Life works in mysterious ways. We can plan and plan, but it always finds its ways to sweep us off of our feet. Guess that's why one should never close themselves off to the idea of being surprised and taken off-guard. As he leaned against his terrace window frame, taking a sip out of his mug, Farjaad couldn't help but think about all that had happened in the last two months.
Two months, more eventful than the last six years combined. Making him feel more emotions than he had ever felt before. Such was life. You'd think that you were able to kill the living, breathing person inside of you, but it subtly reminds you that you can never take it out. Till the last breath.
Breath. That's how he would describe his toofan-e-badtameezi. A first breath you take on a beautful spring morning. The one that makes you forget about the melancholy that was winter.
"Taubah Farjaad Khan, tum to shayir hi ban gaye ho."
He let our a chuckle and shook his head, when his eyes landed on the backyard pool. Brain flashing the picture of him in it, on a chilly winter evening and Umeed poking him with a stick. The first time she came over to his home. Unconsciously, his hand reached out for his phone from his pocket, and dialled the number that was right on top in his frequent contacts.
"Muazaz saarif, aap se arz hai ke ye koi shareefon wala time nahi hai kisi khoobsurat larki ko call kar ke tang karnay ka. Baraye meharbani kisi munasib waqt pe call kijiye ga."
The smile on his face grew wider.
"Wo koobsurat larki agar mausoof ki honay wali biwi ho, tab bhi nahi?"
The line went silent. He knew Umeed was blushing and biting her lip. So he continued.
"Wese aap ki itlaa ke liye arz hai, ke ye shareef aadmi ke sonay ka waqt hua karta tha, magar kuch aisa hai ke aik toofaan ne aa ke saari routine kharaab kar di hai, to ab waqt ki orientation kuch mushkil se hi hoti hai."
"Ye aap har cheez ka ilzaam mujh pe kyun daaltay hein? Ab keh dein ke ye jo mehngayi ho rahi hai, ye bhi mera hi qasoor hai. Khair, kyun call ki hai aap ne? Jaldi batayein, faarigh nahi hoon mein."
"Mujh se baat karnay se zyada eham kaam bhi hai koi aap ke paas?"
Umeed huffed in response.
"Buhat khushfehmiyan hein aap ko apnay baaray mein? Jee, abhi meri break chal rahi hai, phir mujhe parhna hai. Exams honay walay hein na, is baar achay grades lenay hein mujhe."
Farjaad couldn't help but smile at her words. He was really proud of the effort Umeed was putting into her studies. She really wanted to prove to him and Pasha sahab that she was starting to take life seriously.
"To aap apni break kesay kaat rahi hein?"
"Itni achi hawaa chal rahi thi to mein coffee le ke lawn mein aa gayi - "
"Coffee?"
Umeed bit her tongue. She had let out too much. He was going to get even more boastful now.
"Jee coffee. Neend aa rahi thi, is liye pi rahi hoon. Ye mat sochein ke aap yaad aa rahay thay."
"Mene aisa socha to nahi tha, magar acha hua tum ne khudi bata diya. Wese tumhara to nahi pata, magar mein tumhein yaad kar ke hi chai pi raha tha."
"Aap - aap chai pi rahay hein? Meri wajah se?"
He could sense the excitement and happiness in her voice, making him smile too.
"Haan, mera to ab har kaam tumharay hi gird ghoomta hai, Umeed. Mein, mera ghar, mera kamra, sab intezaar kar rahay hein tumhara."
"Ye bhi acha hai. Aap ko pata hai na ke aap ne abhi tak mujhe formally propose bhi nahi kiya. Khudi se assume kar liya bas ke aap mere mangetar ban gaye hein."
"Hein? Kiya to tha propose!"
"Kab kiya tha? Koi angoothi di? Mujhe to nahi mili. Na hi aap rishta le ke mere ghar aaye hein."
Farjaad chuckled. So that's what she wanted, huh.
"Achaaa, to madam ko saaray protocols chahiyein, hmm?"
"Haan to zaahir hai! Insaan shaadi koi roz thori karta hai. Thori to effort nazar aaye doosri taraf se."
"Ye bhi theek hai. Phir batayein, kesi ring chahiye? Diamond, gold, ruby?"
Sab mein bataaon? Mein apnay aap se hi na shaadi kar loon is se acha! Acha khair, meri break khatam ho gayi hai. Aap so jayein, kal office bhi jana hai aap ne. Bye!"
And with that, she cut the call. Classic Umeed. He couldn't stop smiling at the phone even after the call was done. But suddenly he got to thinking.
She was right. He never formally proposed. He just assumed that they were past that phase.
He knew what he had to do, he silently prayed it worked out.
~ The Next Morning ~
"Jee Siddiqui sahab, wo aap ko aik kaam kaha hua hai kaafi time se. Us pe koi progress hui?"
He got on call right after getting done with his meeting with the Board of Directors.
"Farjaad sahab, mein aap ko call karnay hi wala tha. Hum ne trace karnay pe lagaya hua tha larkon ko, aaj aik ne bataya hai ke ussay kuch pata chala hai. Shaam tak final batata hoon aap ko."
"Please jesay bhi kar ke dhoond dein, mein aap ki call ka intezaar karoon ga."
After cutting the call, he asked Mehak to come to his office.
"Miss Mehak, meri kal ki jo saari meetings hein un ko postpone kar dein aur meri kal aik Islamabad ki ticket book karwa dein."
"Sir kal ki ticket? Itna sudden plan."
He let out an annoyed sigh. This girl and her over curiosity.
"Miss Mehak, aap ko jitna kaha hai aap please utna kar dein. Hmm?"
"J-jee sir"
~The Next Evening~
Umeed anxiously paced around her room, fidgeting her fingers. It had been almost an entire day since he even dropped a message. He never did this. He wasn't even replying to her calls or messages. She was really starting to panic. She kept thinking back to the phone call they had the other night. Did she say something wrong? Was he mad at her?
'Ring ka nahi kehna chahiye tha shayad. Laalchi samajh raha ho ga mujhe'
Haya walked into the room.
"Kya hua, baat hui Farjaad bhai se?"
"Nahi Haya. Wo na phone utha raha hai, na kisi message ka jawaab de raha hai. Mujhe to tension ho rahi hai ab."
"Koi larayi hui thi?"
She shrugged and shook her head.
"Acha aisay karo, Maryam se pooch lo."
"Oh haan, ye to mene socha hi nahi!"
She dialled Maryam's number right away.
"Bhai? Bhai to subah hi Islamabad gaye hein. Tumhein bataya nahi unhon ne?"
"Islamabad gaye hein? Nahi, mujhe to nahi bataya unhon ne."
She hung up the phone, feeling even lower than she did before. Was he that mad at her that he didn't even tell her he was going to Islamabad? She didn't even do anything that bad. But he couldn't possibly be mad at her? Maybe he left in a hurry and just forgot to tell her?
He couldn't be mad at her, right?
The thought kept her up all night.
~ The Next Afternoon ~
"Bhai mein nahi kar rahi ye!"
"Mimi beta, please? Meri khaatir bhi nahi?"
"Bhaiii! Aik to aap Umeed ko bataye bghair chalay gaye, aap ko pata hai wo kitni pareshan ho rahi thi. Upar se ab aap mujh se ye ajeeb kaam kara rahay hein."
Farjaad made the most innocent pleading face, forcing Mimi to finally give in, and she dialled the number on her phone.
"Assalam o Alaikum Pasha uncle. Kesay hein aap? Mein Maryam, Umeed ki dost baat kar rahi hoon."
"Mein theek hoon. Aap ne khairiyat se phone kiya hai beta?"
"Uncle wo mene kehna tha ke kya Umeed aaj mere ghar ruk sakti hai. Pleaseee uncle mana na kijiye ga. Hum ne itni mehnat ki hai is dafa papers ke liye to aik din relax kar lein gay. Please?"
"Beta raat ruknay ki kya zaroorat hai? Wo mil ke waapis aa jaye."
"Uncle aisay to waqt hi nahi milta koi baat karnay ka. Please bas aik raat."
"Beta wo to theek hai, par Farjaad bhi ho ga wahan, ab acha nahi lagta na. Jald un ki shadi honay wali hai"
Mimi's phone was on speaker and she looked up to see Farjaad smirking and blushing over this. Shaking her head and rolling her eyes at her brother, she focused back on the call.
"Uncle bhai to nahi hein yahan aaj kal, wo Islamabad gaye hue hein kisi kaam se. Issi liye aaj raat ka keh rahi hoon."
The line went silent for a moment, and Pasha sahab finally sighed and agreed.
"Thank you uncle! Driver shaam mein Umeed ko pick kar le ga. Kal drop bhi kar day ga."
~ Later That Evening ~
Umeed picked up her bag and phone when she read Mimi's message saying that the driver was outside her house. Although she was still worried about the Farjaad situation and also slightly mad at him, she was excited to go over to Mimi's. Just the thought of being in his home made her feel giddy. She had some of the best memories in that house, and every inch of that place reminded her of him.
Umeed walked out towards the black car parked in front of the house. Once she reached closer, none other than Farjaad walked out of the driver's seat, slyly walking towards the passenger side door and holding it open for her - a gesture that she was accustomed to by now. However, this time she didn't happily sit inside.
Standing in front of him, she crossed her arms over her chest. A frown set on her face, in stark contrast to the glint in Farjaad's eyes and the slight smirk.
"Aap kyun aaye hein?"
"Mere ilawa koi aur kyun aaye ga?"
"Khyaal aa gaya aap ko ke aik Umeed Pasha bhi hai jo shayad aap ki kuch lagti hai."
His smirk only deepened as he leaned down, matching her level and whispered,
"Kuch nahi, aik Umeed Pasha hai jo meri sab kuch lagti hai."
It took every cell in Umeed's body to stop the blush and smile from climbing up to her cheeks and maintain her composure.
"Haan issi liye aap ne mujhe batana bhi pasand nahi kiya ke aap Islamabad ja rahay hein. Aap ko pata hai mene aap ko kitni calls kitnay -"
"Uff Umeed, aik to tum mein sabar nahi hai bilkul. Abhi sab bata doon ga tumhein. Yahan se chalein, is se pehle Pasha sahab dekh lein aur hum donon ki class ho?"
As if for the first time, Umeed realised that they were still standing outside her house. Huffing, she got into the car. Farjaad shut her door and ran towards his side, swiftly driving away.
The car ride was extremely quiet. Umeed kept ignoring Farjaad and dodging all his efforts of starting a conversation, although he did catch her sneakily staring at him with those wide eyes of hers. Farjaad finally reached out for her hand with his left hand, catching her off guard. Holding it firmly in his grip with Umeed unable to set it free.
"Kya masla hai aap ka?"
"Tumhara kya masla hai?"
"Mujhe aap se baat nahi karni"
"Par mujhe to tum se buhat si baatein karni hein."
"Aur jo pichlay do din se aap mujhe ignore kar rahay hein, us ka kya? Mujhe bhi aap se baatein karni thein!"
"Masroof tha, meri jaan"
"Aisi bhi kya masroofiyat? Yaani jab aap masroof hon gay, mujhe aisay ignore kiya karein gay?"
"Nahi, ye wali masroofiyat zara alag noiyat ki thi. Acha na, I'm sorry!"
"Sirf sorry se kaam nahi chalay ga. Aur ye hum kahan ja rahay hein? Ye ghar ka raasta to nahi hai!"
Farjaad couldn't stop his smile at how she said "ghar " and not "aap ka ghar ".
"Hum ghar nahi ja rahay."
"Kya matlab hum ghar nahi ja rahay? Kahan ja rahay hein hum? Mujhe Mimi se milna tha."
"Mimi ko nahi, mujhe tum se milna tha. Lekin us ke liye Pasha sahab kabhi na maantay. Is liye Mimi se keh ke ijazat le li."
"To hum ja kahan rahay hein?"
"Kisi buhat khaas jagah. Bas thori dair ruk jao."
Turns out the "thori dair" was an hour long drive, taking them outside of Karachi. The whole time Umeed kept asking him where they were going, and him dodging the question. It was only when Umeed saw they were no longer in the main city did she turn around full force.
"AAP MUJHE KIDNAP KAR RAHAY HEIN?"
"Hein? Mein kyun tumhein kidnap karnay laga?"
"Achaaa, phir aap zaroor mujhe qatal kar ke saahil mein phenknay ja rahay hon gay"
"Umeed, khuda ka naam lo!"
"Aap khuda ka naam lein. Ye kahan le ke ja rahay hein mujhe?!"
"Umeed, tum to aisay keh rahi ho jesay hum pehle road trip par nahi aaye kabhi"
"Haan par tab to Haya aur Sameer saath thay"
"To hum kya saari zindagi Haya aur Sameer ke saath hi trips pe jayein gay?"
He asked her with a raised eyebrow, to which she had to response. He had a point though. She sat back quietly for some time, and finally gave into staring at the man next to her. No matter how many times she looks at him, she could just never get enough. She never prayed for a life partner or the kind of person she wanted, yet in this one man, she found the answers to all her prayers. He was everything she could ever ask for and more.
Dressed in a casual black t-shirt and khaaki pants, he looked as good as he did in his three-piece suits. Yet she knew that THIS Farjaad - the casual, laid-back one, was reserved only for her. It was a persona that he exhibited only to her. His hair unruly, growing slightly longer at the back, his muscles relaxed, and a smile etched on his face in place of the frown he had for everyone else. This was a version of Farjaad Khan that only Umeed Pasha got to witness.
"Ab agar aap ka mujhe dekh ke dil bhar gaya ho to hum chalein?"
Getting out of her trance, Umeed realised that he had parked the car. They were at the seashore, a few miles outside of Karachi. It was unpopulated and underdeveloped. They were the only ones there.
Jumping out of the car, Umeed held Farjaad's extended hand, instantly feeling the heat of it calming her down. The air was slightly chilly but not cold, as they slowly made their way towards the water. No words spoken, Both of them in their own thoughts. She could feel the cold water touching her feet, with the wind making her hair fly in all different directions.
"Umeed"
"Hmm?"
"Tumhein samandar pasand hai?"
"Buhat zyada. Aap ko?"
"Haan. Mujhe bhi samandar buhat pasand hai. Tumhein pata hai kyun?"
"Kyun?"
"Samandaron mein aik azaadi ki feeling hoti hai. Samandar ki lehar apnay saath har cheez ko samait ke le jaati hai, chahay wo kitni bhaari, kitni buri hi kyun na ho. Jab mein samandar ke saamnay khara hota hoon na, to kuch lamhon ke liye mujhe bhi aisay lagta hai jesay meri sari mushkilein in lehron ke saath beh ke kaheen buhat door chali gayi hein.
Jab baba humein chor kar gaye thay na Umeed, to mein aksar yahan aaya karta tha. Kyun ke yahan koi aur nahi hota tha mere siwa. Mujhe aik clarity milti thi. Tumhein pata hai, mein aaj tak mama ya Mimi ke samnay nahi roya. Mujhe lagta tha ke mein kamzor par gaya to un ko kon sambhalay ga.
Is liye jab mein buhat overwhelmed feel karta tha na, to mein idhar aa jata tha. Phir eventually, mene yahan aa ke apnay saray ghum is samandar ke hawalay kar diye, aur dunya ko dekhnay ke liye koi emotions nahi bachay."
Umeed turned to face him, and gave his hand a tight sqeeze. He wasn't looking at her though, he was only staring at the water. Umeed didn't deem it right to interrupt him. This was his time to talk, and hers to listen, just like he always listens to her.
"Phir meri is emotionless zindagi mein aik dam se aik ajeeb se toofaan aa gaya. Mujhe pata bhi nahi chala aur mein wo emotions feel karnay laga jo mujhe pata bhi nahi tha exist kartay hein. Mujhe laga tha Umeed, ke mein is sab ko peeche chor aaya hoon - jazbaat, expectations, human weaknesses - par shayad jab tak insaan ki sansein hoti hein, wo in sab se juda nahi ho sakta.
Mein samandar pe aaya karta tha emotions ko release karnay, aaj yahan un ko accept karnay aaya hoon Umeed."
He finally turned around to face her, meeting her wide, awaiting gaze. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, making Umeed gasp.
"Umeed Pasha, logon ko zindagi mein pyaar mila karta hai, aur ye buhat cheesy sound karay ga, par mujhe shayad pyaar mein apni khoyi hui zindagi wapis mil gayi hai. Mein ab kabhi bhi us zindagi ko dobara khona nahi chahta, balkay us ke har aik lamhay ko jeena chahta hoon. Us khoye hue waqt ki kasar puri karna chahta hoon."
He suddenly kneeled down on one knee and Umeed let out a small squeal.
"Farjaad...."
"Mujhe ye sab nahi karna aata is liye agar kuch garbar ho jaye to maaf kar dena.
Umeed, tum ne itnay se arsay mein mujhe itni khushi di hai jo mujhe pichlay kayi barson mein nahi mili. Tum meri zindagi ka wo hissa ban gayi ho, jis se door janay ka tasawwur bhi nahi kar sakta.
Kya tum is gharyal ko saari zindgai bardasht karo gi?"
Umeed was unable to form any words from her tongue. She was rarely every left speechless, but looking at this man in front of her, down on one knee, she lost the ability to use her voice. All she could do was nod her head vehemently and put her hand out in front of him.
Giving her the biggest grin, Farjaad reached inside his pocket, and to Umeed's surprise, it wasn't a ring box, but a longer box. When he opened it, Umeed could swear she was about to pass out.
"May I?"
He didn't even wait for a response as he slid a silver chained watch on her wrist. Umeed's eyes were wide open with disbelief, swelling up with tears. She could recognise this watch amongst a million.
"Farjaad ye....kesay? Mera matlab ye to....ghum....kahan se...."
"Jis ne ghum ki thi, zaahir hai dhoondni bhi us ko hi thi"
"Magar aap ne to kaha tha ke ....."
"Haan, magar mene zyada mehnat ki aur mil gayi."
"Aap Islamabad is kaam se gaye thay?"
"Aur kya apni secret girlfriend se milnay gaya tha?"
Umeed gave him a light push on his shoulder, causing him to let out a laugh.
"Ab mein uth jaaon? Mera ghutna dard kar raha hai."
Umeed gave him a hand, helping him get up. Though she didn't let go of the hand even when he was up. Neither did he try.
She kept looking down at the watch. Farjaad placed his hand under her chin, causing her to look up. Her eyes were filled with tears, as she looked up at Farjaad like she had never looked at him before - in pure awe of the man standing in front of her.
"Umeed tum ro kyun rahi ho?"
In reply, she threw her hands around his neck and placed her face in the nook of his neck. Coming out of his shock, he finally wrapped his arms around her petite self.
"Thank you."
Her whisper was barely audible, but there was no distance between them anyway. Farjaad's response was the tightening of his arms around her.
Minutes passed as they stood like that. Taking in all of one another. Broken pieces of a puzzle coming together.
The watch was a symbol of her mother's blessings for this new journey. The sea was his father's way of looking down on his son, as he finally accepted his emotions.
There were no diamonds. No gold. No rubies.
Yet, it was the dreamiest proposal anyone could ask for.