"LOVE;
It's not the falling that kills you but the sudden stop at the end."
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Tick tock.     Tick tock.     Tick tock.
The ticking of the clock the only noise in my otherwise silent room marks time passing. Though I sit motionless on the floor, my legs stretched before me with my back against the bed frame time goes on.

Strange! 

No matter what , it keeps going on, refusing to stop for any person in any circumstance, whether on the epitome of  happiness or the rock bottom of heart break. How unsympathetic!!
Immersed in my thoughts I stare aimlessly at the black and white clock hanging on the baby blue wall of my bedroom. Half past two.

'Lunch is ready, come out. ' Mama calls out.

I get up unwillingly and saunter outside. My parents exchange a look which roughly translates into she is in a bad mood again. Those were the only moods that haunted me these days bad, worse or worst. A good mood was a rarity seldom felt. My family had tried numerous methods to cheer me up. But nothing worked. I was too hung up on the past and there was nothing they could do to undo it.

I tried to laugh and smile for their sake but that is the problem with family they know you too well and you can't fake anything in front of them.

'So when will they be arriving?'  , mama inquires.

'He said evening so maybe around 5 or 6 O clock.'  Dad replies.

As usual I had no clue what they were talking about. I rarely participated in the ongoings of my house, merely watched from the sidelines, no matter how much effort they made to include me.

'Who is coming?' I ask for the sake of something to say.

'Your father's friend, Adam. Do you remember Maaz? You used to play with him all the time when you were small.'

Of course I remembered him. He was my first best friend. As neighbors we had spent the whole time after school together either at his house or mine. But that was years ago. They had shifted to Kuwait when I was 12. He was 14 at that time. It was a childhood friendship which ended with our childhood. Of course dad's friendship hadn't ended with their shifting.

Adam was dad's friend from college. After college they both had partnered and collaborated a business. Once their business had started prospering they had bought twin duplex villas in Palm Jumeirah which became our home. The villas shared a common backyard which overlooked the sea beyond. This was where Maaz and I had met, it was here that our friendship had bloomed, owing to the closeness of our families. We'd spent numerous weekends at the beach on picnics or simply dining out with their family. Maaz had become a constant companion and a treasured friend.

'Hmm...yeah I remember.' I say coming out of my reverie, realizing that mama is waiting for an answer.

'He is bringing Ira too, make sure you are ready to greet them.'

Though I was close to Maaz I'd seldom talked to Ira, his elder sister. Being four years elder than Maaz put a lot of age gap between us and we rarely interacted. She'd always found our games childish and we considered her as an adult rarely involving her. I wonder how Eliza got along with her the other day. Then again that was Eliza and she got along with everyone.

'Yeah okay.' I reply unwillingly.

Time is on its way again.

Never stopping.

And soon they are here. The door bell rings and I sprint to my room before I am spotted and forced to make polite conversation. It just isn't my cup of tea. I'm about to collapse on my bed when I hear mama's voice,

'Zara !'

I can hear the frustration hidden beneath the casual tone used for the benefit of our guests.

Unwillingly I get up and rush out but my reflection on the floor length mirror covering the wall beside the door halts me in my tracks, 'Ugh' I grunt pulling my long hair up into a ponytail to make me to look presentable. I pull my rumpled shirt to make it look less wrinkled but it doesn't make much of a difference. I sigh and hurry before my mother loses her calm.

My mom and Ira are seated in the living room. Ira starts on seeing me, 'Oh ! Zara,isn't it ?You look so different ! So grown up.'

Of course I have what did you expect? Me to stay tiny my whole life?

Instead of voicing my thoughts I merely smile at her.

'You don't look so bad yourself.' I attempt at conversation and earn a glare from my mother.

'I'll leave you girls to catch up.'  Wait.....what? How can she leave me alone with her? She knows I hate socializing.

'Sure' chirps Ira not noticing my uneasiness. 'Dr Zara, isn't it now?' She asks once my mom leaves.

'Yeah. And you?' I imitate her.

'I took interior designing, you know I wasn't the one who was interested in the heavy stuff. Where are you working ?'

I don't think she's asking about my part time excuse of a job at the library. 'I'm not, at the moment. We....I used to work at Thumbay.'  Mentally I rebuke myself for the slip. I'd become so accustomed to saying 'we' since Numair and I used to work at the same place.

'Taking a break, that is nice. Must be a monotonous job seeing patients everyday.'

'When did you return from Kuwait?' I ask once the silence becomes too long.

'Oh, we've shifted. Again. Back here once more.' She says with a smile. 'It feels great to be back, even though it's been so many years this still feels like home.'

'I didn't know, I thought you were here for a visit when Eliza told me.'

'No, Maaz decided he wants to work from here. I've also wanted to return, so did dad.'

'How was Kuwait?'

'The place was nice but it had taken me a long time to adjust in Kuwait, Maaz was younger so it didn't bother him that much but for me it was difficult to leave our home, my friends and the place I'd grown up in. After ma it was terrible, taking care of Maaz, adjusting to a new place but I guess dad was right, we needed the change. A new place to start a new life.' She adds

'I'm sorry about that. You guys have faced a lot at a tender age.' I place a sympathetic hand over her arm.

'Oh I almost forgot, Maaz asked to convey his regards to you. He couldn't make it as he had a meeting.' She says.

'He remembers me?' I'm pleasantly surprised. My childhood feels like another lifetime.

'Of course, he does.' She seems taken aback, 'He often reminisces about our house, you remember our villa right? About how you guys always were in the backyard or the beach or riding your bikes. How he used to tease you, then make up to you with chocolates when you cried. You guys were inseparable !'

Mama enters at that point balancing a tray, she hands us each a glass of lemonade taking one for self before sitting. I let her do the conversation, I was spent and had nothing more to add. I hear the door bell ring and use that as my excuse to escape.

Eliza rushes in, 'Are they here?'

'Who? oh....Ira. Yeah she's here.'

'Traffic these days, ugh it's so frustrating. And every traffic light turned red just when it was our turn. The world. It conspires against me!' She shudders skipping off to meet Ira.

Uncle Adam and Ira leave late in the evening after dinner.

***

A muffled thud wakes me up from my slumber. I sit up scanning the my room. My eyes take a minute to adjust to the darkness and I almost scream when I see the silhouette of a man beside our bed. I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not hallucinating when a hand suddenly covers my mouth. The man bends down towards me and hisses.

'Shh...sis its me. Don't scream.' Ziyan's face swims into vision as my sight finally clears.

He releases my mouth when he's sure I'm not going to yell the house awake.

'What the hell Ziyan ? Do you want me to die of a heart attack?' I hiss.

He places a finger on his lips shushing me. He clasps his hands together and mouths 'please'.

I huff in annoyance. He points a finger at Eliza sleeping blissfully unaware. That girl slept like a rock. I glare at Ziyan. He lifts up a stick he has been holding in his hand and my eyes widen as I realize it's a blending brush.

'What the..?' I nearly scream out again and Ziyan's hand once more covers my mouth. I push him away demanding an explanation.

He shrugs whispering 'I am just getting back at her for stealing my chocolates.'

He bends beside her picking up a palette I hadn't noticed before.

Eliza's smoky eye palette.

He swipes the brush over the black and prepares to draw on Eliza's face. He studies her sleeping figure like an artist studying a piece of canvas. I watch in muted shock as he draws one, two and then three whiskers on one cheek. He looks at me as I gape at him in shock and raises his eyebrows. Putting a finger on his lips indicating me to keep quiet he completes his design on her other cheek as well. He pulls back checking, dissatisfied he picks up a lighter gray lining it together with the black.

He moves back again admiring his art.

'Do you think I should give her a clown nose?' He whispers. 'Perhaps some color?'

Regaining myself I shove off the bed scrambling towards him, I pull the brush out of his hand 'That is enough Ziyan. You will have enough hell to pay tomorrow morning as it is.'

I try to heave his bulky frame outside my room. He grins maniacally.

'I can't wait to see her tomorrow morning.' He says before walking back to his room.

I lay down beside cat Eliza and fall asleep wondering about the various ways she would react. None of them seemed good.

I manage to wake up before Eliza. Ziyan lounges on my chair dozing off on the laptop. I shake him awake.

'You are awake!' He states.

'Oh no I'm just sleep walking.' I retort.

'I couldn't figure out where to hide the camera to record her reaction.' He says.

'If I were you I'd be more worried about hiding myself.' I head to the bathroom ignoring his protests.

When I return the chair is empty though it still revolves. He must have left when he heard the lock click of the bathroom.

'Eliza wake up.' I call out to my sister wrapping the towel around my hair to wring the water out.

She murmurs groggily, then rubs her hand across her face.

Oh my. 'You shouldn't have done that.' I mutter.

Her hands comes away lined with black. Confusion crosses her face as she sees her hand. She wipes at her face again and comes off with more black smudge.

'What the...' She scrambles out of bed rushing to the mirror.

I have to cover my ears to lower the volume of her shouts. I wince, mama and dad come running into the room. Lastly Ziyan saunters in walking in as if for a movie.

'What happened?' Mama's anxious voice reaches me as I uncover my ears.

'I'm going to kill him.' Eliza yells.

Mama gasps as Eliza turns away from the mirror towards us.

'Is that a new make up trend?' Dad asks with a serious expression though his eyes dance with mirth.

Ziyan doubles over with laughter holding his stomach. Eliza rushes towards him to attack. His laughter turns into a cry of pain as Eliza's fist connects with his shoulder.

'Ow!'

Another punch is on the way when he reaches out and grabs her hands holding them from the wrists. Eliza struggles in his firm hold shooting daggers at Ziyan.

'Leave my hand.' She enunciates each word.

'Enough Ziyan.' Dad intervenes.

Ziyan parts us and moves to the mirror plucking out a small camera tucked behind the top of the mirror. Horror dawns on Eliza's face as she realizes her reaction has been recorded. She lunges onto Ziyan climbing onto his back wildly reaching out for the camera. He extends his hand stretching it out of her reach. She screams in frustration and he lets out a triumphant laugh.

He shakes her off and she lands on the floor with a thud. Mama rushes to lift her up giving Ziyan the glare. He winks, pockets the camera and slinks out of the room.

'You are so dead.' Eliza hisses.

She stalks off to the bathroom huffing angrily.

Mama lets out a sigh looking at me, 'When will they grow up?'

***