J - JUDGING YASMIN

Most the guests were already in. Farzan and his family were the first to come in. Junaid had promised to bring his fiancee Aneesa along, but had arrived solo. Sarah had come in with her 7 year old, Abram. Also present were a few neighbours and a whole bunch of teenage kids. With most of his friends having arrived for the house-warming party well on time. His new third floor apartment was teeming with friends and loved ones. He would occasionally regret not having a family, but he was far from feeling lonely today. Everyone could see Sadiq smiling from ear to ear.

But what Sadiq was excited about most of all was the fact that his longtime pal Yousuf  was also on his way there; they were going to meet after a couple of years. What's more, Yousuf had also decided to bring his 19 year old daughter Yasmin along. Sadiq had last seen Yasmin when she was barely a few weeks old. Yousuf would rarely take Yasmin out; she hated to be in public. Sadiq all the more happy. Yousuf rarely took his daughter anywhere; not because he didn't want to, but because she didn't. Maybe she was painfully shy, or maybe she was a social recluse; Sadiq couldn't put his finger on it. Nevertheless, he was happy that he was going to be able to see her after years.

The doorbell rang, and a couple of the neighbours' kids who were till then playing a random game of 'pakdam-pakdai' or tag, ran to open the door, with Sadiq walking behind them in excitement. As expected, it was Yousuf and his daughter. Sadiq rushed forward to hug them.

"How big you've become beta. I last saw you when you were this small."

Yasmin smiled, at first a little awkwardly, but eventually it developed into a full-blown toothy smile, the kind of smile a shy six-year old would typically give. She didn't say anything though.

"Say hello to Sadiq uncle", her father said gently.

"Huh..hello" she struggled to say. Sadiq noticed she had to make an effort to blurt out the word.

Sadiq looked at Yousuf, "Is...everything all...alright?"

"Alhamdulillah...God has been kind", Yousuf said.

Sadiq began feeling uncomfortable. He crossed his fingers and hoped everything was fine. 

The afternoon was progressing normally. The kids continued playing. Guests were now talking to fellow guests whom they had never met before. Food and beverages were being guzzled. Yasmin though, chose to sit in a corner with her glass of fruit punch while her dad engaged in small talk with the host and other guests.

All of a sudden, there were loud noises coming from below the  window.

No one needed to go take a peek outside the window to know what it was - it was a brass band playing folk and filmy tunes. Somebody from the neighbourhood was probably getting married. No one bothered to look.

But Yasmin ran towards the window and gawked in amazement. She made a clumsy attempt to hum along with the tunes being played; she even clapped her hands gingerly when she liked a particular tune. She was extremely happy, and the world knew it. But in her moment of enjoyment, she was unknowingly evoking reactions from the guests and the kids.  

Almost all the kids were giggling. Some were secretly recording her mannerism on their smartphones. An unsettling buzz began among the guests. Some were shaking their heads in pity, while some simply sat shell-shocked and stared at her. But while all of this was happening in the background, Yasmin was completely oblivious of the goings-on around her, and was having a gala time.

Her father broke the awkward moment by saying, "She's regained her hearing ability after ten long years...God is Great!"

Please feel free to leave comments, whether or not you liked what you read. It's a great way to start a conversation or a dialogue. I might be pretty boring in real life, but I promise I'm a lot more fun in this avatar.

Today's image is all thanks to another wonderful Instagrammer from Pakistan. Karachi-based Rimsha Javaid considers herself as just another average 20-year old girl. She's pursuing a Bachelor in Arts degree, with a major in Philosophy. She's a photography and literary enthusiast. She blogs at www.thefaultinourbrains.tumblr.com and her Instagram URL is www.instagram.com/_rimshaha

Previous posts in the A to Z Challenge - April 2017:-

A - All Apologies (Poem)

B - Baptism (Poem)
C - Chains (Short Story)
D - Door To My House (Short Story / Sentimental / Philosophy / Wisdom)
E - Evil Eye Deliverance (Short Story)
F - Flight of the Lonely Raven (Poem)
G - Girl With The Rings (Weird Story)
H - Hills Beckon (Poem)
I - Idyllic Sky (Short Story)