Darling Dearest💕 پیارے عزیز

Chapter One - The One Where She Runs Late

بڑی جلدی ہے تجھے اے ساجن
تھرا ٹھہر تو لے کے دیدار ہو جائ

Bari jaldi hai tujhe ay saajan
Thora theher to le ke deedar ho jaaye
(You're in quite a hurry, Oh Loved One,
Slow down a little, give us at least a glimpse)

(Please refer to the glossary for translations outside of speech💕)

"Ainna! Neechay ao jaldi dere ho rahi hai! Tumharay abba aatay hi hon ge."
("Ainna! Come down quickly, we're getting late! Your dad will be here soon!")
"Crap. I totally wasted all that time on my phone, ab kya?!"
("...What now?")

Noor-ul-Ain. Light of the Eye. Her name was well chosen, it really did describe her completely. At the young age of 22, she was seriously a sight to see. It was as if light glowed from within her and lit up all eyes around. Noor-ul-Ain Mirza.

But she was Ainna to her loved ones, and right now she was running very late. As quickly as it was possible in order for her to stay sane, Ainna threw on the salwar suit she had ironed in the morning and lightly swiped some mascara on her lashes, wrapping a chaadar around herself. She wouldn't get shouted at though, that part she was sure of. She was everyone's laadli, no one really had the heart to get angry at her.

Ainna wasn't an only child, not really, but she might as well have been. The household revolved around her, in addition to all her aunts and uncles that doted on her ever since she was born. Up until now, her life had mostly been just her, her mama jaani, her abbu and her Asim bhaiyya, who treated her like she was his own daughter.

Last year, though, her brother had gotten Nikkah'ed, completing her second set of parents, and now they would soon bring home their newest member. Her bhabi, Amna, was literally a sweetheart and had taken Ainna under her wing since her ceremony. Although she lived in Pakistan, their frequent phone calls had made sure that her advice was an imperative part of Ainna's life. And needless to say, Ainna had become her jaan, giving her brother a run for his money and his wife's attention.

Right now, though, they were in Pakistan, and shopping had to be done. There were but a few days until the Rukhsati, and Ya Allah there was so much still left to buy! The amount of chaos happening in the Mirza ghar right now was quite a spectacle. For one, Ainna's Walimah dress still had to be picked up from the darzi, given back in for last minute alterations. These tailors, they never got it right the first time... or the fourth time. The house still had to be decorated, the decor was yet to be bought and all in all, the panic was real.

Just as she raced down the stairs, the door of the house opened to reveal her dearest abba jaan. Her father's eyes lit up when he saw his Noor, just as they had the day she was born and every day after it.
"Ready for shopping, beta?", her father enquired.
"Shukar hai neechay to ai, main toh darr rahi thi kahi so na gayi ho phir se." Samia came from the living room, with a frown on her face.
("Thank God she came down at least, I was scared she might have gone back to sleep")

Oops... mama was not happy, not that it couldn't be fixed. All Ainna needed to do was show her innocent smile and she would melt like chocolate, which was exactly what she did. Her mum was still a little sceptical though.
"Tell me the truth, it was that phone, haina?" .... Bingo.
(".... right?")
"How are you so spot on every time mama jaani? You know me inside out." Maska, Ainna thought, was sure to be a cherry on top. Her mum didn't seem too pleased though, so a change of subject was required.

Gasping as she looked at her watch, Ainna alerted her mother, "Mama! Look at the time, humne market jaana tha!". ("... we have to go to the market!")
And that was all it required to throw Mama Mirza back into her panic mode. Herding the other three into the car, Samia made sure they had left the house within the five minutes that were to come.

—————

"Amma aur kitni shopping karein gi?"
("Mum how much more shopping are you going to do?")

He was beginning to get fed up with all this.

"Aziz beta when do I get time to do all this shopping back home? And everything is so expensive there."
And yet his mother still protested.

You guessed it. They were in Pakistan for the month. Aziz's best friend was getting married, he obviously wasn't going to miss that. His mum was a different story though. She loved it in Pakistan, just give her an excuse and she'll be there. And so he had booked two tickets and now there they were.

"We still have to buy your kurta and a suit for the Walimah right beta? What are you wearing on the Rukhsati again?" Not this again...
"Mum, I told you already I have loads of suits. Pehn loon ga unhi me se kuch." He really didn't want to be shopping any longer.
("... I'll wear something out of them/one of those.")
"Nonsense, Asim ki shaadi hai and you want to wear wohi puraanay suits?"
("... it's Asim's wedding [...] those same old...")

He was well aware of the exact thought process in his mother's mind. Asim was getting married, and they were of the same age. That, in Aima Khan's mind, was as good as a ticking time bomb to find her son a wife. It was useless in Aziz's eyes. Though he had never met Asim's whole family properly, he was quite sure that he wouldn't find his life partner amidst the chaos that came with Pakistani weddings. He would be lucky if he could get to the other side of it in peace, let alone find someone to drag along with him.

If Aziz had been paying a little more attention to his surroundings rather than thinking about the inevitable, he might have seen the girl that was running in his direction. He might have recognised that sudden movement, sideways no less, was a bad idea at that exact moment. He might have realised what was about to happen. And yet, 25-year-old Aziz Ahmed Khan was lost to his thoughts as he sidestepped around the crowd at a particular stall. Which put him directly in the path of that unsuspecting girl, who ended up skidding on the marble in an attempt to slow down. An attempt that was unsuccessful, as she only ended up slipping and crashing into that lost in thought Khan.

If only Aziz had paid attention. Ouch.

—————

"Sorry sorry sorry!" Sat on the floor as she gathered her things, Ainna couldn't believe her luck. Like really, ab yeh bhi hona tha.
(... this was supposed to happen now of all times.)
This dude might as well be her prince charming now, with the cliche way her day was going. She looked ahead to see no sign of Mama and Abbu and Bhai... wait no, she spotted a head attached to the tall body that was her brother, Thank God.

"Maine aap ko dekha nahi, asal main bheerh bohot zyada hai, aur main thori jaldi main hoon. Aik baar phir, sorry!"
("I didn't see you there, actually there's such a rush and I'm in a hurry. Sorry once again!")
And with that, she was gone.

A/N: Warning, its a long one, but please read!
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WRITING A BOOK, so please excuse me if its not worth your time, I'm sorry🥺
———//
Okay so, I've been reading stories like these on Wattpad for some time now and a few had this type of thing like a few words/shayari in Urdu at the start. Recently I found out ke ye idea actually ayemaaaaaan ka tha so though might as well tag her for credit because she deservessssss ittttt. Also I love her short story لال from her The Shy Night, like it resonates in my soullll, I'm like a massive fan of her writing from reading that one story😭 (please finish it Aymen! Everyone else, its a MUST read!)
Anyways I actually found that idea really cool, so thats what inspired me to write a book of my own... also I'll try to make whatever I put at the start of the chapter 1) relevant to the chapter and 2) written by yours truly just because I kinda enjoy writing poems so why not give Urdu shayari a go... please excuse it if its bad and/or cringe?
Alsoooo inspired by alllll the HumTV and some ARY ke dramay and my own imagination and this boriat that's come with being at home because of Miss Co.Rona. So iss se pehle Miss.Rona mujhe ronay pe le ai... let's kill this boredom🤪
Signing out,
Wafa💕