It had been a week since Eid. Between all the university assignments and a few other chores, I was too exhausted to do anything else.

Thoughts about my interaction with Isahaq randomly crossed my mind at times. Whenever I heard any love song or even saw jalebis displayed on shop windows, I instantly got reminded of him. But that was it.

One particularly rainy Thursday night, I was sprawled on my bed scrolling through my phone when my Nanu came in with her phone held to her ears, " Okay, I'll tell her to get ready and go downstairs."

I passed a quizzical look towards Nanu who ended the call and said, " Dear, quickly get dressed and go downstairs. Your ammu is going to take you somewhere."

I sat up with a frown, " Where?"

" I don't know . She said you have five minutes. Asha is already waiting in the car. Hurry up now."

Nanu turned around to leave and I got up from my bed , " But I don't want to go out randomly. It's raining. I was planning on watching some movies and having much needed rest."

Nanu paid no heed to my whining,
" You can do that later, quick now, get ready. I won't remind you again Maha, my serial has started don't disturb me now."

I pouted my lips but Nanu had already left as the high pitched drama dialogues from the TV screen indicated her favorite serial had begun.

*

The rain was coming down in torrents. Arrows of water shot down from heaven and pierced the earth in a rhythmic pattern. The peaceful melody of rainfall all around etched a happy smile on my face.

I watched as the rain droplets raced past each other on the window of our car.

Ammu was busy talking on the phone to her friend, " Hello. Can you hear me ? Yes we have reached but I can't remember which one is your house. It's difficult to see the house numbers amidst this downpour and my driver is too foolish to find anything."

I fought to suppress my smile as I watched our driver scrunch his eyebrows in annoyance at my mother's remark.

" Okay, yes that would be a huge help. We'll wait then." Ammu said as she cut the call.

We were visiting one of my mom's friends' houses. Throughout the past week I was in a sour mood due to the fact that this was the first Eid where I didn't have mehendi applied on my hands. Since my childhood my aunt's were the ones who always applied mehendi for me but now they were all married and lived in different countries. Nowadays I either ask my friends to do it or go to parlors. But due to busy schedules and unfavorable circumstances none of them was possible this time. This fact left me feeling disheartened and made the whole Eid experience feel incomplete.

Ammu was sick of me complaining about this so she decided to bring me here today to get mehendi applied. Her friend's daughter was apparently even better than professionals when it came to applying mehendi and in this excuse ammu could also visit her friend and chat for a while.

I looked at the drizzling rain outside as we waited for whatever ammu had been talking about with her friend on the phone. As I looked towards my right I saw a blurry figure approaching our car with what seemed like an umbrella over their head.

It was difficult to decipher anything else apart from the silhouette due to the weather.

Soon someone knocked on my mom's side of the window and ammu quickly opened the door.

All I could see was a guy in a gray hoodie and matching sweatpants as he said Salam to my mother and asked her to come outside.

I couldn't see the guy's face from the car .

" Maha , you stay seated and wait until he comes back for you okay?"
Ammu said as she slid out of the car and closed the door.

I followed their silhouettes as they crossed the road and entered the safety of a building shielding them from the rainfall.

Then the guy started coming back and this time he knocked on my side of the car.

I carefully opened the door and looked outside.

A familiar face stared down at me and my heart started speeding up.

This can't be-

" Hurry up ! What're you waiting for?" Ammu shouted at me from the other side.

A soft chuckle cut through the sound of the pitter patter rain, " It's okay, just be careful with your steps."

Heat creeped up my cheeks in embarrassment, why did ammu always have to be like this towards me ?

I barely had a chance to look at his face before he closed the car's door and gently ushered me forward with the umbrella held over our heads.

I stepped through the flooded street, hyper aware of his form close beside me. Too close, in order for both of us to be sheltered from the downpour.

But the moment was short lived as we reached the shelter of the building and he moved away to close the umbrella.

" Thank you so much beta. I'm very sorry for troubling you." Ammu said as we walked towards her.

" No trouble at all aunty! I hope it wasn't too difficult to find our house." He replied with a charming smile as he guided us towards the elegant lobby.

" It's been years since I visited your house. Life just gets so busy you know." Ammu mused as we stepped into the elevator.

Isahaq walked in and stood opposite to us after pressing a button on the side.

I observed him from the corner of my eye as he shook his head to ward off straggling droplets of water from his hair and face.

As soon as he looked up I turned my gaze away and looked around the lift randomly.

My eyes fell on the mirror in the middle and I was glad to see that for once in my life I didn't look like a total homeless monkey.

I don't know why I had bothered dressing neatly today but I was glad fate had somehow made sure I looked presentable while coming here.

The elevator reached a stop and Isahaq extended his hand outside to hold the lift as he waited for us to walk outside.

I still couldn't process the fact that he was in front of me.
When ammu said she was visiting her friend's house it never crossed my mind that she was talking about Maria aunty. I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be seeing Isahaq today all of a sudden.

A door opened towards our right and a pretty girl in a purple hijab walked forward and hugged my mother, " It's so nice to see you, Asha aunty!"

She then turned towards me , " Wow Maha has grown up so much. You were around 7 years old when I last saw you."

" And I can't believe our little Yashra is married already!" Ammu exclaimed as she took the girl's hand in hers.

So this was Isahaq's elder sister.

Soon we were welcomed inside their house and Maria aunty and her husband greeted us warmly. After a few minutes of chit chat and laughter it was time to start what we had come here for.

Currently, I was seated in Yashra's room while she went to fetch the cone of mehendi.

I could hear our mothers high pitched voices talking in the living room nearby.

Yashra came back and sat in front of me in her bed. She arranged a pillow in between us so I could rest my arm on it while she does her work.

I watched as she started applying the mehendi on my palms with ease. The way she designed the patterns over my hand in an artistic movement left me watching in awe.

" Are you liking it ? Let me know if you prefer a specific pattern or want me to change something." Yashra asked me politely as she took a small break.

" It's okay, please continue however you want. This is absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for taking the time out to do this for me Apu." I answered her truthfully with a grateful expression.

Yashra smiled widely, " You're really cute Maha. It's my pleasure."

The sound of a door opening towards our left made me turn my head towards the side and I saw Isahaq coming out of the room directly opposite to Yashra's.

I hadn't seen him after we had come inside and now he seemed to be walking outside while typing something on his phone.

" Oi." Yashra Apu called her younger brother who immediately halted and walked backwards to peek inside her room .

His gaze swept over me , my extended mehndi filled arm and then finally at his sister, " Hmm?"

" Are you going downstairs?"

Isahaq just nodded and Yashra continued, " Do something. Fetch those two packets of cuteness and bring them here."

Isahaq looked at her with a quizzical expression before his lips broke out in a knowing grin, " Fetch two packets of Masala ? Sure , right away."

I looked on in confusion as he walked away but I felt too awkward to ask them what they were talking about.

Yashra looked at my expression and continued laughing, " You'll see what I mean. Wait a few minutes."

Just then a young girl who seemed to be in third grade walked inside the room and sat on the chair, " Yashra Apu! I also want mehendi."

" This is our cousin, Ella." Yashra informed me before replying to the little girl, " I just did it a few days ago, did the mehendi already fade away?"

They kept talking as Yashra Apu continued crafting intricate designs on my other hand.

Maria aunty and my mother came in to check our progress and after appreciating Yashra's talent they went back to the living room.

A few minutes later the sound of the bell ringing cut through the air .

I heard my mother shrieking in a loud voice and there seemed to be some commotion going on outside.

Soon Isahaq returned to the room with two sets of toddlers on each of his arms.

" Here goes your masala delivery." He said as he dumped one of the babies on the bed and carried the other in his arms.

" Hayeee! I missed you guys." Yashra Apu gushed as she took the toddler in her arms .

" These are our two year old nieces, Maisa and Maha." Yashra Apu informed me as she poked the baby in her cheek.

Wait, Maha ? That's my name. I thought with a jolt but kept quiet since no one else brought up the topic.

The baby stared back at me with large twinkling eyes and chubby red cheeks. I wanted to squish her cheeks but my hands were still not dry from the mehendi.

Isahaq stood there by the bed for a few seconds with the baby in his arms and I could feel his eyes staring at my mehendi filled hands. I sat there still as a statue with bated breath wondering what he was thinking. All of a sudden I felt self conscious and didn't dare to even sneak a peek at his expression.

But then he walked towards Ella and put the baby in her arms before leaving the room. We spent the next half an hour watching the twins crawl around the room and do their cute antics.

After Yashra was done with applying the mehendi we sat there waiting for it to dry. Maria aunty entered the room , " Yashra, can you come help me set the table please."

Yashra Apu left the room carrying one of the twins with her.

Seeing them leave , the other baby started crying and Ella carried her outside, leaving me all alone.

I sat there awkwardly for a few minutes not knowing what to do.
Pessimistic thoughts put up their stations in my idle mind and I wondered why Isahaq hadn't spoken to me the whole time I was at their house. He had probably forgotten all about meeting me during Eid and didn't remember who I was.

Suddenly Maria aunty walked by the door and saw me sitting quietly. When she went back outside, I could hear her saying, " Why is Maha sitting all alone ? One of you please go and give her company."

I knew Yashra was busy helping with setting the kitchen so I sat there expecting Ella to come.

But to my utter surprise it was none other than Isahaq who entered the room cradling one of the twins in his arms.

✨

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