Hiraeth

Chapter 11

After Hana was done with her 2nd semester exams, she got her summer vacations for three months. Hana was seventeen at that time. Every year, her parents took her on a road trip of three days to show her different places in Pakistan. She always looked forward to these trips as there was no other way for her to see places. Her parents never took her to any relative's place. She did not know why but every time her parents had to attend a function or had to visit her other relatives like her Khala (Mother's sister) or mamu (Mother's brother) or any other relative from her mother's or father's side, they always left hana in Islamabad. She did not like to live without her parents so she always begged her parents to take her with them but they always refused.

Hana's only social circle was consisted of Mishaal, Hana's parents and now her university fellows. She made three new friends in university. All four of them were really popular in their department for being lazy, intelligent and abaya wearing. All four of them had a lot of things in common. They bonded so much that no one else can enter their close-knit group. All of them were the position holders with hana always being on the top. The second and third place was always taken by two of her other friends.

This time around, it was the last week of Ramadan and Eid was coming. Hana just got free from her exams and now she was excited for Eid shopping. It was going to be the first Eid after a long time with Rayaan for Hana. She was very excited.

"Now that Hana's exams are over, I would like to take her out for shopping for Eid. Will it be okay if I take her tomorrow ammi?" hiba asked her mother-in-law at the dinner table. Everyone was eating dinner.

"You do know that Zamid and Zayn are coming back in three days! There are so many arrangements that have to be done! I think you should wait for some more days. Let Zamid and Zayn to be back from America then you can take her for shopping. It will still be two days for Eid and that's plenty of time for Eid shopping." Dadi Jaan said to her daughter-in-law. She said all this very calmly but everyone knew that she gets irritated with just the thought of Hana.

Hana was quietly eating her food and she got a shock from this new information about her brothers. She did not know that they were coming back.

'Why nobody told me that bhai Zayn and bhai Zamid were coming back' Hana thought with hurt. Hana looked at her mother and then her father but both of them were not looking at her. It looked like they were avoiding her gaze but she let it slid.

"Okay ammi! I'll take her to shopping after they are back" hiba told to her mother-in-law in a soft voice.

All the other family members were silently listening to it and they remained quiet as they knew that Hana was not informed about their arrival because Zamid told them not to inform her. Zamid never liked her so he said that not to mention their arrival to her. Zayn was younger than Zamid and he followed Zamid in all of the things.

All the family can see that hana was hurt about not being informed about her own brothers' arrival but she did not said anything.

After dinner, everyone went to their respective rooms to retire for the night as they have to wake up early for the Sahri. Hana helped the maids in the kitchen as her dado had given this duty to hana to help the maids in kitchen after every meal if she is at home. After she was done with helping in the kitchen, all the maids went to their quarter and she went to her parents' room. Hana knocked on the door and went in after her mother told her to come-in.

"Mamma, why nobody told me that bhai aa rahay hain?" Hana asked in a soft voice.

"Idher meray pas ao!" Hiba beckoned her daughter towards herself on the bed and patted on the side for hana to sit. She walked towards the bed where her father was sleeping on one side with his back towards them and hiba was sitting on her side of bed. Hana sat down with her mother and her mother hugged her from one side.