Light Upon Light

#66 Yes or No?

السلام عليكم ورحمه الله وبركاته

Hello people!

Enjoy.

***

#66 Yes or No?

I, Junaina Javed Ali made a plan of action.

1) Stay inside my room at all times.

2) Skip dinner if necessary, even if Chachi is making my favourite pasta with white sauce.

3) Avoid Iqra Bhabhi at all costs. That lady is dangerous.

4) As soon as the Azaan is called out pray Isha and go to bed.

Well, at least I made it even if I couldn’t stick to it. It didn’t take long for Kashaf and Abid to come running to my room with her new Lego set and start playing from here. They tried pulling me into their games several times but gave up on seeing my lack of interest. They had thrown the door to my room wide open. I had two options: shoo them out and lock the door after them or just let things stay the same. I didn’t have the heart to throw the kids out just because I was in hyperventilation mode.

Leaving my room, I approached the railing of the drawing room and peeked downstairs cautiously. The courtyard was deserted. As far as I could see no one was there in either the gents' drawing room or the dining area. I was about to sigh in relief and head back to my room when I heard the unmistakable sound of one of the bedroom doors being opened in the East wing. Quickly I donned my shawl properly as it had slipped off of my head when I was craning my head in my investigation. And just in time too, Zaid, Samir and my parents were walking out of their bedroom through the passage and to the drawing room. I thought of running back to my room, but Samir already spotted my presence and called me out.

“There you are Juni! I was just about to come and call for you,” he smiled wide as he walked over to me, ahead of the rest of them.

“What for?”

“Well, we need to talk of course!” he laughed, hooking an arm around my shoulder.

“Abid and Kashaf are playing in my room, there’s no one else there to watch over them,” I told him as I observed my parents and Zaid approach us.

“That’s no big deal, I’ll watch over them. You go ahead and sit with Mom and Dad and Zaid and hear them out,” he suggested with a wink.

I really should have followed through step one of the plan of action.

“Why is Zaid part of this?”

“Why don’t you go ask him and sate your curiosity?” Samir said with a big toothy grin. He was enjoying beating about the bushes.

There was no getting out of this conversation I guessed. And so, I shrugged his arm off and walked towards Mom and Dad who were expecting me to sit with them on the couch set that dominated the centre of the drawing room. Zaid occupied the single chair while I sat in between my parent on the long sofa. Dad looked ecstatic while Mom too radiated happiness. Zaid had a nervous smile one his face, but his posture was straight, he appeared very confident.

I had a whole jungle going wild in my belly and my heart was officially racing off the charts. As I sat down, I really hoped that none of it showed on my face. Clearly I knew what the conversation was going to be about. But it still felt surreal and no amount of pinching myself was enough to prove that I wasn’t dreaming all of it up. Mom held my hand and Dad pulled me close to him and gave me a quick side hug.