Enwrapped

Chapter 02

Saboor shook her head as meekly as she could. She'd never seen this boy.

"Moustafa, bacchay, call up your brother; let's see how far he's reached," said Mazhar, and ushered Moustafa outside.

Innately, it all ran as a question as to who was who. Despite being her father's friend, this was the first time she was meeting Uncle Mazhar's family. It happened quite a few times. Her father didn't have a habit of bringing over his friends for tea or brunches at their house, so she hardly knew a handful of them.

Soon enough, Saboor, Aynoor and their parents were ushered to the dining hall, for lunch was ready. Finally coming out her hazy train of thought, she had a look around the house. Theirs was a regular modern apartment, nothing compared to this cottage-like villa. They had a lot of wooden furniture, including the dining table she sat at. The walls remained a pale off-white, but it didn't mind her. She felt like the entire house was coming in towards her for a kind embrace.

One that she needed.

"Oh, child, are you fasting?" asked Auntie Israa. She had finally found out her name when she heard her mother calling her out, asking her to join them too.

"You're the last to start, Saboor beta," Uncle Mazhar said, pouring a little gravy from a hotpot. She took some rice from another pot, and began eating almost immediately. She looked up for a moment, and saw her mother staring at her, in what she almost considered hatred, and trying to ignore her, she looked down at her plate and continued to eat.

She had a fair idea of what was going to happen once they reached home.

~ 

Saboor had, against the hostess's protests, picked up her family's plates and kept them back for wash. Knowing that the young lady was not to listen, Israa let her help clearing off the table. Then, dessert was served, and while the men went back to the drawing room for a long conversation, the ladies joined in at the dining table.

"I hear you took a double major in college, Saboor?" Israa asked.

"Yes, auntie."

"My Muzammil had also done a double major. By the time he was in his final year, I, as his mother, couldn't recognize him, that bad it was for him. You still seem better compared to him."

Saboor silently chuckled. She had seen people like that in her final year too. In fact, she had felt like she would collapse any moment with the number of tests and projects all at once.

"But, shukar alhamdulillah, his work today gives him so much peace and joy, that his haalat all those years ago seems worth it," she continued.

This one seemed intriguing, Saboor thought. "What did he major in?" she asked.

"Computer Science Engineering and Biological Sciences," said his mother, beaming with pride.

"Oh, that means we share a major," she said, unbeknownst to the fact that she spoke aloud, but not in her head.

"Arey waah, which means you'll get along well," Israa chimed. At the prospect of meeting this person, Saboor's hands turned sweaty. Door se hi munaasib.

Right then, breaking the tension, Moustafa entered the dining hall. He immediately came near to his mother's chair.

"Mama," he sighed, "I don't think bhai is coming back in less than four hours."

Israa squinted in question.

"He's still at that site, and the prototype is still not finished. He says it'll take him more than an hour. And you know it takes two hours minimum to come back home."