𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧 | 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟎𝟏

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟓

FARAH

“I am starving.”

I lift my head from Ammi’s diary at Lubna’s voice.

It has been five hours since the festival started. In the last hour, we haven’t gotten many visits from anyone and I suspect a certain someone for that happening.

We busied ourselves with tasks instead of sitting and yawning. Zoya brought a book that she started reading, Lubna started drawing new designs in her sketch book and I resumed reading Ammi’s diary.

After I read the first entry, I asked Abbu about Ammi’s past. He told me that she lost her mom at the age of twenty-five and never knew about her father. Her mother and her were each other’s only family till she came here and started her own.

From what Abbu told me, I think Ammi didn’t tell him about what she saw that night. She hasn’t been brief about it in her entries as well and it has been putting me on edge.

A cheerful woman like Ammi could never be suspected of having a traumatizing past.

She hid so much behind her smile.
She wrote about her interaction with Abbu. That was a fun entry to read. She wrote how her heart fluttered and her stomach flipped when they locked eyes.

Exactly what happened with you.

I internally shake my head.

“If I eat one of the sweets, will you be mad at me, Zoya?” Lubna asks.

“No, but I don’t want you to.” She says without looking up from her book. Lubna whines.

“What do you want to eat?” Taimoor bhai asks.

Me and Lubna turn towards Taimoor bhai and Hassan. They have been with us since morning. They brought extra chairs to sit by the wall behind us like they are our bodyguards.

And I have not been glancing at someone whenever he was looking somewhere else.

“I don’t- oh! I know! Biryani!” Lubna’s excitement grows at the name of her favorite food.

Well, it’s everyone’s favorite.

At least in this Kingdom.

“You both want the same thing?”

“Yes.” Zoya and I reply.

“Of course, they do! Who says no to biryani? Haters!” Lubna grins and I blink at her.

Zoya places her hand on hers getting her attention, “Lubna, I know you’re excited but don’t wear yourself out.”

Lubna pulls out her lips in a pout, “fine.” Zoya smiles.

“Okay. We’ll be right back.” Taimoor bhai stands up and so does Hassan after putting away his book.

Oh, yes, Hassan reads. That is not healthy for my heart to know.

After the men are out of earshot, Lubna sharply turns to me, “okay, let’s talk now.”

I frown, “about what?”

“Hello? You having a crush on Hassan?”
My cheeks heat and I grab the end of my kurti tightly, “That is not important to discuss.”

“of course, it is. You have not liked someone in that way since… you were born-“

“Toddlers do not recognize their feelings when they are young so if they do have a crush, they wouldn’t know…” I trail off when I catch Lubna staring at me as if I have grown horns on my head.