion, our neighbor Rukkayya Auntie had come with a packet of sweetmeats in her hand.

"Assalam alaikum!" She beamed at me.

"Walaikum assalam auntie!" I replied with a smile and welcomed her inside.

"Oh Rabia!. How are you?" She enquired.

"I'm good, Auntie." I said.

"And your cousin's wedding, how was it?" She asked further.

"Great... Enjoyed a lot." I spoke, keeping the detail short.

Though the wedding was nothing but an obligation to me but it was true that I enjoyed the festivities.

"Nice then there's one more occasion, you would love the most." She chirped happily, moving few steps forward.

"What?"

"My daughter's marriage has been fixed. Engagement ceremony is on upcoming sunday." She mumbled.

"Oh! Congratulations." I immediately wished her.

"Rabia, who is it?" Abba sauntered out of his room.

He adjusted his glasses.

"Assalam alaikum bhai."

"Walaikum assalam." Abba nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"My daughter's marriage has been fixed. I have come to distribute these sweets." She said and Abba's face turned gloomy again.

Oh no!

"What happened?" Auntie asked sensing Abba's discomfort.

"Actually, Abba is not well." I immediately covered up on his behalf.

"Congratulations Aapa. Give my regards to her.
Rabia! I'm in my room." He murmured and sauntered to his room.

"Thank you bhai. Take care." Auntie shook her head, "These days, weather is bad. It's something warming" She muttered.

"You mean global warming." I couldn't help but giggle.

She scrunched her nose.

"That's what I meant, Rabia. now don't turn like Sameera who always try to prove me wrong." She sounded distasteful.

Sameera lives next to Rukkayya Auntie's flat and they fight almost everyday.

Sameera is an independent, extroverted, bold and outspoken girl in her happy thirties club who lives alone in the city from the past four years.

She is working as a manager in a multi-national company.

Everyone in the society hates her bold and care free ways whereas I find her courageous and kind enough.

She is always friendly with me whenever we meet and it's fun to chat with her.

Sometimes, I wish to be like her.

Auntie snapped her fingers, "Rabia, do come for the engagement and bring bhai along. We have a feast after that. I have a lot of work. Allah Hafiz." She handed me the box and left.

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