"Where are we going, Ibrahim?"
"Quiet, Fatima!
They were almost out of the university. Fatima was following Ibrahim since ages, she is a girl with fabulous patience!
"Goddammit, if you are not telling me, I'll go back!" Fatima stopped in her way.
Ibrahim turned, "shut up and come with me."
"Last time, I remember, you did this and that was not good. Why don't you tell me, where are we going, Ibrahim?"
She took out her mobile from her Jeans pocket, it showed twenty minutes left for there going class which they just bunked to an end and the other to start.
"Why can't you shut up?"
"Why don't you tell me?"
"Fatima, you'll know eventually, few more minutes"
"No, why! You tell me or I'll go back."
He huffed and sighed as he did not want her to leave.
"We are going to hell." Ibrahim rolled his eyes.
"No, we can't go there, Satan still has a restraining order against us!" She shrugged as if it is every day they talk about satan and hell.
Ibrahim chuckled, nodding his head in disbelief.
This long walking took them to the cafe next to their university.
"Why are we here?" She frowned as they stopped near the cafe.
"Shhh!"
Fatima frowned again, staring at him.
Ibrahim ran his gazes everywhere, he was stunned to find Ira with a boy who looked a little elder than him, maybe a year.
Fatima witnessed how that boy held Ira's hand and took her inside the cafe, with ease and no regrets.
"Ooh, the boy is handsomeish!" Fatima teased, her voice plummy.
"He is not!" Ibrahim gritted and dragged her into the cafe.
He ended up at the table far from Ira and that guy, gazing her side of the restaurant too and fro, carefully for not being caught.
Fatima scrunched as she poked his hand, Ibrahim can see all the disbelief rushing Fatima's face with the curiosity being topped.
"Oh. My. God! You literally hired me to do this under this lazy sunshine? What am I, a killer?" Fatima gasped as she pulled her hand on her chest.
"Stop being dramatic! will yeah?"
Ibrahim stiffened his shoulders again as his gazes shifted to Ira.
They were talking, just talking, casually, faces beaming with joy and buoyant spirits.
"Ibrahim, what's going on? You are stalking her! This is isn't you, old man!" Fatima frowned and scrunched every second the words leaving her lips.
She would never want her friend to behave like some stereotypical lover boy.
She would never want him to get this low.
"I heard her talking on her mobile, in the library, she assured him that she will meet him here." He complained as his eyelids stooped low.
"This does not mean, you get on her tail!"
"That's harsh, Fatima!"
"It is meant to be!" Fatima squared her shoulder whilst he hunched, head low.
Fatima spared her gazes on Ira and then back on Ibrahim, her grudges urged her to help him.
Fatima exhaled out with a soft voice, "Come!" Before he could comprehend what's happening he saw Fatima moving towards Ira's table.
"Fati... ima, what... you?" Ibrahim tried every way possible to hold her hand or even stop her anyway, but no! Hello, people, this is Fatima, we are talking about!
"Amm... hey! Can we?" Fatima pointed towards the empty seats beside them.
Ira nodded bit consciously while peeking at the boy sitting in front of him.
Fatima sat next to the boy who Ira was meeting, leaving the seat next to Ira for Ibrahim.
She could sense the tension between the two new people and Ibrahim to strike a conversation with strangers.
"I hope you know us... Isn't it? Or it would be so rude to intrude your personal space?" Fatima looked at Ira. Her hand flying on her chest, giving the upbeat to her words, dramatically.
Ibrahim mentally rolled his eyes and sworn not to tell her anything related to him in future. Anything!
Like you not promised this umpteenth times now?
Ibrahim avoided his subconscious voice and sighed alongside.
Decided to go with the flow.
"Oh, I know you, Fatima. Please, it will be very nice of you to get to know each other. I barely have people to talk here." Ira flushed as she welcomed them genuinely.
Fatima knows Ira because of the subjects and the classes they share. Indeed, they did not exchange any words, yet. Though, people could find Fatima always the one who raises her hand in friendships first.
Fatima smiled at her and smirked at Ibrahim who was blushing?
Blushing!
"Sorry?" Fatima turned to the boy sitting beside her.
He with everyone looked at her perplexed.
"Excuse me?" He confirmed if he heard her right.
Ira and Ibrahim watched in anticipation.
Ibrahim was rolling his eyes mentally every second for what Fatima was saying.
Fatima sugar-coated her smile even further, "for you know, we were not called in, so I suppose I owe you an apology." Fatima exaggerated.
"I really don't mind that, your presence itself is blooming." He ended with the flirtatious smirk.
"Oh!" Fatima sounded amused as her nose scrunched with an intended idea.
"Don't mind him, he's a bit cheeky." Ira tried to avoid flirty tension.
"No issues." She smiled at him.
"Oh, by the way, I'm Saad... Saad Omar." Fatima nodded and smiled again.
"Ira." Her ears perked at her name. "He is Ibrahim!" Fatima pointed at Ibrahim as he turned his head to his side to say his 'Hi' again.
Ira smiled with rosy cheeks "I know."
"You do?" Fatima questioned.
Ibrahim looked at her as if she said 'I find him stalking every time' his trance broke when her words strike his ears.
"Yes." She did not say anything else.
"Good, you saved my time." Fatima cheered.
"You study with Ira?" Saad interjects.
"Yes, I do," Fatima replied.
"I'll get to meet you next time?"
He asked straight.
Fatima raised her brow.
"And who are you?" This time it was Ibrahim who couldn't take that anymore.
Saad was messing with Fatima.
And that is something which gets on Ibrahim's nerves.
No, not Fatima!
He frowned and sighed.
"I'm sorry on behalf of my cousin, Ibrahim and Fatima."
Ira glared at Saad.
But she was pleased to see Ibrahim so possessive over Fatima.
How many boys these days do such a thing, for friends.
Ibrahim's muscles now loosen over so many reasons.
First Ira called out his name.
Second, she was sorry. And third, his confrontation does not make Ira mad at him.
For the starters.
He was relieved.
"Let me please order ice creams for all of us," Ira said as she looked for the waiters around.
"No...." Ibrahim began however as soon he was interrupted by Fatima.
Ibrahim's piercing gazes were on Fatima however she was least bothered about that. Fatima was enjoying all the time and Ibrahim's red cheeks.
"Oh so sweet of you." Fatima smiled.
"Belgian Chocolates for me and Choco fudges for him," Fatima grinned.
"Cookies and cream," Saad exclaimed.
"Vanilla for me," Ira concluded.
~~~~~
All the day went by, Ibrahim was elated and Fatima was uneasy with the stuff happened.
Do we have to die, for friends?
She sighed, chewing the end of her pencil.
Playing cupid was not something she fancied.
Fatima understands Ibrahim's feeling and his interest in Ira, which made her help him. She wouldn't have done something of this sort in the million years.
But this is Ibrahim, her all.
She couldn't deny the existence of that old man in her life. She could never say him no for anything.
She had never!
Ibrahim was delighted therefore Fatima can rest in peace too, for now.
Knock on the door bought Fatima out of the trance. Nadir came in with his laptop in his hand.
She raised her brow knowing very well that he is here to disturb the life out of her, like always.
"Appi?"
"Hmm...?" She kept her things aside on the side table.
This wasn't going to end soon.
"Why can't I enrol into this shit?"
He exclaimed, throwing his laptop on her bed, aggressively irritated.
Mean!
"Language!," she assured smacking his head as soon he sat on her bed cross legs.
"What..., why can't I do this?" He asked again, still on his mood, smacking his fist on the bed.
"What is it?" Fatima asked switching on his laptop again.
"You know my password, appi?" He asked raising his voice gradually.
"Want me to do this or not?" Fatima pointed at his laptop.
Fatima enrolled him in the competition online. Nadir told her his tournament is in the first week of next month, interschool though.
Fatima was pleased to know that he is giving it a chance.
"What else?"
"Swimming, Appi?"
"Yes, but go for that in your summers."
"Rap?" He smirked.
He knows too well that our father for God knows why hate that thing.
"On your own risk, bud."
He laughed out.
"Amm... Yeah, Taekwondo?" Nadir knows that his sister is always fascinated with all the actions in the world.
He loves that thing, he doesn't bother for the genres of the movie because he knows his sister loves action, thrillers and mysteries.
They both do.
"There you go!" Fatima grinned cheekily giving him a thumbs up and messing with his hairs.
"Appi! Good girls don't do that."
He yelled, waving off her hands.
Fatima chuckled at his remark.
"Ooo... How do you know that, Dira?" Fatima inched towards him cautiously curious.
Greening cheekily.
He held his hand in the air near his midriff in defence.
Fatima started tickling his little brother, poking his sides and then his stomach.
He was pushed off on the bed laughing like a madman.
"Ap... *laughs* Appi ... *laughs* St... Stop...p!"
Nadir ended on the plush mat near Fatima's bed, his face red out of constantly laughing.
"AwwO... My... *laughs* diaphragm, Appi." He laughed.
"Your what...?" Fatima laughed, smacking him, disbelief.
Fatima sat beside him circling his shoulder with her hand and squeezed him tight.
This was her way of loving him, her little brother.
She looked at him, longing the stay of her eyes.
"Appi?"
"Ha?"
"Please, Ice cream?" Nadir looked at his sister with a pout.
"Don't make that face!"
"Tomorrow, for sure?"
"I want to go now?" He pleaded.
All of today's events passed her lane of memory.
The ice cream event!
She doesn't understand, however, all of that Ibrahim stalking a girl shuddered her a bit.
Not because of anything else but for the sake of their relation and the sprinkle of dignity and pride they hold.
"Tomorrow, Promise." She finalised.
"Ok..." he dragged, leaving without looking at her.
Fatima felt terrible for letting him down.
Not a few seconds later Nadir peeked in, "Are you about to sleep?"
"No, why?" She scrunched.
"Nothing." He left closing his door.
Fatima shrugged.
She went back to what she was doing.
School stuff and thinking!
Fatima was in the middle of her work when she flinched from the frequency of her mobile kept near her. The ringtone!
Pikachu!... Pika... Pika... Pikachu!
Ibrahim's name flashed on her mobile screen. She huffed before answering the call.
"Hel..."
"Ice cream treat! Come down, fast, or we'll leave without you."
Zara chimed, excitedly.
Fatima rolled her eyes and looked at the time.
Nadiirrr!!
It was Ten past twenty.
She took her coat and wrapped her head before leaving her room.
Remind me why did I deny my little one's request?
She knows if it is Nadirs plan than her parents are already aware of them, leaving.
Zara waved as soon as she watched Fatima coming out of the house.
Zara and Nadir settled at the back seat of the car leaving passenger seat for Fatima.
Ibrahim flashed a beaming smile at her.
She mimicked his smile with an eye roll.
In her resides his happiness.
In him resides her happiness.