Alluring Masquerade

          Hira tied an apron around herself and washed her hands, drying it with a clean tea-towel. Leaving that in the pocket of her plaid blue apron, she got herself busy with doing the washing up before starting on dinner. There wasn't much to wash anyway and she was done within five minutes. She made sure that the work surface was hygienic and clean, since she'll be working on there after all. She had always despised working with a messy kitchen.

          "Alright-y," she said to no-one in particular, whilst placing her fists on her hips.

          The kitchen was clean and tidy for her liking; the work surfaced was a wooden pattern and dark blue. The units and drawers were dark brown and also wooden. And the glistening utensils and plates were displayed in rack on the sink. The units and drawers were all connected on three walls, the sink being able to be seen from opposite her now, the beaded doorway now behind her. Another door, which was leading out to the small, backyard was stood wide open on the left, near her. The night's cool air felt good in the kitchen.

          Not having enough time, she opened the fridge to pick out some ingredients for tonight's dinner. It was nothing special, but something that her sister and herself that liked; Pasta, which was her own little recipe. She was really a good cook in fact.

          She moved over to the lower units and knelt down, opening them in the process. She scanned all the different kinds of tinned foods that usually consisted of more tinned-tomatoes, tinned-beans, tinned-chickpeas, and some other kinds. She grabbed three two tins of chickpeas and got back up. "Can't believe I forgot the most important ingredient," she murmured under her breath. She put the tins onto the work surface with a heavy sigh and rested leaned forward. Her head was swimming with blurring images, blood rushing to her brain and causing a fleeting feeling of hotness to pass in her head.

          Her little sister chose that time to enter through the kitchen, with a towel around her head that was tucked carefully underneath. "...So what are we having today...?" she stopped slowly, as her eyes lead to the slumped figure of her elder sister.

          Hira took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, as a feeling of weariness overcame her.

          "Periods?" Hiba asked boringly. She was wearing her pyjamas, at seven o'clock in the evening, for some unforeseen reason.

          "Pyjamas?" Hira asked, after she nodded.

          "Yup!" Hiba replied simply, walking over to her.

          "What, now?" Hira asked, confused as to why her sibling was wearing her night-T and Pyjamas at this time of the evening. She felt a slight twinge and hunched over a bit, which was weird, considering that normally she never got any pains. Normally, she'd be able to cook even on the first day of her period, but today she felt so hurtful that she wanted to cry.

          "Sis, I seriously think you lie down," Hiba advised, concerned.

          "No, I'm alright," Hira said, and tried to breathe slowly.

          "Fuck, you're alright," Hiba retorted. "Go lie down!"

          Hira laughed, but stopped herself at once because the pain just got worse. When she was halfway through the doorway, she held herself with a hand on the doorframe.

          "What's up?" Hiba was there at her side in an instant.

          "Could you – ow – do me a favour?" Hira asked. Her voice was barely audible.

          "I'll go get your meds," Hiba said, reading Hira's mind. "And milk."

          Hira only nodded as she was helped into the living-room and onto the couch. A warm woolly blanket was wrapped around her, doubled, because it was actually so large for her small frame.