Sabr: The Sword Of a True Believer!

Chapter 7: From pulling my hair to pulling my legs.

Me: Its the other way round! You are foodie! Not me!

Suhaib: By the way...Do you think I am in love with you?

Silence.

Me: I..dunno yet!

Suhaib: Hey! I'll hang up now! I have to go grocery shopping with Ammy baby you see!

Me: Ok! Take care! c ya! As salam alaikum!

Suhaib: You too! Take care! Wa alaikum salam!

I hung up the call and turned around to get in. I saw something strange right in front of me appearing out of nowhere. I panicked and screamed.

'Woah there! Calm down! Its me!' I heard Zuheb.

'Why do you always have this scary kind of entry Zu?' I scoffed.

'Forget all that! What were you talking with Suhaib from such a long time...Bhabhi?' He teasingly asked.

'Were you eavesdropping us?And yeh! We were planning to kidnap your kitty!' I replied. Zuhaib had a pet kitty. He called her Shofo! He treated Shofo like his wife! He took her along wherever he went by, cleaned her himself, and even took her to various places at the evenings!

'Dont you dare do that, you piece of a caterpillar!' He grumbled.

'Look at your face!' I laughed.

We spoke for a while about this and that and moved towards our respective rooms.

Suhaib was trying his best to improve our relationship, I wonder if I should do the same. Buy then I am not ready for anything. Time is the best healer, it will heal our relationship as well. In sha allah!

The next morning Zuhaib gave me variety of grins and smiles at the breakfast table and that was making me uncomfortable since Uncle and aunt were there too. They had probably noticed how Zuhaib was trying to tease me every now and then, but all of us were aware of his mischief and hence chose to ignore him.

'Suhaib might be coming next month' Uncle Yahya said.

'Ya Allah! The boy never says me a thing.' Aunt Maryam complained.

'Woah! I am sure Rumi knew this.' Zuhaib teased.

'He didnt tell me anything.' I politely replied.

'That means you kids are in touch. Good to hear that! You must try working this relationship as soon as possible.' Uncle Yahya said.

'Dad!! They are no more working on it! They are moving in full speed! Do you know Rumi is totally lost in her dreamland the whole day! She keeps looking at cellphone and smiles for no reason. Have you kept Suhaib's picture as your wallpaper Rumi?' He said all of this in a single breath.

   
'Hold there Zuhaib! I dont know what you're talking about!' I defended myself.

'Dont lie you rotten potato!' He teased.

'Ugh!! You're such a gorilla-like crazy animal! As a kid, you used to break my dolls and pull my hair and now you're making up stories and pulling my legs!' I exclaimed.

'Somewhere In between pulling your  hair to pulling your legs...I grew up!' Zuhaib smiled.

That evening when I returned home from college, I got a call from an unknown number.

'As Salam Alaikum' I said.

'Wa alaikum Salam Habibti!' said a voice similar to that of Suhaib.

'How are you doing?' I asked.

'I was doing good. But now that I've heard your sugary sweet voice, I am doing better, Alhumdulillah.' He said. I felt a change in his voice this time. There was something strange about the way he was putting out his words too. I suspected something fishy.

'Ohk! But your voice sounds different today. Are you sure you're fine!' I asked.

' Oh No!! I am not fine!! This cold have  ruined my melodious voice and turned my cherry like beautiful nose into a tomato!' He said.

He was about to say something, when I heard a cat screaming in the background.

'Sshhh Shofo! Why are you being crazy today! I promise I'll take you to the mall tonight if you behave well for a while.' He whispered, but luckily I got to hear that and I rushed to his bedroom. I opened the door with a loud thud. He was holding his cellphone near his ears and Shofo was kind off jumping at him.

'Zuhaibbb!!!! What is with this crazy prank?' I yelled at him.

'Oh you found out that it was me!' He threw a cushion at me and ran out for his life. Shofo ran behind him.

I threw the cushion on the floor and ran behind the two.
'Come here you tadpole! Let me break your legs.' I screamed.

By the time I descended the staircase, he was already out of home. He winked at me and drove off on his black Ford.

I smiled at his naughty prank and recalled our childhood. I wish I were a little girl again. I wished if I could go back and relieve my childhood, a time where we were never worried if our clothes were soiled, if our hair was all messy, if chocolate was spilled over our entire mouth. But now that we have all grown up, childhood seems less like a past and more like a fantasy!

I wish if I could go to Neverland and stop growing! Life would be much easier and happier if that happens!
But seeing Zuhaib all happy and cheerful everyday taught me something really meaningful. His way of living made me realize that, Neverland is not an imaginary world, But a state of mind!

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