Interpretations of Love

Chapter 8: It's a metaphor, Zainab!

"Zainy, get me Cigarettes please, I'm done with this box!" said my father that day.I was playing some some Xbox game with Preet.He came over, as usual.I figured that the game was too interesting to be left abandoned for a box of some Cancer causing compounds, along with 400 other toxins, which will eventually be burned and inhaled by my father."Smoking causes Cancer, if you didn't know!" I replied, not moving my eyes away from the screen.I was winning.Preet peeked at me, from the corner of his eyes and said "Jhalli".I smiled.That's what he used to call me."Jhalli this, Jhalli that".Jhalli meant crazy.Well, nothing to blame, I was crazy!
"You're talking back to me, insolent child!" bawled my father.I replied "Only if I get to keep the change."
"You've got yourself a fair deal." replied he.
If I were to point out the world's most stingiest person in the world, I'd surely elect my father for he never fails to refuse to give me money.Though he does at the end, but why the delay? Well at least he's better than Preet's mother.She is just amazing.If there was a mistake, globally, after the 'Hiroshima - Nagasaki" incident, then that would be asking for some money from Preet's mom.Be it whoever you are, you want money from his mom? Then Christ! You're on your own pal! Not to mention, Preet once tried convincing his mom, for some money to go watch a movie with me.It is a universally acknowledged truth that women are weak to believable compliments.And so He tried it the hard way.Well, One thing was for sure that he got some negative feedbacks, along with a slight slap on his cheek! "Are you coming with me?" I queried Preet as I tapped the green power button of the XBox, closing it down.He seemed a lot happier for he was loosing very badly."You think?" replied he.And we were off to the small shop, beside our house to buy a box of cigarettes for father.And there he stood, with an unlit cigarette in between his teeth.I hurried down, my heart pounding, for no reason whatsoever.I could hear Preet shouting "Slow down Zee!".But I paid no attention.And the first thing I asked was, "You smoke?!"
He removed the piece of paper, rolled with toxins inside and all he said was "You see, It's a metaphor, Hazel Grace". And the excessively long conversation started.