Unexpected Promises

Chapter 2

Atifa's pov :

I was reading something online when I heard the doorbell ring. It was early, Amira usually stayed outside for at least two hours playing with her friends. I wondered who it was. If it was her at the door, I wondered what happened today. Maybe she was excited to have the cake and came back early. As I ascended down the stairs, these thoughts wandered through my mind. 

I opened the door to see that my sister came back with a girl of around her age and the girl's knee was scraped. It was bleeding and the girl was crying. Ushering them both inside, I closed the door. Upon asking them what happened, Amira told me that the girl fell down while playing and got hurt. 

Asking them both to sit in the living room, I went in the kitchen to grab the first aid box. Coming back with it, I cleaned the wound on her knee before covering it with a bandage. All the while, Amira was watching me keenly and the girl had stopped crying. Even she was watching me intently like I was some secret spy in a movie?! Okay, I knew I might sound crazy, but that was the truth. 

"What happened?" I asked them both consciously while touching my hijab, but I found my hair instead. Oh yeah, I forgot to wear my hijab while coming down but I didn’t think they were staring at me for that. 

"It's nothing api..." Amira replied, looking at the girl now. The girl had turned her gaze away from me and was now staring at her hands in her lap. Dropping the topic, I sat down beside the girl. 

"What's your name cutie?" I asked while looking at her. Concerned because I had never seen her in this area and I knew almost every child of this area. 

She glanced at me before looking down. "My name is Alayna." She meekly replied, maybe afraid of the new environment and not knowing where she was. 

"Oh, so another princess! Ma Sha Allah, you have a beautiful name." I exclaimed with a smile. Amira sat down beside her and stared at Alayna with curiosity filled eyes. 

"Where are you from? How did you come here?" This question was asked by Amira, something that I was wondering about. 

Alayna looked at Amira and smiled, as if remembering something. "I came here with bhai and he left me in the park some time ago because he had some work to do. He told me he will be somewhere around here and will come back to take me!" She told her excitedly, all the while the smile never leaving her face. (Brother)

The timer of the oven went off in the kitchen and I smiled at them, "Wait here, I will bring something for you both." They both smiled and started talking about something. Kids could become friends so easily, their hearts are so pure and innocent that they don't look for any materialistic thing or what they might gain from a friendship. It was one of the purest kinds of friendship. 

._._._. 

Taking the tray of freshly baked cakes and juices, I went to the living room. "I'm here!" I exclaimed happily. They both turned to me happily. Carefully placing the tray on the table, I gave the cake to both of them. 

"Jazak Allahu Khairan api. It looks beautiful." Amira said while taking a bite. (Thank you) 

"And it's yummy too." Exclaimed Alayna gleefully. "Jazak Allahu Khairan api." She added sheepishly with a cute and shy smile on her face. (Thank you) 

"Wa Antum Fa Jazak Allahu Khairan." I replied with a smile, watching them enjoy their cake. There was just a different kind of satisfaction in watching your siblings or family enjoy something which you made. Especially kids, and since I loved kids, it was no surprise that I was feeling very happy. (Welcome) 

I took my piece of the cake, sat down on a sofa opposite to them and started eating. I would agree that it was delicious. Amira and Alayna were talking about something while my mind wandered off to think about Alayna. 

I mean how could a brother even leave his younger sister alone in a different town? It was just so unbelievable. I was feeling so angry at him that I could just go and give him a lecture of my own! I mean, even if he had some important work, he could have taken her with him. Or if he didn't have any choice then at least give her a phone for her own safety. Why did he even bring her here with him if he couldn't even take her with himself or take care of her? 

"Api, we are going to my room to play." Amira's voice brought me out of my thoughts. She was helping Alayna get down. Ah, these cute little kids! One day they were going to steal my breath away, I swear. 

"Ok, but be careful. No running around the house." I warned them while getting up and taking the tray into the kitchen. 

After cleaning the tables and washing the dishes - during which my mind was busy murdering Alayna's brother for doing such a thing - I went towards my room to resume my reading. 

I could hear Amira and Alayna chatting away happily. Tiptoeing towards Amira's room I peeked in. A smile etched on my lips as I watched them paint. Amira was instructing Alayna how to do it. A memory rushed to me and my eyes watered thinking about it. It reminded me of those days when even I used to draw with Abbu and Ammi. I used to be the bossy one, always instructing them what to do and how to do it. But now that I think about it, I was so childish. It could never be the same again. It would never be the same. Those days were over now. They were gone. Never to come back again. 

A sob threatened to escape my lips and only then did I realise that tears were streaming down my face. Covering my face with my hands, I took a few steps back before running towards my room. Closing the door, I slid down with my back pressed to the door and sat there hugging my knees. My tears and sobs seemed to have found a way as they continued to escape past my lips. I tried to suppress them but it was of no use. I just sat there and let my tears free, trying to make minimum noise so as to not let Amira or Alayna know. It seemed like my mind had its own legs that it walked to one of my old memories, which undoubtedly, made me cry harder. 

._._._. 

- Ma Shaa Allah - It is an Arabic phrase that means "what God has willed" and is used to express appreciation, joy, praise, or thankfulness for an event or person that was just mentioned. It is also a common expression used in the Muslim world to wish for God's protection of something or someone from the evil eye. 

- Bhai - Big brother 

- Jazak Allahu Khairan - is a term used as an Islamic expression of gratitude meaning "May God reward you [with] goodness." 

- Wa Antum Fa Jazak Allahu Khairan - A reply which means, "And you too, may God reward you with goodness". 

- Abbu - Dad

._._._.