Chapter 2

Hana was looking at the sweets with drool on the corner of her lips and stars in her eyes. Everyone was looking at Hana then they looked in front of them where Hana was looking and they got the idea that she wants to eat sweets. Hana was shy and reserved so they knew that she will never ask them for sweets so Dadi pointed to one of the maids to bring the plate with mithai (sweets). When the maid was bringing the plate, hana’s eyes were following her and the males of the house were looking amusedly at hana. Her oldest Taya even chuckled silently on Hana’s reaction to mithai (Sweets) but hana was very engrossed in eye-rapping the mithai (Sweets).

The maid put the plate on the coffee table and went away with a smile.

“You can take mithai (Sweets) Hana!” Dadi said to Hana. This brought hana back to reality and she hurriedly wiped the drool with the back of her hand and looked dumbly at her dadi.

“You said something Dado?” Hana asked.

“Yes! I said that you can eat the mithai (Sweets) if you want to!” Dadi told in an annoyed tone as she had to repeat herself but she didn’t said anything harsh because it was a day to celebrate.

“Really?!” Hana asked with bright shine in her eyes.

“Yes really!” Dadi replied moodily.

“Can I take it upstairs as I want to call my friends and tell them too? Please Dado” Hana asked her Dadi with hopeful eyes. Hana lied to her dadi but no-one knew that. Hana only has one friend who is with her since PG class. Hana lied because she wanted to devour the mithai (Sweets) in an animalistic way. She had an extreme sweet tooth but no-one knew that. Hana was also the Sugar-Thief in their villa. She always stole sugar from kitchen in the night and eats it while reading her novels late at night. Hana is a real food-dy because she likes to eat. She also likes to try new and fancy dishes.

Her Dadi nodded in understanding as she thought that Hana deserves to brag about her position with her friends so hana picked the plate of sweets and ran upstairs. Hana went in her room and closed her door. She sat on her bed and picked one of the mithai up and put it in her mouth. She moaned as the sweet flavor of mithai (Sweets) busted in her mouth. She picked her mobile from the side table and called her bestest friend, Mishaal.

“Hello! Asslamualaikum (Peace be upon you)!” Came a soft voice from the other end.

“Mm-Walaikumassalam (Peace be upon you too)! How waj (was) the rejult (result) Mish?” Hana asked with mouthful of Mithai (Sweets).

“It was good! Alhamdullillah (Thanks to God)! I got 1021! How about yours and what are you eating?” Mishaal asked.

“I am eating mithai (Sweets)! And I got 1st position! Mish, can you believe it! I think that the examiners were blind ya light chali gayi ho gi mera paper check krtay huve (or the light must have gone during my paper checking)!” Hana told mishaal.

“MashaAllah Hani Janu! Bohot khushi hui sun kr or mjhay pata h k tmhara paper is kabil tha tabhi to tmhari position ayi! Check krnay walay esay hi nhi marks day detay! (Good Hani Dear! So happy to hear it and I know that your paper must have been at this level that you got the position! The checkers don’t give these many marks to anyone, you know!)” Mishaal told hana with happiness in her voice. She was feeling proud for her friend. Mishaal knows about hana and all the things that she had gone through. She knew from the start that Hana is a little genius. Hana is stupid but Mishaal had been an older sister for Hana and a friend whenever Hana felt lonely. They had been best friends since childhood.

“Mmm-Mmmm Echa Tuchh b Nhi H Mmm-mm (Esa kuch nhi h)” (Nothing like that!) Hana said with once again a mouthful of mithai (Sweets).

“Stop eating all that mithai (Sweets). You will definitely get daibeties with all this sweet. And if you even think about calling me at night because you can’t sleep with all this sugar in your system then I am also not going to pick your call. And who even gave you this much mithai (Sweets)! One of these days I am definitely going to tell your family about your sweet tooth and you being the sugar-thief! Then I’ll see how you are going to eat sweets!” mishaal ranted about hana and her sugar obsession.

After hearing mishaal’s threat, hana stopped mid bite and hurriedly gulped the mithai (Sweets) and said;

“Don’t say that mishu! You can’t tell them or else you know na that they will really kick me out! Dadi is even going to eat me! Please na mishu! See I am not eating them anymore! So please don’t tell them! Please?” hana pleaded. She even had tears in her eyes as she can’t even think about her life without her sugar. Hana was very gullible and she did not know that mishaal was only threatening her in a joking manner but hana thought that it was the truth. Our hana is really very innocent. But mishaal is also cruel as she never cleared hana’s doubt that she was joking. She made hana believe that she was really threatening her and she will really tell hana’s family about all of her secrets.

“Okay fine! I won’t tell them now stop crying!” Mishaal said enduringly and hana wiped her tears with her hijab.

“Acha ye batao (So tell me), did your brothers called to congratulated as this is a huge success?” mishaal asked hana hopefully. She knew that hana’s brothers don’t love her and they don’t even talk to her but she thought that maybe now they will at least wish her.

“No!” hana replied sadly. Mishaal was also saddened to hear it but she tried to cheer her innocent friend by saying;

“Maybe they did not knew about your position so don’t worry. They will definitely call you when they will get to know about your amazing achievement!” Mishaal said to hana. Hana started to smile upon hearing it.

“Yeah! Maybe now they will do sibling-ship with me! Hena hena hena!? (Right Right Right?!)” hana excitedly and hopefully exclaimed.

“I’m sure they will Hanu!” Mishaal gave hana hope. She knew that it will be difficult to console her emotional friend if her brothers still did not contact her. Sometimes Mishaal really wanted to slap Hana’s brothers for their ignorance about their only sister, Hana. Mishaal does not know why they behave like that.

Hana and Mishaal talked some more and then they cut the call. Hana ate all the remaining mithias (Sweets) quickly and put the plate aside. Then started to read her novel and after sometime, a maid called her downstairs because her khalas and phuppos were here to wish her. She went down and everyone congratulated her. Only her uncles and aunties were here as all of Hana’s cousins were in Karachi or America for higher studies. All of her female cousins were studying to be a doctor and her male cousins were in America for business studies and managing the business in America. She was the youngest in her family. All of her cousins will be back in one or two months. Only her brothers will be in America for another year. After that, their business will be shifted in Islamabad.

She feels uneasy with all the elders so she excused herself and went to help in kitchen. A huge feast was prepared for celebration of Hana’s achievement and after dinner, the calls from her cousins started. Hana was congratulated personally from every one of her cousins. All male and female cousins congratulated her. After all the wishes, hana was very happy but there was still a part of her heart that was yearning for her brothers. Hana was handed the phone by her oldest taya.

“Hello! Assalamualaikum (Peace be upon you)!” hana said softly.

“Walaikumassalam (Peace be upon you too)! I am Rayaan, Hana! How are you kiddo?” a masculine and throaty voice said from the other end. Hana’s heart skipped a beat after hearing Rayaan’s voice for the first time in 9 years. Her hands became sweaty and a shiver ran down her spine.