Chapter 2 – Torn Pages (Childhood)

"He killed her?"

"But how and why. Wait let's go back"

Adil was talking to himself without a sound, turning pages ceaselessly, "Wait, where was I actually…"

"Sunno". A familiar voice brought him back into the world, outside his head.

Adil looked up immediately and regained his grip on the ladder.

"Jee Abbu?"

Shahid was still looking up, straight at the wall while his hand moved in synchronization. His hands moved quickly but still, some drops were dripping to the floor occasionally.

"Han jee?", Adil asked again, consciously this time.

"Can you make a cup of tea for me?", Shahid requested in a polite manner.

"Of course. I will be back.", he reciprocated the energy and called Nimra to take his place, and support the ladder in case it loses its balance. Although, it hasn't happened ever. But mama is always suspicious of ladder's strength and worries for Abbu and makes one of us stand by his side whenever he does such risky chores.

As he was lost in his thoughts, Nimra appeared from the living room and joined his father in the corridor. Her slender body under a loose blue frock seemed like a skeleton, but still, she had a glow on her face. She wasn't even smiling or making any effort but her eyes had some power in them which always made him curious. The spark which enlightened others, which shone brighter when she smiled and give her an angelic feel.

But he knew she wasn't an angel. At least, after how she had reacted and her regular mood swings.

Meanwhile, he had no time to waste on her anymore. He had to prepare tea. He left immediately she came near the ladder.

The kitchen was right beside the wall being painted. They lived in a two-story house which had only four rooms, in total. And despite all this, everyone could hear each other easily from the distant rooms. Maybe it was Abbu's trick to keep an eye or an ear on everyone, or it was simply their bad luck. However, he was preparing tea while he listened to them both chat.

Nimra, being herself, was talking about her fantasies. It's been only a few minutes since he left and she had already told Abbu about this book she was reading. Some philosophical novel she said, maybe, it was "Sophie's World", which she had borrowed from Maham.

Adil hated her voice at that time but could do nothing to stop her or interrupt.

"Initially" she started in her melodious-annoying tone, "I found it a little confusing, but now as I am progressing and getting into it baba, I am loving it. But you know, it is a little difficult for me to understand all of the philosophies because I don't know much about them, but isn't it fun to learn something with each new chapter you read?", she asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, it is", he heard Abbu speaking softly.

He was glad she is done with her fantasies but she again started, "You know I have written something new. Would you like to listen to what it is about?", her voice had passion and kindness which made Adil crawl in his skin.

"Oh yes, of course. I would love to!", Abbu replied her.

It was unacceptable to himself right now, but he wanted to hear it as well. He has always been amazed by her stories and learned something different each time. To him, it was like looking world through her eyes and it is an amazing experience. Nimra was different. Unique. Unlike other girls and this made him happy and envious at the same time. Although he was no girl but still shared the same family which was mostly biased towards her because of her charms.

"So, it is about the little girl who gets lost in the woods and finds a secret world made of silhouettes and books."

"Interesting", he thought and heard Abbu saying the same thing.

He was intrigued already.

"Books live there. It is their world. And silhouettes are basically ideas, thoughts, and perspective, which shape and make their world", she was speaking in the happiest lecturing tone.

"Very thought-provoking", Abbu said impressively. By this moment, he was genuinely appalled by her wise imagination. Suddenly he smelled something burning and as he looked down, saw the whole stove stained with tea and saucepan caramel-colored with over boiled tea. Reflexively, he turned the stove off. Put the tea in cups and this rapid activity disabled him to focus on her voice and he couldn't understand what she was saying.

"And then, the girl goes through all of them and understands…", she was narrating her story beautifully when he entered the room. However, she stopped. Immediately she saw him. Why? Just being herself.

"Here is your tea", he carefully carried it into the room. He saw disappointment on Shahid's face. Maybe he wanted to listen to the story, more than he wanted tea now. But he said nothing, came down quietly, and went to the washroom. While Abbu was in the washroom, he looked at her round face, her spark had gone and her grimness was back again.

Just after a minute, Abbu came back and took his cup from the tray as water dripped from his fingers. Holding the cup up to his mouth he took a sip, "Um, nice, as usual", he said with a wink. It was his way of telling him that he really liked the tea.

He almost jumped with pleasure. But it didn't last long as Nimra got up and left the room. She was behaving like this for the past week.

"Huh, she's too much", he said with frustration.

Shahid laughed and said, "She's your sister after all", with another wink.

"No! I am not like her. I let go of things but she! it's been over a week since that happened and she is still ignoring me."

"Yes, but you did wrong."

"I know", he felt bad

"but I have already apologized more than a dozen times and I am done now. And what I did was not so big after all, I was just teasing her" he said while shuddering his shoulders.

"You know how she is about her books."

"I know", this time with genuine remorse.

He regretted doing it but nothing could undo it now. What he did was done and time only runs forward, never backward, "or can it?", he thought to himself.