CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO YA ALL! Salaam and sorry for the late update! :) 

Dedicated to Globalhijabis for their book "rants" Its awesome! 

here is the christmas eve update! 

~Al

The mall was somwhat empty yet full. You know it feels empty but it is full? 

I walked in as the people greeted us. 

Hasti grinned at Zaki and soon both were sprinting across the mall to the elevator. 

"Arrh Zaki, Hasti wait!" yelled ammi as she sped walked behind them

I face palmed myself but eventually grinned at their childishness. 

I walked in the elevator and stood beside Hasti as people piled in. 

"You should try to be more shophisticated!" i whispered to her 

she scoffed

"You should try to have a little fun!" she whispered back harshly

"Yeah right! Like run to the elevator?" I asked her and she grinned. 

"You will have fun this christmas!" she said 

That reminded me.... Reliance deal was tomorrow! They had shifted it to christmas! 

"Riigghhhtt" I said 

The elevator went "Ding" and it was our floor. 

Ammi decided to do the ladies shopping first and then for the decors at the community hall and then the all gift shopping. 

i took out my phone and checked the time.It was still 1.30pm!

"ammi can we go to that shop?' asked Hasti and ammi nodded

Hasti and Zaki sprinted towards the toy shop. 

"Ammi need help?" I asked her 

"Ah no, you go with them, Mrs. Chaddah is coming here so she will help me with all these!" she replied 

"Ya sure?' I asked her and she nodded

"Okay then call me if you need anything, okay?" i said to her and she nodded

"Go have fun, dear!" she said kissing my forehead 

i grinned and nodded. 

"Allah Hafeez Ammi" I said and she replied back. 

I jogged across the floor to the toy shop. 

When i opened the door, a soft bell rang indicating a customer. A tall petite lady came out, wearing a long dress. 

"hello, how may I help you?" she asked me with great kindness. 

"Ah no, I just came to look around..." I said as I searched for the two idiots. 

I walked further into the shop. It was cozy but not suffocating. It was decorated with all kinds of toys, cars, dolls and even posters! 

"Oh there you are!" said Hasti grinning at me. 

"why out of all places do you need to be here?" I asked her

"Coz I love toys!" she replied 

"Aren't you too old for that?" i asked her

"No! In fact, being old does not matter, what matters is the heart! and now I still love toys so I am going through them plus, growing up does not mean we leave our inner child behind!!" she replied 

I stared at her in disbelief. Did this girl not know what the world held out there? She was so innocent yet so mature! 

I smiled at her as I took out my phone and snapped a photo of her. 

"What are you doing?" she asked laughing as I continued to take her photos

"Taking photos of a child!" I replied laughing with her

"Bhai what-" said Zaki as I laughed with Hasti. He just stood there and looked at us with wide eyes. 

"What happened?" i asked him

"Your laugh- that laugh-" he stammered

"Ayyee say it clearly nah!" I said to him as I browsed toys for Lil Angels. 

"You laughter, I have not heard it in years!" he said 

I grinned as I hit him with the Big Bird stuffed toy. Bg yellow bird from Sesame Street? The cartoons I watched when I was a child! 

"Bhaiii!" he whined and then grinned. "I loovve this toy!" he said and hugged the toy. 

"Take it!" I sighed and he jumped up and down. 

I smiled at him 

"Kaaiiiff" semi yelled Hasti The toy shop was empty and it seemed like it was only the 3 of us here with 2 or 3 kids. 

"Yeah?' i asked her as I picked up dolls for my angels. 

"Which one is better?" she asked me holding up a duffy duck and a huge Mickey mouse. 

"Whatever you like!" I said to her picking up the dancing doll for Andy

"I like both!" she said 

"Then buy both!" I said to her 

"Well only one so which one?' she asked me

"Mickey" I replied smiling at her and she grinned. 

After an 2 hours in the toy shop, yes 2 hours, pciking out toys for kids and Hasti, we were out in the mall. 

"I wanna meet Sannttaa!" that was Hasti

She had put her bags in the mall cart that was with Zaki but she was tugging onto the big Micky Mouse bear that I bought for her, like a little girl. 

I snapped photos of her and she laughed. 

"No hasti di, Santa is only for ki-" said Zaki but Hasti whined

"Lts just go meet Santa!" I said and Hasti grinned. 

Santa was on the first floor and on the way, Hasti did alot of weird things like:

1) She did the run-with-the-cart thingi on the 3rd floor. 

2) She did weird expressions, so weird that a child actually cried coz of her!

3) After making the child ry, she gave him lollies from a nearby store and played with him until his mom came. 

4) She stood on the tree trunk, truncated tree trunk infront of the "Potter's Trees" and did the carol with a group. 

5) She actually made me hold her mickey mouse for her! and poeple actually saw me with that! Tomorrow news gonna be interesting!

6) She posed in for photos- very funny poses! I took a bunch of photos of her and Zaki playing around. 

7) on the way when we were passing childrens park, she made me go to the park with her and she actually played with the kids! She sang songs for them, read books and believe it or not- she played "London Bridge Is falling down" with them! 

8) She acted childish at times. She wanted a baloon and I refused, she set on the floor of the mall and grinned at me. Damn she will have my reputation down the drain soon! So I got her that. 

9) the girl actually helped the charity people. She played the drums and collected money for the "People's Helpers" group. She played drums and Zaki danced. yeahh.... what surprised me was she could play drums! Wow!

10) Lastly, she wanted to take the elevators up that was out of order! She was maadd! Mad but pretty. Somehow we convinced her we can't and she agreed. 

Finally we reached the first floor with Santa in the middle of the floor. Kids lined up to meet him

I looked at Hasti who was smiling at me. 

"Your really wanna do this?" I asked her and she nodded. 

I sighed as she and Zaki got in the line. 

It was already 5.30pm and it was snowing hard outside. 

After half an hour Hasti came to me grinning as she held up her gift from Santa. 

"I got a doll!!!" she squealed 

I grinned at her

"Yeah...." i said as I took in her appearance. 

The cold had made her cheeks red and the white scarf was reflecting her red cheeks. She was wearing a blue and green dress with white skinnies and white hijab covered up with a black adidas jacket. Wait- a minute!

"Is that my jacket?" I asked her

She looked at me for a brief second and blushed looking down. 

"uh.. i did not have any so ammi told me to get yours-" she said 

"Its fine" I replied as she zippe dup my jacket to her red face. 

I smiled at her. How she is so beautiful yet she has no idea? 

Masha allah, she is pretty and has the humor too! 

If Santa was real my christmas wish would be her but Allah is there! So Insha Allah I will pray for her.... Insha allah!

I smiled at my thoughts about her... Hasti Shahaan? Not bad! INSHA ALLAH kaif, Insha allah! 

++++++

So he is finally falling for ha? I think so? Or is he? muahhhaaa... ;) 

Insha Allah means if Allah wills! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS and be safe this holiday! Don't wake up late and do help ammi/ mom with christmas preparations! ;) 

*hope santa gives you what you want! 

Love ya all!

~Al