~Hooriyah

The dining table was sparkling flawlessly with uncountable mouthwatering dishes including Italian pastas, Fettuccine Alfredo, Thai seafood, Pakistani cuisine, Russian Salads and professionally decorated Arabian and Turkish desserts.

The expensive crockery made up of crystal and gold, dazzled perfectly. Plus the extra scrumptious aroma of these dishes was enough to give birth to my long lost hunger once again!

There was pin drop silence in the dining room, where Mr and Mrs. Shehroze, Alizeh and Shahveer were sitting quietly, while the servants surrounding them, stood like a robot, waiting for the clock to strike 9.

As soon as I entered the dining room, all the gazes fell upon me making me feel extremely nervous.

Mr. Shehroze cheered up as soon as he saw me entering the room. His angry frown slowly started to convert into a wide, very wide smile. A smile which always reminded me of Baba.

"I am sorry for being late, Uncle!" I smiled sheepishly, being the first one to kill the silent treatment which was perhaps due to Shahveer's misbehavior in the morning.

"Certainly not a problem dear! Come have a seat princess, we usually start our dinner at 9, and you are just two minutes late." Mr. Shehroze laughed while filling my plate with steaming hot Biryani.

"Well, if someone takes hours to complete their prayers, it would obviously result in being late for the dinner."
Shahveer sarcastically interrupted while topping some boiled rice in his plate with a bunch of prawns and finger fish.

And of course, being the most sensitive person that I am, I stopped midway through eating while my spoon rested in the air.

What even___?

"Would you like to shut up dear brother? And let my friend eat with peace." Alizeh fired back.

Shahveer rolled his eyes. Something he was a pro at!

"Childhood habits can never be changed" Mrs. Shehroze smiled while slapping Shahveer's hand, jokingly.

"What do you mean?" Mr. Shehroze asked with deep interest.

"Shehroze, don't you remember how he used to tease Hoor all the time when they were kids?" Her eyes twinkled with immense joy.

"Of course, Of course!" Mr. Shehroze and Alizeh burst into laughter.

All I could do was play with my fork, twisting and slicing the piece of cucumber, while trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Oh come on Mom! Now don't start talking about those pathetically boring days! I was a dumb head back then." Shahveer complained while slicing his prawns in a very professional manner.

"Pathetically Boring!!" I repeated his words with disappointment.

"Of course they were!" He gave a cringed look.

"No, they weren't!" I responded angrily.

Alizeh burst into laughter once again sensing the tension growing between her brother and me.

"How can someone even forget that memorable incident of Hooriyah's birthday ?" Mrs. Shehroze winked at me.

I gasped her with horror. This was not the right time to share that horrible incident.

"Err.. Aunty, I guess some things are best left unsaid, why don't we talk about something else?" I started panicking.

"Oh come on Hoor!" Mr. Shehroze chuckled while Alizeh insisted her mother to continue the story.

"No Aunty, please!" I begged again while joining my hands in front of her like a child.

Mr and Mrs. Shehroze chuckled.

"Go on Mom! I desperately want to know what happened at her birthday!" Shahveer smirked while watching my worried facial expressions.

Now all of a sudden he was desperate and interested to know about his pathetically boring childhood days? This man was ridiculous! Just wow!
And that's when I actually wanted to punch right through his handsome and flawless face, like I used to do back then.

"I'm sorry Hoor, my dear son is insisting, so now I have to tell!" Mrs. Shehroze laughed hysterically while rubbing her hands to prepare herself to start narrating that embarrassing incident.

I had already recited lots of prayers to protect myself from the storm of embarrassment that was coming my way.

" So one fine day, it was snowing heavily while our family was staying at Hooriyah's house in Murree for two weeks. It was Hooriyah's fifth birthday and everyone was busy in decorating that beautiful cottage with balloons, ribbons and confetti. Only few people were invited. Me and Hooriyah's Mother had already baked a scrumptious black forest cake for her. The kids were playing in the garden and were busy making some horrible snowmen. Meanwhile our princess was busy counting her birthday balloons. Having no concern with any of the beautifully packed gifts lying on the table, she only cared about her colorful balloons. "

I could hear someone giggling as if a joke was being shared. To my utmost surprise, it was Shahveer.

"She was continuously guarding the balloons in order to stop the culprits from stealing them." Mrs. Shehroze continued.

"And who were the culprits?" Alizeh asked with immense excitement.

"Obviously, our 8 year old hero and his friends!" Mrs. Shehroze smiled while eyeing Shahveer as he looked at her mother with shock and amazement.

"And then suddenly, our mischievous Shahveer entered with his mates and secretly started popping the balloons with the scissors one by one although he knew that little Hooriyah won't spare him at all!"

I chuckled . What a tomboy I was!

"Finally, when he prepared himself to burst the last balloon which was also the largest of all, there was a deafening scream of a little girl ,heard by all of us.

Without wasting a single second, our infuriated Hooriyah grabbed a bucket full of icy cold water and threw it straight on Shahveer's face!"

"THAT ...... WAS........ FANTASTIC!"
Alizeh started clapping her hands with excitement.

I hid my face behind my hands when Shahveer gasped me with horror.

"That's not where the story ends Alizeh!" Mr. Shehroze interrupted.

"Not ready to forgive my poor, trembling son so soon, she snatched the scissors from his cold white hands and without wasting any second____"

He paused while brewing some suspense in the air.
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"SHE .....LITERALLY....CHOPPED....HIS ......HAIR......OFF....!!!!"

Shahveer abruptly choked on his mouthful of water. Everyone burst into laughter.

"And he just let her do that? You didn't even try to stop her? It is unbelievable!" Alizeh stared her brother with amazement.

"He was really innocent back then!" Mr. Shehroze chuckled.

"That was very brutal, Hu-ree-yah" Shahveer complained angrily with his cute British accent.

"Well, you shouldn't have messed up with my birthday balloons. They were
so dear to me!" I fired back.

"What if she chops my hair again?" Shahveer asked innocently while looking at his parents.

This time, I was the first one to burst into laughter and then the whole dining room was echoing with loud and ridiculous laughter.

"Well, I am sorry for being brutal, Shahaveer" I apologized while feigning innocence.

His angry frown started to transform into a cunning smile as he stared me with those pair of large olive green beautiful eyes.

This piercing gaze is going to kill me someday!

"I love taking revenge!" He slowly rubbed his cheeks with his fingers.

"Now are you going to take revenge from Hooriyah? The poor soul just came here few hours ago!" Alizeh scolded her brother who was still staring me with cunningness.

Don't know what he was up to.

"C'mon Shavi! Don't irritate my princess. Or else you might be gifted with another beautiful haircut by her!" Mr. Shehroze warned his son.

A huge satanic grin danced through my lips as I tried to purse them.

Some memories are embarrassing, but simultaneously, sweet too! They bring back lots and lots of laughter with them.

"Your presence has brought back so much happiness and memories Hoor. It's like you have filled that place in our family which was empty since 18 years!" Mr. Shehroze smiled as his eyes twinkled with joy.

"Indeed, and your presence is soon going to lighten up the darkness of someone's life. Very very soon!" Mrs. Shehroze looked at Shahveer with lots of affection who was busy texting.

She tried to indicate towards something which was hard to interpret.

All I could do was smile gratefully while finally trying to excuse myself so that I could go to my room as the tiredness from the journey had slowly and gradually started to envelope me in its beautiful embrace.

"Oh yes, you must be very tired dear. Now you should go and sleep as you have to get up early tomorrow. Alizeh wants to take you to the shopping mall to buy some remaining stuffs for the wedding. Plus, it's her bridal shower day after tomorrow. So she needs to buy a dress too. I hope you won't mind accompanying her? Would you?" Mrs. Shehroze asked politely.

"Not at all Auntie! I will go with her." I smiled while looking at Alizeh who was more than super excited to hear my approval.

I finally stood up to leave the dining room.

Just when I was about to reach my room, I heard someone following me through the garden.

"Hooriyah!" A familiar voice stopped me.

The moment I turned back to see the follower, my heart skipped a beat. I quickly covered my head with a veil.

Was he going to take a revenge now ?

"Thanks a lot!" He almost whispered.

I stared him with amazement!

"Thanks a ton!" He added while smiling ear to ear.

"For what?" I giggled.

"For saving me from a lengthy lecture from my parents. If you wouldn't have been there during the dinner, they would have almost killed me for what I did in the morning" Shahveer scratched his neck sheepishly.

He looked so innocent and cute that I couldn't help myself but start laughing.

"What's so funny?" Shahveer rolled his eyes while smiling stupidly.

"Nothing... It's just that___"
I paused while looking at those charming olive green eyes that I had missed so badly since 18 years.

The eyes I could die for!

I wanted to say more. But chose to remain silent.

"Just what?" He interrupted

"N...Nothing! You're welcome! Goodnight!" I quickly lowered my gaze after realizing that I had been staring those eyes for so long.

But I was helpless!

I hurriedly turned to go back to my room as his presence was making me feel very nervous.

"Listen!"

I stopped in my tracks to turn back. Now what??

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked surprisedly.

He paused for a while.

"For bursting those balloons!"
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After a silence of approximately ten seconds, we both burst into what seemed like an uncontrollable laughter.

Oh Allah!

Was it a dream or an illusion?

Was it an imagination or a fairytale?

Someone who had already built a castle in my heart and was living in it since almost two decades, was standing right in front of me! Laughing with me uncontrollably ! Ridiculously! Yet he was unaware about the mess he had created inside my heart! Unaware of the damage he had done to my soul!

And amazingly, was only apologizing for bursting the balloons?

I was waiting for someone to burst the balloon of my imaginations and illusions that I was having! Perhaps.
But no, neither was it an imagination, nor an illusion.

It was a reality!

Indeed the most beautiful reality of my life. A reality which was even more prettier than the pink exquisite lotuses floating flawlessly through a cold, tranquil lake along with some beautiful swans.

"Goodnight Veer! Now kindly excuse me or I might get late for my fajr pr____." I jerked upon realizing my mistake.

"Veer?" He was always quick to respond.

He looked at me with amazement.

"Childhood habits can never be changed!" I smiled while recalling his mother's words.

"Goodnight!" He finally decided to leave still not satisfied by my answer.

"Goodnight!" I smiled while watching his figure disappear, with all the affection I had been collecting in my heart since 18 years!

While watching him leave, I silently prayed to my Lord with the depth of my heart,

"Ya Allah" I sighed and tried to muster up some courage to continue,

"Bless my life with the presence of the one who is destined to be mine!"

A twinkle of joy danced through my eyes as I laid down on the bed while my long brown hair which smelled like lavender and jasmine, scattered rhythmically on the soft pillow cover made up of pure silk. Murmuring 'Ameen' , I handed over my unsynchronized heartbeat to Almighty Allah to soothe it down, switched off the golden fairy lights which were dangling on the crown of the bed and finally allowed the layer of a peaceful slumber to envelope me into its beautiful embrace.