“Zinu?”

Zainab groaned hearing her name being yelled. She turned her face and placed a pillow over her ears to block the voice disturbing her peaceful sleep.

Amina huffed and placed her hands on her waist looking at her sister's antics.

“Uff! Allah! Kya kru mai iss ladki ka? Zinu! Utho abhi ke abhi! 1 ghante mai lecture hai tumhara.”

Zainab whined when the pillow noise barrier was snatched from her.

“Tum ek second ke andar nhi uthi na toh mai ammi ko awaaz laga dungi.”

Amina threatened knowing it was the only thing which would work on Zainab. And it did! In a flash, the girl was up and looking at her elder sister wide eyed.

“Aap sabko mujhse kya masla hai aapi? Sab ke sab meri neend ke dushman bane baithe hai.”

She huffed and Amina smiled.

“Tumhare achhe ke liye kehte hai sab. Chalo ab 15 minute ke andar mujhe taiyar hokar naashte ki table pr milo.”

With that Amina left her room and Zainab dragged her lethargic self to the washroom.

20 minutes later she was rushing out of her room because she was late when she bumped into someone.

Her heart raced seeing the person in front of him.

“I'm sorry! Mera dhyan kahi aur tha.”

Asif, her father's elder brother's only son and Zainab's childhood love spoke with a smile.

“Umm…it's ok…I'm sorry too. Mera bhi dhyan nhi tha.”

She said and he nodded.

“Ready for college? Mai drop krta jaaunga. Chalo.”

He walked ahead and Zainab mentally danced at the prospect of sitting on the front seat of his car as he drove. So romantic! She gushed in her mind.

Zainab was having her breakfast peacefully when her father came out of her room. 

“Amina! Idhar aao beta.”

He called her sister who got up and went to him immediately.

“Ji abbu? Kya hua?”

“Ye lo. Tumhare liye eid ka tohfa. Thodi der ho gyi isse aane mai.”

He said giving her a brand new limited edition watch. Amina smiled wide and thanked her father. He kissed her forehead lovingly and Zainab peeked in the box which contained the watch.

It was beautiful no doubt. She waited for her father to call her for her gift too but when he didn't she asked herself.

“Abbu? Aap kuch bhul toh nhi rhe na?”

Her father looked confused and asked.

“Kya bhul rahe hai hum?”

She pouted and said.

“Aapne mera eid ka tohfa nhi dia abhi tak? Abhi aaya nhi hai kya?’

“Tumhe eidi thi toh thi eid wale din.”

She scowled and looked at her father with side eye.

“Tsk! Wo tohfa toh nhi tha na. Eidi toh aapne aapi ko bhi di thi. Mera tohfa kaha hai abbu?”

She whined at the end making everyone on the table chuckle. She was the youngest and the most dramatic.

“Kya tohfa chahiye tumhe? Kisi cheez ki toh kadar kri nhi hai. Yaad nhi tumhare birthday pr dilwayi thi watch itni mehangi. Kya kia uska? Agle hi din tod laayi usse. Koi tohfa nhi mil raha hai tumhe. Badi ho jaao pehle.”

Before her father could say anything, her mother interrupted and reprimanded her.

“Arre shaant begum. Bachi hai.”

Her father said but Zainab's mood was spoiled. She was not a kid. And she didn't break that watch intentionally.

She was tying it properly when someone had bumped into her resulting in the watch falling and before she could pick it up, one of the boys who was running around the corridor stepped on it by mistake.

She had cherished each of her presents but her mother would not know that. Because for her, Zainab would always be a naughty spoiled kid and Amina would be the best girl in the world.

She pushed her plate aside and rushed out of the house.

“Arre! Zainab! Gudiya suno toh sahi! Tsk! Begum kyu itna daanti hai aap usse. Bachi hi toh hai abhi. Samajh jaayegi dheere dheere.”

Her father said. Asif too got up and wiped his hands.

“Mai bhi nikalta hu. Zainab ko college bhi drop krta jaaunga. Aur Amina. Aap bhi chaliye. Aapko bhj office tak drop kr dunga.”

Amina nodded and started rushing her work. Asif moved out to catch Zainab.

“Zainab! Ruko! Kaha bhaag rhi ho? College nhi jaana?”

She stopped and nodded. He smiled and unlocked his car.

“Baitho!”

He said taking the driver's seat. Zainab excitedly sat on the passenger seat. When Asif didn't start driving even after getting settled she asked.

“Hum chal kyu nhi rhe hai?”

“Amina ka wait kr rhe hai. Wo bhi aa rhi hai.”

Again that name. Her elder sister had started to annoy her now. Why was everyone so mad after her.

“Bachi thode na hai wo. Chali jaayengi apne aap. Mujhe late ho raha hai. Aap chale!”

“Do minute bas Zainab. Ab mai bol aaya unhe. Achha nhi lagta na.”

Oh! So he invited her. 

“Toh aap unhe hi le jaaye. Mujhe late ho raha hai. Mai khud chali jaaungi.”

With that she got out of the car angrily and ran towards the rickshaws. Before Asif could even get out and run behind her, she was driving away in a rickshaw and he sighed.

Why was she so adamant and stubborn? She wasn't always like this. She was the sweetest little kid he had known. Like an innocent angel.

Asif has dropped Amina to her office and was driving towards his when he made a small detour. He drove towards Zainab's college to make sure she reached safely.

He parked in front of her college gate and looked at the time. Either she was already inside or was about to reach. He waited for 10 more minutes and decided to leave when he didn't spot her, concluding that she might be inside.

Just as he started reversing his car, he saw her descending down a rickshaw. With the same sullen expression which made her cheeks puff and she looked super cute. He chuckled and spotted the car again.