"You are home early today," Nafisa voiced out her thought, as Maryam pulled into the driveway.

"I came back to take a file from my room. I forgot to take it in the morning," Maryam explained.

"Okay. Do you want me to prepare something for you before you go back to work?" Nafisa asked, praying inwardly for her to decline. She was tired and needed to rest.

"No, dear, but make sure to prepare lunch for Manal before she comes back," she paused to take a look at her wristwatch. "This is 2:40pm and Manal will be back by 3:00pm. Please do it before she returns," Maryam beseeched. She went to her room and returned shortly after with the file. "Please don't forget." She stated, before walking out of the house.

Nafisa frowned at the thought of going into the kitchen to cook, instead of resting after school. She threw her backpack on the cushion and sashayed to the kitchen.

"What am I going to cook now?" She asked herself. She wanted to cook something easy, something that wouldn't take too much of her time, so she decided to cook noodles and boiled eggs.

•

By the time Manal returned from school, Nafisa had already finished cooking. She was about to go to her room, when Nafisa called her back.

"Where do you think you are going? Didn't you see me when you came in?" She found it rude for a kid like Manal to walk into the house without greeting her.

"I did," Manal replied, nonchalantly.

"You did? And what are you suppose to do when you see someone older than you?" She asked, pointing to herself.

"Greet," she answered.

"So you know! Why didn't you do that when you came in?"

"Because I didn't want to," she pulled out her tongue mockingly and ran upstairs, to her room.

"Come here, you silly girl," Nafisa yelled and ran after her.

"Open the door, Manal," Nafisa ordered, banging her fists on the door.

"No, go away, I don't like you," she yelled from inside her room.

Nafisa rolled her eyes. "The feeling is mutual, I don't like you either, just open the door and let me in, otherwise I will call your mother and tell on you," sh threatened. She knew it would work, because Manal was kind of afraid of her mom.

"Please don't," she pleaded. She obviously didn't want to be reprimanded by her mother.

"Then be a good girl and come out on the count of five," Nafisa smirked. She had gotten something to use against her to always make her do what she wanted anytime, any day.

"5"

"4"

"3"

"2"

Before she could say the last number, Manal opened the door.

"Come here, you brat," Nafisa held her by the ear and dragged her downstairs.

"LEAVE ME ALONEEE," Manal screamed and bit her hand. She took the opportunity to run away again.

"I'm going to teach this girl a lesson today," she seethed. The brat was too stubborn for her liking, she would have to do something to keep her under control and fast.

She looked around the house for her and finally found her in the kitchen.

"Why did you bite me, you spoiled brat?" Nafisa asked, her hands on her hips.

Manal was getting scared with the way she was been yelled at. Her parents rarely yelled at her. "I'm sorry, Nafisa-"

"Not Nafisa, aunty Nafisa," she corrected with a sneer. "Your food is ready. let's go."

On getting downstairs, Nafisa served her the noodles.

Just as she was about to Start eating, the doorbell rang.

Before Nafisa could go and open the door, Manal ran to the door to answer it, but was too short to do so. She always did that, whenever she heard the doorbell ringing, she always attempted to get the door.

Nafisa open the door with the expectation of seeing either Sa'eed or Maryam, but to her surprise, it was Zeenat. Her eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

Flashback

"Good afternoon, aunty," Nafisa greeted when Maryam finally reached where they were standing.

Why was she calling her sister aunty?- Zeenat wondered. She made it a mission to ask Nafisa tomorrow. It was weird.

"Good afternoon, ma," Zeenat greeted politely.

"How are you?" Maryam asked.

"I'm fine, ma' Zeenat answered, smiling. She found Nafisa's sister kind and very beautiful.

"I'm on my way home and I decided to come pick you up for today since it's your first day," Maryam said to Nafisa.

Oh no! What was she doing? What if Zeenat decides to follow them?- Nafisa began to panic inwardly, but tried her best not to make her nervousness visible. She faked a smile.

"Thank you," she quickly went around and opened the passenger's door and got in, praying Maryam should zoom off.

"Which road is your friend headed?" Maryam asked.

"I...don't know," Nafisa lied.

"I will just ask her-" Maryam looked out from the window and asked Zeenat which way she was heading to. Zeenat told her it was the same way as hers, so Maryam offered her a ride in her car and she obliged.

To Nafisa's displeasure, Zeenat's house was just a couple of walk away from the house she lived in. It'd be hard for Nafisa to keep her little secret now.

Flashback ends

"What are you doing here?" Nafisa blurted.

Zeenat looked at her questionably. "I think I'm not welcome here. Sorry for-"

"No no, please don't say that. I was just very surprise to see you, that's all. Please come in," Nafisa ushered her into the living room.

"Who are you? Why are you in our house?" Manal asked.

Zeenat's gaze darted to her."Hi dear, I'm Nafisa's classmate and friend. How are you?"

"I'm fine," Manal responded.

"What's your name?"

"Manal."

"Wow! I love your name." Zeenat caressed her chubby cheek, before having a seat of one of the couches.

"Your niece is adorable," Zeenat commented.

Nafiaa rolled her eyes at that. She, on the other hand didn't find anything adorable about her. She was not only stubborn, but annoying as well. "She can be quite a handful at times."

"She doesn't look stubborn," Zeenat defended, earning herself a glare from Nafisa.

"Looks can be very deceitful," she remarked. "Manal, go to your room and do your homework before your ummi returns."

Manal nodded and ran to her room.

"I came here to give you these," Zeenat handed her some notebooks. "- you can start coming them today. You've missed quite a lot."

Nafisa thanked her and collected the notes quickly. She wanted her to leave, before Maryam or worse Sa'eed returns and meet her in their house. Otherwise, she might be exposed for who she really was in the house - an ordinary maid, but Zeenat didn't seem like someone who would leave any time soon.

They spent hours talking about random stuff happening in school and the environment. Nafisa gazed constantly at the wall clock - It was 6:25pm already and Sa'eed would be back at any minute.

Nafisa's fear intensified when she heard the sound of a car screeching to a halt in the compound.

"That's my cue to leave. See you in school tomorrow," Zeenat got up to leave.

Immediately Nafisa opened the door, Sa'eed came into view.