Sakina stormed in.

And Shaahid jumped up on the bed spontaneously, undecided if she was going to thrash him for some reason.

Instead, she stood, covering her mouth with her palms, her eyes emitting terrific glitter.
She stayed in that position for sometime, while Shaahid slowly settled down on the bed, judging that things mostly were under control.

" Did you have some stinky fish for snack that you are covering your mouth? " , he asked.

" Shut up!
Oh my god!! I don't believe this!! How did you even know???? " , she finally spoke, breaking into an immense smile.

" So you actually did have some inedible rotten food. I should have thought that you are only partially human. " , he scratched his stubbly chin.

" Listen! I hate fish.
And I'm not talking of that. Don't mar my elated mood with your bullshit. "

" And I particularly think those who hate fish are having eratic genes as well. " , he rolled his eyes.

" Ophho! This is not the time to play revenge!!

You tell me , how did you know that my long term wish of having a gramophone with a bunch of the world's most precious records...will get fulfilled most suddenly very soon?

I mean, how even... did you tell me about it in the afternoon, when the dealer who's bringing me the pleasure, did not himself have the slightest idea that he'd get it, just half an hour back? "

Shaahid yawned. He could not and did not want to explain a thing.

" You got the fruit right? Why think of the seeds? "

" No. Tell me!

I actually don't believe, that it could truly have been a wild guess at all.

Wait, did you somehow know the dealer? Are you trying to impress me? " , she arched her brow.

" Oh yeah, of course! I have been specially appointed by your brother to snatch you away from Salman Siddiqui. Can you please help me do that? " , he faked eagerness.

Sakina however, did not mostly believe a word, because of his spontaneity. She kept staring at him with a pair of dark brown judgemental eyes.

" What?
Isn't this the easiest to believe? " , Shaahid yawned again. He longed for a cup of very sweet tea at present.

" It isn't. Because you seem to be one of those kinds who can never be taken seriously enough. Your eyes ooze mischief. "

" Mischief, or lies? " , he grinned.

" You should know that I'm no one but Salman's. " , she suddenly grew serious.

Shaahid now stared at her unblinking for sometime. Then burst into a long unhindered laughter, laying on the bed.
Sakina folded arms across her chest and watched him.
He ended and sat up.
" I need tea. Can you please, get me some? "

" Why did you laugh? " , she was pressing her lips and flaring her nose.

" I laughed, because you overrated me. I didn't need to hear...that you belonged to Salman. Even if you didn't, my standards would still remain of Miss Braid Queen. Not of Miss Burgundy Hair. Got it? "

" Happy to get that. Now sit. I'll bring you the beverage of your standard. " , Sakina stormed off again. Evidently displeased.

Anyways, Shaahid was too sleepy. He could crash on the bed very soon.

___

Saajid bhai's room seemed more like a storeroom than a bedroom.
Shaahid felt claustrophobic.

One huge bed, three huge cupboards, two huge tables, five huge chairs, four huge table fans, just to mention a few.

Amongst all this, Saajid bhai sat with his face dropped.

" Saajid bhai, your sister feels... you don't value her. " , Shaahid was sitting on one of the five chairs. The uncomfortable straw cushion pricked his bum..

" I really don't know what kind of value she expects. Whenever I go talk to her, I only get to hear one thing. That I'm not interested enough to get her married to a non existent person. I have stopped visiting her because I cannot take this anymore. "

" But in order to heal her, you have to take in everything.
Listen, she's absolutely like us except for the fact that her brain has abolished a memory completely, and is now synthesising artificial memory in correspondence with that.

All you need to do is, walk with her truth till she realises it's not the truth. "

" What do you expect me to do then? Call a Maulwi Saab and start reading Nikah? Is that a solution even? "

" Nah. Not that extreme. Talk to her. Delay the wedding with some other believable reason that doesn't include Salman. Like lack of funds, or unavailability of proper venue, or some fault in the stars that isn't letting auspicious date to be chosen.. Etc.

But don't avoid her as if she's doing a crime being in love with someone. Because that's what she's thinking. "

Saajid stared at him, his brain wandering somewhere else.

____

Azaad stood at the door of the hall, watching the new teacher practising piano in the middle of periods.

Shaahid caught a glimpse of him suddenly, and summoned the fifteen year kid.

He slowly walked towards him.

" Wanna say something? " , Shaahid asked.

" I learned the whole of Jamaican Farewell yesterday. "

" That's brilliant. Teach your classmates the whole of it then. After that we'll start our lessons. "

" I taught my sister. She taught my mother. Mother taught father. Father taught kukky, our doggo. The whole house is singing Jamaican Farewell.
But it's a sad song. I don't like sad songs. "

" That's horrible. Why did you teach a sad song to the whole house, specially the dog? They hate sad things, don't you know that? "

" If I can teach a sad song to the whole class, why not the whole house? It's your fault that you chose this song. "

Shaahid pressed his lips. The boy was actually right. He should have chosen something funnier.

" Okay then, if you think so, you might drop teaching the class. "

" No. I won't drop. Why suffer alone when I can make everyone suffer with me? " , he passed an evil grin.

Shaahid judged him from top to bottom. The boy was something.

" Your spirits got me well. Do you hate every teacher in the school? " , Shaahid asked.

" No. I only hate those who lick Adnan Sami's feet. And I particularly love those whom the hippo hates. ", he made a detesting face.

" Which means we can be friends. " , Shaahid said immediately.

" I knew he wouldn't like you. Because you are charming. He cannot stand charmers, because the only thing he can himself charm is a lady elephant. "

Shaahid giggled, then controlled.

Azaad continued,
" There was one teacher he hated with all his spirit. Salman Sir. Our German Language teacher. Because he was brutally handsome, and a terrific personality.

When he died some months back, the hippo could not control the tinge of contentment appearing on his face even during the funeral. I felt like burying him alive. "

" Were you close with Salman Sir? "

" Extremely. He was my most favorite. But now I know, he was god's most favorite too. Hence He called him so early. "

" Hm...

Can you tell me more about him?  "