Muntaha | ✔

Chapter 2

the language of friendship
is not words but meanings

~

"Muntaha, Safi is here!"

Muntaha, who was sitting on the window sill of her room gazing at the twinkling stars which was her favourite thing to do, got startled by her mother's voice.

She raced down the stairs, her red dupatta flowing behind her like a waterfall.

"Safi ke bache! Aj to tujhe nhi chhoru gi mai.Itna late kon ata hai?" Muntaha exclaimed giving her cousin an angry glare. She was naraz that he had come this late to congratulate her.

"Hayye! Mere bachon ne tere kya bigara hai. Masoom abhi hue bhi nahi or tu pehle hi parr gayi un ke peechhe." (Ohhh!!! Whatever have my kids done to you!! Innocents haven't even been born and you're already after them.)
Safi replied placing his hand over his heart, acting like the thought of her bothering his kids actually gave him takleef.

"I called you the first thing right after telling Mama and Papa. And you're coming now." Muntaha said turning to look away from Safi.

"Sorry, Meri Jaan! I had some really important classes. I couldn't skip them." (Sorry, my love!) Safi said holding his ears and looking at Muntaha sheepishly.

"Han, han! I know what important classes you are talking about. You were again out with your friends, right?" (Yeah, right.) Muntaha accused, scrunching her slim nose and frowning her naturally arched eyebrows.

"Kasam se classes thi." (I swear I had classes.) Safi held his ears but Muntaha was not done with her tantrum yet.

"Ja! Mai nahi baat krti tere se." (Go away! I am not talking to you.) said Muntaha teasing Safi and trying to stop her smile at Safi's baby-like cuteness.

"Yaar na kr na! I left my friend's gathering for you. They all are giving me calls and tu ese kare gi mere sath. I didn't even eat anything since morning." (Dude, please don't do this.) Safi pouted giving Muntaha a puppy-eyed face.

"Chal maaf kiya. Come, I'll give you something to eat." (Fine. I forgive you.) Muntaha said finally giving in to his pleads and ruffling Safi's hair.

"Not the hair!" Safi exclaimed, running his hands through his hair trying to style them back and asking Muntaha not to touch his hair.

"I'm the girl here, not you." Muntaha replied reminding Safi that she's supposed to do nakhray not him.

"Yeah, whatever. Now come, we are going out to eat. Jasahan to banta hai." said Safi with a boyish smirk, holding Muntaha's hand and dragging her outside.

"Let me ask Mama first! And get changed." exclaimed Muntaha giving Safi a look.

"I already asked Tayi Ammi. And you look fine." said Safi and they both went out to celebrate Muntaha's another achivement.

Safi and Muntaha had always been very close since childhood. Safi didn't have any sister to pamper and Muntaha didn't have any other sibling. They both grew up together and their bond grew stronger. Safi's older brother Shehryar also loved Muntaha like his own sister but due the age gap they were not as close as Safi and Muntaha.

●~●

"Did you have fun?"

Muntaha looked up from taking off her bangles on hearing her mother's voice.

"Jee, Mama. Safi took me to my favourite restraunt." replied Muntaha giving her mother a smile.

"When are your classes starting?" asked Umayyah Saleem.

"Hadi was telling me that classes will start in about two weeks." replied Muntaha referring to her bestfriend Hadiya Jabar. They both met in school and bonded over a water bottle since Hadiya spilled hers and Muntaha offered her own to console a crying Hadiya.

"I am glad both of you got accepted in the same university. It'd be easy for both of you." said Umayyah. "Now, hurry up! And go to sleep. It's quite late."

"Yes, Mama. I'll just offer Isha prayer and sleep." Muntaha replied.

"Okay, Beta. Good night!" Umayyah Saleem kissed her daughter's head lovingly and went out closing the door.

●~●

"I don't have anything to wear!" exclaimed Hadiya as soon as Muntaha accepted her call.

"Right. And I am the one who has fifty pairs of pants in her wardrobe." Muntaha sarcastically said, smiling at her bestfriend's antics.

"Yaar, I am so confused. I have to make a good first impression." Hadiya sat on her bed with a huff.

"You are never confused during exams. Why now?" Muntaha asked laughing at her bestfriend's dramatics.

"I am always prepared for them but you know I don't have a dress sense like you." Hadiya pouted.

"Acha, acha! Don't be dramatic. Just wear that ivory dress you wore on my birthday." (Okay, okay!) Muntaha said saving her damsel in distress of a bestfriend.

"Oh, yes! I completely forgot about that one. You're my saviour. I love you." Hadiya exclaimed running to her closet.

"Yeah, right. See you later. Allah Hafiz." Muntaha cut the call getting up to get ready herself for her first day of university.

The two weeks had passed in the blink of an eye and here she was trying to figure out what to wear on her first day of university.

She decided to wear a simple off-white embroided kurta with straight pants embroided at the ends and pinned her hair back. For make-up, she put on a little mascara on her naturally curled and long lashes and a clear lip gloss for her plump lips.

She draped her off-white dupatta with a golden border over her shoulders and she was ready to go.

She hurriedly went downstairs to have a quick breakfast and bid her parents goodbye as Safi was about to come to pick her up and drop her to university. He said he doesn't want his Taya Abu to be worried about his jhalli daughter but Muntaha knew it was his proctective brother side kicking in. He wanted her to settle in fine on her first day of university. Anyways, what could potentially go wrong, haina?

Author's Note
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