Life after marriage had been crazy busy for them both. They had thought they'd be living their best lives together - and they were - but a few weeks down the road, as they finally went back to their routines, they kept seeing each other much less often than they would've liked to. Farjaad had heaps of work waiting for him post his break, and Umeed too, had to catch up on hers in her comparatively newer job, along with adjusting in the new house. These days they were all about long working hours, traffic jams and being exhausted over work.
They still took out time for each other though. No matter how busy or tired they were, Umeed and Farjaad would sit in the backyard with their chai or coffee every night. No phones, no distractions were allowed. It was their own time, where they would catch up with the other's day, talk about their feelings and just generally talk about anything and everything.
It was in the middle of one of those sessions. Umeed had her head rested on Farjaad's shoulder, staring up at the sky. The cool January breeze making her hair fly in all different directions.
"Farjaad"
"Hmm?"
"Kya humari zindagi hamesha aisay hi chalti rahay gi?"
"Aisay kesay?"
"Bas yehi, roz subah utho, kaam pe jaao, shaam mein thakay haaray aao, phir agaly din ki tayayri karo. Aisa to nahi socha tha mene."
She whined at which Farjaad let out a chuckle.
"Kya socha tha aap ne phir?"
"Yehi ke excitement ho gi zindagi mein thori. Aap aur mein saath buhat saara waqt guzarein gay, ghooma phira karein gay, dinner pe jayein gay, movies pe jayein gay. Ye har din aik sa ho ga aur hum aik doosray ko bas kuch ghentay dekhein gay, ye to nahi socha tha at least."
"Umeed, mene tumhein kaha tha na, zindagi fairytale jesi nahi hoti. Zindagi mein insaan ko kaam karna hota hai, masroof rehna hota hai. Ye jo sab tum keh rahi ho, ye to movies mein hota hai, ideal dunya mein."
"Zindagi fairytale na ho, par at least is tarah boring bhi na ho...."
She trailed off. Farjaad turned around to look at her intently.
"Tum bore hoti ho mere saath?"
Even saying that out loud was hurtful for him. That was his biggest fear when it came to Umeed all along. He didn't think he was good enough for her. Him and his routine could never match Umeed's energy and spark for life. He always feared he would dull her sparkle too. Even the thought of that was hurting him.
"Mein aap ne saath bore nahi hoti Farjaad, aap ke saath na ho ke bore hoti hoon. Mein chahti hoon ke hum zyada waqt saath guzara karein. Jab aap nahi hotay, mein tab bore hoti hoon."
Farjaad let go of a breath he didn't even realise he was holding. His presence wasn't the issue. He smiled brightly, holding Umeed's hand in his and giving it a tight squeeze.
"I'm sorry Umeed, bas wo kaam itna pile up ho gaya pichlay kuch din mein ke bilkul koi hosh hi nahi raha kisi aur cheez ka. Warna tumharay saath waqt guzarnay se zyada mujhe bhi kuch acha nahi lagta."
Umeed sighed.
"Mujhe pata hai, aur mujhe aap se koi shikayat bhi nahi hai. Jaanti hoon aap ko kaam hein, mein to bas aisay hi keh rahi thi. Khair chorein, aap ko pata hai...."
And then she went off to narrate a story about something that happed at work. Farjaad's mind wasn't entirely focused there though. He was thinking of something else.
~
She threw her bag on the sofa and dropped herself on the bed. It was finally weekend. It had been a long week and she couldn't wait to sleep her way through the upcoming two days. Farjaad still wasn't back. He had told her already that he will be coming late today. She didn't really bother with it though. It was usual.
As she entered the dressing area, her eyes landed on a covered piece of clothing hanging next to her wardrobe. There was a small sticky note on it which read,
something special for someone special ;)
Her excitement growing wild, she took it off and opened the cover to reveal the most beautiful black dress Umeed had ever seen. Made of pure silk, the dress was fitted on top and flared from waist below, with puffed sleeves stopping right before the elbows. There was nothing extra ordinary about the dress, but Umeed couldn't help marvel at it. She was in the middle of feeling the soft fabric with her hands when her eyes landed on a box lying on the dressing table. She opened it to reveal a simple silver chain with a sapphire pendant. Umeed gasped as she picked it up, it was regal.
Lying next to the box was a single rose with a note attached to it,
8 pm sharp. Tayyar rehna. You know I don't like waiting.
Umeed's heartbeat grew faster. What was he up to?
~
It was 8 pm. Umeed gave herself a final look in the mirror. The dress fitted her perfectly and flew way past her ankles. The sapphire pendant shone bright on her neck. She kept all other accessories to a minimum, with just some silver studs in her ears. For a change she tied her hair in a semi-messy bun. a few perfectly curled strands framing her face. She even went ahead to place the rose in her bun. With a deep maroon lip color and minimal makeup overall, she was satisfied with how she looked. Although her nerves were all over the place.
It wasn't like they had never been on a date before. It was the third month of their married life. They had been out on a lot of dinners together. But today just felt different. It was different. Farjaad seemed to have planned something, and just the thought of it was making her go crazy.
Her phone beeped, reading a single message,
I'm here.
Trying to normalise her heartbeat, Umeed took small steps down the stairs. Niggo and Mimi didn't seem to be home. As she walked out towards the garage, she saw him leaning against the car, dressed in a black two-piece suit and a plain white shirt with the top two buttons left open, one look at him was enough to take her breath away. As he stood there with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face as he stared at her from head to toe, Umeed could feel her legs shaking. It took every cell in her to not collapse under the weight of his unwavering gaze.
Farjaad wasn't having it any better either. They had been married for over two months now, yet he felt like he was seeing her for the first time. He knew the dress was nice, but he couldn't have even imagined that it would look this good. Good thing he was leaning against the car for support, or he would've definitely stumbled.
No words were exchanged between them as he held the door open for her and gave her his hand to help get up without tripping on her dress. The car ride was silent too. It was like they had time-travelled and this was their first time being together. The tension in the car was high. They both kept stealing glances at each other, their eyes meeting every now and then, yet no one spoke a word.
Farjaad parked outside a high-rise building that looked every bit fancy and exclusive.
'Ye Karachi ka konsa hissa hai bhai?' Umeed silently thought to herself. Everything around felt so foreign. Farjaad again held her hand as she stepped down the car, but this time he didn't leave it. He held her hand strongly in his hold and walked one step ahead of her, guiding her to the entrance.
After an elevator ride that seemed to be going on forever, they finally stopped at the rooftop of this 35 floored building. The view in front had Umeed gasping for air.
There was only a single table set up in the middle of the roof. The entire area was decorated with fairylights, some candles and a few petals of flowers here and there. Nothing was overboard though, everything gelled in together beautifully. The soft January breeze complemented the whole atmosphere perfectly.
Umeed turned to look at Farjaad, who was already looking at her. His hand still in hers, he began walking towards the edge. Once there, Umeed was convinced she was about to pass out. The whole of Karachi was beneath them, the cars, the streetlights, everything appeared to be be a small dot. At some distance, she could see the coast and the life around it. The view was splendid.
The moment felt ethereal. Yet, the only view Umeed kept looking at, was the man standing next to her, her hand in his. She felt overwhelmed by emotions at the thought of having this man in her life.
She mentioned to him that she wanted to spend more time with him, and he brought her into a fairytale moment. She knew very well that Farjaad wasn't a fan of such gestures and arrangements, but he still did it for her sake.
Once they were done with dinner, Farjaad got up from his chair, walked over to hers and spread his hand out to her.
"May I have this dance?"
Umeed glanced at his hand, then his face, silently questioning if he was sure. A small, firm nod was enough confirmation, making Umeed slide her hand into his. He led her to a small distance from the table, holding one of her hands in his and placing his other hand firmly on her waist, pulling her closer. Umeed's hand went around his neck, positioning herself right
Soft instrumental music played in the background as they lightly swayed to it, eye-contact never breaking. Farjaad twirled her around, and then dropped her in his arms, bending down to meet her position. His eyes staring deeply into hers, his lips were parted, only inches away from hers. Umeed's breath was caught in her throat, as she awaited what was to come.
It was at this moment that it suddenly started raining cats and dogs, catching them off guard. Umeed was staring up at the sky, admiring the rain, meanwhile Farjaad pulled her along with him to a shaded part of the rooftop.
"Baarish to expected nahi thi aaj, ye kahan se aa gayi?"
He complained, more to himself than to her.
"Zindagi mein sab wese thori na hota jesay aap ne expect kiya ho."
Umeed stated in a nonchalant manner, but Farjaad understood exactly what she meant. He stared at their intertwined hands and then at her, his annoyance with the rain drifiting away.
"Theek keh rahi ho, kuch cheezein waqaye buhat unexpected hoti hein."
"Aur wo unexpected cheezein buhat khoobsurat bhi hoti hein, jesay ye baarish. Aap mujhe yahan kyun le aaye hein, chalein na, baarish mein chaltay hein."
"Umeed, hum baarish mein nahi ja rahay! Sardiyan hein, bemaar ho jayein gay."
"Nahi hon gay bemaar, itnay naazuk nahi hein."
"Mujhe nahi jana, chalo, ghar chalein, mera plan to wese bhi kharab ho gaya hai ab."
Umeed took personal offence at this statement.
"Hum koi ghar war nahi ja rahay. Mein to ja rahi hoon baarish mein, aap chalay jayein ghar akelay. Wese bhi, ye dinner aap ne mere liye arrange kiya tha na, to mujhe to yaheen rehna hai."
"Umeed...."
Umeed was having none of if. This time she dragged him back to the same spot where they were dancing a couple of minutes back. Under the pouring rain they stood, Umeed kept admiring the rain and twirling around, while Farjaad's annoyance slowly began to subside as he looked at the happiness on her face.
She was right, this is was he really wanted - happiness on her face.
He slowly moved closer to her, grabbing her arm in his hand, pulling her towards him. He used his other hand to untie her hair from the bun they were held in. Umeed looked up to him, his eyes screaming the thoughts that were running in his mind, none of them holy.
Making up her mind to tease him, she stood on her tiptoes and brought her hand to his forehead, where his wet hair were scattered in all directions. She slowly moved her fingers across his forehead, putting the hair away. She let her fingers roam around his face slowly, before bringing them to the back of his head, and playing with the strands of his hair. Farjaad watched her intently as she did all of this, his own breath becoming uneven. What was this girl doing?
Still on her tiptoes, Umeed brought her lips close to her ear, letting her breath linger there for a while before whispering,
"Kaha tha na mene, unexpected cheezein waqaye buhat khoobsurat hoti hein, kabhi unhein enjoy kar ke to dekhein."
With that she gave him a little smirk, seeing how affected he had gotten, and stepped back, goin back to twirling in the rain.
~
Back in the car, Umeed kept going on and on about how much fun she had, and how much she loved the rain, while also making sure to throw jabs on Farjaad for being a bore and disliking all the good things about life.
"Bachpan mein bhi na, mein hamesha barish mein nahati thi, Haya ko bhi kheench ke saath le ke jaati thi. Baad mein jab hum ghar geela kar detay thay to Pasha sahab se khoob daant parti thi, lekin khair hai, maza buhat aata tha."
"Tumhara bachpan khatam hi kahan hua hai?"
Farjaad chuckled, earning him a glare from Umeed.
"Aap ki is buddhi rooh ke saath koi mere jesa hi guzara kar sakta hai."
This time Farjaad's chuckle turned into a full fledge laugh, turning to look at Umeed.
"Sahi keh rahi ho. Farjaad ke liye to bas Umeed hi hai wese bhi. Aur koi kabhi ho bhi nahi sakta."
Umeed couldn't say anything in response. She began to look outside her window with the widest smile.
"Farjaad, hum kahan ja rahay hein?"
The car was currently racing through empty roads outside the vicinity of the main city.
"Hai aik surprise"
"Abhi aur bhi hai? Farjaad..."
"Raat baaqi hai abhi"
Umeed narrowed her eyes at him, trying to understand what had gotten into him today. Also trying to understand how he even came up with all of this within a span of a couple of days time. Her excitement kept growing, so did her admiration for the man sitting next to her.
Few words were spoken for the rest of the ride. Farjaad stopped once they were outside a private beach villa. It was a small double-story place, surrounded by tall palm trees and a beautiful patio, looking straight towards the sea. Umeed had never, in her wildest dreams, thought of something like this when she said to Farjaad that she wanted them to spend more time together.
This man was crazy.
As she stepped out of the car, Umeed slipped and fell. Her ankle twisted and she began screaming.
"Umeed, tum theek ho? Kya hua hai? Dikhao"
Farjaad panicked as he sat down next to her, inspecting her ankle by moving it along different angles, earning even louder screams from her.
"Kya kar rahein hein? Paaon torrna hai mere?"
"Uthnay ki koshish karo, khara hua ja raha hai?"
He gave Umeed a hand and tried to help her up, only for Umeed to fall again.
"Nahi hua ja raha, khara weight nahi daala ja raha. Buhat dard hai."
She whimpered. Farjaad ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't how this night was supposed to end.
"Bedroom upar walay floor pe hai, tum wahan tak kesay jao gi?"
"Ye jo itnay muscle banaye hue hein aap ne, kis din kaam aayein gay? Utha ke le ke jayein mujhe, buhat thak gayi hoon mein?"
"Mein? Tumhein utha ke le ke jaaon?"
"Nahi rehne dein aap, mein yaheen pe beth ke saari raat guzaar doon gi. Aap ko kya farq parta hai. Jayein aap, so jayein ja ke."
Umeed turned away from him, rubbing her ankle. Farjaad sighed and threw his blazer off. Next he rolled up his sleeves, and bent down. Helping Umeed get up only slightly, he carefully placed his arm under her knees, and the other one on her back, pulling her up in his arms. His arms were slightly wobbly at first, constantly fearing he'd drop her. Umeed wrapped her arms around his neck, positioning herself nicely.
"Ainda ye mat kehna ke mujhe farq nahi parta, warna mein waqaye raat mein baahir chor ke chala jaaon ga."
Farjaad spoke in a low but commanding voice, making butterflies run wild in Umeed's stomach.
"Aap mujhe chor ke ja hi nahi saktay kabhi."
She smirked as she spoke with certainty. All Farjaad could do was look into her eyes. Of course she was right. He could never leave her.
Taking small, steady steps, Farjaad finally managed to bring Umeed up to the bedroom of the villa. Laying her down on bed nicely. As he was about to take a step back, Umeed held him by the collar of his shirt, making him sit on the bed, right next to her, bringing his face close to her own.
Farjaad's breath was heavy, partially owing to the exercise he did in bringing her here, and partially owing to the proximity. Umeed, on the other hand, was holding her ground very steadily. Eyes not moving away from his face even for a second - fluctuating between his eyes and lips.
Getting up only slightly from her position, Umeed pushed her lips on his passionately. Her hand moving from his collar to his neck. Farjaad, initially taken aback by shock, eventually acceded, his own hands going behind Umeed's waist, bringing her closer.
Once they broke away, Farjaad moved back slightly.
"Umeed, tum abhi rest karo, tumhein chot lagi hai. Hum baad bhi kisi waqt ye continue kar lein gay, abhi tumhein rest karnay ki zarorat hai."
As he was about to get up, Umeed held his arm and pushed him back on the bed, getting in a sitting position herself.
"Mujhe koi chot nahi lagi, wo to mene aap se mazaaq kiya tha."
"Mazaaq kiya tha?"
"Haan, mein theek hoon, chala bhi ja raha hai mujh se, aur khara bhi hua ja raha hai."
She whispered into his ear, smirking slyly. Farjaad's eyebrows shot up, as amusement filled his face.
"Mazaaq kiya tha, hmm?"
Umeed nodded proudly. Farjaad ran a ran on his face, eyes not leaving Umeed's even for a moment.
"Aisay mazaaq ki saza to banti hai phir. Tumhein pata hai mein kitna pareshan ho gaya tha?"
"Aur kya saza dein gay aap mujhe?"
Umeed said flirtatiously, almost as if she was challenging him.
He turned to face Umeed completely, bringing his face closer to her. The tables had turned, it was Umeed's turn to be caught off-guard. Farjaad was in control now.
"Do teen ideas hein mere dimaagh mein."
Putting his arm over Umeed's lying figure, he bought his face close to her. He put her hair back with his other hand, exposing her neck, as he placed his lips at the nook of her neck, sending shivers down Umeed's entire body. Slowly moving up, he brought his lips to hers, kissing her with a passion he had never kissed her with before.
As Umeed's arms went around his neck, pulling on his hair, his went over to the lamp wire, turning it off.
The date might not have gone exactly as planned, but the night ended in a way neither of them could ever forget.