Jaan-E-Mustafa

ONE

Her self pity session was over when she heard a loud  knock on the door of her precious room.

"Maria baji aapko badi malkin neeche naashte ke liye bula rahi hai. Sab aapka intezaar kar rahe hai."

(Your grandmother is calling you downstairs for breakfast. Everyone's  waiting for you.)

She heard Rafia knocking on the other side of the door making her groan loudly but nonetheless she replied her politely overcoming the fear of being scolded by dado for being late for the breakfast.

"Tell her I'll be down in few minutes."

Hurriedly getting out of her bed she turned towards washroom to brush her teeth and made herself look presentable and then made her way downstairs.

"Sorry... I am late"

She smiled sheepishly looking at her grandmother who was particular  about punctuality and was ready to face her wrath when her grandmother gave her a warm smile instead of scolding her. She was schocked but happy. Happy for not being scolded. Maybe it was her lucky day. It wasn't like her grandmother hated her or had any grudge with her. Her dado loved her very much but rules always comes first for her.

"Lagta hai dado ache mood mein hai aaj."

( I guess dado is happy today.)

She whispered softly inside Osama's  ear who was her best friend cum crime partner and he smiled at her in return nodding his head knowing  something  which she was unaware of.

She had a joint family where they all lived together in harmony. Rubana begum was the head of the family and she had two sons Aaqib and Ali Ahwaan. Aaqib Ahwaan was her older son who was married to Rabia and they had three children. The eldest one was Mir Mustafa Ahwaan who was a thirty two year old and most obedient son one could ask for. He was perfect from his looks to his manners, except one thing which was his anger. Aamina was their second child and the only girl they had so it was obvious that she was a pampered child. Her older brother and father fulfilled her every wish making her the apple of their eyes. Next came Osama who was the youngest one and the naughtiest Ahwaan. His prank and jokes knew no bounds. He was the life of Ahwaan villa.

Next came Ali Ahwaan who was the second child of Rubana Ahwaan and was married to Shabana. Unlike his older brother he didn't showed his emotions openly unless it was anger he had to express. He had two children Maria who was a twenty one year old and a beautiful looking young girl. She was pro at cooking and singing was her hobby. On the other hand was her brother Baseer who was fifteen year old. They both were poles apart but loved each other to death. He loved teasing his sister to divert her mind from their parents who never attention to them and even if they did it was more concerntrated towards him not his sister. She was a neglected child but it never broke her soul as she was happy with the love she got from her other family members but somewhere in her heart she always longed for the love of her parents.

Currently everyone was sitting at the dinning table and it seemed that dado had something important to announce judging the bright smile on her face.

"The date of Aamina's nikaah has been finalized and it's on 6th of February."

Aamina was grinning widely as soon as those words left dado's mouth. She was happy infact she looked elated with the news and was eager to get married soon.

Maria laughed softy keeping hand on her mouth to conceal her giggles  seeing Aamina's reaction which only tayi ammi noticed and spoke inside her ear quietly which turned her cheeks red.

"Agli baari apki hai."

("Your turn is next.")

She had some spark in her eyes which Maria never noticed as she was too horrified to get married so soon and quickly replied her before she could take wrong meaning seeing her blush.

"Not so soon tayi ammi."

Tayi ammi was about to answer her when their attention got diverted to dado who spoke again.

"Meri Mustafa se bhi baat hui thi aur unhone bataya hai wo yaha permanently shift ho rahe hai. "

(I also talked with Mustafa and he informed me that he is shifting here permanently.)

His mother along with dado had happy tears in their eyes afterall he was coming back after eleven years.
Maria was not sure how to feel about the news of him coming back. There was a time when he was her best friend, her guardian angel, but he left her alone and now she didn't know what to feel. How to react to the news of his arrival. Her feelings were neutral. She was neither happy not sad. He was just a family member and her cousin nothing more, nothing less.
And it didn't mattered to her if he was coming or not. Her life will be the same with or without his presence. What she didn't know was a big strom was about to enter her life along with him which would change her life altogether.

~~~~~~~~~~

Salam everyone,

This chapter is the edited version of what I wrote earlier.

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Till next time,
Allah Hafiz.