A Tale Of Happiness

Chapter Five: The Encounter

Hassan was clearing up the work in his office, it was 6pm in the evening. It was the very next day that he had talked to Momina to arrange a Birthday party for Zainab, he couldn't let her be mad at him anymore. He actually missed his sister's teasing and her giving him silent treatment was not what he could take. Hassan had a really kind heart, he couldn't stay mad at people and neither did he want them to be mad at him. His phone rang suddenly, it was Momina.

"Assalamualaikum, is everything going okay?" Hassan asked her worriedly.

"Wailaikumusalam! And Yes, yes! Everything's fine. You take too much stress dummy!." Seeing how hassan used to tease her by calling her dumbhead when they were young, now it was momina's turn to get her sweet revenge. Taking in that he was dumb enough to not think of giving his sister a birthday party.

"You are not going to live this down, are you?" He knew her answer, but still asked her anyway. He heard a 'never' from the other side.

He just shook his head in render, "Why did you call me, momina?"

"Well, I called you to remind you that you have such an awesome friend/cousin in the whole wide world." She laughed at her own words.

"So you just called me to waste my time."

"Me giving you an important information is not wasting your time buddy,..." She laughed again, and continued. "I really called you to remind you---" she was cut off by Hassan.

"If you say something stupid again, I'm hanging up." He warned,

"Okay okay, let me finish my sentence at least. So I was saying that I called you to remind you to not to forget about buying Zainab's present. You know her birthday present!." She emphasized at the end.

"I'm not brainless, I know I'm suppose to buy her a present I was heading out to do just that anyway."

"Oh yeah! But it still doesn't make you any less brainless, woaw! That rhymed." She laughed again at her own words. Hassan sometimes thought he was talking to a kid and not to a 25 year old lady.

"Is that all?" He asked,

"Pretty much." She said, but then she started again "Wait, I wanted to ask you if you want me to tell you more reasons about how you are a brainle---" that was his cue to hung up the phone right then, he walked out of his office towards the elevator. He was definitely buying one pricey gift today.

. . . . . .

"Amma jaan! You could've told me earlier that we will be heading for shopping. I would've come early." Fatima told her mother while fixing her hijab. She was wearing light purple hijab and abaya, that was her causal wear especially when going to market or shopping.

"I know beta, but they told me they'll be coming in the evening. They suddenly changed their plan of going to shopping from evening to afternoon." Naheed replied, she got a call from Nagina twenty minutes ago saying Sarfaraz will be busy that he has to go on some event from his company. Naheed explained this all to fatima. "I wasn't prepared either, but you know they'll be your in-laws soon so I had to accept this sudden changes."

"Yes! That is fine too, but they should have told us a bit earlier, I didn't get time to fresh up." At that moment the bell rung.

"I think they are here, you should go into the kitchen. We shall offer them tea at least." Naheed hurriedly said and went to open the door.

"Assalamualaikum Naheed, I hope you guys are all well." There was just Nagina at the door, after greeting naheed enquired about her son.

"Oh he's waiting in the car, we had to hurry. Are you guys ready?" She asked, like it was the most normal thing.