Love, Lies & A Cup of Chai

Chapter 1

Umeed nodded, a sense of resignation settling in. She watched silently as her father made his way towards the exit, his expectations weighing heavily on her, and the impending tragedy of the promise she'd made to him looming in the air. Her gaze fixated on the little stone gleaming on the ring finger of her left hand, while her other hand instinctively reached out to gently toy with it.

Chai had always held a special place in Umeed's heart. It wasn't merely a beverage; it was a comforting embrace, a soothing balm that carried the nostalgic flavours of her childhood. Growing up, Umeed had often found solace in the rich, aromatic blend of spices and tea leaves, the tea made by her mother to be specific. It was a taste that transported her back to simpler times, to her mother's warm hugs, her reassuring touches, her unconditional love and a time when Pasha Sahab was just baba.

After losing her mother at the tender age of ten, Umeed's fondness towards chai turned into something more. She found herself obsessing over it, chasing the high and comfort it gave her than most people did. Chai became a comforting anchor, a taste of belonging, even though she couldn't quite put her finger on what that was. Over time, something seemingly as small as chai managed to occupy a place big enough in her mind that it evolved into a dream - a space where there can be the shared joy of the comfort and healing she found in every cup, at the same time earning money and having enough of it to a point where she could live without the miseries of the middle class life she'd witnessed her father go through all his life.

Umeed was someone who lived quite true to her name, and that's what led her to the top of Kidney Hill one of those nights six months back during her last semester in college. Her innocent wish to make a dua to her Allah jee had been annihilated by her brother, who unwittingly snitched on her to Pasha Sahab. To make things worse, she had lost some of Chachi's money to a scam she somehow did not see coming following which Pasha Sahab had decided to take matters into his own hands, deciding to marry her off. He hoped that marriage would steer Umeed onto a more stable and conventional path, away from her pursuit of wealth and above all, it felt like he wanted to just get rid of her.

Umeed had fought tooth and nail to get out of this commitment. She still vividly remembered that night when she had almost left the house with a clear aim in her mind, only to be harshly brought back to reality with Pasha Sahab towering over her, asking one poignant question.

That night. That car. That question.

"Tum chahti kya ho?"

Umeed, seizing the moment, had earnestly pleaded for an opportunity to prove herself. She had two requests. Her father, though dismissing one of them, eventually relented to the second one, offering her a one-year window in exchange for her engagement to Waleed, a suitor of her father's choosing. Within this time frame, her mission was clear: she needed to establish her cafe and make it thrive.

Umeed had reached out to some of her well-off friends and tirelessly worked to secure a few modest investors who believed in her vision. The cafe, which functioned in a relatively low budget had opened its doors just three months ago, and while it was beginning to show promise, Umeed knew she still had a long way to go to actually make it, and that it would take much longer than the six months she had left before she would be shackled in a marriage she didn't want. Once the year passed, she would be obligated to marry Waleed, a concern she temporarily put aside, fully intending to address it in due course.

Farjaad entered the living room unbuttoning his coat as he heard his sister's voice going above a decibel it doesn't go on a normal day. It was a rare occurrence that she shouts at someone or even gets angry, so he knew something big had to happen.