"Mujhe darr lag raha hai."
(I am scared.)
"Darrne wali konsi baat hai. Achha khasa ujala hai kamre mein."
(What's there to be scared of? The room is well-lit.)
"Par anjan kamra hai. Bohot ajeeb lag raha hai."
(But it's an unfamiliar room. It feels very strange.)
"Kamra anjan hai, main toh hoon na."
(The room is unfamiliar, but I'm here.)
"Aap toh the hi nahi. Aap toh bahar the."
(You weren't here before. You were outside.)
"Waiting room mein bhi toh akeli thi na."
(You were alone in the waiting room too, right?)
"Tab din tha."
(That was during the day.)
"Ab ro mat. Achha ab toh mat daro ab toh agaya hoon na." He hold her hand to console her, he didn't realise why or when our of nowhere she hugged him.
(Don't cry now. Okay, don't be scared anymore. I'm here now.)
It was the first time his heart had raced so forcefully; for a moment, he was unsure how to react. Slowly, he called out her name, "Hyra."
Hyra seemed to jolt, distancing herself. Fear and astonishment filled her eyes.
"Andar jao aram karo," Hayder told her, reining in his emotions. She got up and left immediately, yet a faint trace of her fragrance lingered in the air. Then he shook his head.
(Go inside and rest.)
Before he could think of it, his phone rang.
•••
That moment, when her trust had briefly been his to hold, had stayed with him despite his best efforts to suppress it. Age difference and societal expectations had dictated that such emotions were inconceivable, and he had buried his feelings beneath layers of rationality.
As fate would have it, circumstances had conspired to bind them together in marriage. Baba's will had become a relentless force, pulling him towards a union he hadn't dared to acknowledge. When Hanif Mirza brought up the idea of their marriage. Hayder was at a loss, unsure of what to do or say. The age difference between them bothered him. Would Hyra ever be comfortable with it? Maybe she saw Hayder just like Dawar. And then, he overheard Asim and Dawar's conversation.
"Papa, ek baar mil toh lein Rehaan se," Dawar's voice echoed.
(Papa, just meet Rehaan once,)
"Dawar, dimagh theek hai tumhara? Hyra ki engagement Hayder se ho chuki hai aur tum uske liye rishte dekh rahe ho?" This was Asim Mirza's voice.
(Dawar, are you in your right mind? Hyra is already engaged to Hayder, and you're suggesting matches for her?)
"Usne sirf aur sirf chachi ki wajah se haan kaha hai, warna aap bhi jante hain Hyra kabhi na kehti haan. Rehaan achha larka hai, mere dost ka bhai hai, abhi usne masters kiya—"
(She agreed because of Aunt's insistence. You know Hyra never says yes easily. Rehaan is a good guy, my friend's brother. He just finished his master's—)
"Dawar, Hyra ki engagement ho chuki hai."
(Dawar, Hyra's engagement is done.)
"Woh kabhi khush nahi rahegi Hayder ke sath. Aur Hayder ne bhi sirf baba ki wajah se haan kaha hai." Dawar tried to explain.
(She'll never be happy with Hayder. And Hayder only said yes because of baba.)
Unknown to both, Hayder was listening to all of this. His suspicions were right; he wasn't suitable for Hyra, and this engagement was causing neither of them any happiness. He hadn't wanted to force this relationship, but after the engagement, he felt powerless. Hyra's reputation had already been tarnished, and if the engagement broke, people would get another chance to judge her.
Hayder watched from the sidelines, a mere spectator. Their wedding happened, she looked beautiful in her bridal attire, but Hayder deliberately avoided looking at her.
And then, on their wedding night, a thick tension hung in the air. Hayder's voice had carried a weight of bitterness as he confessed the truth,
"Dhyan se suno tum, mujhse ya iss shadi se koi umeed na rakhna. Maine yeh shad sirf aur sirf baba ki wajah se ki hai." He told her
(Listen carefully, don't expect anything from me or this marriage. I only agreed to this marriage because of Baba.)
Each word had cut through Hyra's heart, her face a mirror of wounded emotions. But he didn't stop there to look at it, he couldn't look at her face and turned to leave, when her confession came.
"Maine bhi yeh shadi sirf mamma ki khushi ke liye ki hai. Warna aap mere ideal bilkul nahi."
(I also agreed to this marriage only for mamma's happiness. Otherwise, you're not my ideal at all.)
In the midst of their mutual deception, they had concealed their true feelings, their hearts ironically united in a shared untruth. Hayder's love for Hyra, once buried deep, had surged forth despite his attempts to quell it. Meanwhile, Hyra's initial happiness about the marriage had been dampened by the realization that her husband's motivations were far from what she had hoped.
•••
"Tumne bataya kya tha Dawar bhai ko? Kya tumne sab kuch hi bata diya tha?" Hyra asked to Uswa, what she couldn't talk to her on the phone.
(What did you tell Dawar bhai? Did you tell him everything?)
"Yaar, main utni pagal dikhti hongi, but hoon nahi. Mujhe maloom hai kab kya batana hai." Uswa was offended by Hyra's question, which she didn't hide. Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed.
(I may look crazy, but I am not. I know when to say what.)
"Dawar bhai puch rahe the sabka toh maine bata diya tum Hospital mein ho, unhone pucha kyu, toh maine bas itna bataya ki Hayder bhai bohot gusse mein aye the aur mujhe bhi niche bhej diya aur fir pata nahi kya hua..." Uswa informed her.
(Dawar bhai was asking about everyone, so I told them you are hospitalised, he asked what happened, so I told him Hayder bhai was very angry when he came, and he sent me downstairs then I don't know what happened...)
Hyra smacked her forehead. Trust Uswa to turn even a simple thing into a dramatic moment.
It wasn't that bad as Uswa made it sound like.
"Yeh bhi koi batane wali baat nahi thi, Uswa." Hyra shook her head. Like Uswa, she didn't try to hide her disappointment either.
(You shouldn't have told him this either, Uswa.)
Uswa was her only friend, the only person with whom Hyra could share anything, and knew Uswa won't judge. But after this incident, she learned that she doesn't need to share every minor thing of her marriage with Uswa either.
"Dekho, sabne mujhe already bohot sunaya, haan mujhe bhi bura laga jiss tarah se sab hua. But maine kuch galat nahi kiya. Tum meri jagah hoti, toh mere liye tum bhi yahi karti." A look on annoyance crosses Uswa's face, as she said.
(Look, everyone already scolded me a lot, yes, I felt bad about how everything happened. But I didn't do anything wrong. If you were in my place, you would have done the same for me.)
Hyra couldn't say anything after that. Uswa was right, if anything to happen with Uswa, Hyra would never keep quiet.
"Maine toh kal Hayder bhai se bhi baat ki." Uswa saw the changing colours of Hyra's face, and realises that Hyra is feeling guilty, which made Uswa groan internally, that girl could get upset over anything. To make the environment light hearted, Uswa told her.
(I also talked to Hayder bhai yesterday.)
"Kya? Kya!!" Uswa's revelations shocked Hyra, her eyes widen and her voice takes on a hint of disbelief.
(What? What!!)
"Maine Hayder bhai se kal baat ki." Uswa repeated herself.
(Yesterday, I talked to Hayder bhai.)
"Kya baat ki?"
(What did you talk about?)
"Yahi ki unka bohot zyada ho raha hai." Confidently, Uswa said. Which made Hyra gave Uswa a pointed look.
(I told him that now he is doing too much.)
"Nahi, ab aise direct nahi kaha maine lekin..." Sheepishly, Uswa mumbles.
(I didn't say it directly but...)
"Toh kya kaha?" Hyra was still not over her shock.
(What did you say then?)
"Dekho, pehle toh maine jate hi unse maafi mangli. Ab sher ke pinjre mein gayi thi—"
(Look, I apologise to him immediately after going there. I thought when I am in lion's cage, I should...)
"Gufa! Pinjre wale sher nahi hain woh."
(Cave! He is not caged lion.)
"—toh unhe appease hi kar doon. Toh maine unse maafi mangi. Kehte koi baat nahi..."
(Appease him. So that's why I apologised. He said it's okay...)
"Unhone aisa kaha?" This was another shock for Hyra. Does Hayder even knows the meaning of these words?
(He said that?)
"Haan! Fir maine himmat ki, aur bata diya ki unke aney se pehle tum kafi darri hui thi aur issi wajah se tumhe fever bhi hua fir tumhari fainting se main darr gayi."
(Yeah! Then I mustered some courage and told him that you were very scared before he arrived and because of that, you had a fever and then you fainted, and I got scared too.)
"Tumne unhe yeh kyu bataya?" Hyra's eyes widened when got to know Uswa has told Hayder her fear. She face-palmed on her friend's stupidity. Uswa needs mouth filter. She never wanted for Hayder to find out how much scared she is of him.
(Why did you tell him that?)
"Zaroori tha na... waise, Hyra, ab mujhe lagta hai Hayder bhai itne bure nahi. Khamakha itne pranks ki humne unpe." There was sudden change in Uswa's tone, it become soft.
(It was necessary... Well, Hyra, now I think Hayder bhai isn't that bad. We played too many pranks on him for no reason.)
"Humne ya tumne? Aur unki tarafdari mat karo." And this did not settle well with Hyra. She didn't like Uswa praising Hayder.
(We or you? Don't side with him.)
"Achha maine... lekin fasti toh tum thi na." Uswa passes her a cute smile. "Aur nahi kar rahi unki tarafdari. Bas unhe benefit of doubt de rahi hoon."
(Okay, I did... but you were the one who used to get caught.)
(And I am not siding with him. I am just giving him benefit of doubt.)
"Achha na, ab aise munh na banao, ab toh ghar bhi wapas agayi na tum. Thora muskura do." Pinching Hyra's cheek, Uswa told her.
(Okay, don't make that face now. You're back home, that's what matters. Just give me a smile.)
"Gulab jamun banaya hai maine." Then Uswa reveal in a whisper, as if this was the greatest secret.
(I made gulab jamun.)
"Pehle kyu nahi bataya?" Instantly, Hyra's face gleamed. "Chalo," she got down from the bed and was ready to go to the kitchen.
(Why didn't you tell me earlier?)
(Let's go)
•••
Hyra's mood was cheery when she returned upstairs, gulab jamun did make her happy. Uswa was little silly, but a great cook. And Hyra on the other side could cook to save a life, but her cooking skills weren't great.
Happily, she enters her room and decided to read some book, but a knock came on the door. Putting the book back on the shelf, she went to open it and found Shahzaib standing there.
"Andar ajaye?" Shahzaib asked softly. Hyra's gaze shifted from him to Rafey, who was standing behind Shahzaib, she tried to make sense of why they were both there.
(Can we come in?)
She stepped aside to let them in. "Kya hua, Shahzaib bhai?" Hyra inquired as Shahzaib and Rafey entered.
(What happened, Shahzaib bhai?)
"Kuch nahi. Bas sofa hatana tha na," Shahzaib informed her.
(Nothing. Just had to move the sofa.)
"Sofa?" At first, Hyra didn't comprehend, but as she saw Rafey and Shahzaib lifting the sofa, she grew anxious. "Isko kyu le ja rahe hain?"
(Why are you taking this?)
"Hayder bhai ne kaha," Shahzaib replied.
(Hayder bhai told me to,)
"Kyu? Shahzaib bhai, sofa yahi rehne dein."
(Why? Shahzaib bhai, let sofa be here.)
"Hyra, kya hua?" Shahzaib was taken aback by her reaction.
(Hyra, what happened?)
"Sofa mat hataiye," Hyra insisted.
(Don't move the sofa,)
"But Hayder bhai ne kaha... yaar, agar sofa nahi hataya toh woh mujhe hata denge," Shahzaib explained.
(But Hayder bhai told me to... If we won't move the sofa, Hayder bhai will remove me from the house.)
"But main keh rahi hoon na issey yahi rehne dein," Hyra pleaded.
(But I am telling you not to move this.)
"Come on, jaldi decide karo sofa yahi rakhna hai ya nahi," Rafey interjected, his hands hurting from holding the sofa, which Shahzaib and him were still holding in the air.
(Come on, decide quickly if you want the sofa to stay here or not,)
"Hyra, I'm really sorry, Hayder bhai ne kaha hai. Haan tum unhe convince karlo toh hum wapas rakh denge sofa yaha, hum konsa fek denge isko." Shahzaib looked at her with an apologetic expression and said.
(Hyra, I'm really sorry, Hayder bhai asked us to move it. If you can convince him, we'll bring it back here. We aren't gonna throw it out.)
Hyra's heart sank in, as she watched them take away the sofa.
"Main kaha soungi?" She questioned in her heart.
(Where will I sleep now?)
She couldn't understand why Hayder removed the sofa, is he going to punish her this way? Because she disobey him and left with Dawar? Hyra could not understand anything, and tears brimmed in her eyes.
"Hyra, yeh sofa... kya hua tumhe?" Kubra, who has saw Shahzaib and Rafey taking out the sofa, came here to ask Hyra about it, but when saw her standing there with tearful eyes, she asked.
(Hyra, why the sofa... what happened to you?)
Hyra become startled by her, shaking her head, she looked away and dried her eyes.
"Kya hua?" Kubra asked.
(What's wrong?)
"Kuch nahi, api, woh bas Hayder ko sofa nahi chahiye tha." Hyra mumbles, as she tried to smile. She still remembers Kubra's cold eyes when she got to know Hyra shared her problems with Uswa. She was like that, she would take smallest thing to her heart, then would let it reside it there. She wouldn't share it anyone, but neither she would forget.
(Nothing, api, Hayder didn't want the sofa.)
"Par kyu?" Kubra again asked. On which Hyra shrugged her shoulder.
(But why?)
•••
Hyra blinked in confusion as she stare at the empty space where the sofa had been. A frown creased her forehead as she tried to make sense of its sudden disappearance.
Frustration pricked at her, the feeling of displacement growing inside of her. She sighed, her gaze fixated on the vacant spot. With a reluctant sigh, she turned around, her mind racing to understand why her sleeping spot had been taken away without a word. What do Hayder wants. Where she is suppose to sleep? This brought tears in her eyes.
Then, something clicked in her mind. If Hayder thought she would just give up without a fight, he was mistaken. She is not going to sleep on the floor.
As Hyra stepped out of the room, determination overtook her frustration. She looked for Shahzaib, and find him in the living room with Rafey.
"Shahzaib bhai," she called, her tone was full of hesitation.
Shahzaib looked up from t.v, offering a friendly smile. "Kya hua? Kuch chahiye?"
(What happened? Need something?)
"Haan woh... Hayder ne sofa hatane ke liye kaha tha na..." She started saying.
(Hayder asked you to move the sofa...)
"Woh toh hatt gaya na." Shahzaib and Rafey were right now sitting on the very same sofa in fact.
(Yeah, it's been moved.)
"Haan lekin uski jagah apne dusra sofa nahi rakha."
(Yeah but you didn't put another sofa in its place.)
"Dusra sofa?" Shahzaib raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
(Another sofa?)
"Haan, woh lounge mein haina blue wala. Hayder ne bataya nahi? Woh keh rahe yeh wala sofa hatake woh blue wala waha rakhne ke liye."
(Yes, the blue one in the lounge. Hayder didn't tell you? He was saying to move this sofa and place that sofa instead.)
Shahzaib's confusion melted into understanding, a chuckle escaping him. "Ohh, aap log room redecorate kar rahe ho?"
(You guys are redecorating the room?)
Hyra nodded, excitement dancing in her eyes. "Haan! Hayder ka idea tha."
(Yes, it's Hayder's idea.)
Shahzaib chuckled softly. "Kamal hai, bhai ko changes bilkul nahi pasand." Then he added.
(Inpressive, Hayder bhai dislike changes.)
Hyra's eyes narrowed, she hadn't considered that. It was true, Hayder's room had remained the same as far back as she could remember.
"Woh... bas aise hi." she replied, her cheeks turning pink..
(Well, just like that,)
"Achha theek hai. Chalo, Rafey!" Shahzaib didn't ask anything further. He stood up and playfully slapped Rafey's shoulder.
(Alright, fine. Let's go, Rafey!)
"Man! Can't we call a worker to do this?" Rafey suggested. He had just been complaining about a backache from moving the sofa, and now Shahzaib was telling him to get up again.
"Chalo na, chota sa kaam hai kya kisi ko bulana."
(Come on, it's just a small task.)
Unwillingly, Rafey got up and headed toward the lounge room with Shahzaib and Hyra.
As Rafey and Shahzaib moved the blue sofa into their room, Hyra couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness. And as she looked at the newly placed sofa, she sat on it happily and laid down. Her heart fluttered with anticipation, the initial upset now replaced with a sense of accomplishment. She won't have to sleep on the floor.
•••
In the evening*
Hayder stood in the doorway, a perplexed expression on his face as he looked at the unfamiliar sight of a blue sofa in his room. He furrowed his brows, his good mood from the office beginning to waver. Slowly, he stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of Hyra.
As he circled the new addition, his confusion deepened.
"Shahzaib!" he called out.
Shahzaib appeared at the doorway, wearing a huge smile. Thinking that Hayder was about to praise him, he awaited his words.
"Maine tumhe ek kaam kaha tha?" Hayder controlled his temper and asked.
(Didn't I ask you do something?)
"Apne kaha tha sofa hatake blue wala yaha rakh dena." Shahzaib's smile faded as he responded.
(You told me to move the sofa and put the blue one here.)
"Blue sofa ke liye maine kab kaha?"
(When did I mention blue sofa?)
"Hyra ne kaha tha." Shahzaib scratches his neck and told him.
(Hyra told me.)
Hayder turned his gaze back to the sofa,
"Hyra kaha hai?" He again looked at Shahzaib and asked.
(Where is Hyra?)
"Baba ke sath." As Shahzaib informed him, Hayder quickly left the room.
(She is with baba.)
"Chakkar kya hai sofe ka?" Shahzaib wondered.
(What's with this obsession over the sofa?)
•••
Aur yeh Hayder bhai ke irade pe pani fekti hui Hyra baby🤣
How's it? Do vote and comment❤️
-Ufaq