T w e l v e

Don't trust everything
You see
Even salt looks like
Sugar.

☆

Mashal

"Hey I'm sorry. I really am." Ibrahim mumbled, nagging me with his elbow.

I didn't care to reply and continued focusing on making my omelette, trying not to break it's circular shape into something that looks like pencil shavings.

On the frying pan, the sizzling sound of egg in the oil was the only sound in the kitchen before Ibrahim had decided to disrupt the silence by apologizing.

"Please....Mashal try to understand I was a bit too worked up and under stress thats why-"

"Under stress?" I snapped at him, trying to make my voice feel rude, "So the excuse you give for treating your little sister like shit is that you were under stress? Thats Amazing."

He let out a loud sigh and ran a hand through his beard. "Okay fine, yes I was wrong. Can't you forgive me?"

The truth was I had already forgiven him when he first said sorry, only because no one had ever said sorry to me before. I just....felt a strange kind of happiness to know that someone actually cared enough to say sorry.

I still remember the days and nights I spent wishing that Minahil would apologise to me. Even outside my home, no one ever apologised because of the fact that I wore a face veil.
It was as if people wanted to say sorry but when they saw my veil, they decided against it.

"Hmmmm let me think." I said, scratching my chin to pretend that I was in deep thought. "What would I get in return?"

Ibrahim chuckled at this and then pointed at the frying pan, "I think you would get a burnt omelette in return."

Ya Allah I totally forgot!

Quickly, I turned the omelette over to the other side but I guess I was a bit too late to do so, like I always am because it was way too brown or in simple words, burnt.

"Ugh!" I frowned "I will never be able to make a perfect omelette ever."

Beside me Ibrahim was laughing like a maniac at my loss and I wanted to punch him for that. But I knew words can do double the damage.
"Laugh as much as you want. You are the one who has to eat it anyways."

Rightfully, his laughter faded away and he twitched his nose in disgust. "I take my words back!" He grumbled and then added, "So I was thinking why don't I take you to Syria to visit our real house and maybe our blood relatives too..."

Did he just say Syria?
I looked at my brother in disbelief with my mouth agape, "What?"

He shrugged and explained, "Yeah.....I think I forgot to tell you that before. We- well, our parents at least....were Syrians."

My mind was way too slow to process what he had said. I was a Syrian?
This was a completely new revelation to me because for my whole life I thought I was a Pakistani because Papa and Mama (Minahil's parents) were Pakistani. I even grew up learning the Pakistani language 'Urdu'.

I was completely lost in thought and Ibrahim knew I was too cofused to reply to him so he continued speaking, "I'm sure you will love Syria. I have already booked our tickets for the end of the month. You will have Christmas holidays and we can go then."

I gasped in awe and immediately wrapped my arms around his warm frame, "Ibrahim" I whispered against his chest "Thank you. I just realised I know nothing about my real roots except you."

He smiled and rubbed my back roughly. "And I'm sorry for dissing Zeyara. I just did that for your own good. He's not a good guy. Don't ever listen to him."

As he took Zeyara's name, the cold memory of his rudeness returned to me but I ignored it. I didn't want to ruin my good time.

Ibrahim is right, Zeyara is not a good guy.

•°•°•[《○●○》]•°•°•

The next few weeks before our trip to Syria were full of excitement. I crossed out each day on the calendar waiting for our flight day to arrive. Ibrahim told me a new thing about Syria everyday. It was so much fun to learn about the vibrant Syrian culture, the heavily embroidered floral dresses and the amazing, colourful food.

I even started learning Arabic which reminded me of Marwa. I missed her so much and her sheikh......who once said I was a good girl but then I don't know what happened that changed him so much.

I had already packed my stuff and helped Ibrahim to pack his stuff as well a day before the flight. He even told me that we have an aunt there for whom I bought gifts to take along with me.

I was just so happy by everything that was happening.

"I can't believe I'll be sitting on an aeroplane!" I shrieked in excitement when I was in the car with Ibrahim on our way to the airport.

This was going to be my first time in the air! It was just beyond incredible. I had always loved how the birds flew after fajr, so much that I spent hours gazing at them.
Now I would finally be able to fly like a bird.

"So you're an aeroplane virgin?" Ibrahim chuckled while driving.

I narrowed my eyes and gave him an evil look. "That was such a nasty statement."

He burst out laughing and said in between his laughter, "Now that I think of it, yes it was."

I was still thinking of a good comeback when the airport came into my view and I forgot about everything else as I continued staring at the planes landing and flying off. They looked just like birds from far away.

"Wow!" I gasped in amusement.

"This is nothing. The real fun starts when you're inside one." Ibrahim smiled as he parked the car in between two cars with great skill. Once parked, he glanced at me, taking off his seat belt and said in a hurried tone, "Come on now. We're getting late."

I was going to argue about how our Emirates ticket had the flight time of 10:00 am but It was still 8:00 am. Which meant we were not late but early. However, before I could do so, he had already started taking out the bags from the car so I kept quiet and obeyed.

I had just stepped out of the car and started helping Ibrahim with the bags when I heard someone call my name.

"Mashal! It's you."

I turned around in the empty parking lot where there was no one except me, Ibrahim and a woman.....a niqabi woman. She was covered from head to toe except for her brown eyes which looked familiar to me.

Still, I couldn't even recognise her but she seemed to know me somehow and rushed up to my side. "How are you? Remember me? I'm Zainab from your college."

Me and Ibrahim both stared at her in utter confusion.
I was just about to say that I don't know any Zainab and no one in my college wears a niqab but she began laughing with difficulty. It was as if her throat was dry and she couldn't speak properly.
"Come with me behind that car." She cheerfully said pointing towards a car at the far end of the parking lot, "I'll take my niqab off and then you will recognise me. I can't take it off in front of your brother."

"Uh sorry we're getting late." Ibrahim complained.

But I was way too curious about who this girl Zainab was so I glanced at Ibrahim with my cute puppy face. "Please big bro just 2 minutess! "

He always falls for this and this time too he agreed reluctantly but pointed at his wrist watch as a warning, "just 2 minutes."

I nodded a yes and then walked off with Zainab to the car at the other side of the parking lot while Ibrahim got himself busy with unloading our bags again.

As soon as we reached the car, I impatiently asked Zainab, "Come on now remove it. Let me see your face!"

She took her face veil off without saying anything and I realised the reason for her difficulty in speaking and laughing.

She was not a 'she' but a 'he'.

"Zeyara?!" I gasped silently.
This was unbelievable.

His hair was dishevelled and he looked tense and worried but still had his cool.

"Get in the car Mashal. Quick! There's no time to explain!" He said urgently opening the back door of the car.

I stared at him incredulously. "What?!"

"Just get in Mashal! Don't make it more difficult than it already is."

Why is he doing this? Does he want to ruin the good reputation I have of him in my eyes. Doesn't he for a second, think of Marwa.

"No!" I spat harshly and quickly began walking off from there but I felt a needle being struck in my arm and I winced in pain.
I turned around to look at Zeyara who voiced "Sorry but this is important."

Before I could reply to him, everything got blurry as if there was thick fog around me and I felt myself drifting off to sleep.

☆

Assalam o alaikum everyone!

I hope you're doing well in sha Allah. This chapter was one of the big twists that I had planned! You won't be able to guess what happens next. Would you? XD

Oh and I'm going to be mean from now on because my half term holidays have ended and I would only be able to update once a week now.

And it's way too mainstream to ask for votes but I would rather ask for you to share my story to others! :D

Have a good day!

-Muskaan