"Yeh kaisa hai?" Asked Inara Haisham, throwing a pink dress on herself.
Anaya raised her eyes from bangles and gave her cousin an approving nod.
Dresses, gowns and lehengas were throwing everywhere in Inara's room while her bed was messed with jewelries.
Both Inara and Anaya were trying dresses and jewelries when Ishrat came there.
A loud gasp left her mouth. "Yeh Kya Hai? Pura kamra bikhra hua Hai... Inara, saaf Karo isssy."
"Mamma! Hum shaadi ke liye dress select Kar rahe Hain. Aaj shaam ko Jana haina mamujaan ke yaha." Inara told her mother in careless tone.
"Inara, Sara ki shaadi Hai tumhari nahi. Aur khabardaar jo yeh gulabi lehnga nikala tumne. Yeh tumhari shaadi ke liye rakha Hai Maine." Ishrat irritatedly told her, picking a gota patti dupatta from floor.
"Apni shaadi mein main yeh pehnugi? Itna sada?" Inara's face showed a great dislike for the dress which she liked just a minute ago.
"Bilkul bhi nahi. Main yeh Sara ki shaadi mein pehenugi." Inara announced and fold the dress, putting it on side where she is putting all the dresses and things which she is going to take to her Uncle's house.
Her uncle lives in another city, and Inara with Anaya were going there tonight, exactly two week before the marriage while Ishrat and Rahab will go there next week because of Eman's exams.
"Yeh ladki!" Ishrat could only scowled.
"Achha jaldi Karo, tum log ko station bhi Jana Hai."
Although, both girls started packing from last night, but still were running around the house to find their things which they forgot to pack. Which made them both late.
"Tumhari wajah se late hue Hain." Inara told Anaya, as they both sat down on their seats in train.
"Apni heels ke liye kisne car wapas mudwai thi?" Asked Anaya.
In return, Inara just mumbles her words back.
•••
"Inara! Inara! Allah, ladki utho humara station miss ho jayega." Anaya was trying to wake Inara who was sleeping without any care of the world.
"Inara!" She was trying to wake her up for the last half an hour, they were about to reach their station, but Inara madam was soundly sleeping.
At last, having no option left, Anaya shook Inara violently. The older girl quickly sat up. "Kya hua, bhukam? Tsunami? Chor? Daku?" She asked in a single breath while looking around.
"Hum pohochne wale hain." Anaya informed her.
"Haan toh aram se bhi utha sakti... Wait! Hum pohochne wale hain." Inara was about to go back to sleep when realized what Anaya said and she sat up excitedly.
"Pehle batana tha na." She scolded Anaya and looked out from the train.
Anaya could only bit her lips.
Inara was one year older than Anaya, and where everyone expected Inara to be more mature, and to take care of Anaya. It was the opposite case. Inara was childish and immature. And Anaya was the one who had to take care of her.
Inara and Anaya were not real sisters, they were cousins. Anaya's father died when she was 7 years old and her mother remarried one year later, little Anaya lives with her paternal aunt's, Inara's mother, home. Both Ishrat and Rahab look after Anaya as their own daughter, Inara and she was so close that people often mistake them as twins.
Ishrat and Rahab have three kids, the eldest and only som was Hatim, who was a general surgeon. Then Inara, who was a law student along with Anaya. The youngest one was Eman, who is in 12th grade.
•••
The loud noise of the train's whistle brought her back from the lane of past. Startled, she looked around and found herself alone at the station. Inara wasn't there with her.
She didn't know when a lone tear falls on her cheek while remembering those happiest moments of her life. She knows, life won't be the same anymore.
Before she could once again get lost in the past, someone called her from behind.
"Hatim!"
