Aziz-e-Dilam عزیز دلیم

five

Musa had been holed up in the study since early in the morning. He has been running only on coffee, not having the time to even grab a morsel of food. He finally finished with his work and stretched his stiff muscles.

He ventured out in an eerily quiet house, which is next to impossible with all his siblings present. The bhukkad gang must be in the kitchen. At least one of their representatives would be, he deduced.

He came upon his mama, chachi and tayi ammi; all quite busy in packing sweets and gifts. Where was his wife!!

"Mama, kuch khane de dein please." He kissed his mother's cheek. Duaa smiled at her shahzada, her son was just too precious.

"Aur Moosy, hum sautele hai tumhare?" His tayi ammi teased him. "Bilkul nahi. Ek aap dono hi hai..." He trailed off and kissed their cheeks in reverence. He loved all his mothers.

Duaa went off to make his breakfast, her poor baby hadn't joined them at the table and was starving since morning. Omelette paratha it is.

Musa popped a ladoo in his mouth and looked around. "Chachi, ye bachey kaha hai? Iss waqt tak toh unhone pura kitchen sar par utha lena hota hai snacks ke naam par."

"Bachey? Sharam karo Moosy. Un bacho me se ek tumhari biwi hai." His Aamaal chachi poked him as she brought him a glass of passion fruit juice.

"Yahi toh afsos hai. Ye kaisi ladki se shaadi karwa di meri. Wo meri biwi kum aur mere Bhaiyo ki behen zyada hai. Ghar me aate hi pehle unhe dhoondti hai." He shook his head in mock disappointment.

"Kisi khadoos vamp ladki ko le aatein, kamaskam ghar me roz naye dramey toh dekhne milte." He sipped on his juice and continued, " Aur aap teeno ne hi usse sar par chadha rakha hai. Bahuon wali harkatein hi nahi hai!"

Duaa kept his plate on the counter and hit his head. "Meri bahu ke khilaaf ek lafz nahi. Esha ke baad ussi se raunak lagi rehti hai ghar me!"

"Mama yaar!" He quickly dug into his plate.
"Hai kaha ye pagal paltan?" He asked with a mouthful of ladoo.

"Tayi ammi, zara wo cheese spread pass karna" he didn't like his omelette dry.

"Den me dera daala hua hai aaj sabne. Veer saare chips le gaya thode waqt pehle aur Hania ne pata nahi koi beauty products ke bags liye the."

Faiqa grabbed a butter knife, applied the cheese on his paratha, put the omelette on top and even added some pickled onions and lettuce; making a spicy egg roll for her eldest son.

In response Musa just kissed his ammi's cheeks. They all loved the kids equally, mayhaps Musa even had a soft corner in everyone's heart because he is the first child of the family.

They were all going to the Khan House today. Ehsal had given birth to a healthy baby girl- Abeer last month and today is her aqeqaah. That's the reason he avoided office and even finished his pending work quickly.

After breakfast he sauntered towards the Den. As much as he complained of the noise, he can't ever live without the ruckus his siblings create. They're too innocent and precious and he always does everything in his power to maintain that.

"You could not live with your own failures.
Where did that bring you? Back to me..."

"Yaar ye Thor kitna mota lag raha hai. Banda gym hi chala jaata hai.." the voice was cut of by a thump of a cushion hitting him.

"Tameez se zara. Thor bhaijaan hai tumhare."  Hania scolded Veer.

"Kya?" "KYA?" "KYAAA?" Three kya resounded in the den but Hania was too far gone to recognize her husband's voice. She was still in the Nordic God of Thunder's dreams.