Chapter 8: You'll catch a cold.

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"There's nothing wrong with falling in love and sharing your life with someone."

-Lily James-

*

"You alright, Aanabia?" said Hifzah, looking at her older daughter with concern. Aanabia looked over to her and nodded before going back to her uneaten food. Hifzah and Nahal exchanged looks of question. Nahal shrugged and leaned into her mother before whispering, 'She has been like this since she returned from tutions today.'

Hifzah cleared her throat and caught Aanabia's attention. She smiled at her daughter.

"Did something happen today, Aanabia?" she asked her and the girl in question shook her head immediately, ignoring the look her sister was giving her.

"Nothing ma. Why?" she asked and her mother smiled at her before leaning onto the table and resting her elbows on it.

"Alkadhib marad , walhaqiqat hi aleilaj" Hifzah said and watched her daughter's expression falter.

"Lying is a disease, truth is therapy" stated Nahal, smirking at her sister. Aanabia heaved a sigh.

"I promise ma. There is nothing wrong" she replied before giving a smile. "If there was, I would have told you"

Hifzah only hoped it were true. She did not want her daughters to go through things without her. She was a single mother who hoped the best for her children.

"Alright then, finish up so we can catch a movie" she said, clasping her hands together and the girls nodded.

Half an hour later, Hifzah, Aanabia and Nahal set in front of the large smart TV, watching Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. The house was dark save for the light from the movie. Aanabia found herself drifting in and out of the movie since her mind was preoccupied with many other things. Things like certain gray eyes.

She found that she could not stop thinking about him. Each time she tried to stop, she could not. It was as if some magnetic pull was there between them. Something that made them connect, as one. She knew it was all too poetic and fictional but isn't that what was happening?

What exactly was happening?

The sound of familiar music drifted in her ears and she looked up to the TV. SRK was dancing with Amitabh Bachan over the song, Shava Shava. She smiled at the screen, remembering the memories that came with this movie. It was an amazing time for her family. When they were one. Shrugging the thoughts off her mind, she concentrated on the song. Somehow, her mind questioned if it were Yazdan there and what if she was Kajol? Would life be easier? Movies have it so much better than real life.

She heaved a sigh and leaned onto the couch end, pulling the blanket over her. The AC cooled the room to an average temperature and soon, Aanabia found herself falling asleep with the thoughts of Yazdan in her mind.

Maybe I am falling for him?

*

The following morning, Aanabia got up before sunrise. It was a new development and she was proud that she had managed to catch the first prayer of the day. She did pray, no doubt. But she managed to miss quite a lot of them.

After prayers, she felt refreshed so she decided to take a walk around the street. The rain was barely visible but the wind had picked up. It was a beautiful morning.

She pulled on an oversized cardigan over her tees and sweatpants before walking to the door with phone and headphone. Upon walking outside, she saw that the rain was no longer around, so she left out the umbrella. Wearing her Nike Slip On's, she walked out of the veranda towards the gates.

The morning air was cool and calm, not something she had experienced in a long time. She plugged in her headphones and browsed through YouTube, looking for good music. Somehow, she stumbled upon a song called Savage by Karan Nawani. Once it began, she placed the phone in her cardigan pocket and walked closed her eyes, letting the wind on her face. A smile formed when she understood the lyrics of the song.

'Ankehein hai teri Savage,

Karti hai mujko damage,

Dekho main jab bhi apni dil ki khidki Khool Key'

Familiar gray eyes flashed through her mind and she let out a small laugh before doing a 360 degree twirl and walking ahead as if nothing happened. The song played on and immediately, Aanabia swapped to Spotify and added the song to her offline list. It was an amazing one.

The streets were silent and without realizing, Aanabia was out of her own street and headed towards the market area of Middleton. The sun peeked out from behind the mountains somewhere and the wind picked up. Drops of rain began falling from the skies and Aanabia looked up to it. A few drops fell on her face and she let out a content sigh. The rain began to pick up pace slowly and Aanabia heaved a sigh before trying to gather shelter somewhere.

Much to her dismay, every place around the market area was open with no shelter. She heaved another sigh and pulled the ear phones out of her ear before placing them safely in her sweatpants pocket with her phone. If they got wet, she would probably have to waste money to get a new one.

"You will catch a cold" she spun around so fast that she almost fell, had it not been for the railing holding her.

In front of her stood, in all his glory; her mind noted, Yazdan. She let out a small laugh before pushing herself off the railing and standing up straight. She looked him over and grinned. His hair was a little wet from the rain and there were rain drops on his cardigan.

"Nice"

Yazdan looked at her as if she was crazy. She realized that she had said that out loud and flinched visibly.

"Anyway, take this" Yazdan handed her the umbrella that was over his head and she raised an eyebrow at him. The rain was pouring pretty hard and he would get wet and may catch a cold too.

"Yahyah is coming to pick me up. I don't need this" he stated and she smiled at him.

"Thank you for helping a damsel in distress" she grinned up at him. By now, the umbrella was over both their heads but the rain still managed to pelt over both of them. She smiled up at him, looking into his gray eyes. They were not exactly gray, they looked silver with black rings around the pupil. She noticed her had dark lashes framing his eyes that had drops of water over them. She blinked in unison with him and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"The umbrella" he spoke and she stared at him, still.

"The Umbrella, Miss. Sadaf" he said, with an octave high of a tone. This caused Aanabia to snap out from staring at his eyes. She blinked before blushing slightly and shifting back.

"Uh yeah. Thank you" she said, grinning up at him. He nodded before walking away, into the rain. Aanabia watched him walk away, and her heart did something in its cage. It caused her to place a hand over it and look down.

Am I really falling for this guy? Why do I even like him? I don't even know him!

Yet, her mind answered.

She stood in the rain with the clear umbrella over her head for a while before she began walking home. It was a Sunday and she had to prep for tomorrow's class.

Home was silent, save for the TV playing in the living room where Nahal was spawled with her junk food.

"Mom is out. She said she will be back in the afternoon. Breakfast is in the microwave" called out Nahal as the older sister walked into the kitchen. When she found nothing much of interest, she walked upstairs to her room, to change. The sun peeked through the clouds and the rain still poured down. She showered quickly and changed into warm sweats and a Disney t-shirt before laying on her bed.

Staring at the decorated ceiling, she let her thoughts stray all around the place.

Why did she react in such a manner to Yazdan?

Was it something she was missing?

Was love at first sight even happening in real life?

Was this love?

Aanabia was never one to rethink things in her life. She was more of an impulsive person and she believed in love. She believed in falling in love with the right person. And she believed that destiny would bring them together. So what if this was destiny, this was Allah (S.W.T) telling her that he was the one?

"Arrrrggghhh" She yelled, burying her head in the soft peach pillows on her bed. Placing her head on the pillow, she stared out of the large floor to ceiling windows of her room to the opposite house, which happened to be across the street. Yazdan's house.

"Maybe I actually like you" she said, smiling slightly. The thought of falling in love made her excited. It made her feel like she was on a sugar rush.

"But I don't know much about you" she muttered, sitting up on her bed. She pulled her phone from the bedside table charger and opened Instagram, searching for him. She didn't find him. She tried numerous words, like Yazdan Rashad, Rashad Yazdan and what not. But she found none. Maybe he wasn't on social media? He seemed like it in the first place anyway.

"Good lord! How will I get to know you, Yazdan?!" she whined, falling on her back on the bed again. Her mind made scenarios of its own about how she and Yazdan would be.

Maybe she could ask him? Talk to him?

But how?

She let out another groan and turned around to the other side, with her phone in her hands. Just then her phone rang and without thinking (or seeing for that matter), she picked it up.

"As salaam alaikum, Aanabia" she frowned at the unfamiliar voice on the phone.

"Wa alaikum mus salaam. I am sorry but who is this?"

"Ah-" the woman laughed on the other line. "-Zaiha. Next door neighbor"

Immediately Aanabia set up straight on her bed. How can you be so stupid, Aanabia!?

"Yes Aunty. Sorry I did not recognize your voice on call. It is.... it is very.um..different" she said and Zaiha laughed on the other end.

"I wanted to ask if you guys would like to come over for Lunch and tea? I am making Kebab for tea and maybe some Indian Dish for lunch?" said Zaiha and Aanabia grinned.

"Of course we would love that aunt. But mom is-"

"I know that Hifzah is not around. Which is why I am calling you two to come have lunch. Don't cook for just the two of you. It will be hectic anyway. And it is a Sunday!" she said and Aanabia stood up from her bed before walking out of her room.

"Of course Aunt. No problem. I guess we could come over later, around 11am maybe? I have a few things to finish today" She checked the time on the wall clock to see it being 9:01am. Just how long was she lazy-ing about anyway?

"Of course. I will see you two around the same time. Allah Hafiz, dearie"

"Allah Hafiz, Aunt" she hung up and stared at Nahal who was busy in the re-runs of Big Bang Theory.

"Aunt Zaiha called us over for lunch and I said yes" she called out to her sister. Upon hearing Zaiha, Lunch and yes from Aanabia, Nahal's head snapped towards her in seconds. So fast that Aanabia thought it would have been sprained, or broken.

"What?"

"Yes. Now finish whatever you have. We leave by 11am" she said and Nahal heaved a sigh.

"Fine" she went back to watching BBT. It was worth the time anyway and she was done with her projects.

Aanabia walked into the kitchen and heated up her breakfast before making tea.

"You want tea, Nahal?" she called out and Nahal replied a yes. She took two cups and placed them on the tray before going back to making tea.

Taking her plate of pancakes, syrup and fried chicken frankfurter and two cups of tea, she walked over to where Nahal was seated in the living room. She gave her the cup of tea and set down on the empty couch with hers.

"Breakfast?"

"Nope. I already had it"

With that, the room went silent as the words of Sheldon Cooper filled the house. Big bang Theory was always a good turn-up for rainy days anyway. 

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Salaam guysss. 

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xox,

-Aalihha.