As early as Zinat and Ayesha arrive at the classroom's door, meantime Khalid is stepping out of the classroom with his friends.
As Zinat and Ayesha are in hurry. Zinat gets bumped with Khalid unintentionally.
Zinat's head hits over Khalid's chin.
"Ahh!" Khalid screams softly.
Immediately he keeps his palm over his lips, leaving his books from his hand.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I'm really very sorry! Khalid, are you alright?" Zinat asks shockingly.
"Yeah I'm fine, it's okay," Khalid replies painfully.
"Oh my god! It's bleeding!" Zinat speaks out loudly.
She becomes panic looking at Khalid,s lips. Quickly she takes her cotton pink handkerchief out of her purse and puts over Khalid's wound.
"Oh thanks," being thankful, Khalid takes her handkerchief in his hands and puts on the lips lightly two-three times.
Blood gets cleared of the the wound.
"It's just a tiny scratch, no need to worry at all, I'm okay now," Khalid speaks, still smiling.
"Oh dude ! I was in hurry and couldn't see you unfortunately," Zinat says with humility.
Afterward Khalid's friends picke up the strewn books on the ground and handover them to Khalid.
Everything is normal now.
Ayesha goes towards their bench rapidly, and collects her and Zinat's books.
"Let's go Zinat, driver must be waiting for us standing out side at the college gate, good bye Khalid take care," saying this Ayesha holds Zinat's hand and moves forward speedily.
Just then, " hey Zinat! take your handkerchief, it's your," Khalid called immediately from behind.
"No I don't want it back, please keep it with you, bye bye, have a nice day Khalid," Zinat says at the top of her voice.
Khalid keeps on standing for a while thinking "why didn't she take her handkerchief back? Anyway let's go," he looks a glimpse over the small adorable pink handkerchief, which has an embroidered cute flower with dark green leaves over it.
After that he folds it gently and keeps it into his pocket respectfully.
His home is located around one kilometre away from the school, which is not so far for a young and strong boy.
It takes 20 to 25 minutes to reach home. Khalid comes school daily by walking with other students, who belong to his same locality.
Most of the students of his neighbourhood have bicycles so they reach out to the village early than him.
Often some of them offer him to ride over their bicycles but Khalid always denies them saying 'thanks' because he is smug personality.
Anyway Khalid's house situated at the beginning of the village.
It is non plaster house built of bricks with clay but beautiful, surrounding with plants and trees from both sides and backwards.
There is a broad opened yard in front of the house, it has a few small plants of flowers.
There is greenery everywhere, surrounding the house. Khalid arrives at home.
"Salaam Dadi (grand Mom)," Khalid heads to Dadi and kisses her hand.
" Stay happy, and stay safe my son," Dadi blesses him with love, sitting on a wooden chair, under a tree's shade in the yard, in front of the house, chanting rosery.
Then Khalid enters into the house gazing Dada (Grand Father) in the lobby he goes to him first and says Salaam.
Dada is paralysed, laying on the bed for two years.
Seeing Khalid he just smiles a little bit hardly. He can't even speak.
Khalid smiles too, moving his hands on Dada's laying hands.
"Khalid have you come my son? Good, change your uniform quickly and get fresh, till then I bring something to eat for you," Ammi addresses him getting down from the upstairs, holding some clothes in her hands.
"Okay Ammi," saying this Khalid rushes to his room, removes shoes then uniform and gets fresh.
By then Ammi has already placed lunch on the napery over the mat.
Khalid sat on the mat. "Ammi, has everybody had lunch?" Khalid asks with concern.
Ammi is a strong and self-satisfied woman. She never looks worried, she has always happiness on her face.
Yes my son, each one of us has already eaten except your father" Ammi replies grinning, "I have kept the remaining three Chapaties (bread) for him, he must be arriving at home soon."
"And what about you, Ammi?" Khalid asks calmly.
To this, "of course! I have had too, why would I be left to eat by now! my son?" Ammi replies making Khalid believe.
Khalid is a sensible boy, he can perceive easily seeing Ammi's manner that she has not eaten so far.
He has never seen Ammi eating, earlier than Abbu. Thinking this, Khalid begins to eat silently.
After finishing one single chapati he leaves the mat, standing up.
"Hey! Khalid ! What happened ! Why haven't you finished the lunch! Who will eat these two remaining Chapaties?" asks Ammi, getting a little anxious.
"No thanks Ammi, I'm done," Khalid speaks gently moving her hands at the stomach.
" How could you be done ! just in one single chapati ?" yells Ammi.
Khalid begins to laugh fakely saying, "Ammi, I had eaten in the school with my friends.
One of my friends named Zaid had brought a jumbo lunch box today, and he invited me to have lunch with him".
"Who is this Zaid ! The one who often comes by bike to take you to play volleyball?" Ammi interrogates him.
Khalid replies, " yes Ammi, the name of that boy is Zaid, he is my classmate and best friend too, he is the son of advocate Anees." After an short enquiry, Ammi seems satisfied.
She winds up the remaining Chapaties and plate then goes to the kitchen.
Khalid also heads to hand pump to wash his hands, thinking about the financial tightness which his family is undergoing through.
Often Khalid gets worried seeing his family's economical status.
He wants to support his family but he is too young to work, even he has not completed his education.
Therefore he is completely helpless to improve financial condition.
He just keeps on dreaming to become grown up quickly, so that he could help his father in earning sustenance.
He is the elder son of his parents.
He is sad in deep down but he is happy too, thinking, "I have left two more Chapaties so that Ammi could eat them now."
Till then Abbu arrives at home.
Hearing Abbu's voice everybody present in the house gets gathered in the courtyard of the house.
He has been carrying a few sacks of grains and groceries. "Salaam Abbu," every one greets him.
"Wa Alaikum Assalam, may mercy, peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon on all of you," Abbu blesses every one having smile on his face.
He is a religious person who has beliefs in God.
He sits down just then Sehla and Nagma, Khalid's elder sisters rush to Abbu and removed his shoes out of the feets.
Tariq and Erina hurry towards Abbu with water to clean his feets.
Qasim and Shabina they begin to shake, home-made fan to blow the wind to Abbu.
Khalid is filling water into the bucket by hand-pump.
Khalid has six siblings, two elder sisters, Sehla, and Nagma and two younger brothers as well as two younger sisters.
Sehla is four years elder than Khalid while Nagma is two years elder than him.
Tariq is first younger brother of him, he is 14 years old now studying in class 8th. Then Erina is three years young than Tariq.
After Erina Qasim comes he is 9 years old after him, in the last Shamina.
She is the youngest sibling among them. She is 6 years old right now.
All of siblings are studying.
There is only person in their family to earn bread and butter for them, that is their Abbu.
He is a cleric who teaches in a private Madarasa (Islamic seminary).
On other side Zinat and Ayesha are discussing about Khalid's wound, sitting at their mansion's balcony.
Zinat is still regretting, thinking how badly she hit Khalid's face by her head.
"Yaar Ayesha ! how fool and silly I'm ."
Yelling Ayesha makes her understand, "hey stop imprecating yourself, it was none of your fault, whatever happened was unintentionally and randomly.
If you did this knowingly and deliberately then you could have blamed yourself for that inevitable collison.
So stop regretting and cursing yourself.
Get it ?".
To be continued .................
Note.
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