Peer-e-Kamil (S.A.W) By Umera Ahmad In English Page 19

Peer-e-Kamil(S.A.w)

Peer-e-Kamil(S.A.W) First Chapter.

=Imama, get ready quickly!‘ called Rabia, taking her clothes from the

closet and flinging them on the bed.

=Get ready? What for?‘ Imama looked at her, surprised.

=We‘re going shopping. Come with us.‘ Rabia moved fast as she ironed

her clothes.

=No, thanks. I don‘t want to go anywhere.‘ Imama lay back on her

pillow, her forearm shielding her eyes.

=What do you mean by .I don‘t want to go anywhere.? Who‘s asking

you, anyway? I‘m telling you,‘ Rabia continued in the same tone.

=And I‘m telling you that I am not going,‘ replied Imama without

moving.

=Zainab‘s coming too—the whole group is going—and we‘ll go to the

movies when we are done shopping.‘

Imama looked up. =Zainab‘s coming along?‘

=Yes, we‘ll pick her up on the way.‘ Imama became thoughtful.

=You are getting duller by the day, Imama!‘ Rabia‘s tone was piqued.

=You‘ve stopped going out with us; what on earth is happening to you?‘

=Nothing. I am just too tired today and want to sleep,‘ Imama said,

looking at Rabia.

After a while Javeria came in and she too tried to persuade Imama, but

there was just one refrain from her: =I am too tired, I want to sleep.‘

Unable to coax Imama outdoors, the girls grumbled as they left her

behind.

As they picked up Zainab on the way, Javeria realized that she had left

her wallet behind in the hostel. =We‘ll have to go back for my wallet,‘

said Javeria. When they got to the hostel they were shocked to find the

room locked.

=Where‘s Imama?‘ Rabia was surprised.

=Don‘t know…where could she have gone, locking up the room like

this? She‘d said she wanted to sleep,‘ said Javeria.

=Could she be in someone else‘s room?‘ wondered Rabia. For the next

few minutes, they looked for Imama in their friends‘ rooms, but there

was no sign of her.

=Could she have gone out?‘ A sudden thought struck Rabia.

=Let‘s check with the warden,‘ said Javeria, and they went to see him.

=Yes, Imama went out a while ago,‘ the warden confirmed. Rabia and

Javeria exchanged looks, speechless. =She said she‘d return by the

evening,‘ the warden informed them.

They came out of the warden‘s room. =Where could she have gone? She

refused to accompany us saying she was tired…she wanted to sleep…

was unwell…and then she goes off like this.‘ Rabia was really annoyed.

It was quite late at night when they returned. Imama was in the room

and welcomed them back, smiling.

=Looks like you‘ve done loads of shopping,‘ she said, looking at their

bags and parcels. They did not reply—putting down their shopping,

they stared at her.

=Where were you?‘ asked Javeria. Imama got a jolt. =I came back to get

my wallet and you weren‘t here. The room was locked.‘

=I went after you both.‘

=What do you mean?‘

=I changed my mind when you left, so I went to Zainab‘s as you were

going to pick her up. But her chowkidar said that she had left with you,

so I came back. I just stopped on the way to get some books,‘ explained

Imama.

=See—we‘d told you to come along but you refused. Then, like a fool,

you traipse behind us. We were getting suspicious about you,‘ said

Rabia as she took her purchases out of their bags. She seemed relieved.

Imama did not reply: she just smiled at them when they showed her

their shopping.