Friends and Confessions

At 8:30 pm in the night, when all the preparations for the party were complete and everyone was exhausted,

They were sitting around talking about how they managed to finish two days' worth of work in just a few hours.

They were amid this conversation when the event organizer arrived and asked for permission to leave as all the work had been completed.

Zain stopped him and handed him 50 percent payment, saying the remaining 50 percent would be given when they came to remove all the decorations the next day. 

A smile appeared on the organizer's face, and he said, "Sure, sir." In his joy at receiving the payment from Zain, he bid them a good day, 

After he left, Rizwan remarked, "What did he say?"

Haris replied, " He said ' Have a good day ' "

Rizwan remarked, " All of our day has been spent decorating the house, We have not enjoyed a little. 

He should have to say Goodnight, sir, at least we could have a good night's sleep."

They all laughed, and then Zain looked towards Akif, who tried to avoid eye contact again, but this time Zain spoke up.

"Akif, buddy, you've been acting strange since this morning. Sometimes you get angry, sometimes you don't even talk

That's not cool, man. Tell us, what is bothering you?"

Finally, Akif lets out a sigh and says, "Guys, I don't know what to tell you.

I was a bit confused. I mean, I was somewhat upset." 

Nauman asks, "Upset about what?"

Akif responds, "Guys, the thing Zain was talking to Fatima about, and he knows so well, and how she responds with a laugh,

I felt jealous. You know, I don't know how to explain it to you guys."

He struggled to find the right words, feeling intense emotions. 

Then, interrupting their conversation, Rabeet gives his input,

"Guys, let me tell you. Akif likes Fatima, and I don't know where or how he met her. 

He didn't tell me that either. I followed him after he left today, But he drove away as I reached him,

So I went to his house and after some talk, I brought him here. I told him that this would be discussed in front of everyone,

what the matter is, he'll have to explain it himself."

After this, Rizwan says, "Akif, start from the beginning, from 'A' to 'Z,'

We need to know everything: where you met her, how you met her, what happened. 

Start quickly, we also need to sleep. Tomorrow is his party, we have to manage that too." 

Then Akif takes a deep breath and begins, "So, it's like this.

One day, it was around 4 in the evening, and I felt like going for a walk. 

I'm talking about during the vacation after our college exams. So, I stepped out for a walk. 

As I was passing by the metro bus line, I saw this girl there. She wasn't sure what to do. 

Sometimes she'd go up, sometimes down, sometimes forward, then back. She couldn't figure out how to get on the bus because there were barriers on the sides.

So, I thought of helping her, I went up to her and guided her with everything. I bought her a ticket and made her sit on the bus.

I kept her company and showed her around Lahore for a while. 

Then, when it was time to part ways, she said goodbye to me and hugged me,

That hug left me in a trance, I was frozen in surprise

and as she was leaving, she turned back and said thanks

At that moment, Her face made me forget to ask for her name.

What is her name? Where is she from?

Then, yesterday, when we were at the basketball court, and you were talking,

I saw her from a distance. At first, I had doubts about whether it was her,

Then after the Zain missing incident, When we came back home, 

I called the university management and told them that I'm your friend, and I need a little information. 

They sent me her university form, and when I saw that form, I saw her picture, and I was sure it was her.

Then I said to myself so her name is Fatima, and she's from the UK.

Then I realized why she didn't know about Lahore.

Everyone started looking at him with a teasing look.

Well, Nauman says, "So, you rushed to meet her this morning, Ops I say the wrong words to trap her." 

Akif, in a somewhat embarrassed and nervous tone, says, "When did I trap her?

I was standing near her. And then, how was I supposed to know that Zain also knew her?

I thought she was Zain's Girlfriend. I just got a little jealous.

Sorry everyone I just left everyone there and behaved that way."

Zain replied in a hurry, " She is not my Girlfriend, she is just a friend who I met a few times, no more."

As for the sorry, we accept it, haven't we everyone?

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Rizwan said, "The essence of this conversation is that we all are aware of Akif's feelings for that girl,

And the one on whose finger he wants to put the ring."

Akif, with a slightly awkward expression, denies, "No, guys, no ring. What are you all doing? 

I have already told you, I just slightly like that girl."

Nauman interjects, "It's not just slight, Akif. You like her a lot." 

Everyone bursts into laughter as he says, "Come on, guys, today, at the friends' court, the decision has been made that Fatima belongs to Akif.

If anyone wants to oppose this decision or say something, speak now." 

Everyone agrees, "No, we all accept this decision." Now, it's up to Akif how he embeds her in his heart.

Rabeet adds, "That's settled, brother. The decision is made, and it's getting late, let's call it a day. 

We'd been talking for hours, and we didn't even realize that it was already past 11:30. 

We have a party in the morning. We need to get up early, and we need to be ready. 

Let's go, let's sleep. Whether it's the court of love or the court of friends, once the decision is made, it stays. Let's sleep now."

After Rabeet's remark, everyone gets up,

And Zain says, "Come on, let me show you guys the guest room." 

Zain leads them to the guest room and instructs the servants to arrange the beds.

He says, "Alright, guys, you can sleep here now " 

They respond, "Yes, yes, we'll sleep. You should also go and sleep; it's almost midnight.

We need to wake up early in the morning." They bid each other goodnight, 

Then, Zain heads back to his room upstairs.

Zain sat on the bed, lost in thought about the incident that had occurred that day.

It lingered in his mind, replaying like a scene over and over again. 

As he was sitting on the bed, He could feel the presence of the game box he had placed under the bed,

And the figure dressed in black that followed him.

His mind raced with thoughts, and he felt a shiver down his spine.

Thinking this he fell asleep and when did morning come? He had no idea. 

In the morning, a servant woke him up, informing him that it was already 7:30 and he needed to get ready as the party was starting at 10.

Zain jolted up, immediately asking about the whereabouts of the others. 

The servant informed him that everyone had been up for an hour already.

Zain, in a low voice, said they could have woken him too.

The servant replied that he had been sent to wake Zain up.

Zain said to the servant, "You go ahead, I'm coming."

After Zain sees the servant off, he rushes to take a shower and then calls for his wardrobe.

When he opens it, he finds only one blue coat hanging inside.

Then, a thought strikes him; perhaps his parents have sent them for laundry.

He picks up the blue coat, wears it, and heads downstairs.

As soon as Zain came downstairs, he noticed that every one of his friends was wearing identical clothes.

He asked them, "We didn't decide to wear the same clothes? Why is everyone dressed alike?" 

Haris replied, "You must have noticed that all your clothes were missing from your wardrobe and only one blue coat was left."

Zain exclaimed, "Oh yes, I remember now! There was only one suit left in there." 

Rizwan added, "Look, you were so busy with party preparations that you didn't even realize that all your clothes were gone, and only one suit was left."

Zain said, "My parents might have sent them for laundry?" 

Nauman replied, "No, No When we woke up in the morning we decided to make our dresses alike so, we went up to tell you that"

Rizwan chimes in, " But when we saw you sleeping like a log, we thought it wasn't appropriate to wake you up.

So, we took out the clothes from your wardrobe and put only one suit there, a blue one."

Zain thanked them, saying, "Thank you, guys, for thinking about me like this. If you weren't such good friends,

I don't know what I would do." They all shared a knowing smile, do a group hug and rushed to the party together.

As people started arriving, they began to mingle and chat, Zain and the others welcomed them, 

Suddenly, Zain and Akif's eyes got fixed on something, shining as if It were enchanted. 

Their eyelashes were not just fluttering; they were spellbound. They stood stunned as they saw something that was out of the world.