Clasping my love so tight,
But it's drizzling away like rain in the night.
My feelings I can no longer contain,
As my heart slips through my hands like melted wax in the flame.
⚛⚛⚛⚛
Mahjabeen was an early riser, often sneaking out of her house just as the sky was beginning to turn from pitch black to a deep indigo. She would wander through the frost-covered hills, her small snowy white goat beside her, grazing in the morning light.
She would collect the different flowers that had bloomed overnight, and marvel at the beauty of the small forest behind her house.
Mahjabeen would sneak back home with a basket overflowing with a vibrant array of wildflowers, like a basket of jewels.
She would leave her goat with its mother, and use the wooden ladder that she had carefully propped up to the window of her room, like a secret bridge between the world of the night and day.
By the time she returned, everyone would be awake, but they would be none the wiser to Mahjabeen's adventures.
It was a similar Sunday adventure for Mahjabeen, who had returned after a long journey of discovery, her basket full of wildflowers. Mahjabeen sat on the carpeted floor of her room, with different books scattered around her. She took the wildflowers from her basket and tucked them between the pages of the books, carefully closing them before putting them back on the shelves.
Mahjabeen would put the wildflowers mostly in her math books, which was her least favorite subject.
As she sat in her math classes, she would trace the dry flowers with her fingers on the different pages, seemingly immersing herself in a world of stories and patterns.
Each flower became a doorway to a fantastical realm, full of color and imagination, far away from the tediousness of math equations.
She dusted off her dungaree dress as she stood up, stretching her arms and letting out a long sigh as she relaxed her muscles.
She kept her hand on her tummy as it grumbled, reminding her that she needed to fill it with food. She moved towards the door when her eyes landed on the balcony, and she quickly stepped out.
The view from her balcony was that of Maajid Bhai's house, only a few hands away, with the majestic mountain range behind it.
Her eyes then settled on the balcony on the floor where Saad resided.
The doors were open and Saad lay on the bed, cocooned in a blanket. She couldn't help but giggle as he lay there, with his cheeks puffed up and his hands still clutching the blanket as if he were a small child.
"Sab mujhe baccha kehte hai Mujhse bada baby to mere saamne hai..hehe" she giggled as she watched Saad snuggle in the blanket.
"Time to wake you up". She exclaimed as she moved out of her room, down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother was preparing aloo ke parathey for breakfast.
Wrapping her arm around her, she whispered in her mother's ear, "Amma, main Saad ko uthaane jaarahi hu." With a mischievous grin, she rushed out of the main door as her mother shouted behind her, "Beta, Sunday hai, use aaram karne de!"
But she was already out the door and didn't hear her mother's words.
She swiftly skipped out of her house, the cold winter air giving her a chill as she ran. She pulled her hood up, her breath creating puffs of steam in the air as she crossed the street, the fences covered in a thin layer of frost.
As she arrived at Maajid Bhai's house, she quickly said a small salaam to her tayi Ammi before running upstairs.
⚛⚛⚛
Mahjabeen's fist pounded against the cold, white door as her other hand ceaselessly pressed the doorbell. A misty fog of vapor escaped her lips with each huff of breath, as the chill winter air wrapped its arms around her. "Saad...open the door man," Mahjabeen said, her voice muffled by the thick wood.
Mahjabeen's fist pounded against the cold, white door so hard that her entire body stuck to it and her soft fair hands turned a bright shade of pink. "Saad...open the door man!" she shouted, her voice muffled by the thick wood.
Suddenly, the door clicked open and Mahjabeen toppled over, but a pair of strong hands grabbed her by the waist and prevented her from face-planting onto the floor. "Took you long enough!" she said, laughing, her eyes widening in surprise as she noticed the Saad standing there - the one with a puffy face and ruffled hair. She couldn't help but giggle as she looked up at him, her eyes brightening and her cheeks turning a rosy pink.
She couldn't help but admire him, her eyes lingering on his ruffled hair as she smiled. His hair was a mess, but it somehow looked perfect on him.
She giggled again, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of pink. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to straighten it out as he blushed and smiled back at her.
The corners of her mouth tugged up into an adorable smile as she couldn't take her eyes off of his disheveled look.
"Come in," he said, stepping aside to let her pass. She smiled as she walked past him. Her eyes sparkling with an enchanted and dreamy look.
"So Saad..." she says clapping her hands. A light blush appeared on her cheeks. He noticed the pinkness in her palms, the shade darker than usual.
"What happened to your hands?" He asked, his brows furrowing with concern. "Hmm ..nothing my skin is a bit sensitive," she says, trying to brush it off. "It's a common thing.."
She continued, her pearly smile never fading. "Accha to what I was telling...hmm Amma called you for breakfast. She is making Aloo ke parathey. Get freshen up fast.." He smiled at her, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "Alright, let me get ready," he said, turning to leave.
She made an exaggerated "Oo Dude" face and said, "Don't act like I'm a guest! I know my way around here, I practically grew up in this house!" She chuckled, her pearly smile widening.
She then stepped out of her shoes, her feet sinking into the carpet as she stretched her fingers, twisting them in the carpet, feeling the softness beneath her toes. She looked up at him and added, "You know, if I were a mouse I'd probably be the mayor of this place!"
He chuckled at that and bowed dramatically in front of her and said, "It is an honor to have the mayor of this place in my home. Please make yourself comfortable while I get ready."
She rolled her eyes and replied, "You are so silly!" before playfully pushing him away as he walked away, both of them laughing.
⚛⚛⚛
Saad took a bite of the crisp and flavourful aloo ke parathe. "Aunty, Bohot hi lajawaab hai," he exclaimed, pausing to savour the flavour. "Kai Dino baad Itne acche khaaye Hain," he said with a satisfied sigh.
Mahjabeen stopped eating, looking at Saad intently. She smiled and said, "Saadu, you are too sweet. You are looking like a baby right now."
Her mother, laughed and put two more parathey in his plate. "Oh, come on Saad, you know you can't resist these parathey," she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Saad smiled and didn't deny it. He happily tucked into the extra parathey, relishing the taste of every bite.
He quipped, "Aunty, you should've made these for Uncle too, he would've loved them just as much as I do!"
Uncle made a pout and said, "Why don't you let me eat these parathey? It's been ages since I had them. She always says that its oily, but I think she's just jealous of the fact that I can eat more than she can!" He whined and ended up winking at her.
Saad, Maajid and Mahjabeen laughed.
Mahjabeen, with a mischievous glint in her eye, whispered in his ear, "Abba, don't worry, let her go to the kitchen and I'll sneak some out for you!" Uncle smiled and nodded, looking pleased with the plan.
But her whisper came out a little too loud and her Amma twisted her ear with a stern look, saying, "Mahjabeen, you'd better not, unless you want me to twist your other ear!" Uncle , Saad and Maajid all tried to contain their laughter, but the mischievous glint in Mahjabeen's eyes only made their attempts more futile.
Amma gave Saad a stern look and said, "Saad beta, don't stay too long with her or else you'll end up becoming a joker like her!" Uncle and Maajid couldn't contain their laughter anymore while Mahjabeen just gave them a sly smile.
She fluttered her eyes as if she was being praised, while Amma rolled her eyes in amusement and said, "I don't think this one will ever learn!"
⚛⚛⚛⚛
Mahjabeen, Maajid and Saad sat in the living room, a carrom board between them. They were in the middle of a heated debate about the best strategy for winning, their faces animated with laughter and arguments.
The cold weather outside had seeped in, so three cups of steaming tea were set between them to keep them warm. Mahjabeen chuckled and said, "You two are so serious! Don't you know that the best strategy is to just have fun?"
Maajid rolled his eyes and said, "You're only saying that because you're losing, Mahjabeen! I'm sure if you were winning, you'd be singing a different tune!".
It was Mahjabeen's turn now. She grinned mischievously, and with a flick of her wrist, she sent the striker flying across the room
It bounced off the wall and hit Maajid in the head. Saad's eyes widened in surprise as he watched the scene unfold, while Maajid groaned and rubbed his head.
Mahjabeen chuckled and said, "See what happens when you take this game so seriously? You get hit in the head!" Maajid glared at her, but Mahjabeen only laughed even harder.
Mahjabeen stuck out her tongue and said in a sing-song voice, "I'm your baby sister and no one can mess with me! Not even you, Maajid!" She grinned, and then turned to Saad. "And you, Saad, you won't let anyone mess with me, right?" Saad nodded solemnly, that unspoken understanding of his commitment to protect her passing between them.
Maajid shook his head, but couldn't help but smile at his little sister's antics... His face softened as he watched Saad so solemnly promise to protect his small sister.
He had always been so protective of her, and it warmed his heart to see her so comfortable with him. He knew that no matter what happened, his sister would always be safe with Saad around.
Mahjabeen jumped back to her mischievousness, cackling as she took the coins Saad and Maajid won in the game and threw them in the air, creating a colourful shower of coins all over the board.
She proceeded to dance around the board as the coins rained down, singing a merry tune. Maajid and Saad watched in stunned amazement, not knowing whether to be amused or alarmed at Mahjabeen's antics.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Maajid stood up to answer it. Before he could get to the door he turned to Saad and said, "Saad, hold her in place! Don't let her escape. We'll get our revenge on her soon enough!"
Saad moved quickly, wrapping his arms around Mahjabeen and holding her tight against his chest.
She squealed in delight, laughing as she tried to wriggle free but to no avail. Her curls tickled his face as she struggled, but he held her firmly in his grip. He held back his smile that threatened to break on his face.
⚛⚛⚛⚛
Maajid opened the door and found Shaila aunty and another aunty standing on the door step with a man in his late 30s. Shaila aunty was well known in the neighborhood for her gossip and her penchant for fixing marriages. It was no surprise, then, to find her and another aunty standing at Maajid's door step with a man. She must have been there to arrange a marriage.
She had a smile on her face. Maajid gulped after seeing that. He could already tell what was going on. He had a feeling Shaila aunty had come to fix Mahjabeen, his sister, with this man.
Maajid asked with confusion in his eyes, "What happened, Aunty?"
She called, "Mubeena!" as she entered the living room with two of the guests trailing behind her. She shrieked dramatically when she saw Mahjabeen in Saad's hold and gave them a disgusting look.
Saad could feel the air in the room become heavy with judgement as Shaila aunty's gaze lingered on Mahjabeen. He felt like the walls of the room were closing in on him, as if the very atmosphere was suffocating.
He could feel the heat of the disapproving stare, and he knew better than to let anyone else feel that oppressive weight. He quickly pulled back and shifted his gaze around the room, finally settling on Maajid's confused expression.
Mahjabeen pouted as she eyed all of them, but before she could say anything, the aunty pushed her out of the living room, telling her to go send her mother and get ready. With a heavy sigh, she reluctantly obliged and walked away, casting one last wistful glance at Saad before she left.
Saad too left the house, a look of understanding passing between him and Maajid. He nodded in acknowledgement before turning away and walking out the door.
Shaila just fake smiled and made the guests sit, telling them that Saad was their family friend. She started to make small talk to distract them, while Maajid just gulped down his anger seeing the aunty and the man. He clenched his fists, silently fuming, but he knew that he had to stay quiet and not make a scene.
Mubeena entered the living room and greeted the guests with a small salaam. She then sat down on one of the sofas across from them, and Maajid joined them too.
He kept his expression neutral, not wanting to give away his inner turmoil. He was still seething inside... Maajid could tell that the man was too old for Mahjabeen, and he suspected that the aunty was trying to set her up with him. He could feel his anger bubbling up as he watched them, and he had to take a few deep breaths to keep himself from lashing out.
Shaila asked, "How old is Mahjabeen?" Maajid knew this was her way of diverging the topic to marriage, and he felt angry as the man's eyes lit up with interest.
Before Maajid could say anything, Mubeena aunty spoke up and said, "Mahjabeen is 22 years old." Shaila gave a knowing smile and said, "Well, it's about time she gets married then, don't you think?"
Mubeena nodded and Shaila said, "He is a doctor and just returned from London for a month.
Shaila aunty continued, "He is so young and successful and has a degree from one of the best universities in London. He has his own clinic and earns a very good salary. He is everything that Mahjabeen could wish for in a partner."
The talk continued for sometime and the guests took their leave with Shaila telling Mubeena to think wisely as it was a great opportunity for Mahjabeen to marry such a successful and well-educated man.
Maajid tried to tell Mubeena something but before he could get the words out, she interrupted with a smile and said, "I think he'll be good for her. I'll talk to Munshi Sahab and see if we can set something up." With that, she left the room, leaving Maajid feeling confused and bewildered.
Your thoughts?
Awaiting the future, hearts tremble in anticipation.
What will be given, what will be taken?
Will it be a joyous love story, or a broken heart's lamentation?
In this moment of uncertainty, the answer lies in anticipation
Might have grammatical mistakes...will edit it..later.