Part 111- Everything Isn’t Always As It Appears

As narrated by Riza

The word game was in full swing, Immy really blended in but I just couldn’t put my finger on something that kept nagging me at the back of my head.

Nemo and Aara had taken the first step towards organizing the next leg of our road trip-i had no words to express the feeling inside me!! That my best friends were keeping up something that I had started was just….heartwarming and amazing.

Aara had a glow on her face, and it had everything to do with Zoheb!ℓ☺ℓ! It’s ok though,let both of them think that we were born yesterday~we’ll just act dom until they tell us!

Zainab: Zoheb ummm Cinderella

Zoheb: you 🙂

Zainab: Sleeping Beauty

Zoheb: Arshad :-p

Zainab: Donkey from Shrek

Zoheb: Immy

Immy: Hey!!

Zainab: (laughing) The Frog Prince

Zoheb: Riza

Me: huh?

Zoheb: what? Look at you and look at Laeeka

Me: (throwing a pillow at Zoheb) nice

Zainab: (laughing so hard she was clutching her tummy) Sinbad

Zoheb: Nemo (winking at Nemo)

Nemo: Aara…Tom Cruise

Aara: you my sweetheart

Nemo: ahaaaa…Johnny Depp

Aara: Reez!!!….you do mean Johnny Depp in Pirates hey?

Me: awwww what is it bash Riza night tonight??

Nemo: Eddie Murphy

Aara: Arshooooo

Nemo: (laughing to himself) that would be Nutty Professor ?

Aara: (high fiving Nemo) ditto!

Nemo: okay ermmm Keanu Reeves?

Aara: Immy!

Nemo: are you thinking Street Kings?

Aara: I’m so thinking Street Kings!

Nemo: Jeff Daniels?

Aara: Zoheb!! (And Aara fell backwards laughing)

Nemo: (grunting and laughing)

Nemo and Aara: Dumb and Dumber!!

Zoheb: (sitting down on the floor next to Aara) at my expense huh

Aara: (still laughing) you played the part~and created a lifelong memory!

Me: Maariah…laughter

Mari: Nemo

Me: sadness

Mari: Aara..

Aara: huh?

Me: sincerity

Mari: You..Riza

Me: hope

Mari: Laeeka

Me: trust

Mari: Immy

Laeeka: woooooo

Aara: why am I sadness?

Mari: (shrugging her shoulders) top of my head

Laeeka: okay Arshoo…repulsive

Arshad: Faseeha!!

And everyone except Immy was rolling with laughter!

Laeeka: addictive

Arshad: Zainab

Laeeka: hmmm impulsive

Arshad: Nemo!

Laeeka: inquisitive

Arshad: Aara!

Laeeka: (giggling) secretive

Arshad: Mari!

Oh kay…so I wasn’t the only one who felt that Mari was hiding something…other than what I already knew…

Arshad: Reez…submissive?

Me:(laughing to himself) you!

Arshad: I’m submissive?

Me: ey man Arshoo

Arshad: arrogant

Me: Nuzayh

Arshad: innocent

Me: Laeeka

Arshad: tolerant

Me: Aara

Arshad: different

Me: Zoheb

Aara: Immy..let’s see how well you know us so far….happiest

Immy: Zoheb

Aara: questionable

Immy: Nemo

Nemo: huh?

Aara: it’s a journalist vs detective thing Nemo…secret keeper

Immy: Riza

And Aara stared at Immy for a few seconds

Aara: mysterious

Immy: Maariah

Aara(smirking to herself): shield

Immy: Aara

Aara: (shaking Immy’s hand) you’re good…I like you!

Immy: (laughing but giving Aara a “knowing” look) I know 😉

Mari: okay Zai…fashion

Zai: (squeeling) Meeeee

Mari: (laughing to herself) famous

Zai: Reez

Me: I’m not famous

Zai: but you will be one day

Mari: future

Zai: Arshad:)

Mari: fiesty

Zai: Aara

Mari: full of shit

Zai: (busting) thee one and only….Nemo!

Zoheb: I guess that leaves us for last again bro…let’s go for it…white

Nemo: Laeeka…purity

Zoheb: pink

Nemo: Zainab….feminine

Zoheb: Black

Nemo: Me….dark

Zoheb: Blue

Nemo: Arshad…deeper than we know

Zoheb: (looking at Aara) Red

Nemo: Aara…straight from the heart

Aara: Red is also Devil no Nemo?

Nemo:(putting his arm around Aara) true true…and you are a little devil aren’t you?

——————————————————–
As narrated by Zoheb:

The night progressed…Immy and Maariah were engaged in what looked like a serious conversation in the balcony.

The rest of us washed our faces and decided to plan our trip.

Very soon, one by one everyone started leaving, except me.

Riza: you aren’t leaving now?

Me: I’ve got to speak to Aara about something I’ll leave in a bit

Riza: (smirking) yeah…sure

Soon enough it was just us, Aara was still ignoring me after the whole “table incident” and she was busy connecting Nemo’s camcorder to her tv.

I sat next to her, held her hand and slipped a bracelet onto it.

Aara: and this?

Me: for the first time you cooked especially for me

Her eyes softened…it wasn’t easy for her to stay mad at anyone…but she still wouldn’t budge that easily!

Me:(I had to ask her) can I ask you something?

Aara: sure (not looking at me)

Me: when can we tell everyone? It’s kinda obvious anyway

Aara: I know….but

Me: but…what?

Aara: I’m not ready yet

Me: why?

Aara: you were fine with it Zoheb…now all of a sudden?

And the video played on…

Me: I don’t want to sound petty but really…you’re okay with us being a secret and I must just suck it up while one of your friends holds you and hugs you infront of me and I can’t even hold your hand in public?? (Shit…I probably shouldn’t have said that)

Aara: (holding her head) Nemo…say it…Nemo

Me:(taking in a deep breath) Aara I’m not jealous of Nemo but put yourself in my shoes, would you be okay if I did the same? No, hell no! I know that Nemo is an important part of your life…I understand that…but I am also a part of your life…and I could have left it and carried on as though it doesn’t matter but it does matter and its going to get stretched if we don’t sort it out now

Aara: (trying to take the bracelet off her hand) now nothing will get stretched

Me:(I really didn’t want to fight with her…holding the bracelet back in place) come on Aara…please..don’t do this…don’t shut me out

Aara: I know it’s stupid that I haven’t told anyone…and I’m sorry…I know that it probably hurts you..that was never my intention…if you didn’t mean something to me I would never have said yes…all I need is a little bit of time is that too much to ask?

Me: all I’m asking is for you to please…please give our relationship a name why are you so afraid…

Aara: (standing up) For the first time in my life…crushes and even first love aside…for the first time in my life…I am experiencing “this” kind of feeling….and I love it but it’s all new to me..No one’s ever made me feel the way you do…when you look at me I feel as though I might as well be dancing on the moon!Heck I feel as though I’ve been handed the moon and…and I don’t exactly know what to do with it…I may look like I have all the confidence in the world but inside me I’m ..I’m afraid that it may not last..happiness doesn’t normally stay when it comes to me okay…it’s overwhelming

Me: (standing up and holding her hands) I am in love with you…I love you with all of my heart…and all I want is to just be with you…and you don’t need to be afraid okay I’m not going anywhere…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to upset you

Aara: (hugging me) it’s okay…it’s my fault..and you’re right I will probably end up murdering any other girl who’s your friend who holds you and hugs you infront of me

Me: (hugging her back) I don’t have a problem with Nemo Aara…I know what Nemo is to you…

Aara:(her head on my chest) you’re a bit silly you know that…and a bit jealous…

Me:(hugging her tighter) guilty as charged…

Aara: and I’m sorry for trying to take off this cute bracelet…I think I need to be less defensive

Me: you will kill me one day…sending me into shock like that

And before she could say anything else…

“I played a very big part in Nemo’s drug addiction…but I didn’t know that it would spiral out of control in the way that it did…I used to be extremely jealous of the friendship that Nemo and Aara shared that no matter what they would always end up together….I saw him fall and I made her see him fall…I used to call her anonymously and tell her where he was in the hope that she would give up on him and leave him….but she never did…he pushed her away but she always came back…you’re right…Aara is his shield…she always was…I sent her to places that even I was afraid to go to….I even used my friend….Aadil…to sort of go out with her to keep her away from Nemo but I didn’t know Immy I honestly didn’t know that he was going to try and…”

Immy: try and rape her

Mari: (swallowing hard) he told me that he really liked her..I didn’t know what he did until Zainab’s house recently…if I had any idea I would have told Aara…I would have stopped him….I could have stopped Nemo, I didn’t….I was happy even on the day when Nemo embarassed Aara infront of everyone and told her that he’s cutting all ties with her….I didn’t know that his addiction was getting worse…I was happy when their friendship broke…when they didn’t talk for months….and then I didn’t see Nemo for so long.. he just…disappeared and I was angry with Aara because I knew that she had something to do with it….one day Riza and Aara sort of fell off the grid and started behaving strangely and I knew that something was up…I was so bloody blind that I didn’t see what I had done…the day that I realised it was when I saw Nemo at Aara’s house….right here…she had brought him back…she took his responsibility…despite everything, despite him hurting her over and over again, she risked everything….for him

Both Aara and I were numbed to the spot….tears fell from Aara’s eyes and she tried to say something to me but no words came out of her mouth…and she looked at me and then at the tv screen and passed out in my arms…