Hoorain slightly turned her head back, gripping the stair railing, only to see her mother with her arms folded across her chest.
It was time for some drama.
"Hi, Mumma. How are you? Woah, did you become even prettier when I was gone for just a few hours?" Hoorain regretted her impromptu attempt at humor, realizing it was terrible timing for a joke. She slowly turned her head 180 degrees and began climbing the stairs.
"Hoor, I called you once, and you're supposed to come here, not walk all over me," Habeeba scolded with a stern tone, halting Hoorain in her tracks. She turned 180 degrees back again.
Judging by the stern look on her mother's face, it was clear that she knew about the mall drama between her and Ezza. It seemed like today wasn't Hoorain's lucky day. Hoorain descended the stairs cautiously, taking each step carefully.
"Hoor, didn't I politely ask you to come home before noon? Let's forget that you're late for now. What's with the public altercation at the mall, as if it's your own property? And with Ezza? Seriously, Hoor!" Habeeba fired a barrage of questions at her, leaving Hoorain momentarily overwhelmed.
"Mumma, that... actually... I... we... shopping... uniform..." Hoorain stammered, her words faltering. She had never experienced stuttering quite like this before.
"Mumma, Hoor is revisiting her kindergarten vocabulary," Akeem chuckled, munching on nachos and prompting Hoorain's desire to stuff those nachos in his mouth.
"Hoor, for goodness' sake, I'm asking you why you got into a fight with Ezza?" Habeeba's voice elevated slightly, while the rest of the family just observed.
"MUMMA! You're making this a bigger deal than it is. I genuinely didn't intend to start a fight with Ezza. I don't know what's wrong with her. She was practically barking at me for no reason. What was I supposed to do, Mumma? Just stand there and listen to her nonsensical ranting?" Hoorain asked, releasing a frustrated sigh. Her irritation wasn't directed at her mother but at the fact that she was being scolded because of Ezza.
"Hoor, my daughter, come here," Habeeba held out her arms and guided Hoorain to sit on the couch, positioning herself next to her.
"Hoor, do you know about Ezza's condition? She's a psychiatric patient, beta. How am I supposed to react when you engage in a fight with her? Did you forget what happened in the past?" Habeeba's voice trembled at the thought of her beloved daughter getting hurt.
"Beta, we love you so much. I'm not scolding you, but I'm just making sure you're safe. I can't bear anything happening to you, my heart," Habeeba's eyes glistened with tears.
"Mumma, I'm not some naive girl. And I promise you, I'll try not to cross paths with her, okay? Now, please don't cry. Abba, look, your wife is crying," Hoorain scrunched her nose playfully, and Habeeba lightly slapped her head.
"Habeeba, Hoor is right! With Allah on her side and our prayers, nothing will happen. She's a strong girl. And Hoor, no matter what, if you believe the other person is in the wrong, you should stand up for yourself, okay?" Aalif said, patting her head.
"Ya Allah! You're the one who's spoiling her!" Habeeba exclaimed, facepalming herself.
"Eeww, Mumma! This is such an old-fashioned dialogue, Mumma! Please switch to another one; I'm fed up with hearing this," Hoorain placed a hand dramatically on her chest, making the others chuckle.
YOU ARE READING
MY OTHERHALF🍁
عاطفية"Why did you leave me all alone in this cruel world, Hoor? You promised never to let go of my side. How am I supposed to live without you? I miss you, Hoor, my Hoor." His voice cracked as his eyes welled up with tears, looking at her picture. ...
