A week passed since Shahzain's arrival and in this course of time he left no stone unturned to irritate Irsia. Their friendly banter was the whole family's entertainment.

"I'm telling you Irsi, you are possessed," Shahzain said walking behind a smirking Irsia.

"What happened to your hair?" Baneen asked looking at Shahzain's disheveled hair.

"Ask your darling daughter," replied Shahzain while trying to tidy his hair.

Baneen raised her eyebrows and looked sternly at her daughter who gave her an innocent smile. "Do you think I can do this?" she asked motioning towards Shahzain's hair.

"Yes."

"Mama!" Irsia mock gasped while placing a hand over her heart.

"Shahzain tell me what happened?"

"She was typing her assignment and I thought she must be tired. You know how caring and thoughtful I am, so I decided to help with her assignment. I typed few pages for her and what reward do I get? This," he said pointing towards his almost tidy hair. "You know how I love my hair."

"Irsia what is wrong with you?" Baneen asked her who was listening with her mouth agape.
"You hypocrite." Irsia lifted an accusing finger towards Shahzain and then turning to her mother she answered. "This isn't the whole truth. After he typed so called few pages, he got tired and then decided to rest. And do you know how he rests? He made a paper plane out of my other assignment and do you know where that plane landed? In the glass of water."

"Oh! Still it's no big deal. You can rewrite it. But is this the way to treat someone?"

"Seriously mama! I knew it, as always, you'll take his side."

"Exactly Irsia that's not how you should behave," Shahzain said with a smirk and received a glare from her.

"I'm going to sleep," Irsia said angrily and climbed the stairs leading to her room.

The next morning Abu Bakar was greeted by a very cheerful Irsia in the dinning room.

"Hey."

"You look happy," he said taking a sip of his tea.

"I've a reason to be happy," she said with a smile.

"Did you see him again?" She nodded her head in affirmative. "What did you see?"

"It was kind of funny. I saw him in dark green and black stripped T-shirt and he was cycling towards me."

"And did he reach you?"

"I don't know. I was there but at the same time I wasn't. I think I was invisible and all he did was cycle," she said staring into the space.

"Who was cycling?" Aazir asked taking a seat beside his sister.

"No one," Irsia answered quickly. Aazir narrowed his eyes at her abruptness. Irsia cleared her throat and applied butter on bread for Aazir.

"You don't need to be extra nice today. I wasn't going to ask any further questions on this cycling matter." Irsia blushed a little and gave a cheeky grin to her brother.

"Irsia aapi are you free?" Zahra asked walking towards Irsia who was sitting on a couch in lobby with a book in her hand.

"Yeah. Why?"

She showed her two henna cones. "Will you apply henna on my hands?"

"Now?"

"Yeah if you are free."

"Fine. Let's go outside. The weather is warm and sunny outside. I'm feeling sleepy here anyway. I'll keep this book in my room and meet you in the garden."

"Okay. I'll set up the chairs there in the meantime."

"Who was Aazir Bhai asking you about in the morning?" Zahra asked Irsia who was applying henna on her cousin's right hand.

"Hmm?"

"Something about cycling."

"Oh that? I was telling Abu Bakar about my dream. I think Aazir might have heard some of it so he asked about him."

"You saw him again?" Zahra asked excitedly. Irsia narrated the whole dream to her cousin who was listening with a smile on her face.

"Irsia aapi I get this happy whenever you tell me about him and I wonder how happy you must be feeling."

"You have no idea."

They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't see the person walking towards them.

"Asalamualaikum." Irsia lifted her head and her eyes landed in some vast desert. She didn't know where she was or how long she wandered in that desert but this desert felt somewhat familiar. From some other distant land she heard her cousin's voice calling out the name.

"Sibtain Bhai."

"Sibtain." As if on their own accord Irsia's lips whispered his name.

"Sibtain Bhai you are here. What a pleasant surprise!" Zahra exclaimed which caused the other two to quickly blink their eyes and look away. He gave Zahra a smile and a sideways hug.

"Yes I'm here. How are you Zee?"

"I was good but now I'm great." He chuckled at her response and ruffled her hair. His eyes again fell on Irsia who was looking at the ground, slightly nervous or uncomfortable he couldn't figure out.

"Irsia?" She looked up at him.

"Asalamualaikum," she said with a slight smile.

"Walaikumasalam. How are you?"

"Good. You?"

"Great."

"You really surprised us."

"Yeah I really wanted to surprise you people."

"It worked." She said looking at him from under her eyelashes.

"Sibtain?" Shahzain shouted from the door and walked quickly towards his brother with Abu Bakar walking at a same pace as him.

"Why didn't you inform me that you were coming today? I could have come to receive you at the airport." Shahzain asked his brother.

"I wanted to surprise you. Work got wrapped up quickly so I decided to visit you all sooner." They hugged each other.

"Good to see you bro. I missed you." Shahzain and Sibtain were not only friends but also best of friends. Abu Bakar followed the suit.

"Where is Aazir?" Sibtain asked.

"He is in his room. Let's go inside and meet the others."

"Good idea."

They all went inside sans Irsia who stood back to collect the henna cones and place the chairs back on the porch.

She looked at Sibtain's retreating back who was laughing with his brother and cousins about something. The sunlight gave his black hair a brownish shade. He was tall, few inches taller than his brother and his eyes were honey brown. He had chiseled face with high cheekbones and his five o'clock stubble gave his face more serious and handsome effect.

Everyone was surprised and thrilled on seeing Sibtain. They welcomed him with open arms and soon the whole family moved into the drawing room. Sibtain looked out of the window and saw Irsia walking towards the house and his lips automatically curved upwards into a tiny smile. She was the first person his eyes had fell upon on entering the house. Her face had been slightly hidden by her hijab and she was lost in her art. She looked serene and at peace while doing so. She was beautiful and looked exactly like Zahra had described her and for some unknown reason his heart had skipped a beat when she had looked up at him and their eyes had met, the fusion of dark brown with honey brown.