Elysian

The One Where He Smiles

Today I went to eat out with my family and saw 3 men sleeping on the side of the road. Not on grass, nothing, just cold hard cement with a stair as his pillow. I am so sad right now. It was night so we couldn't even go to get something for them.

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Jannat was trying to study because their cousins were arriving today to stay for the weekend and she wanted to be free of stress.

Dua was trying curl her hair, yelling every ten seconds after burning her hand.

Her mother was preparing for the guests. Azlaan, Amna , Ali and Hoorain were coming. Hoorain and Ali were twins, nearly Jannat's age . Amna was twelve and Azlaan was their twenty- three year old brother. They were her Khaala's children. Since childhood, they had played together.

She remembered with fondness when they used to play House. Azlaan was her husband and Ibraheem used to be her father because he was older. Dua always wanted to be Ali's wife and Hoorain used to be their mother.

It was funny, really, what childhood games had turned into.

Later, She got dressed in a black knee length frock, cinched at her waist and leggings. Her hair, parted from the middle, framed her face in long streams of golden-brown silk. She put raspberry lip balm on her lips and went downstairs.

When she entered the lounge, Ibraheem sat with his father, Ahmed, a man of fifty- years but still very healthy and fit. His greying hair suited his face and his light beard fitted his personality.

" Oh! Jannat, come here. Mera shehzada beta, how are you?" He opened his arms to embrace his neice, who he had accepted as his daughter ages ago.

He patted her head when she sat next to him. "How's your study going?"

"Good, Baba. How is you health? Isn't this time for your medicine?"

" No, meri jaan. I already took it."

They continued talking but after witnessing this exchange, Ibraheem's mind was working extra time.
His words echoed in his mind.

Another man.

So he wanted Jannat for himself?

If his Baba knew what he had been doing with Jannat, he'd kill him. God forbid, if he knew was he was thinking, he'd surely be six feet underground.

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Ibraheem was ready to kill. He knew Azlaan had a death wish when he saw him staring at his Jannat as soon as they met.

He knew Azlaan and his womanising ways very well. He had helped him out of trouble many times. But that punk was going to die today.

They had all came a while ago, had tea and filled the house with their chanting.

Hoorain had grown, he observed, and so had Ali. They were all children though, laughing and gossiping. And Ibraheem , too, after a long time had forgotten everything and was reminiscing the past.

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Jannat sat in the sofa, with time to time staring at Ibraheem who sat on the carpet in his casual blue jeans and a black T-shirt filled by his broad shoulders. She saw him laugh, his voice rich and husky. Her heart melted at the sound.