"Inara, yaha fuppi nahi hain jo raat ko tumhare liye pasta banaye, jo bhi hai kha lo." Inara was raiding in the fridge while Anaya was standing just beside her.
"Haan lekin yeh chicken ka salan humne raat mein khaya tha na, main ab yeh nahi khaungi. Batao ek toh yeh log fridge mein cake, chocolate, ice cream wagera rakhte hi nahi." Taking a casserole out, Inara opened its lid and her nose cringed when found chicken gravy and she turned to Anaya, angrily.
"Tum kal sabse keh dena na ki tumhare liye cake, chocolate rakha kare fridge mein." Irritation was filled in Anaya's voice for Inara, she was looking at the door from time to time, afraid if someone comes there and found them near the fridge, what would they think.
"Sahi, keh rahi ho tum, Anaya, main kal kahungi Chachu se ki...." Before Inara could finish her sentence, a manyl voice came from outside.
"Kon hai waha?"
Thus voice made both Anaya and Inara froze for a moment as they looked at each other.
"Bhabhi?" The voice again called. Inara recognized that voice as Omar's, he was the second son of her chachu.
His footsteps were coming near the kitchen and both Anaya and Inara felt a chill in their spine. What would he think if found them raiding in the kitchen like that?
Without even thinking, Inara made a sound . "Meow!"
Anaya mentally smacked her forehead and pinched Inara.
Inara put her finger over her lips and asked her to bend down. They both sat down and started making their way to the kitchen's exit.
Inara's plan may have worked, Omar thought it was a cat but Inara herself revealed it wasn't a cat.
"Fridge toh bandh kiya hi nahi." Inara whispered, but her voice was loud in the piercing silence of the night.
"Kon?" Omar, who was still in the dining room, asked, as he stood up and decided to turn on the light.
"Shit!" Inara's eyes widened as she looked at Anaya, who shook her head negatively in disappointment.
"Bhago!" Inara whispers and both girl quickly stood up to run.
Omar's back was facing them as he turned on the light, the loud noise of footsteps made him turn back.
The guest room was downstairs, and Anaya already entered the room, but Inara, who was just behind her, was a little slow, and Omar got a glimpse of her going to her room.
"Inara!" Confusingly, he asked himself.
•••
"Haan toh isme meri kya galti thi? Billi ki awaz nikalne ka idea tumhara tha, mera nahi." Anaya asked.
"Lekin mafi nama likhne ka idea tumhara tha na." Inara, who was still dreaming about that night, narrowed her eyes at Anaya and snapped.
Ashamedly, Anaya looked away. It was indeed her plan to write a sorry note to Omar.
•••
"Anaya, Omar bhai ne mujhe dekh liya. Kya karu main? Pata nahi woh kya soch rahe honge mere barey mein." Walking around the room nervously, Inara asked her.
"So jao, aur dua karo subah tak Omar bhai sab bhool jaye." Anaya, who was sitting on the bed, suggested.
While Inara was worried that Omar saw her, Anaya regretted that they couldn't get the food after so much struggle.
"Anaya, kabhi toh serious ho jaya karo." Inara scolds her
And Anaya looked at her with a 'are you serious?' look.
"Main kya karu? Ghar wapas chali jau? Nahi, lekin Sara ki shaadi. Phir kya karu? Pretend karu ki kal main nahi thi koi aur tha? Lekin kon? Bhoot tha." Inara was mumbling insanely, and Anaya felt like stuffing something in her mouth so she can shut up.
"Maafi manglo." Anaya finally suggested.
"Hasn maafi mang leti hoon..." Without looking at her, Inara agrees, but later realises what Anaya said. "Kissey maafi mangu?" She asked.
"Omar bhai se."
"Maine konsa unki murgi chori ki hai jo unse maafi mangu?" Offendedly, she asked.
"Agar tumne unki murgi chori nahi ki toh itna darr kyu rahi ho?"
"Haan! Main darr kyu rahi hoon? Keh dungi bhook lagi thi mere. Insan hoon, bhook lag sakti hai mujhe." Inara finally calms down and sat beside Anaya.
"Bilkul sahi." Nodding her head, Anaya laid down. She didn't get food, now she didn't want to waste the night and thought of sleeping.
"Anaya!" But Inara was still in trouble. "Main maafi kaise mangu?" She asked in a very low voice, like a kid asking for a cookie after a mischievous.
"Munh se." Without sitting up, Anaya suggested.
"Anaya meri behen nahi ho tum?" Inara whined.
Taking an irritated breath out, Anaya sat up. "Maafi nama likhdo."
"Maafi nama?" Inara's eyes glint, as she looked at Anaya.
"Anaya, tum meri sabse achhi behen ho na?" Slowly, slowly and completely, Inara sat beside Anaya and started massaging her arm.
"Main tumhara maafi nama nahi likhungi." She said without a pause and Inara instantly left her arm.
A pout fall on her face as she looked at Anaya.
"Lawaris puppy ki taraf munh na banao." Anaya clicked her tongue. "2 Cadbury do, main likh dungi maafi nama." Anaya finally agrees.
•••
"Maafinama likhne ko kaha tha. Yeh nahi kaha tha ki Omar ko kaho main dimagi mareez hoon." Picking a pillow, Inara hit Anaya, while she was just laughing.
"Toh galat kya likha maine?" Innocently, she asked.
"Aur tumne unse yeh bhi kaha ki mera ilaj chal raha hai aur uss din maine dawai nahi li thi..." Inara keep hitting her with the pillow and Anaya was trying to dodge.
Anaya keep saying sorry but Inara didn't stop, seeing no other option left, Anaya ran away from the room, only to bump into Hatim outside of the room.
"Kya..." Hatim couldn't even complete his sentence because her small figure fall on top of him, making him fall on the floor.
Inara, who also left the room after Anaya, stood in the doorway, trying to suppress the laugh by putting her hands over her mouth.
At first, Anaya didn't notice where she fall, but when she raised her head and saw Hatim's dark eyes glaring at her, her face turned white as if she has seen a ghost.
Quickly getting up, she mumbles a meek sorry.
"Yeh sab kya hai Inara?" Standing up, Hatim dust his shirt and asked Inara.
Hatim was always like that, he wouldn't talk to her directly, he will always tell Inara something if it is related to her, or scold Inara on the behalf of Anaya.
In childhood, Anaya used to get disheartened that Hatim doesn't like her and that's why he doesn't talk to her. But that was childhood, now she is glad he does not talk to her.
"Bhai, woh Anaya ne kamre chipkali dekhli thi, badi si moti si, isliye darr ke yaha bhag ayi." Inara has now controlled her laugh and told Hatim, seriously.
Anaya was too embarrassed, and in her own world that how can she fall on Hatim to notice how Inara cooks up a lie.
"Agey se dhyan rakhna." Hatim said to Inara, but his point was toward Anaya, who did not hear his advice.
•••
"Ammi, mere samajh nahi araha hai akhirkaar problem kya hai? Anaya bachpan se humare sath rahi hai aur ab agey bhi rehna chahti hai toh kya problem hai isme."
Ishrat couldn't ask Anaya for how long she is gonna stay here, thus, she decided to ask Hatim about it.
"Hume koi problem nahi hai, Hatim. Anaya mere chote bhai ki akhiri nishani hai. Inara aur Eman se bhi zyada azeez hai mujhe, lekin problem bhabhi ko hogi. Unko waise bhi lagta hai ki humne Anaya ko unse durr kar diya hai." Ishrat tried to make him understand, but her words only added fuel to his anger.
"Toh yeh baat unhe 5 saal ki Anaya ko humare yaha chorhne se pehle sochna chahiye tha. Lekin uss waqt unke liye ahem unke shohar aur shohar ke bachhe the. Tab koi taiyyar hua tha Anaya ko apne sath rakhne ke liye? Na unki taraf se koi razi tha aur na hi Bade mamu log ko khayal tha. Tab apne aur abbu ne Anaya ke sar pe hath rakhke kaha tha ki woh apki beti hai, tab toh mami khushi khushi Anaya ko apke paas chorke chali gayi thi. Toh ab jab Anaya humse zyada kareeb hai toh unhe shikayat kyu? Unhone khud Anaya ko khudse durr kiya hai."
"Majboori thi bhabhi ki. Mehmood bhai nahi razi the Anaya ko sath rakhne ke liye. Koi bhi maa apni marzi se apne aulad ko nahi chorh sakti. Ab itne salo baad woh mane hain Anaya ko sath rakhne ko..." Eman, who was about to enter Hatim's with a cup of black coffee, stopped just beside the doorway when heard Anaya's name.
"Ab jab Anaya badi ho gayi hai aur apni padhai bhi mukammal karli hai usne?" Hatim questioned.
"Mehmood uncle ko Anaya ke kharche nahi uthane the. Bojh thi Anaya unke liye aur sirf issi wajah se ussey apne paas nahi rakhna chahte the. Ab Anaya ke koi zyada kharche nahi toh socha bula lein ussey kuch dino ke liye. Ammi, Anaya pe sabse pehla haq apka aur abbu ka hai. Aur yeh ghar Anaya ka hai, woh jab tak chahe yaha reh sakti hai." Hatim was never in the favour of sending Anaya to her mother's house. Because to him, Anaya won't able to adjust there, and this is her homs, why should she leave it?
"Jab tak chahe." Ishrat repeated his words in a questionable manner.
"Anaya ki khud ki hi toh koi marzi nahi. Bhabhi bata rahi thi ki unhone Anaya ke liye apne jhet ke ladke ko pasand kiya hai." A loud gasp left Eman's mouth, which both Hatim and Ishrat didn't hear.
Eman didn't stop to hear more and quickly left from there.
"What? Kya Anaya janti bhi hai yeh sab?" Hatim felt as if someone threw cold water on him.
"Pata nahi. Main bas issi liye chahti hoon Anaya apne ghar chali jaye. Warna kal ko yeh ilzam bhi humpe lag jayega ki hum Anaya ki shaadi nahi karwana chahte."
"But, Ammi..." Hatim was about to say something but Ishrat stopped him.