Smash!
Umeed squinted her eyes shut as she heard the unmistakable sound of glasses shattering. The sharp unsettling sound cut through the ambience of the cafe like a blade. She cautiously opened her eyes and peered over the kitchen counter, where she saw a tray of delicate teacups and saucers now reduced to a scattered mosaic of porcelain shards on the floor. One of her only two staff members stood there, stunned by the chaos she had unleashed. However, her heart leaped to her throat as she rushed to the scene.
Panic surged within her, not just from the flying saucers and teacups in her cafe but also upon spotting Pasha Sahab, her father, standing at the entrance door. His stern gaze darted back and forth between the shattered mess on the floor and her anxious face, radiating palpable anger and disappointment. Umeed's trembling fingers fidgeted as she closed her eyes, silently mouthing prayers, bracing herself for the imminent confrontation.
This was the last thing she wanted to deal with today.
"Umeed Baaji, maaf kar dein pata nahin yeh paani kahan se aaya," Zoya explained as she gestured at the water on the floor. Umeed nodded and asked her to clean up the mess as she watched Pasha Sahab walk inside and settle on one of the tables, shaking his head in disapproval. Umeed took the seat in front of him, pursing her lips tight, gathering some courage to put an end to this uncomfortable, terrifying silence.
"Pasha Sahab aapko pata hai aaj ka din normal se thora zyada busy raha hai, in fact iss haftay almost all time high par chal raha hai sales aur customer count." Umeed lied through her teeth as she always did, the only way she could survive. She continued in a softer tone lowering her eyes; "bas isiliye staff thora overwhelmed hai tou bas..." she trailed off, desperately hoping against the hopes that Pasha Sahab would buy her explanation, only to see him lean back on the chair, folding his arms across his chest throwing her a disapproving glare, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Umeed," he began, his tone laced with frustration, "Do hafton mein me teesri baar yahan aa raha hun aur har baar hi kuch na kuch tor phor chal raha hota hai yahan. Yeh sirf glass aur chai kay pyaalay hi nahin toote hain, yeh tumharay bachkana khwaab aur zid hain jo toot kar bikhar rahay hain."
That stung. But Umeed knew better at this point than to reply to that to make him understand that this was not just a childish dream or a hobby for her. Pasha Sahab had made it a point to visit her cafe at least once every week since it's opening three months back, ensuring he pointed out at least one problem every time he came and today he just had the perfect opportunity to prove his point. Umeed took a long sigh. "Me apni puri jee jaan laga rahi hun Pasha Sahab, Insha'Allah kuch waqt mein halaat behtar ho hi jayega."
"Puri jee jaan laga kar yeh haal hai?" Pasha Sahab chuckled sarcastically. Umeed looked away, knowing where this conversation was going. This was the man who had complained for days about a minor leak in the building they rented for the cafe, something well beyond her control. He had used it as a means to highlight her supposed incompetence, even though she had promptly met with the landlord to have it fixed within two days. This was the same man who couldn't muster even a word of appreciation when she achieved her first-ever profit, no matter how modest the amount might have been.
"Umeed me tumse baat kar raha hun, baat maan ni nahin hai yeh tou pata hai lekin kam-az-kam sun tou liya karo, baap hun tumhara." Umeed immediately shifted her gaze back to Pasha Sahab, redirecting her focus to their conversation.
"Jee Pasha Sahab sun rahi hun, aap kay liye chai le aaun?" asked Umeed.
Pasha Sahab's gaze remained unwavering as he continued; "Me yahan tumhari chai peenay nahin aaya hun, uskay liye mera apna ghar hai aur udhar chai ki patti, doodh sab kuch khareed kar rakha huwa hai menay. Bohot ho gaya tumhara bachpana, aur bohot kar li tumnay manmani. Mujhay umeed hai kay tumhein apna vaada yaad hai aur pata hai tumharay paas waqt kitna kam hai. Bas, me jo baat karnay aaya tha, woh me kar chuka hun."
Umeed nodded, a sense of resignation settling in. She watched silently as her father made his way towards the exit, his expectations weighing heavily on her, and the impending tragedy of the promise she'd made to him looming in the air. Her gaze fixated on the little stone gleaming on the ring finger of her left hand, while her other hand instinctively reached out to gently toy with it.
Chai had always held a special place in Umeed's heart. It wasn't merely a beverage; it was a comforting embrace, a soothing balm that carried the nostalgic flavours of her childhood. Growing up, Umeed had often found solace in the rich, aromatic blend of spices and tea leaves, the tea made by her mother to be specific. It was a taste that transported her back to simpler times, to her mother's warm hugs, her reassuring touches, her unconditional love and a time when Pasha Sahab was just baba.
After losing her mother at the tender age of ten, Umeed's fondness towards chai turned into something more. She found herself obsessing over it, chasing the high and comfort it gave her than most people did. Chai became a comforting anchor, a taste of belonging, even though she couldn't quite put her finger on what that was. Over time, something seemingly as small as chai managed to occupy a place big enough in her mind that it evolved into a dream - a space where there can be the shared joy of the comfort and healing she found in every cup, at the same time earning money and having enough of it to a point where she could live without the miseries of the middle class life she'd witnessed her father go through all his life.
Umeed was someone who lived quite true to her name, and that's what led her to the top of Kidney Hill one of those nights six months back during her last semester in college. Her innocent wish to make a dua to her Allah jee had been annihilated by her brother, who unwittingly snitched on her to Pasha Sahab. To make things worse, she had lost some of Chachi's money to a scam she somehow did not see coming following which Pasha Sahab had decided to take matters into his own hands, deciding to marry her off. He hoped that marriage would steer Umeed onto a more stable and conventional path, away from her pursuit of wealth and above all, it felt like he wanted to just get rid of her.
Umeed had fought tooth and nail to get out of this commitment. She still vividly remembered that night when she had almost left the house with a clear aim in her mind, only to be harshly brought back to reality with Pasha Sahab towering over her, asking one poignant question.
That night. That car. That question.
"Tum chahti kya ho?"
Umeed, seizing the moment, had earnestly pleaded for an opportunity to prove herself. She had two requests. Her father, though dismissing one of them, eventually relented to the second one, offering her a one-year window in exchange for her engagement to Waleed, a suitor of her father's choosing. Within this time frame, her mission was clear: she needed to establish her cafe and make it thrive.
Umeed had reached out to some of her well-off friends and tirelessly worked to secure a few modest investors who believed in her vision. The cafe, which functioned in a relatively low budget had opened its doors just three months ago, and while it was beginning to show promise, Umeed knew she still had a long way to go to actually make it, and that it would take much longer than the six months she had left before she would be shackled in a marriage she didn't want. Once the year passed, she would be obligated to marry Waleed, a concern she temporarily put aside, fully intending to address it in due course.
Farjaad entered the living room unbuttoning his coat as he heard his sister's voice going above a decibel it doesn't go on a normal day. It was a rare occurrence that she shouts at someone or even gets angry, so he knew something big had to happen.
"Hadd hoti hai yaar? Aapnay puri shaadi plan karni hai par agar itni chhoti chizon mein hi gadbad kar rahay tou kaisay trust karun me aap logon par?" Mimi was almost shouting on the phone, looking extremely stressed.
"Kya matlab koi tha nahin puchnay ko me tou thi? Mujhay call kar letay?" Mimi questioned, throwing her back on the couch. "Haan woh isiliye kyun kay me tab designer se milnay gayi thi, par iska matlab yeh nahin kay aap bina puchay kuch bhi utha le aayein hall kay liye?" Farjaad kept his bag on the tea table and hung his coat on the hand rest of the couch as he sat next to his sister, patiently waiting for her to be done with the call.
Soon enough, Mimi cut the call not before asking them to be careful with things from hereon and also dropping a slight threat of replacing them under further blunders. Farjaad looked at her expecting her to speak up while she just glared at him. Farjaad furrowed his eyebrows, not quite understanding why he was being glared at while the problem seemed to be from the wedding planner's part.
"Ab batao bhi huwa kya hai?"
"Aap rehnay dein aapko kahan meri fiqr hai. Aap jayein koi meeting hogi na aapki aadhay ghantay mein? Coffee bhijwati hun me kamray mein." said Mimi, getting up, aiming the kitchen only to be stopped by Farjaad. "Kis nay kaha mujhay fiqr nahin hai? Meri behen ki fiqr nahin hogi mujhay tou aur kis ki hogi?"
Farjaad made her sit as he continued; "Ab batao huwa kya hain?"
"Me batati hun kya huwa hai." The siblings turned to the door to see their mother walk in. Farjaad nodded while Mimi shook her head in disapproval, knowing what was this turning into.
"Mimi kay wedding planners har chiz mein kuch na kuch gadbad kar rahay hain, centerpieces galat order kar liye uss din, florist pata nahin kisko order de diya bas itna pata hai jo Mimi chahti thi woh tou nahin the aur baaki jo bhi unhonay plans batayein everything so generic, so depersonalized." Niggo said, emphasizing on the last sentence shooting a look at Mimi.
Farjaad was confused; "Tou masla kya hai? Hum kisi aur ko hire kar letay hain na? Me kal hi Ms. Mehak se keh kay ek list banwati hun usmein se best hum choose kar lengay, tum tension kyun leti ho Mimi?"
Mimi sighed. "Galti puri unki nahin hai Farjaad bhai. Koi family ka banda hona chahiye unkay saath ya phir on call jo unko supervise kar sakay bata sakay, jaa sakay unkay saath vendors aur baaki jagahon mein. Filhaal tou un logon ka raabta sirf mujhsay rehti hai aur me kaun hun? Khud dulhan. Yeh log mujhay call kartay rehtay aur me kabhi kabhi baaki kaamo mein mashroof hoti hun tou nahin ho pati baat."
"Haan tou me kal hi kisi ko hire kar deta hun supervision kay liye."
"Oh my God Farjaad, baat ko samjho." Niggo sounded irritated. "Agar koi bhi supervise aur help kar sakta tou hum Niyaz ko hi bhej detay nahin? Kisi aisi insaan ko hona chahiye planners kay saath jo Mimi ko samjhay uski pasand ko samjhay, jo puri tarah involved ho family aur iss shaadi mein. Tab hi aayega woh personal touch. Me tou keh bhi rahi thi Mimi ko kay mujhay karnay do, meri beti ki shaadi hai aur tumhein tou pata hi hai mujhay kitna pasand hai yeh shaadi wagera sab plan karna." said Niggo dreamily, "Tum tou kar nahin rahay ho shaadi, iski ho rahi hai lekin meri qismat hi nahin kay me koi shaadi plan kar lun." Her children exchanged glances, acknowledging the flair for drama their mother possessed.
"Maa chaubees ghantay mein pachees baar aapki BP high low hoti rehti hain. Yeh bohot stressful kaam hai hum nahin karnay de rahay aapko yeh sab. Aap bas rest karein aur shaadi ko enjoy karein."
"Sahi keh rahay hai bhai'" Mimi agreed. "Aap rest karengi, chup chaap baith kar shaadi enjoy karengi. Aur agar aapko plan karnay ka itna hi shaukh hai tou aap ghar ki chizein sambhaal lena, decorations wagera wagera?"
Niggo gave up. She knew her children loved her way too much for her to even try convincing them to take this up. But she had to ask, "Lekin ab yeh kaam karega kaun?"
"Koi nahin, me hi karungi. Me kuch unko apni choices wagera sab likh kar bhejti hun thora aur elaborate kar kay. Aur keh tou diya hai un logo nay kay aainda khud se kuch bhi uthakar lekar nahin aayengay agar koi kahi huwi cheez na mili tou." Mimi looked tired as she said it, which wasn't gone unnoticed by Farjaad.
This was his little sister, who was getting married. It also meant she was leaving in three months and not to a place where he can drive to everyday in case he wanted to see her. She was flying to New York after her marriage to Sunny, their cousin and settling there and also pursuing her masters. It felt like yesterday when his Baby Maryam walked up to him asking when will Baba be back home and he had no other answer than telling her, 'me hoon na tumharay paas'. She wasn't so baby then, she was fourteen and was yet to know of their father's passing as he returned from the hospital, but that was the day when he knew he had to be what Khan Bahadur was to both of them all their lives. Thus, no matter how old she gets, he knows she will always be his baby Maryam.
"Tum kyun karogi? Me hoon na, me kar leta hun."
Farjaad knew he had to step up, just telling her he's there wasn't enough. The fact that she'd leave in a few months had already started toying with his heart and he didn't want her sister to be tensed about anything ever, especially not when this is supposed to be one of her happiest days in her life. If taking this up meant a few cancelled meetings, so be it. Maryam Khan Bahadur deserved all that and more.
"Bhai aap kya hi karengay aapko pata hi kya in sab kay baaray mein? Aapko pata hai meri shaadi ko lekar kaisay kaisay khwaab hain, kaunsay colour kay phool chahiye mujhay, aesthetics kaisay hon, kuch bhi?"
Ouch. That hurt. A younger Farjaad would have never had to face this question from his sister. He was super alert and aware of everything his sister felt, wanted and went through. However as their father passed and responsibilities fell on his shoulders, he closed up. He never failed to fulfil any necessities or wishes his sister or mother had, but if one asks when was the last time her sister told him a deep secret of hers or asked him to partner up with her on a silly crime like they did back in their childhood, he wouldn't remember.
And that's why it was important to step up now.
"Tou kya huwa? Tum mujhay bata dena sab kuch." said Farjaad, moving closer and holding her hand.
Mimi sighed. "Bhai aap samajh nahin rahay, pehlay mujhay unko ek ek chiz batana parta tha, ab aapko batana parega. Zyada farq tou hai nahin na? Aap rehnay dein me kar lungi it's okay, trust me."
Niggo laughed at the sibling banter as she walked off, calling out to Niyaz for her detox tea.
"Beta aisay tou aapkay maslay ka hal hi nahin nikalna, aisa kaun hai jisko tumharay saaray ideas aur wishes ka pata hain? Agar tumhara bhai hokar tumhay lagta hai me tumhari madad nahin kar paunga tou kaun hi kar sakta hai?" asked Farjaad, feeling annoyed at his sister's trust on his incapability of handling this. He has been handling everything, he was the professional handler, how could she say that?
Mimi was looking out at the window as she listened to him. By the time he stopped talking her lips had curved into a smile and she swiftly turned to face him, covering his hand which was holding hers with her other hand.
"Ek insaan hai waisay!"
Farjaad scowled as he asked; "Aur kaun hai woh shaks jo meri behen ko mujhsay zyada jaanta hai?" He clearly wasn't enjoying this new piece of information thrown at him.
"Hai koi, lekin filhaal woh bohot zyada busy hai aur uljhi huwi hai apni zindagi kay maslay-masailon mein. Tou mujhay nahin lagta woh sambhaal payegi sab kuch aisay akelay." Mimi was back to sulking after her momentary glee.
Farjaad saw this as the perfect opportunity to jump in with his proposal again; "Tou kya huwa? Tum iska number ya pata kuch tou do mujhay, me aur yeh mil kay kaam kar letay hain, akelay akelay sab kuch sambhaalna bhi nahin parega." Farjaad raised his eyebrows, gauging Mimi's reaction aas he added on; "Aur waisay bhi aur koi kyun sambhalega sab kuch akelay akelay? Me hoon na tumhara bhai?"
Mimi giggled at her brother's desperation. It felt good seeing him so desperately wanting to spend some time doing something for her. He had always showered her with gifts, but hardly was he able to spend some time on her. She understood his responsibilities, but she also wished he could keep them aside sometimes. Therefore, this offer from him felt especially sweet. "Accha bhai theek hai, theek hai. Aap dono kar lein yeh kaam saath saath, me usay puch tou lun pehlay? Agar woh maan gayi tou me aapko address de deti hun uski cafe ka aap kal jaakay mil lena usay?"
Farjaad rolled his eyes at the revelation. "Oh tou yeh tumhari wohi dost hai jiski baatein kar kay tum thak ti nahin?"
"Bhai ab aap meri friend say jealous na hon, jaakay change kar lein me aap kay liye coffee bhijwati hun." said Mimi, almost pushing him off of the couch. Farjaad shook his head, grabbing his coat and bag as he walked out of the drawing room.
Umeed tapped her foot nervously against the dining room floor, her eyes darting back and forth between the scattered sales reports and calculations spread across the table. The weight of her responsibilities pressed down on her like a heavy shroud, making it hard to breathe. She had always thrived on the chaos of the cafe, but there were also days when it felt suffocating. As she furrowed her brow, deep in thought, her phone vibrated, pulling her attention away from the sea of numbers. It was a text from Mimi. She read it absentmindedly, her mind racing with the numbers she was dealing with and the weight of the pressure she was facing behind it all.
But the message didn't quite register in her overwhelmed mind. Instead, her thoughts revolved around the sheer difficulty of handling all these responsibilities at once. How would she manage the cafe, keep Pasha Sahab content, and find a way out of her impending engagement? The weight of it all was like an anchor, threatening to drag her under.
The anxiety of the impending meeting mixed with her own inner turmoil. It wasn't like she did not want to help Mimi. Mimi was her best friend, somebody who had always supported her through thick and thin. She remembered how Mimi had given her a ticket to the elusive "Socho Pakistan" game show, where Umeed never actually got to go. Mimi had also lent her a considerable amount of money to start the cafe, which still remains unpaid. Umeed absentmindedly nibbled on the end of her pen as she redirected her attention to the papers and numbers spread out in front of her, immersing herself in the calculations and figures.
It had been a while when Haya's voice broke Umeed's trance. She looked up from the papers and blinked at her, momentarily disoriented.
Haya asked, "Umeed tum abhi tak ghar par ho? Cafe nahin gayi, late nahin ho rahi ho tum?"
Umeed glanced at the wall clock, her eyes widening in disbelief. It was already 11:15, and she was supposed to be at the cafe by now. Panic coursed through her as she hurriedly gathered her things.
"Allah jee, me late ho gayi hun, Haya please meray kapray nikaal do mujhay nikalna hai!"
Without waiting for a response, Umeed rushed to her room to change with Haya following her.
By the time she arrived at the cafe, it was noon. She hurried through the door, dressed in a vibrant green kurta with intricate red embroidery. Her hair was pulled back in front, with the rest of her tresses cascading freely down her back. Umeed hoped her staff had things under control as she rushed into the kitchen to oversee operations. Her staff, Taha, approached her with a slightly anxious expression. She raised her eyebrows in question as he placed a tray of two coffee cups on the kitchen counter.
"Umeed baaji aap se milnay koi aaya huwa hai, aadhay ghante se aapka intezaar kar rahay hai, bas itna kaha kay inko kisi Maryam Khan ne bheji hain aur aapsay kaam hai."
Umeed nodded as she realized that it was most probably the wedding planner Mimi had mentioned. The one whose name she had oddly omitted to mention. She grabbed a cup of chai from the counter for herself and followed her staff's pointing finger to a table in the corner.
There, she saw a man sitting in a black three piece suit, tapping on the table, his face vaguely familiar. Her steps quickened, but it seemed like fate had a different plan. As she reached the table, her foot caught on one of the chair's legs, and the cup slipped from her trembling hands. The simmering hot chai splattered across the table and dripped onto the man's shirt. He almost jumped from his seat as he almost bathed in the hot liquid, instinctively pulling his hand back as he looked at her in horror.
She grabbed onto the nearby table for support, her face flushing with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" she chanted, frantically looking for napkins to clean up the mess. "Woh yeh chair... meray pair tou woh" She struggled to come up with words as she grabbed the napkins from a nearby table. "Aap theek hain?" She finally managed to ask, extending the tissue box towards him.
He snatched it from her with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment, his wet shirt clinging to his skin. Despite his futile attempts to clean himself up, the chai stains persisted, and his reddened, almost burnt hands only added to his vexation. His eyes blazed with irritation, making Umeed feel smaller than she already did.
As she called for Taha to clean up the mess, she gestured towards another table with a sheepish smile. "I'm so so sorry about this, hum kisi aur table par baithkar baat kartay hain?"
The man nodded curtly and followed her to the new table.
Umeed called for some first aid for his hands which he rejected politely, even though she could see the man in front of her was annoyed to the core. She took a long sigh, as she settled on the chair in front of him, thanking the heavens that there were no other customers at the cafe to witness the chaos.
Flying cups were becoming a staple at Pasha's cafe lately. She had to do something about it.
"Jee aap hi Umeed Pasha hai right?" asked the man and Umeed nodded. "Maryam ne aapsay baat ki hi hogi, uski shaadi ki planning ko lekar kay me-"
"Aap wohi wedding planner hai na?" Umeed questioned, interrupting him.
"Me-"
"Jee Mimi, mera matlab hai Maryam ne kal mujhay call kar kay keh diya tha kay usko apni wedding planning ko lekar kuch help chahiye, aur kal woh kisi wedding planner ko bhej degi yahan par jis kay saath milkar mujhay yeh karna hai? Aap wohi hai na? Woh keh rahi thi aap logon ne bari gadbad kar di uskay wedding hall ki centrepieces ko lekar, waisay me samajh sakti hun jab customers zyada involved na hon tou samajh nahin aata kabhi kabar karna kya hai. Lekin iska matlab yeh bhi nahin hai kay aap kuch bhi uthakar le aayein, aakhir mein paisay unkay lagay hai kuch tou khayal karna chahiye tha na aapko? Lekin ab aap fiqr na karein me hun na, mujhay sab pata hai Maryam ko kya chahiye kya nahin, yaqeen maanay, usko mujhsay behtar koi jaanta hi nahin. Haan shayad uski mom jaanti hongi lekin uskay baad sab se zyada usko me hi-"
"Bas!"
Umeed went silent hearing a slight bang on the table. She looked at him with a frown, gritting her teeth at this inappropriate behaviour. Umeed was about to say something when he spoke up.
"Aap ek minute chup rahengi?" the man inquired, leaning back in his chair awkwardly. He rested his hands on the chair's armrests as he couldn't cross his arms across his chest, which was now flavoured with chai against his wishes.
He continued, "Pehli baat, me nahin hun wedding planner. Mujhay Maryam ne hi bheja hai, lekin me wedding planner nahin hun. Me uska bhai hun, Farjaad Khan Bahadur."
"Accha! Wohi me sochun aisa kyun lag raha hai kay menay aapko kahin dekha hai, Mimi ne mujhay tasveer-" Umeed fell silent as she noticed Farjaad's disapproving glare. She extended her hand towards him, gesturing for him to continue.
Farjaad shifted on his chair uncomfortably. "Dusri baat, haan wedding planners ko lekar thori problem ho rahi hai isiliye Mimi chahti hai kay koi aisa supervise karein jo usko acchay se jaanta ho, so here I am." Farjaad slightly opened his arms pointing at himself as he spoke. "Aur pata nahin usko lagta hai aap bhi kaam ki ho sakti hai tou woh chahti hai hum dono saath kaam karein." Umeed looked at him, wondering if she heard that right. How dare he? She opened her mouth to say something only to be interrupted by him.
"Teesri baat, menay aapsay gyaarah bajay milne ka kaha tha. And it's almost 12:30 now. This isn't going to work like this. Humein saath mein kaam karna hai tou aapko waqt ka paaband hona parega."
Umeed was so close to yelling at him, but she took in a deep breathe for the sake of Mimi as she answered him; "Farjaad Khan Bahadur jee, pehlay tou me maafi chahti hun kay menay aapko wedding planner samjha, Mimi ne mujhay nahin kaha tha kay uska bhai ab wedding planning bhi karnay laga hai. Dusri baat, me sirf ismein nahin aur bhi bohot saari chizon mein bohot kaam ki ho sakti hun tou aapki behen ko bilkul theek lagta hai." Umeed's words were laced with sarcasm as she continued to taunt Farjaad.
"Teesri baat, mujhay sirf itna bataya gaya tha kay aaj koi iss sisilay mein mujhsay milne cafe aayega, kisi ne mujhay koi gyaarah bajay ka nahin kaha tha tou mujhay koi idea nahin aap kya bolay jaa rahay hain."
"Idea aapko tab hoga jab aap apni texts parhengi. Mimi ne mujhay kaha tha kay usnay aapko message kiya hai iss baaray mein, woh bhi isiliye kyun kay aap calls nahin utha rahi thi uski." Farjaad retorted. Umeed looked at him in disbelief as he took out her phone scrolling through her texts. She opened Mimi's chatbox and instantly cursed herself for not reading the message properly.
"Umeed, bhai is coming to meet you at 11 today. Don't be late, he has a meeting later".
Umeed looked back at him to see him staring at her, she could feel him judging her, the embarrassment piercing through her skin. But Umeed would die rather than agree she was in the wrong, especially when the person in front of her is an arrogant prick. She was only half an hour late, the world wasn't going to end.
"Larki nahin dekhi kya aap ne pehlay kabhi? Ghoorna tou band karein!"
Farjaad instantly looked away, breaking his judgemental glare and almost immediately questioned himself on why he did that. He looked back at her, tilting his head waiting for her to talk.
Umeed fiddled with her hands. "Dekhein, me aap ko batati hun. Woh kya hai kay yeh jo phone hai na, woh mera nahin hai. Asal mein mera jo phone hai woh Haya kay paas hai, Haya meri cousin?" She giggled nervously. "Hum dono kay phones ek jaisay hai tou bas woh..." Umeed's voice faded as she expected him to comprehend and accept her explanation.
"Hmm. Miss Umeed me aapko bata dun ek baat?"
Umeed nodded.
"I don't care. Aainda kabhi mera waqt aisa barbaad nahin karna. Aapkay paas tor phor karnay kay alawa aur koi kaam nahin hoga lekin meray paas hai. Tou agar humein saath mein yeh kaam karna hai tou punctual hokar karna hoga. Understood?"
Umeed scowled at him, her feeling the anger seething through her veins. "Bohot baray gharyal hai aap? Me sirf tees minute late huwi hun itnay me kaunsay pahaar toot gira aapkay ooper? Baat tou aisay kar rahay jaisay pura Karachi aap hi chala rahay hai!"
"Tanz accha kar leti hain aap magar I'm serious."
"Me bhi serious hun, me aap jaisay khadoos, badtameez, badlihaaz Changez Khan kay saath bilkul kaam nahin kar sakti. Sawal hi paida nahin hota! Isiliye agar aapko mujhsay itna masla hai, tou betar yahin hoga kay aap humara in house special chai peekay niklein." declared Umeed, keeping her hands on the table as she intertwined her fingers.
Farjaad smiled sarcastically. "Mujhay bhi koi shauk nahin hai tum jaisi jhooti larki kay saath apni behen ki shaadi plan karnay ki. Woh phone wali kahani bhi jhooti thi na? Aur rahi baat chai ki, me chai nahin peeta. Agar peeni bhi hai tou mujhay bilkul shauk nahin hai urti huwi chai peenay ka ya phir, chai mein nahanay ka" Farjaad said, pointing at his stained shirt. "Me coffee peeta hun lekin abhi itnay bure din nahin aaye kay me yahan se coffee peeyun phir ek baar. Aapkay aanay se pehlay order ki thi ek coffee, Khuda ki kasam it was so bad."
Umeed took deep breaths, gritting her teeth to control her rising anger. She felt like she would burst in anger any time now. She stood up and gave Farjaad a sarcastic smile. "Fine by me. Me Allah jee se dua karungi aapki taste ko behtar banayein. Khuda Haafiiiz!" She stretched it in a fake friendly tone as she walked back into the kitchen.
Farjaad rolled his eyes at her retreating back as he stormed off of the cafe. They both had only one thought in their mind at that point for each other. At that moment, they both harboured the same thought in their mind about each other.
Never again.
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Unedited.
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