Afrah

*Afrah is online*

Sorry! My phone died.

Seriously? Your phone chooses to die now?

Sorry. Though I saw your question so no need to get all mad.

Oh. You saw it?

Ya.

So? Answer it then

Wait, start from the top and ask again

Seriously?

Ya.

Okay fine. Have you ever had a crush on anyone?

Ya.

Ya? You?

Why did you ask if you weren't going to believe me anyway?

Sorry.

It's fine.

So, would you ever tell that person?

Maybe. But he'd have to tell me first.

Would most girls think that way?

I'd say so, ya. But I don't know.

Oh.

Do you have a crush on someone?

Ya, but I don't know how to tell her.

If she likes you, you'd probably... feel that she likes you too.

That's your advice?

Hey, it's not like I'm some love-guru.

But fine, I guess you're right. I think she likes me back.

So then what are you waiting for? Just tell her.

Okay. Wish me luck.

Good luck!

Thanks

Afrah looked up from her phone, stretching her neck to relieve the stiffness that had gathered near her shoulders. Her gaze fell to her books before she all but shoved them off her bed. She wasn't in the mood anymore.

Distract me while I wait for her reply.

That seems shady. What'll she think?

I would probably stop having a crush on her if she told me to stop. I heard Yaaseen and Layla got married on Saturday. Do you remember them?

Ya. My brother is friends with his brother.

Her bra lines used to show through her jersey

I never noticed

I'm not surprised...

She's married now. Stop thinking about her bra lines. Besides, that's weird.

Just saying.

My friend used to like him.

Which one?

I can't tell. She'd kill me if you knew.

Please.

No.

Please.

No. You're a big mouth. You can't keep anything to yourself.

Rude much

Did she reply yet?

Yeah

And?

*Ziyaadh is offline*

She laid back down, resting her head on her pillow. She'd just close her eyes...

Just for a little while...

Just...

Yaaseen

"Your mum seriously did all this for us?" Layla asked, awe evident in her voice. "It's beautiful." She didn't know where to look as she tried taking in their little cottage all at once. It wasn't anything fancy- no one had time for fancy- but it was just perfect.

"I'll let her know that you like it." He was surprised. Before they left for their honeymoon, the place was a mess. The walls were only just plastered, there were lights missing everywhere and there was not even a hint of furniture or even a spoon in the draw. His mother even payed for an extra night at their hotel suite just so he wouldn't take Layla home to see it all.

He was impressed.

He was very, very, very impressed and even if he would never admit it, he knew Raees was mainly responsible for things looking as they were.

She was walking around, opening various cupboards and draws, gasping joyfully each time she found something new hidden away. It almost felt as if they had stepped into a hotel with everything just set out for them.

But through it all, he still couldn't shake off the strange feeling settling within him. A week ago, he was still sleeping in his room across from Neelofah and sharing a bathroom with her. Now he was in his own house and everything in it fell under his responsibility.

Shit, he'd have to buy milk and bread and lightbulbs.

He felt as if he was suffocating. He didn't know if he could be responsible for a house and a wife. He'd have to take her grocery shopping and clothes shopping and make sure she always had what she needed.

How was he supposed to do that?

For fuck sakes, he had only just barely received his matric marks.

"You okay?" Layla had been watching him for almost an entire minute without him being even minutely aware of her gaze at all. She found it fascinating that he practically thought all over his face. She could make out every single one of his thoughts just by looking at the way his eyebrows quirked or the way his lips turned down at a particular frustrating thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?" she asked, stepping closer to him before placing her palm over his forehead. "Homesick?" she teased.

"Very." He caught the hint in her eyes, grabbing her hand in his own before brushing his lips over her palm. "Any cures?"

She smiled, walking backwards towards the one door she hadn't yet looked behind. "A few, but we'd have to make a proper diagnosis first."

"Really? And what does that entail exactly?" His lips tilted up, allowing her to pull him towards the room.

"A number of things," she rubbed an imaginary itch on her nose, "You'd have to remove your shirt though."

"Oh," he stopped, unbuttoning his shirt before he discarded it to the ground. "Anything else?"

"Ya." Her gaze dropped down to his jeans, lingering on it for a while. "The jeans too."

His hands went to his belt, unbuckling it as he watched her reach for the doorknob behind her back. "I don't see why I need to remove my jeans for you to make the diagnosis hey."

"I told you," she couldn't stop the blush from creeping up her neck as she watched him kick of his shoes and socks before reaching for the button of his jeans. "I need to make a proper diagnosis."

"Oh, right." He kept his jeans on, waiting for her to open up the door to their bedroom. She turned around, her nose prickling with the scent of a strong, floral perfume before her eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

"That is not out room." Disbelief evident in her voice as she tried to connect the image to her mind. "I'm dreaming and that is not our room."

It was breath taking.

Never in her life had she ever imagined that she would own a bedroom that looked much like the utter perfection before her. The walls were painted a blush-beige shade that she never in her entire life envisioned liking but with just one glance- she was in love. The rich chocolate coloured furniture seemed to glow beneath the soft light of the hanging lamps next to their bed and the soft beige carpet beneath her feet practically begged her to remove her shoes and pamper her feet within its thick, luxurious threads.

"We're never, ever wearing shoes in this room." She told him with utmost sincerity. "Ever."

"Duly noted." He smiled watching her salivate over their room. He couldn't help but notice that she seemed to fix her gaze on everything else except the massive king sized bed which seemed to dominate the left side of the room. "You like?"

"I love." She looked shyly up at him, unprepared to face the torrent of emotions that had welled up within her at the thought of it all. They'd start a life in this house. They'd start a family here... they'd find love in this house.

This was their home now.

Their home.

And nothing could have ever prepared her for beautiful finality of that statement.

And finally, her gaze moved slowly towards that part of the room...

"Welcome home." She hadn't known that he had moved until she felt his arms around her stomach, gently pulling her back to rest against his taller frame.

"Welcome home." She turned her face, brushing a soft kiss over his shoulder before she turned back around to look at their room once again. She felt his jeans brush against the thin material of her dress as she turned around, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. "About that prognosis..."

"Oh, right," he fingered the buttons at the back of her dress, "I think it's only fair that you take off your dress too."

"What?" she broke out of his hold, "Who says I need to be naked to make a diagnosis."

"Uhm..." he stalked forward, a giant grin on his face as she prepared to slip out of his hold again. "Me."

"Your opinions are insignificant in this matter."She faked right before she tried bounding past his left.

"I don't think so..."He caught her gently around her stomach, nuzzling his nose into the soft skin of her neck...

And none but the little frog outside their window would bear witness to the loud giggles and delighted shrieks that seemed to echo within the walls of their new home as night passed into black and black faded slowly into the chirping calls of the sparrows as they greeted the gentle sunlight above them...

Yumna

She hated staying at the library past sunset but if she intended passing remedial education, she'd have to just suck it up and do it. It wasn't as if the place was empty, but it was so quiet that it began to work on her just a little bit.

"Hey."

She looked up, surprised to hear his voice at all. "Hey, what are you doing here."

Muneer collapsed into the chair across her, watching as she set her pencil down on the table. "You told me you were here and I know you don't like being on your own so..."

She smiled up at him, sure that she was showing him all of her teeth in that smile. "That's very sweet of you."

"Ya I've been known to have sweet tendencies once in a while." He picked up her pencil, gently placing it back in her hands, "Now finish up and ignore me."

"Easier said than done..." she mumbled, shaking her head before she looked back down at the ginormous textbook before her.

"Sure you done?" The gentle breeze was a nice reprieve from the sweltering February heat, dancing along their necks as it blew past.

"Ya, I'm sure." she gripped his hand just a little tighter as they made their way closer and closer to her car. "Thanks for staying with me."

"I didn't mind." He leaned against the bonnet of her car, pulling her just a little closer to him.

"Good." She made to disentangle their fingers but that only caused him to hold tighter. "Muneer..." she sounded a little too firm for her own liking but she was beginning to feel a little too uncomfortable with his closeness. It was wrong- she knew that. The texting and hand-holding and walking around together in the dark...

But it wasn't that big of a wrong.

Right?

But now...

"Just let me hold onto you for a little while longer." He asked softly, gently pulling her to rest between his knees. "Please."

"No," she scratched at her arm with her free hand, desperate for him to let go, "I need to go home now."

Something in his eyes changed as he noticed her frazzles behaviour. "Sorry." he backed off, moving away from her hood, "I got a bit carried away."

"A little, yeah." Her smile felt fake as she walked around him, yanking out her keys from her pocket.

"Sorry." He opened her door for her, waiting for her to get inside. "Seriously, Yumna. I don't know what got over me." He held her door open, looking at her over the red metal frame surrounding her window.

"It's okay." She clipped her seatbelt in place.

"I made things weird didn't I?" he asked, looking down at the black leather on the tip of his sneakers.

"Kind of." She looked up at him, annoyed at how ridiculously fast her resolve was breaking.

"Sorry." He looked back up, shrugging his shoulders hopelessly. "Phone me when you get home, okay."

"I will." She started her car, putting into gear before he gently closed her door...

And he watched as her tail lights grew dimmer and dimmer until finally, it disappeared.

Neelofah

"Ameen, please. Pull yourself together. You embarrassed me so much tonight." Her mother's voice sounded sad as their argument filtered through the walls of her room. She pressed the heel of her palm into her eyes, trying to block out her mother's voice as it kept getting louder and louder but it wasn't working.

"Did you even notice your daughter-in-law? Did you even smile at Yaaseen when he walked in? Please, Ameen. I can't take this anymore. It's getting too much for me."

Neelofah's heart began to pound in her chest.

What did her mother mean by that?

"Did you even go into the cottage? Raees did such a wonderful job but you haven't even seen it."

Neelofah did a wonderful job too...

She narrowed her gaze at an invisible being, annoyed that her name wasn't taken as well.

"Yaaseen was mortified when Layla greeted you and you barely even greeted back. What the hell- we went through so much of trouble and this is what you do to us?"

She heard vague mumbles as her father tried to reply.

"Dammit! You're being ridiculous man!"

Neelofah didn't even realise that she was walking down the hallway until she found herself before her brother's room door. She lifted up her hand, knocking softly on the white wood. She didn't know when her vision became blurry but when Raees opened up his door and ushered her in, all she knew was that she could barely see the floor before her.

"You okay Smelly Nelly?" he asked, bending down to look at her face.

"Ya," she thought her voice sounded miserable and pathetic as she replied but she couldn't really help it very much. "Can I just chill here for a while?"

He looked down at her worriedly before he stepped back and allowed her free reign. "Go ahead."

She honed in on his beanbag chair, flopping down on it as if she were a sack of flour before she closed her eyes.

Blocking out the world and everyone and everything in it as well...

Afrah

*Ziyaadh is online*

Hey Affs.

Hello

Sorry about earlier.

It's okay, what happened?

I told her I kinda liked her

Wait a second, who's her exactly?

Mishka Randals

Mishka Randals? I didn't even know you knew her

Her dad and my dad go to the masjid together so... we know each other

Oh. I see

Yeah

So what did she say?

She said she liked me too but she doesn't like the idea of having a boyfriend right now.

Sensible.

So hey, at least I tried ne

Yeah, at least you tried

You didn't tell me who you liked?

I know I didn't

So who is it?

Huh uh, that's my secret

Please

No way

Please Affs?

No

*Afrah is offline*

Raees

Raees looked down at his sister, worried about her for the first time in a very long time. He sometimes forgot that she was only 14 years old. Sure, she acted like she was an 84 year old man stuck in a 14 year old girl's body- but she was still a kid. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as she laid her head back against the wall and he winced at the position.

She was going to have such a shitty headache when she woke up

But he knew his parent's arguments were getting to her.

Rather her mother's screaming was getting to her. It was weird that it had become such a normal part of their lives over the past few months. He had barely given it a second thought when he heard his mother ranting and raving or walked in on his father sleeping on the couch in the middle of the day. But it was beginning to wear Neelofah down and he almost felt sorry for the kid. He was sure their mother hadn't even realised that she could overhear their arguments word for word.

He looked down at his phone, annoyed at the constant stream of vibrations buzzing in his hand.

What Yusuf?

My sister's dating that piece of shit

Ya, I know

What the fuck do you mean by 'You know?'

I mean I know. They've been going out for a while now

The fuck. And you didn't tell me

Because she didn't want you to know

Fuck off

*Yusuf is offline*

Raees almost felt offended as he looked down at that last message.

They needed calmettes

The whole fucking lot of them...

A/N So @somecleverpreudonym asked me to post up the character's ages. So hope this helps :)