Koh-e-Noor

//• dass •//

"Canada jaa ke kabhi waapis aane ka iraada nahin hai?" I asked, even though the answer was apparent.

"Yahaan? Yahaan waapis aane ka?"

I nodded,

"Aayein ge garmiyon mein har aik do saal baad, InShaAllah. Zindagi basar karne toh kabhi nahin. Iss mulq mein rehna naamumqin hai."

Mama engaged her with another topic while all the thoughts ran around my head.

"Iss mulq mein rehna aur achhi dimaaghi sehat hona naamumqin hai." I corrected her.

"Yehi toh," she started talking about mental health and the importance of freedom and then proceeded to talk about a relative who had depression and God knows how, it all ended up in backbiting of a far far relative, while I looked at her in surprise.

"Yehi toh, yehi toh badalna hai. Iss mulq mein rehna naamumqin hai nahin, banaaya jaa rahaa hai. Aap jaise log—" shit, "—Mujhe, mujhe lagta hai iss mulq se baaher break ke liye jaaya jaa sakta hai, fresh hone jaa sakte hain, parrhaai ke liye jaa sakte hain kyun ke yahaan taaleem achhi nahin, lekin iss mulq ke humaare oopar bohot ehsaanaat hain. Aur unnhain chukaane waapis aana chaahiye sab ko. Joh taaleem haasil karne baaher jaate hain uss hi se waapis aa ke mulq badal—"

"—Kyaa keh rahi ho, Zaira? Zindagi khatam ho jaae gi yeh mulq nahin sudhre ga, iss mulq ka koyi future nahin hai."

"Mustaqbil hota nahin, banaaya jaata hai." I used papa's dialogue.

"Kehne ki baatein hain. Kehte hue asaan lagta hai, tum aik saal guzaar ke dikhaao yahaan, phir baat karo."

I was all focused on what she was saying, but the second Mr. Perfectionist came into sight, my eyes ran to him like a metal gets attracted to magnet.

"Pehli baat, main kabhi waqt guzaarun hi naa, zindagi jeeni aati hai mujhe." My eyes stayed on him until mama smacked me on my head.

I looked at mama, then back to him. He gave me an... I don't know what it's called but he frowned and raised his eyebrows and I know it was because he was impressed by my dialogue, but I don't know why he does it with such flirtatious eyes.

He'd been flirting with me since morning and I was sick of it.

"Shagufta chhadd innu, isse shauq hai debates ka. Awain lagi rendi ai, tun sunaa, kadun di flight aa?" I heard mama in the background.

I looked down to the files in his hands along with the laptop as he headed out of the house and I ran behind after a loud Allah Haafiz to everyone.

"Kahaan jaa rahe ho?" I asked, "Mujhe bhi office jaana hai!"

"Huh? Kis khushi mein?"

"Papa se baat karni hai."

"Phone hai tumhaare paas." He sat on the driving seat.

Kabbhi khuda mauqa de tou iss ko kisi khaai mein phenk doon.

If I say Achha? Mujhe toh pataa hi nahin tha? he'll show more attitude.

I ran to the passenger side, "Nahin naa, sawaal poochhne hain kuchh. Face to face hi ho sakta hai, darwaaza kholo naa."

He pushed the keys inside. I forced my hand down the window to unlock the car but the window was rolled up too high.

"14 August baad mein sab ne manaana hai, mili-nagme sab ne gaane hain, lekin mulq ke liye kuchh karne ki baari aaye? Zyaada se zyaada uss ke liye bache ko fouj mein bhej do. Yehi hai bas Pakistaniyon ka.

Rishwat phir bhi lein dein ge, jahez ki haram rivaayat phir bhi jaari rahein gi, sarak pe safaayi khud nahin rakhein ge, lekin shikaayatein humaisha zubaan pe rahein gi.