"Shit!" I mumble as my ball hit Aunt Zara's stomach.
"God!" Fawzi says in a low voice and we both look at each other before we quickly hop on my bicycle.
Aunt Zara looks around with an irritated look on her face. Uncle Ishaan holds her hand as he looks at us riding the bicycle as if I didn't just throw the ball at her.
We watch as he keeps his hand on her stomach. "Did it hurt you?" He asks softly and she just shakes her head pulling his hand away from her.
I have no idea why they are coming together and why Aunt Myra isn't coming with her.
"Who was the playing with the ball?" She looks at us. "I am sure it was either Navya or Ahad, they are naughty."
I look at her silently and turn to look at Fawzi who gives me a blank look. I know they consider Fawzi and me the honest and good kids.
I look back at her, my grandfather and my father taught me better than to lie.
Be honest, get over it. Instead of lying and carrying it all the way.
"It was me," I say quietly.
She frowns and looks at Uncle Ishaan before she looks at me. "Every innocent looking isn't innocent." She murmurs before walking to the porch steps.
"Don't worry that was directed towards me." Uncle Ishaan says as he grins. "I gotta follow my girl."
"Is she your girlfriend now?" Fawzi asks curiously as he grins.
He looks at us as if thinking about what to say. "Maybe more than a girlfriend."
"Oh," Fawzi says looking at him and I wonder what is more than a girlfriend. A wife maybe.
"You seem very curious about it." He ruffles Fawzi's hair making him laugh.
If it was me I would have gotten annoyed if someone touched my hair but that is what I love about my friend he doesn't get annoyed.
Uncle Ishaan meets us very rarely but he is so friendly when he is around us.
"Will you play with us today?" I ask him.
"Maybe." He says as he tries to think. "You know there is a pretty serious conversation going on today right?"
"Yeah." I nod as I push my curls back. "Mumma said to me."
We have everyone coming over to our home because they are going to have a serious conversation. Mumma and Aunt Foziah asked me and Fawzi to play out and keep a check on Navya and Ahad.
"Yes. I'll see you later." He smiles before he runs to the porch steps.
"What is so serious?" Fawzi asks as we get down from the bicycle.
"I don't know. Mumma said to me I can't eavesdrop." I give him a pointed look so he doesn't ask me to eavesdrop now.
"Right." He nods understanding I am not going to disobey my mother.
"Look at them." I shake my head as I look at Navya and Ahad who laugh falling to the ground.
"Really?" We turn to look at the gates as Aunt Sara and Uncle Kabir walk in.
"Yeah. I would do anything." He laughs. "I want to be their favorite."
"Hey." Fawzi greets them and I say after him.
"Hello, kiddos." She smiles at us as she opens her arms and we rush to hug her or maybe I'll say it as hug her huge stomach.
"Wow. The babies are really growing big." Fawzi looks down at her stomach.
"Just like you two are growing up." Uncle Kabir says and we both grin looking at each other.
"Look at you now. How tiny you were and now you are really growing fast." Aunt Sara smiles as she pinches our cheeks.
"Where are my favorites?" She asks looking around and then she spots them fighting like cats on the ground.
"Look at how adorable they are!" She says looking at them lovingly before walking towards them.
"Are we not adorable?" I ask Fawzi with a frown.
"You are smart and charming." Uncle Kabir chuckles looking at us.
Fawzi follows him to where Aunt Sara is with Navya and Ahad. I am about to follow them when I see through the gates my father standing in a corner talking with a person.
I frown as I walk to the other side which gives a clear view of the outside and I realize that it's Uncle Rayan he is talking with standing in front of a car.
I know better than trying to look after what my father is doing secretly so I shake my head and I am about to look away when I notice the backdoor of the car slowly opening and a girl pokes her head out. She looks sideways and quickly jumps out of the car.
I frown looking at her wondering why is she running away. Has she been kidnapped by Uncle Rayan?
I walk to the gates wanting to help her if she is in trouble.
"You can't go out." Watchman says as I stand near the gates.
"My father is there." I point to the far corner where he stands with Uncle Rayan.
He looks at me unsure before he lets me walk out. I go from the other side so Papa and Uncle Rayan don't notice me and I run behind the girl.
I stop unsure when she takes the left to where the park is. I decided I should follow her and ask why she is running away. Papa would love to beat Uncle Rayan if he kidnapped her and helping someone is a good deed.
"Hey, stop." I stand in front of the girl as she runs into the park. There are a lot of people here since it's Sunday.
She stands near a tree looking at me with a frown. She is wearing a short light green dress and has bangs on her forehead. She removes her sunglasses and looks at me annoyed.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"Who are you?" She asks.
I open my mouth to say to her I am Niam but I stop realizing she didn't answer my question.
"What are you doing here?" I ask again. "Has Uncle Rayan kidnapped you?"
"You know my father?" She asks looking surprised.
"He is your father?" I ask with a frown.
"He is." She nods. "You are not going to tell him I was here."
"Okay." I nod as I put my hands in my pockets. "Just on a condition."
"What?" She asks rolling her eyes.
"Tell me why you are running away from your father." I shrug.
She glares at me. "I am not telling you."
"Then I am telling him." I shrug.
"You are so annoying." She frowns as she leans against the tree. "What is your name?"
"I am not answering your questions until you tell me the reason you are running away." I shrug.
"Why do you keep shrugging?" She frowns.
"I don't know." I shrug again and she makes a face.
"Dad is busy talking and I wanted to take some selfies." She says after a moment. "It's my birthday."
"Happy Birthday," I say as I give her a small smile.
"Uh, thanks." She looks away.
"Your father doesn't allow you to take selfies or what?"
"He wants me to stay in the car and wait for him. I just always wait for him and I don't want to do it today so..." She shrugs looking around.
"Is she your girlfriend?" I look over my shoulder as Fawzi walks in.
"No." I shake my head. "I don't want a girlfriend, I have you."
"Right." He grins. "Hey. What is your name?"
"And why would I tell you?" She rolls her eyes.
"It's her birthday," I say to him as he stands next to me.
"Wow. Happy Birthday." Fawzi grins as he holds his hand out for her.
"Thanks." She looks away again and Fawzi drops his hand.
"Why don't you take selfies and go back?" I ask. "Your father might get worried."
"Oh, yes." She reaches into her unicorn sling bag and grabs a phone.
"You own a phone?" Fawzi asks surprised.
"I do." She grins for the first time. "My father doesn't stay with me so he gives me the phone so that I can call him whenever I want."
"I need lipstick." She frowns looking at herself on the phone. Fawzi and I exchange a glance as she reaches into her purse again and pulls two lipsticks out.
She looks confused between them before she looks up at us. "Which one?"
Fawzi and I look at it deeply trying to figure out the difference. "Both are the same," I say.
"They are not." She rolls her eyes. "This is red and this is deep red."
"Well, I don't want to learn this," I say as I back off. Navya gives me a headache when she asks me to decide which color of lipstick goes well with the dress.
Thanks to Mumma. She helps her out with it and now I wish she was here to help this girl out.
We watch as she decides to go with deep red lipstick and Fawzi holds the phone for her as she applies it.
"Thanks." She smiles at him after she is done and she stands with the tree in the background as she takes selfies. The light green dress goes well with the green nature around.
I watch as she pouts her lips, sticks her tongue out, puts her sunglasses on her forehead, keeps her hand on her waist, and takes various selfies.
"Will you take my full-length picture?" She looks between us.
"Yeah." I nod and grab the phone from her.
She keeps her hand on her waist as she wears the sunglasses and poses for the camera and I take her picture.
She folds her hands and smiles at the camera for another picture.
"Thank you." She reaches for her phone. "Take a photo with me."
I frown but she hands her phone to Fawzi who grins at us.
"Look at the camera." She laughs slowly and I grin at her.
"Done," Fawzi says.
"We didn't look at the camera yet." She says to him.
"This is still good," Fawzi says handing her the phone and we look at the picture he has taken. She is laughing and looking at me and I am grinning at her.
It looks... cute.
"I want to take one with you." She looks up at Fawzi and I take the phone.
They both look at the camera as they stand beside each other and I take the picture. We then take a selfie together before it kicks us our fathers are probably going to finish the conversation and look for us.
"How do you know my father?" She asks me as we begin to walk out.
"He knows my father." I shrug.
"You are not telling him anything." She says seriously. "If we don't get caught..."
"On a condition," I say and she sighs frustrated.
"What?"
"What's your name?"
"Hazel." She says looking at me.
"I am Niam."
"And I am Fawzi." He says grinning at us.
She looks between us and smiles showing off her dimples.
"Bye." She waves her hand before she starts running.
"How did you find me?" I ask Fawzi as we run after her.
"I saw you running and came after. I was watching for a while as you were talking with her." He laughs. "I thought she was your girlfriend and you didn't tell me."
"I don't have money to buy chocolates and gifts for anyone." I laugh. "So no girlfriend. Besides, Papa will kill me if do anything like that."
"You are going to get killed anyway." He says as we stand near the gates.
"Where were you?" Mumma looks at me with a frown and she leans down to hug me. "Did any hoodie lady call you out?"
"No." I shake my head as I look at Aunt Foziah and Papa who have worried looks on their faces. I look over my shoulder to see if Hazel is getting scoldings too but she seems to have good luck as she gets in the car while Uncle Rayan is talking on the phone.
"Then where did you go?" Papa asks. "Fawzi?"
"I just ran after a girl who was running. I thought she was in trouble and wanted to help her." I say honestly but I don't reveal anything about Hazel because I know no one knows Uncle Rayan has a daughter. It's none of my business.
"And I followed him," Fawzi says.
"You were supposed to look after your brother and Navya." Uncle Asad speaks. "You shouldn't have gone out like that."
Fawzi looks at me and we lower our heads as we mumble. "Sorry."
"Aunt Sara and Uncle Kabir were with them that's why I left," Fawzi says quietly. "It won't happen again."
"You should never go like that to help anyone," Papa says looking at us. "You never know when it's a trap."
"Don't do that again," Mumma says as she caresses my cheek and I nod feeling sad that I got everyone worried.
"I think you all should play on the terrace, that's safe," Papa announces and everyone agrees.
We are then sent to the terrace to play and we enjoy ourselves a lot. Fawzi's small sister Sorfina stays with us and we all have a lot of fun together.
❊❊❊
How was it? 😂
Did you expect Niam's POV?
Well, if you have played the quiz Sweetness Of Love on Instagram you would probably remember I had promised I am gonna write a chapter from his POV so here it is.
I couldn't do any better writing from the POV of a child. I hope it wasn't too much like an adult. But hey, Niam is a smart boy. 😂
Yeah, I am definitely writing about Hazel and Niam as soon as this book is over and I already have a plot ready for them.
Will you be joining their journey? 😂✌
Do vote, comment, and share your views.