Strings Attached

~Chapter 1~

However, I see Poulomi make her way towards me from the corner of my eyes. "Congratulations, Hidayah. You totally nailed it!" she tells me, smiling from ear to ear. "Thanks a lot. And congrats to you too," I answer, hugging her tightly. She happily returns the embrace. "That man didn't call your name on purpose, right? He is extremely prejudiced against you. It makes me angry," she says to me, her eyebrows scrunched up in resentment.

"It's okay, yaar. Let it go. I'm not angry, see. Then you shouldn't worry yourself either," I reply, trying to make her understand. "C'mon, I still haven't picked up my brochure. You coming, Samira?" The two of them shrug their shoulders at each other, and then follow me to the front of the class.

______

"Really!!! I can't believe this! My stupid sister is a genius!" Raafiah says, her eyebrows almost reaching up to her hairline. I aim at her butt with my foot. "You just didn't say that!" I tell her disbelievingly. "I so did. And that's not all. Was the teacher, somehow, loose in the head? He couldn't make so big a mistake."

The three of us are sitting in our room, inspecting the brochure from beginning to end. I haven't told my parents yet. Abba isn't home, and I plan to tell them both at the same time. But, since this girl here is extremely annoying, I just had to. Anyway, I couldn't hold it in myself. "You're crazy," I accuse her and run out of the room, coming out into the backyard. I place myself comfortably onto the swinging chair, and wipe my eyes angrily. I won't cry just because my sis has decided to act as the big, bad wolf. That did get to me. She doesn't know when to stop. Wait till dad gets home!

After a while, I see her come out, an amused smile upon her face. "Get aside," she says, and I pretend as if I didn't hear a thing. Finally, she squeezes herself beside me, putting a lazy arm round my shoulders. Inspecting me for a few minutes, she begins to speak, "I was just teasing you, Hilda!" Ugh! I hate that nickname. She's doing her bachelors in English, and keeps coming with various names for me from the novels she reads.

There was some novel she had read for her course, and there was a character named 'Hilda' in it. So, she thought it fit me best. And now I'm stuck with it. It's been the longest standing, and by far, the best nickname though. At least better than 'Hiddo' and 'Daya'. Horrible, I know!

"It didn't seem like it," I counter crossly. "You know how I am. I can't live without teasing you. The reactions on your face are just priceless." She has a goofy smile on her smile, and somehow, I feel better already. I don't know why it affected me so badly. Normally, it doesn't. Maybe, the earlier events of the day finally got to me.

"It doesn't mean you have to do it all the time." "Uh-hunh! Okay baba, I won't do it all the time, but sometimes...," she trails off looking at me, her nose scrunched up and her eyes twinkling in amusement. I throw her a hard glare. And the next instant, she is hugging the life out of me. "I am so happy for you, sweetie. This is a dream come true for you," she mumbles to me with utmost sincerity.

"And right now, my heart is bursting with pride for my beautiful little sistah!" And I grant her a small smile. "By the way, where have you decided to go?" "I'm thinking of London. But Raf, will mum and dad let me go? I'm too young for them, to go even to the next city," I ask her uncertainly. "We'll try our best to convince them, dear. Don't worry. After all, what are we here for, right Sammy?" she confirms with my bestie, who is standing by the door.

"Of course!" she replies, coming towards where I'm sitting and taking the other side, so that I'm squished between the two fatsos. "But... we won't let you get away with it so easily. Get the sitar (an Indian musical instrument, pretty much like a guitar) Sammy, we're gonna listen a few melodies from this little rascal," my sis orders Samira. "And shout encore, until the neighbors come out with brickbats," the girl adds, getting up.

Oh! I'm in for a grueling time. But, I love playing it, so I might as well entertain myself in the process.

Music, especially sitar, is my hobby. Piano comes second. My parents don't like it, saying that it isn't something respectable people do, but I bought a small one from my pocket money when I was twelve. They just let me be, as long as I don't make a profession out of it. I know its haram (prohibited), so I don't let anyone know about it. And I just perform in front of Raafiah and Samira only. Anyway, I intend to leave it after high school. My parents don't know that I can sing too. And again, only my besties for life know about that.

And thinking about the way I am, I begin to strum away the strings.

---AUTHOR'S NOTE----

I'd love to know your thoughts on this guys!!! So plz rock the comments section with your appreciation, criticism anything!!