Chapter 6

Broken Pieces.

"To the world I am fine, but when I'm alone I'm the real me. I'm heart broken and I miss you, you were part of my life, my very being, and you will always be in my heart.
Oh how I love you so!'

* * *

Burnt orange, burgundy, violet and a tinge of pink painted the horizon. The tip of the sun disappeared to it's resting place, allowing the moon to enjoy the limelight and illuminate the night sky. The stars twinkled in the velvet night sky, winking at the inhabitants of the earth. The leaves rustled lightly with the slight breeze, the gust of wind swept her tendrils over her shoulders, kissing her face, causing her cheeks to tinge with a cute pink blush.

Bilaal and Basheera sat cross legged, facing each other, enjoying the wind whipping their faces and ruffling their hair. Bilaal sighed for the upteenth time, Basheera was totally ignoring his presence and giving him the cold shoulder and he didn't like it even one bit. For the past two days, she refused to even speak one word to him, she was fine with their mother, but she refused to converse with him and he couldn't handle it.

She glanced around the garden, her reading glasses perched on her nose, a thick novel rested on her lap, the pages rustled in the wind.

He groaned in frustration.
"Bashi!! Please talk to me ! I said I'm sorry Bashi, why are you punishing me like this. "

All he got in reply was a stern glare and an eye roll.

Knowing well that his attempts would be futile, he stood up, leaving her on her own.

She sighed, leaning against the wall, she turned the pages back to her marker, holding the book firmly so as no to lose her page once again, she proceeded with her book. She was reading a thousand splendid suns for the first time and she was only half way through the book, but she already loved it, she was sure this book would be placed on the shelve along with the other books she would definitely read once again.

A few moments later, she noticed Bilaal sitting infront of her, two bowls of ice cream in his hands. He settled the bowls on the ground, then crossed his legs. She discretely peeked into the bowl, her mouth watering at the sight of salted caramel ice cream. How could she resist an apology made by bribing her with ice cream?

The glint in her eyes didn't go unnoticed by Bilaal, he grinned in triumpt. She would finally forgive him, the girl would do anything for food! Thank Allah for food! He wondered if his future wife could also be easily bribed with food.

"Okayyyy I forgive you, but on condition that you treat me to pizza tommorow night."

He shook his head, his lips tugging upwards.
"You sure love food!"

She smiled as she savoured the first spoon of ice cream.

"Food is bae, it's life, it's my love, it never lets me down and it never breaks my heart, infact it consoles me in times of distress, that is the reason for my undying love for food."

Bilaal chuckled.
"You're such a drama queen, I swear."

She flashed him a cheeky smile as she devoured the remainder of her ice cream, relishing every spoon of it's sweetness. Oh how she loved ice cream!

"So how's work going?"
Bilaal enquired.

"Good good, we were working on a very important project recently and Alhamdulillah the end result was fantabulous and she really really liked it!"

Bilaal quirked a brow.
"Fantabulous, really! And which dictionary did you find that word."

"Rasheera dictionary."
She grinned.

He looked at her confused.
"Ra..what!"

She rolled her eyes.
"Ugh keep up bro! Raeesa and Basheera's dictionary!"

He rolled his eyes this time.
"Oh, I should have known! The height of stupidity.."

She thwacked his arm.
"Why do you hate her so much?"

"Hate is a strong word, I would like to think I dislike her. Well because she doesn't influence you in a good way and I'd rather keep silent, I don't want to gossip."

She shook her head.
"She isn't a bad influence, she just goes abit off sometimes, but in Sha Allah she will be back to her old self one day."

He just hummed in response, hoping she would. He knew that Uthmaan was having a hard time, they were close friends and even though he never did complain, for he was not one to openly discuss his private affairs, Bilaal knew the sudden changes in his wife is what silently troubled his friend.

It troubled him more as she was not always this way and he very seldomly brought her out with his family anymore, because he was embarrassed of her behaviour, poor guy looked stressed out all the time.

He just wished Allah would ease their worries and not put him through the same trials. A pious spouse is what he desired, even though he was not pious himself, but he knew the best thing in the world would be a pious spouse and every day he prayed to Allah to grant him his better half when the time was right and also to keep them both steadfast on their deen.

Basheera snapped her fingers infront of him, breaking his trance.
"Wakey wakey sleepy head. I was talking to you and you were not even listening. What has consumed your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking about my future spouse, hoping she would be pious and..."
He didn't continue when he realised he was telling Basheera his thoughts.

"Uh huh!"
She encouraged him to continue, placing a hand beneath her chin, smiling at him, teasingly.

He smiled uneasily.
"Rather, what I actually meant to say was, I was thinking about your future spouse, hoping he would be pious and a good guy."

"Hmm."
She replied, staring at his flustered face.

"Stop giving me that look."
He scowled.

"Only if you tell me who she is."

He shook his head.
"Asaghfirullah there is no ' specific she', I will wait for the right one and do eveything the halaal way."

"Hmm. In Sha Allah."

Basheera grinned, an idea suddenly surfaced in her mind.

"Hey! Doesn't your friend Khubaib or Hamaad have a sister for you to marry! I think Khansa who was in my class was Khubaib's sister. I wonder if she's married!"

Bilaal's eyes lit up.
"You are a genius! That's it! why did I never think of Khubaib!"

Exclaiming that, he shot up, discarding his empty bowl on the grass. He strode to the sliding door, excitedly. She sat in befuddlement, she was just joking around, she had no idea he was so keen on getting married.

"Where are you going?"
She yelled, as she took the bowls to the kitchen and dumped them into the sink.

" To phone Khubaib!"
He yelled back, running up the stairs.

She watched him sprinting up the stairs as she ascended it leisurely.

What had gotten into him? He was such a weird person. One minute he was shying away from the topic of marriage and the next minute he was shooting up the stairs at the mention of a girl. She shook her head, she would never understand his craziness.

Leaving him to his excitement, she walked to the end of the passage, intending to spend some quality time with her mother.

He was sprawled on his bed, his three year old nephew sat on his back, jumping up and down, screaming horsey horsey. He rolled him over, tickling him harshly, until he laughed uncontrollably, begging to be freed.

Khansa walked into the room, freeing her son from the firm clutches of her brother. She smiled as he fled the room, yelling that he would complain to his Nana.

She sat beside her brother, who was lazily sprawled upon the bed.

"So Khubaib when do you plan on getting married?"

He rolled his eyes. It seemed like that was the only question every single person asked once he turned twenty five.

" When you decide to have your next child."

Her eyes rounded.
"That's not anytime soon."

" Then you have your answer."
He replied in a bored tone.

"But you're not getting any younger, you need to settle down soon."

He huffed.
"I'm not old yet either."

"Yes, but atleast start looking for girls."

He grunted.
"And then what, take them, put them into jars and pickle them until I'm ready to get married?"

She laughed.
"You're such an idiot!"

"And you're such a typical desi aunty!"

She rolled her eyes.
"I'm just..."

His blaring ring tone cut her off. She smiled, flashing him a smile, she walked out of the room, giving him his privacy.

"Assalamualaykum bro!"
Bilaal greeted in an over enthusiastic tone.

"Waalykumsalamm bru, what's with the over chirpy tone and the screeching?"

Bilaal chuckled.
"What were you up to?"

"Just chilling with my sister and nephew."

"Oh your sister is married!"

He rolled his eyes.
"Why are you so aloof man? She's marries for almost four years now bru, you were even invited for her nikaah."

"I was?"
Bilaal asked unsurely.

He sighed.
"Yes you were, but you didn't attend because you were at a family function."

Bilaal chuckled.
"Ohhh, I see. Memory is abit rusted."

"Yeah, you better get married before you get older and lose your memory completely. Allah forbid."

"Hmmm, back to why I phoned you.."

Khubaib flopped on his bed.
"Yeah, go ahead I'm all ears."

He sat up straight, when he heard what Bilaal said.

"Whaaaat!"
He yelled, shocked.

Bilaal laughed.
"Look who is screeching now."

Khubaib ran his hand through his hair, nervously.
"Eish, I don't know man. I will think about it."

After greeting each other, they hung up. Bilaal with a flicker of hope in his heart and Khubaib with a confused mind. He needed time to ponder over the matter first, this was not some ordinary thing, it was an important decision to make..