Hikayat ✔

Chap. 32

Our daughter.

Like she was an only child.

It was supposed to be that way, and Fatima kept on forgetting she had to mention Aylaa too. It hurt Airaa but she never argued or talked back with her parents.

"Yeah. I know." She nodded and her mother patted her cheeks lightly.

"Okay, chalo jaou. And please! Airaa," she held a hand as if just remembering, "check on Aylaa. Make sure she dresses properly and pleasee tell her not to embarrass us today. Bohat important dinner hai."

Airaa sucked in a sharp breath and nodded before leaving.

***

Walking up to the kitchen, she saw Shaista assembling everything like she ordered then moved to the cake. Folding her sleeves up, she added the final touches to her creamy red velvet and dusting her hands inspected everything once more.

"Bss... Sab ready ho gaya hai. Yaad rakhna pehley tea trolley pe chai serve karni hai, Peanuts or Nimko ke sath. Cake mat laa rakh dena woh meethey main nikalna."

"Ji, Madam.. mujhe yaad hai." Shaista, the cook nodded.

Airaa blew out a long breath through her nose, and ran her fingers over her hair before nodding, "Theek hai. Ab woh aney hi waley honge. Bell ka khayal rakhna, main Aylaa ko dekh ker ati hun." She said and left the kitchen for Aylaa's room.

***

Airaa entered without knocking and found Aylaa, hands on her hips, checking her fit in the mirror.

She was still upset but Airaa knew Aylaa couldn't exactly stay mad for very long.

*Ahem*

She cleared her throat to get her sister's attention and came to perch upon her bed.

"Uff! Aaj toh koi.. sahi main bohat hot lag raha hai.." Airaa joked in a sultry voice, leaning back on her hands the way Aylaa always did with her. Tried.

Aylaa looked up from the dressing and met Airaa's eyes in the mirror. When she raised her brows scrunching her nose, Airaa cringed, knowing her efforts were in vain. The attitude was horribly fake on her.

Aylaa smiled though, so mission accomplished.

"Bohat hi buri koshish thi." She shook her head, "Aap per woh dictator style ke angry lines hi suit kartey hain. So stick to your style."

"Whatever!" Airaa huffed.

"And we both know yahan pe bss ek hi bandi hot lag rhi hai." She said it so casually that Airaa laughed.

A bell-like sound rang in the air, so delicate that anyone would be surprised it was Airaa's.

Aylaa smiled wider.

"Mujhe compliments dene ke liye Haider Abdullah moujud hain. Main picture behj chuki, and humney call bhi ki. Aap ki behen bohat fast hai." She winked, a soft red tint coloring her cheeks. Aylaa looked every bit like the girl head over heels in love with her man, which she was.

Suddenly Airaa felt lost.

Surprised by Aylaa's response, she bit her lip, "Aylaa... Itnaa.. bhi free mat ho.. As in thora... Thora distance rakha karo. Tumheyn pata hai na Mama ne kiya kaha tha.. usko sir pe nhi charhana—"

A sudden fear crept up in Airaa's heart. What if Aylaa and Haider don't end up together, like her mother said. What if Haider changed, and her sister ended up heartbroken.