"Umeeeeed"
No response. Again.
Umeed angrily began taking her jewellery off. If this man had any regard for his life, he better stop talking. In fact, he better leave the room. Or the house.
"Umeed yaar, kya tum mujh se baat bhi nahi karo gi?"
Her anger kept rising, and she all put smacked the jhumka on the dressing table. The sound it made was so loud, Farjaad flinched. Umeed had hit her hand on the table too.
But clearly, Farjaad was not taking the hint. He took a few long strides towards her, placing his hand gently on Umeed's clutched fist on the table.
"Mujhe bolnay ka mauqa to do"
Umeed narrowed her eyes, staring first at his hand over hers, then slowly raising her face to look dead into his eyes. Her eyes were piercing and full of rage compared to his pleading ones. If looks could kill, Farjaad would be 10 feet under the ground.
"Aap ko to bolnay ka mauqa milna hi nahi chahiye. Jab aap munn kholtay hein, mera nuqsaan hi karatay hein. Chup rehna chahiye aap ko. Har waqt."
She yanked her hand away from his hold, walking towards the couch, taking her shoes off. Farjaad followed her footsteps.
"Yaar mujhe thori pata tha ke tum ne nahi bataya hua."
She drew in a sharp breath.
"Farjaad, 'mene sab ko surprise dena hai' ka aur kya matlab hota hai aap ki zubaan mein?"
Farjaad bit his lip, trying to form a response. He was able to come up with nothing.
"Haan to mujhe laga tum de chuki ho surprise."
That definitely was not a response he should have given.
Umeed clutched her fists, took a few deep breaths, and got up.
"Hattein mere raastay se"
Lightly pushing him away, she walked straight towards the bathroom. She could not tolerate him anymore.
Farjaad dropped himself on the sofa, replaying the events of the last 5 hours in his head.
Umeed just got off the call, practically jumping around. Her smile wide enough to make her cheeks hurt, while the shine in her eyes could be seen from miles away. Farjaad couldn't help but ignore whatever was on his laptop screen and focus his whole attention on her alone.
Skipping happily, she sat herself down right next to Farjaad, the grin refusing to leave her face. Farjaad placed his laptop on the table and turned around to face her. He couldn't help the smile that made its way on his own face, just by looking at the girl in front of him.
"Ab batao gi bhi ya bas dekhti raho gi?"
"Mujhe samajh hi nahi aa raha mein kesay bataon! Mein itni khush hoon aaj Farjaad, mujhe lag raha hai mein ro doon gi!"
"Hein? Ye kesi khushi hui?"
"Uff ho, aap ko aik to kuch samajh nahi aata. Khair chorein, guess karein kis ki call thi!"
"Kis ki?"
"Guess karna tha Farjaad!"
"Mujh se nahi hotay guesses, khudi bata do na!"
"Argh, whatever. Real estate broker ki call thi, wo jo location mujhe pasand aayi thi na cafe ke liye, wahan ke owner ke saath deal final ho gayi hai! Wo location ab meri hai, wahan mera cafe banay ga!"
With every word she spoke, her excitement only increased and the smile grew wider.
"Mera cafe, Farjaad. Ye waqaye ho raha hai. Mujhe yaqeen nahi aa raha!"
She squealed, throwing her hands in the air, which involuntarily landed around Farjaad's neck, as Umeed practically threw herself on him. It took Farjaad a moment to regain his composure, before wrapping his own arms around her petite form.
"Lekin mujhe to hamesha se yaqeen tha. Meri Umeed sab kar sakti hai!"
He whispered into her ear.
Umeed got off just as quickly as she had jumped over him, making Farjaad lose his balance yet again.
"Farjaad, hum Pasha house ja saktay hein?"
"Abhi jana hai?"
"Haan, wahan sab ko surprise dena hai. Un ke saath share karna hai!"
"Haan to tum chali jao."
"Nahi, aap saath chalein, aap ne mujhe itna support kiya hai. Mein chahti hoon aap mere saath hon."
Farjaad held back a smile as he got up.
"Chalo phir."
Fast forward two hours later as they were sat in the drawing room of Pasha house. Umeed had bought a cake on the way and had asked Haya to put it away for now and to bring it after dinner. She was going to share the news over a cake cutting celebration.
She was getting excited thinking of how everyone would react - and by everyone she meant Kamal Pasha. All she had ever wanted in her life was for him to trust her and to give her the space to take decisions for her life. She wanted him to support her when she messed things up and help her get back on track again.
But she never got any of that. Nothing she ever did was good enough for her dad. She would always be the careless, rebellious girl in his mind. She wanted to see how he would react, now that she had finally managed to convert her dream into a reality.
Her gaze then shifted towards Farjaad, as he chatted away with Sameer and Pasha sahab. The man who changed everything for her. She had never needed a man to guide her through life. She was always in control of her own life, and fully capable of leading herself on her chosen path. All she ever wanted was one supporting pillar. Someone who would give her the space to control her life the way she wanted. The gap left by Pasha sahab was not only filled, but also beautified by Farjaad.
Sometimes Umeed found it hard to believe that she really got this lucky with him. A soft smile crept on her lips as she stared at him.
Just that she spoke too soon.
"Jee Pasha uncle, wese bhi ab to Umeed ke cafe ki location bhi Ma Sha Allah se final ho gayi hai, to ab to masroofiyat aur barh jaaye gi"
She sat up straight at the sound of this, her eyes about to burst out of their sockets.
He said WHAT?
"Acha, location final ho gayi hai? Bataya hi nahi Umeed beta tum ne. Buhat mubarak ho. Kahan khol rahi ho cafe?"
Umeed couldn't even bring herself to be excited as she answered all of their questions. All she did was glare at Farjaad. She didn't even cut the cake, simply said that it was a 'gift' for her cafe's location.
Farjaad facepalmed himself. Yeah, it really was his fault. He once again resumed his efforts as he banged on the bathroom door, and spoke in the most desperate voice he could,
"Acha na Umeeed, I'm sorry na!"
No repsonse.
~
Farjaad shifted in his sleep, his arm reaching out to Umeed's side of the bed, only to find it empty. His eyes shot open as he sat straight up, looking around in the room. He remembered her going to bed, making sure her back was towards him, in order to avoid his constant apologies.
Where was she now?
Throwing his cover away, he searched around the room. She wasn't there. He then walked over to the balcony, which oversaw the backyard, just to find her sitting on the steps leading to the yard. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her arms wrapped around her knees, as she stared into the dark garden.
The chilly February wind was getting to Farjaad, as he threw on a hoodie, picking a shawl on his way out. He walked into the kitchen, quickly preparing a cup of pipping hot tea for Umeed.
She was lost in her thoughts as she sat there looking at the stars - or at least what you could see of them in the city sky. Now that her excitement had finally calmed down, her mind was working in full swing trying to come up with marketing strategies and the overall functioning of the cafe. Every now and then her mind flickered back to Farjaad, but she wasn't going to allow herself hop on that train for now.
She was in the middle of this war with her brain when she felt a warm shawl being draped around her. Looking up, she saw Farjaad standing with a mug of hot chai. What she really wanted was to snatch it out of his hands, she was in desperate need of it, but she also had to show him that she was still mad. So she turned around again.
Chuckling slightly, Farjaad sat down next to her, his knee brushing against Umeed's. The mug of chai still in his hands as Umeed kept stealing glances at it, which Farjaad did not miss. He was trying hard to hide the smirk.
"Nahi chahiye chai?"
"Nahi. Mene maangi thi kya? Mujhe chahiye hoti to mein khud bana leti."
"Hmm, soch lo aik baar phir."
"Soch liya hai. Nahi chahiye."
"Okay, as you wish, mein pi leta hoon phir."
Farjaad teased her, bringing the mug close to his mouth. Umeed's eyes were fixated on the mug as she watched him take a sip, her eyes growing wide.
"Acha ab aap le hi aaye hein, to layein de dein."
Farjaad bit his lip to hide the smile as he passed the mug to her. Farjaad didn't miss the slight movement Umeed's did to make sure the spot from which he took the sip was where she placed her lips.
"To kya aap ne mujhe maaf kiya?"
He asked a while later, making Umeed turn abruptly to face him.
"Agar aap lo lagta hai ke aik chai ke cup pe aap meri maafi khareed lein gay, to bhool hai aap ki. Is se baat nahi banay gi."
"To phir kya chahiye mohtarma ko?"
"Ice-cream"
"Ice-cream...."
"Haan, ice-cream."
"Is waqt?"
"Haan, is waqt"
Farjaad glanced at the time on his phone. It was 1:20 am.
"Umeed, ghar par to ice-cream nahi hai"
"Mujhe pata hai ghar par nahi hai. Par aap ke paas aik adad gaari to hai na?"
"Umeed, dairh bajj raha hai raat ka!"
"Haan to? Raat ko dairh bajay gaari chalanay pe pabandi laga di hai hakoomat ne?"
"Nahi, yaani ye koi time nahi hai na janay ka. Hum subah chalein gay?"
"Theek hai phir, maafi bhi aap ko subah hi milay gi. Kamray mein mat aaiye ga aap aaj raat."
She got up to leave, but Farjaad was quick to hold her wrist. Getting up quickly, he stood in front of her.
"Acha okay, kahan se khaani hai ice-cream tumhein?"
"Ab aaye na aap mud'ay par! Wahan Pasha house ke paas aik dukaan hai, wahan se."
"UMEED! Hum is waqt, wahan tak nahi ja rahay. Chalees minute to wahan puhanchnay mein lag jayein gay."
"Is waqt thori lagein gay chalees minute, abhi konsa traffic ho gi."
"Haan is waqt koi ehmaq hi ho ga jo sarkon pe niklay ga"
Farjaad muttered under his breath, but Umeed still caught it.
"Kuch kaha aap ne?"
"Nahi meri jaan, kuch nahi. Chalo, chalein aap ko ice-cream khila ke laayein."
The car ride was silent for the most part, apart from a few of Farjaad's efforts to strike a conversation, all of which were shut out by Umeed.
"Ab kyun baat nahi kar rahi ho? Ja to rahay hein ice cream khanay!"
"Ice cream mil jaye, phir baatein bhi ho jayein gi."
"Acha batao, yahan se kahan murna hai?"
"Bas ye aagay se left lena hai."
"Tum sure ho ye ice cream wala betha ho ga is waqt? Do baj rahay hein!"
"Nahi, mein aisay hi aap ko utha ke shehar ke doosray hissay mein le aayi hoon! Zaahir hai khula hota hai!"
"Ajeeb hi aadmi hai, is waqt kon dukaan kholta hai"
Umeed completely ignored his statement as she continued giving him directions. Ten minutes later, they were finally outside a tiny roadside ice cream parlour, which was - to Farjaad's utmost shock - crowded. Umeed turned around to give him a smug expression, which Farjaad pretended he didn't see.
"Acha dekho, hum gaari mein hi khayein gay okay? Itnay logon mein nahi beth raha mein."
Umeed had no issues with it of course. All she wanted was her ice cream, and maybe her husband's company.
"Mujhe double scoop chahiye. Aik chocolate aur aik peanut butter wala. Us ke upar hot fudge aur sprinkles bhi please."
Umeed narrated her order once Farjaad had parked the car under a deserted tree, away from the lights and noise of the shop.
"Taubah hai Umeed, itna meetha?"
"Aap ki raaye nahi maangi mene. Ye batayein, aap kya lein gay?"
"Mein nahi kha raha koi ice cream"
"Hein? Is baat ka kya matlab hua? Kyun nahi kha rahay?"
"Ye koi waqt hai ice cream khanay ka? Upar se baahir pehle hi thand hai. No thank you."
Umeed raised her eyebrow at him, giving him the nastiest look she could muster.
"Mazaaq kar rahay hein na aap?"
"Mazaaq wali konsi baat hai is mein?"
"Farjaad pleaseee, in ki ice cream waqaye buhat mazay ki hoti hai, aap kabhi bhool nahi paayein gay."
"Umeed, mein nahi kha raha."
With that he got out to get her ice cream. However, when he returned five minutes later, he had two cups in his hand, making Umeed smile. She knew he wouldn't be able to resist. He handed her hers, describing it as 'diabetes in a cup', and Umeed wasted no time digging into it.
A few moments later, she couldn't resist the urge to keep staring at Farjaad's cup. Man got cheesecake flavour. 'That's a good one, mene kyun nahi socha ye', Umeed thought to herself. Farjaad had already noticed her looking at his cup.
"Tum ne ye wala flavour try kiya hua hai?"
"Konsa hai?"
"Cheesecake, ye lo try karo."
"Mene to aap ko pehle hi bola tha yahan ke saray flavours achay hein."
Umeed said as she took Farjaad's cup from his hand, offering him hers in return, which he declined. Umeed took one spoonful of his ice cream, then another, and yet another. 'His is definitely better' she kept thinking with every spoonful. Farjaad didn't even bother stopping her. He simply leaned against the door, crossed his arms and observed her with a smile on his face.
"Sorry, sorry, ye lein apni ice cream. Mene kuch zyada hi kha li"
Umeed said sheepishly, handing over the cup which barely had three spoons left now.
"Nahi meri to wese bhi bas ho gayi thi, mujh se nahi khayi ja rahi aur. It's too sweet. Tum kha lo."
"Sachi?"
Umeed's eyes lit up, and for a moment Farjaad couldn't help but question, 'is there any other purpose in life?'
"Sachi. Bas aik cheez ka zara khyaal rakho ..."
Farjaad leaned over towards her, his hot breath mingling with the coolness of Umeed's breath. His nose brushing against hers, lips barely an inch away from hers, eyes fixated on her lips. Despite all the frozen dessert Umeed had shoved in, she felt like she was burning under the proximity. Her eyes not moving away from his face. The cold cup in her hands was long forgotten.
Farjaad raised his thumb and brought it to the edge of her lip, rubbing over her bottom lip. Umeed did not even catch what he was doing, she was gasping for air and struggling for life.
"Girana mat, tumhein pata hai mujhe gaari mein gand pasand nahi hai."
Farjaad whispered once he had successfully traced his thumb from one end of her lip to another. He still did not back off, he enjoyed seeing Umeed so vulnerable in the moment, as she gulped in a desperate attempt to maintain her composure.
The moment was disturbed by a knock on Farjaad's window pane, making them both jump in their seats. It was a man in a police uniform. Umeed and Farjaad shared a quick look, before turning towards the window. Farjaad took a deep breath to calm himself down before lowering the window and plastering a formal smile on his face.
"Ye raat ke is pehar, public mein, sarak pe yunn kharafaat aur behayai phelanay ki koi wajah hai?"
The inspector did not wait before going on with his accusations. It was only once his face was at the level of the window that Umeed and Farjaad took a sigh of relief.
It was S.H.O Moshin. The same police officer from that night. His own facial expressions went soft once recognition hit him.
"Aap donon?"
"Sir aap? Kesa haseen itefaaq hai. Kesay hein aap?"
"Mein to theek hoon, magar aap donon itni raat ko yahan kyun hein?"
Farjaad's smile deepened as he turned to look at Umeed.
"Jee sir wo bas begum sahiba ka ice cream khanay ka dil kar raha tha, aap ko to pata hi hai, mana bhi nahi kiya jaata."
SHO Mohsin glanced towards Umeed, who had the most innocent look on her face.
"Jee, samajh sakta hoon. Aap ki begum ko mana to waqaye nahi kiya ja sakta."
Farjaad smirked, while Umeed narrowed her eyes at the two men. The audacity.
"Aisa hi hai sir. Sorry aap ko takleef di hum ne is waqt."
"Aap ke ilawa koi aur hota to mein seedha thanay le ke jata aur nikkah naama baramad karata, magar aap donon ka to mujhe pata hi hai. Aap ki to shadi ko bhi itna waqt ho chuka hai. Magar mashwara hai, sarak pe aisa romance karnay se zara guraiz hi kiya karein."
"Jee sir, got it."
"Haan aur wo yaad aaya, beta kesa hai aap logon ka? Kahan hai, nazar nahi aa raha? Naam kya tha, Far- kar ke kuch, haan Farmeed. Kesa hai wo?"
Umeed choked on the spoon of ice cream she had just put into her mouth, while Farjaad awkwardly scratched his neck.
"Uh jee sir, Farmeed bilkul theek hai. Ghar pe hai na, so raha hai, time bhi to dekhein."
"Hmm. Kitna bara ho gaya hai aap ka beta wese?"
"2 saal"
"Abhi saal ka hua hai."
They both blurted out at the same time, making inspector Mohsin raise his eyebrows and look between them suspiciously. They too, shared a look, both giving each other accusatory glances.
"Nahi wo darasal 2 saal itni jaldi guzar gaye, pata hi nahi chala sir, lagta hai jesay abhi paida hua tha."
Mohsin did not believe in Farjaad's cover up, but he didn't probe further.
"Achaaa, aap log jayein ab. Buhat raat ho rahi hai."
"Jee jee sir, hum nikal hi rahay thay bas. Aap se dobara mil ke acha laga, khyaal rakhiye ga."
Farjaad was quick to race the car away. Umeed kept staring at him with a smile etched on her face.
"Farmeed? Seriously Farjaad?"
Farjaad stole a glance at her, refusing to let her one-up him.
"Beta Umeed, seriously?"
Farjaad shot back, making Umeed blush and look away. This one was on her, really. Farjaad smirked to himself before taking his left hand off the gear and placing it on Umeed's thigh, making her jump.
"Wese khyaal bura nahi hai, kaafi cute beta ho ga hamara, don't you think?"
"Farjaad...."
"Nahi socho na, tumharay jesi bari bari ankhein hon gi, meri tarah dimples hon gay. Mera dimaagh, tumhara humor, thora samajhdaar ho ga, thora sa crazy ho ga....."
"Drive karein tameez se."
Umeed swat his hand away, unable to hide her smile. Farjaad's own smile was a reflection of hers.
The rest of the drive was just them stealing glances at each other - eyes full of admiration for each other, hearts full of love and smiles etched on their cheeks.
Just like that night.