Ayesha pov ۔
As farhad bhai got freshened up I arranged the dinner table and we all started eating together after a long time۔
"Hmm it tasty aishu you must cook daily let ammi rest "bhai said and a smile made its way to my lips۔
"Thank u for your compliment bhai but I think ammi will be happy to take rest in her daughter in law's presence right ammi "۔I state teasingly and look at ammi ۔
And suddenly abbu said and our eyes turned to him" Begum you should call Mrs Farooq tomorrow for answer they didn't say anything we should ask them once" and ammi just pass a smile to bhai ۔
"Yesterday Mrs Farooq called me and said that sana takes time to decide they will let know about her decision but they convince for farhad٫"
ammi and look at bhai and continue with a small smile and a natural face "let's see what sana decides for her and u"
Bhai carries the same smile and turns his face towards me and asks" so aishu how is your studies going"
"Bhai ,it's good and we have internals from next week "I said in a slow voice with a little smile.
After dinner I came back to my room and kept gifts and books on its place which bhai brought for me today.
I couldn't help but open a book I want to read again as I already have read it but on the phone I say bhai to bring it because I want to feel its smell and flip its pages and also highlight my favourite senses and dialogue.
It's the best book among all I have read I can read it again and again and not get bored I have already written about the book in my diary as a short review.
I just opened it and started reading my most favourite senses, and I reached the end in which.....
("تمھیں پتہ ہے عمامہ نو سال میں کتنے مہینے ،کتنے ہفتے، کتنے دین، کتنے گھنٹے اور کتنے منٹ ہوتے ہیں؟۔"
'Do you have any idea Imama, how many days, how many hours, how many
minutes there are in nine years?'
The silence had been broken. His voice has a coldness to it that would freeze a
body. Clamping her lips together, Imama turned the tap off. He was standing
behind her; so close that if she turned she would bump into him. She did not
turn. She could feel his soft breath on her neck.
He was waiting for an answer.
She had no answer.
With her hands still gripping the sink, she watched the
last droplets of water dripping from the tap.
"کیا ان سالوں میں ایک بار بھی تمنے میرے بارے میں سوچا ؟،سالار کے برے مے؟ "
‗Did you, even once, in all these years ever think of me? Of Salar?'
The question was a difficult one; she kept quiet. Without waiting for a reply,
he asked the next question,
‗What is next to ecstasy? You had said it was
―pain‖. You were right it is pain.'
Salar was quiet for a moment.
‗I have ‗seen' you so often in every corner of
this house, that now that you really are here, I am finding it difficult to believe
it.'
To stop the trembling in her arms, Imama clung more tightly to the corners of
the sink.
‗I feel I am dreaming; that if I open my eyes...' He stopped. Imama shut her
eyes. ‗...everything will still be here...everything except you...and if I close
my eyes again...'
Imama opened her eyes; her cheeks were wet with tears.
‗...I will still not be able to return to my dream. You will not be there. I am
too scared to touch you; I feel that if I extend my hand towards you the image
will shatter like a reflection in water.'
He was so close to her that were he to
bend a little, his lips would touch her hair; but he did not bend. He was too
scared to see the image disappear.
‗And who are you? Imama or Amina? An
illusion or a miracle? Should I tell you that I...that I...' he stopped.
The tears flowing from her eyes had drenched Imama's face and were now
dripping down her chin. Why he stopped speaking she did not know. But
never had she found silence so unwelcome as she did now, at this moment.
He is was quiet for so long that she was compelled to turn around. Then she knew
the reason for his silence. His face too was drenched in tears. For the first time
in their lives were they so close to each other; so close that they could see their
reflection in the other's eye. Then Salar moved away. Furtively he wiped his
face with his hand.
‗What will you hide from me Salar? And what can I hide from you? We both
know each other so well,
' she said softly.
Salar lifted his face.
‗I am not hiding anything. I was just wiping away the
tears in my eyes so that you do not appear in a mist again.' He was watching
the earrings dangling from her ears. Those earrings that had so many years
ago tantalized him; they were tantalizing him even today...with every
movement they changed from reality to illusion...from illusion to reality.
Imama felt all his concentration on her earrings.
‗I could never have imagined that one day I will be so close to you, talking like
this,
' he said. He smiled, his eyes still moist. Imama saw the dimple in his right
cheek-the dimple that had aggravated her so at one time now seemed to
attract her to him in a strange way.
‗I would never have imagined that I would be so close to you; that I could.....)
I was so lost in the sense that I forgot my surroundings, I enjoyed the conversation I was enjoying beautiful confession I felt my eyes filled up and some tears are rolling down to my cheeks and suddenly a knock on the door grab my attention and I wipe my tears and stood up from the bed to walk towards door.
I open the door of my room and I see bhai standing he crossed his arm on his chest and lift one brow
"It's quite late why aren't you sleeping? Is tomorrow off from college or something"? he asked me and I turned my face towards the watch It was 2 hours past since I came to my room and I was lost in reading that I forgot to sleep.
No Bhai I just going to sleep,btw what are you doing u want something? I asked him to divert his attention from me.
"Hm aishu ,I just came to inform you I have a meeting tomorrow near your college I will drop u ready on time ok ,and sleep now.Good night."
He stated and I just noded my head
"Ji Bhai good night!." I said and fell asleep.
Author's POV
Nextday.....
Farhad drop Ayesha to her college and went for his meeting, when he free from his work he went to pick his sister from college by he froze at his place when he saw her with Ayesha and his heart beat faster .
"Bhai you here aren't you having an important meeting."Ayesha asked him when she witnessed her brother waiting near the college gate.
"Hmm.. yeah it's finished ;so I thought to pick you up well wanna have ice cream?" he asked while maintaining a smile on his face to hide other emotions which just popped up just looking at her who stood beside his sister.
"Bhai you are the best brother! I am about to ask for ice cream but you snatch my words" Ayesha exclaimed happily
"Yeah I know you very well, let's go."he said and Ayesha turns towards sana and asks her to join also but she simply shook her head.
But Ayesha insisted her and sana had no choice left so she accepted that wish of her best friend.
And Farhad smiled like anything and they drove to icecream parlour.
Ayesha was enjoying an ice cream treat from her brother and sana just tried to look calm and comfortable, which wasn't looking easy because she sits beside Ayesha and infront of Farhad.
"Bhai one more please but I want chocolate this time no strawberry and sana also likes chocolate ice cream right sana " Ayesha said first part in requesting way and the last glancing at her bestie.
Sana just pass a beautiful smile on her bestie question and nodded.
"Okay have it but after this no more demands."Farhad said and ordered the same for both the girls and stealing glances towards sana every now and then.
AYESHA'S POV
After ice cream treat we drop sana Home and came back to ours but I recall everything in ice cream parlour may be I should walk out from there for few minutes but I feel that sana wasn't comfortable with bhai' s present so I sit there as like ( kabab mai haddi) but not feel that so .
After having dinner with my family,I made my way towards my dressing room to change into a night suit and lay down on the bed while my eyes stared at the stars from the window and soon I got to sleep as in embrace of the beautiful night.
Don't know the fact that what waits for me tomorrow.