Love and Letters ✔

Chapter 2

Love and Letters

Chapter 2

Suraya wanted to talk about Humayra at break. I knew it would have been bothering her all morning since we hadn't had much time together, nor did we sit close to one another in any of the morning classes that we shared. As we got out of our seats for lunch, she pounced.

"So, is Humayra going to be your new sister-in-law?" she asked as we walked down the stairs.

"To the tuck shop first?" I asked as I began leading her away from the too full corridor and outside where we could talk without unwanted ears. "I need to buy myself some lunch."

"Okay, as long as I get the full story."

We speed-walked to the tuck shop, trying to get there before the younger grades did. I ordered my unhealthy serving of chip roll and Coke before getting Suraya by the few wooden lunch tables outside.

Unlike her prediction (or the faulty weatherman's prediction), it did not end up raining. Instead, we were joined by weak sunlight, partially hidden behind dark grey clouds. As I slid my thickly wrapped roll on the tabletop, Suraya beamed at me, her braced smile glittering with the pink elastics. "So... is she?"

I was baffled for the moment as I focused on wrapping the deliciousness, when I caught on to her meaning.

"Humayra? My new sister-in-law? Who was my old sister-in-law?" I asked as I picked out two heavily spiced chips and bit into them.

Suraya blushed and looked down at her chicken sandwich as she broke off a part and nibbled on it. "Uhm, well, you see..."

At her hesitant tone, I stared at her with raised eyebrows. I was curious to hear who she thought was my "old" sister-in-law. She rarely acted shy, or embarrassed. Suraya was bold and fearless and loyal, but very responsible. "Actually, no I can't see anything," I bit out sarcastically, deliberately teasing her while I lavished in her discomfort.

It was a once in a lifetime moment.

Little did I know that my life would soon become something to entertain her.

"Well, the truth is that we all tease my brother with you. You know how Zubair is and we enjoy teasing him with you."

I choked on the chip I was chewing. What in the world? Was I already something to entertain her? After a few deep breaths and allowing myself to clear my airways, did I speak to her. "Are you telling me that my old sister-in-law was actually ... you?"

Zubair was three years older than Suraya and I, and when I was younger I had the slightest bit of a crush on him. He was taller than me, especially at the age of fifteen as he grew into a palm tree practically overnight. His sporty nature ended up helping his physique, turning it from spindly into a full, muscular form, not an inch of fat. It was distracting, but it was made worse by the fact that he was my best friend's brother – and that he was constantly in my house. It didn't help my crush.

When I looked up, shaking my thoughts off Zubair, I noticed that her cheeks flamed once again, and she avoided my gaze. "Kind of," she whispered shyly. The moment was destroyed as she glared at me, mock anger burning in her eyes. "Why are you making it sound like a terrible thing? Is being friends with me that difficult?"

I laughed and nodded. "Obviously. Would I really want to subject myself to being around you all the time?"

"Hey!" she scolded. "Stop trying to distract me. What happened?"

I rolled my eyes and bit into my food. "Look, so you know how Humayra has personally been on my case this year?"

She nodded and swallowed a piece of her sandwich. "Yeah. Half of the time I was with you. This whole year so far it seems as if she has gone out of her way to annoy you."