Milte Rahen Ba-dastoor

As dark as black coffee

Qismat ko hai ye manzoor kya keeje

Milte rahen ba-dastoor kya keeje

Dil, kehraha hai, use mukkamal

Kar bhi aao.

Wo jo adhuri si baat baqi hai,

Wo jo adhuri si baat baqi hai....

Rayyan

I shrieked as a black figure jumped in front of my feet out of nowhere, Almost burning my hand with the cup of tea I held, to see Sylvia strutting around the house.

Phupho was instantly there, hand over her heart asking me what had happened.

"who the hell gave her unprecedented access here kahin se bhi ajati hai mout ka farishta banke." I muttered making my way to the kitchen.

Natalia phupho sat back on the couch again, rolling her eyes and typing away on her laptop, so did my father on the other couch, rectangle glassed perched on nose, a mug of chai in hands.

It was Sunday, which meant they were at home today.

"Not a moment of peace ever since he came." I heard my father mumble.

"Bano mat, you can't stop smiling to yourself ever since he came." Natalia phupho reminded him.

I could hear them from the kitchen, and I couldn't help but smile at that.

My father has been really kind to me, but never really expressive. He had not talked to me for six months when I left Pakistan, till he eventually gave up. But then again, this was almost every Pakistani son's relation with their father.

It was Natalia Phupho's birthday today, I had surprised her at twelve am sharp with a cake. She kept blinking aggressively and fanning her eyes with her hands to keep the tears at bay, as Baba continued to roll his eyes at her being sentimental.

The day passed lazily with books, hot drinks and light conversations. I had never been a book person, so I continued to bother their reading sessions with showing them memes every once in a while, Baba squinted his eyes at each one, trying hard to understand it and shaking his head saying nahin samjh ayi as Natalia Phupho broke into fits of laughter trying  to it explain to him.

I smiled to myself at this and continued peeling peanuts, sat beside the heater when someone ringed the bell.

Baba and Phupho exchanged knowing smiles.

Before I could get up, Natalia Phupho got up from the couch and started descending the stairs and a while later returned with Maliha, holding a bouquet of roses and a paper bag.

"Sorry Phupho I didn't get the time to wrap these I was really bus-" Phupho cut her off with a dismissive motion of her hands, greedily going through each book.

"Maliha why have you not been coming around lately, 14 din hogaye?" My dad looked at her with affectionate eyes.

"I've just been really busy with the work, you know it never stops at a publishing company," She smiled nervously, looking at the floor and then as if suddenly realizing she looked at him again, "you remembered its been 14 days?"