Chapter 9: Familia.

*

"Do not question me, oh sister. 

Do not ask me how I am. 

For I have never been happier, 

until I fell for him."

-2am-

*

Yazdan lay on the bed with his laptop over his stomach as he furiously typed. He was working on his project on the Adelaide Greenhouse Renovation. It was more of breaking down and making it again though. The notifications on his phone began blaring all too soon and he heaved a sigh before leaning over the table and picking it up. Swiping it open with his fingerprint, he clicked on the source of so many notifications.

It was the Zaeef Sibling Viber group, that had so many messages.

Kulthum: Look what I found today! [Picture message]

He tapped it open and a smile formed on his face when he saw it was their picture from a long time ago. It was when Kayan had graduated from high school. Everyone looked so small and innocent. Now, they are all so different.

Safwah: I look nice. Squishy.

Amyrah Bhabhi: Squishy indeed. @Kay Bhai, Why do you look so....malnourished? 😂

Kay Bhai: Bold of you to assume that I didn't eat then. I was just stressed okay.

Karmaan: Why do I look like I would die out anytime soon?

Safwah: *Replying to Karmaan. Do you know how much you cried that day?

Karmaan: Why? Because Kay Bhai was graduating? 😏🤗

Kulthum: Hahhaa. Good joke. You did not let any one of us touch you. You were wailing, Karmaan.

Karmaan: In my defence, I was like... what? 5?

Kay Bhai: You were 5, almost 6 brother. Don't worry. Your graduation pictures are pretty awesome.

Sahl: I thought that picture was destroyed. What is it still doing with you?

Yazdan: I see. I also thought that. Why is it still there?

Kulthum: Mom had it. She sent it over. It should have been on the family group!

Karmaan: NOOOOOOOOOOOO. Don't. Please. I beg you.

Kulthum: 😏

Safwah: If this appears anywhere, I don't know you guys.

Kay Bhai: 🖐️ High Five.

Sahl: 🖐️

Yazdan: 🖐️

Karmaan: 🖐️

Amyrah Bhabhi: Oh come on guys. You all look adorable. Trust me. It would be an amazing picture for the advertisement of family values. 😁

Kay Bhai: Good joke wifey. Not going to happen. Anyway, why aren't you all at work? Don't you have work?

Safwah: I am working.

Sahl: Break. I am tired. Someone save me.

Yazdan: Die.

Sahl: How dare you?!

Karmaan: Hate to break it to ya'all. I am the one struggling the most.

Kayan: Says the one who has to only study. Jeez.😂😂

Yazdan let out a small laugh, sitting on the bed. The chat was turning into a battle of sarcasms. A knock came from the door and he looked up.

"Come in" he called out, putting his phone on the desk and standing up. Zaiha's head peeked through the doors and he let out a small smile.

"Come down for food, darling." she said and Yazdan nodded, picking up his phone and pocketing it in his jeans.

"Ah the girls are here too" called out Zaiha as she walked downstairs.

"What girls, ma?" asked Zul, walking out of his room and joining Yazdan to the walk down the steps. Yahyah joined them soon after, his hair still wet from the bath.

"The girls next door"

The three boys stopped dead on their tracks. Zul turned to Yazdan as a slow grin formed on his face.

"NO" stated Yazdan before he could even say a word. Yahyah raised an eyebrow at them.

"He thinks that-" started Yazdan and Zul completed the sentence for him. "-Aanabia and Bhai have some connection" Yahyah looked at Yazdan for an answer. The boy in question just shrugged. Yahyah understood clearly what it meant. A no. Yazdan was not one to waste time on people he didn't care about.

"Let's go have food" said Zul, grinning like a chestier cat on Christmas. Yazdan looked over to his best friend, silently asking him if he was okay with the girls coming over. Yahyah shrugged and walked down the steps to the living room.

"Kitchen Zul!" called out Zaiha and Yazdan followed Yahyah to the kitchen where the girls and Zaiha were. He leaned onto the door frame and waited on them while Yahyah tried to walk around it, without breaking anything. Zul on the other hand, was busy setting up the table at the dining hall adjacent to the kitchen. Yazdan looked over to him to ask if he needed help when a set of plates were shoved in front of him. He looked down at Aanabia, smiling up at him. She was a good few inches short and that made her adorable, not that Yazdan would ever admit.

"Since you are here, make yourself useful" she grinned and he rolled his eyes before taking the plates and walking over to Zul. Zul smirked at him and he glared at her. The two set up the plates on the table and Zul headed to get the glass from the kitchen, leaving Yazdan to put the last two plates down.

"Hey" he looked up to see Nahal, the other sister of Aanabia, smiling at him before putting the dishes in her hand, on the table. She almost toppled over the dish with Paratha's had it not been for Yazdan's quick reflexes and he caught it just in time.

"Thanks." she muttered, before walking away. Yazdan shrugged and walked to the kitchen to get the other dishes. He never understood why people said women belong in the kitchen. If anything; in his opinion, everyone belonged in the kitchen. There was food in the kitchen!

"Here" again he looked down to see Aanabia holding out a dish of what looked like some curry.

"You do it" he stated and her expression changed to that of an incredulous one before changing into an amused one and then to a puppy eyed one. It was interesting to watch so many expressions flicker on her face one after the other, for Yazdan.

"Not going to work. Good try though" he sassed before stepping to the side and walking into the large kitchen. It was large enough to cater for them and not let anyone clash.

"Yahyah, get the spices from the top shelf please"

"Ask Yazdan ma! You never ask him anything." whined Yahyah, walking out of the kitchen with yet another dish.

"Jeez. Yaz, get the spices" she called out to Yazdan who smiled and obliged to it. He walked over to where the towering cupboards were and leaped up to pick up the jars from the top shelf. He handed the jar to Zaiha, who thanked him and turned away. Yahyah scowled at Nahal from the doorway while she frowned back. The two were in a heated scowling and staring contest until Yazdan clapped his hands in front of his said best friend who turned his glare to him. Yazdan smirked before walking away.

"Food!!"

-

Zaiha took a seat at the head of the table, Zul on her right and Yazdan on her left. Nahal set beside Yazdan while Aanabia set in between Yahyah and Zul. The dishes were placed on a circle of the rotating tray, allowing them to pick up whatever they wanted.

Aanabia picked up the rice and took it out on her plate and turned to Yahyah who held his plate up with a small smile. She took it out for him before turning to Zul who did the same. She placed it back on the rotating tray before picking up a chicken dish.

"Humnn, That is chicken Tikka. Yahyah's favorite" said Zaiha and Aanabia shot a grin at Yahyah who shrugged. She took out some on her plate and handed the dish to Yahyah to gladly took it and scoped down some for him before putting it back on the rotating tray.

"Raita?" he asked and Aanabia handed it to him after pouring herself come. The food was spicy, just how she liked it.

Lunch was silent, save for the occasional times when Zaiha spoke. The boys were oddly silent and it made Zaiha question whether it was just a phase or something was going on. 

What she had missed were the glares that Yahyah and Nahal kept throwing at each other. 

****

Unedited. 

I tried to make time for this one. I am supposed to be studying. Pathology is making me streeessseeddd. 

But. 

YOU GUYS MAKE ME HAPPY. So yeah. I updated. 

Feedback? 

| R - C - V |

xx, 

-aalihha.

[P.S: I just realized I can use emoji for wattpad web. oh wow. I lived under a rock. 😂😂)