Past •
She was opening the car door when she saw Nano coming out of the lounge. Perhaps she heard the car's horn and came out. Seeing her, she spread her arms from a distance. She smiled and went to her and cuddled.
"This time I missed you a lot," she said, kissing her cheeks.
"I missed you guys too, Nano!" When she came inside the lounge with her, she said.
"I know."
They walked together affectionately, with her leaning on her shoulder.
"How was your stay, dear? Did you enjoy it?"
"Yes, I enjoyed it a lot."
"How is Shamina? When is she coming to Pakistan?"
"She is fine, there is no plan for her to come to Pakistan yet. Maybe next year." Putting her bag on the sofa as she entered the lounge, she said.
"It's been four years since they went there, and still, she didn't feel like coming back."
She had heard them out while Nano spoke. She kept looking at her face for a while.
"They are thinking of shifting from Australia to America. Uncle's contract is ending this year. They are considering an offer from an American company. Mom was saying that if they plan to settle in America next year, they will visit Pakistan before going there."
She tried to reassure Nano.
"How are your other siblings?"
Nano tried to read her expression.
"Very well, they've grown up so much now. I brought some pictures. You should see them," she said, glancing down as she started to unfold her tablet. Nano kept silent, observing her face.
"You seem weaker than before," she remarked.
"Yes, perhaps. I was ill for a few days there. The water wasn't suitably treated."
She had told Nano with a slight smile.
"You were sick, but you didn't tell me. Sameena didn't mention it on the phone either," Nano had approached her with a worried expression.
"I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. Besides, it wasn't that serious," she replied casually.
"Still, you should have told me, shouldn't you?" Nano insisted.
"Nanu! Please, I'm fine. Can't you see I'm not sick anymore?" she tried to deflect the conversation.
Kristy, where is it?" It had suddenly occurred to her.
"She was sitting under the stairs. I didn't even ask you for tea. I'll just come after telling (cook) something about your meal...."
Nano got up and walked towards the kitchen.
She took a deep breath and patted the sofa's back. A month later, she came back with a sense of calm and tranquility. It felt as if she had returned home. Everything was the same. She walked up to the window. Someone was cutting the grass. She stared at it aimlessly for a while, then turned towards the corridor. After walking down the corridor, she saw the stairs. Involuntarily, a smile appeared on her face.
"Kristy!"
she called out loudly.
With the sound of meowing, a cat appeared from under the stairs and swiftly approached her. It settled down on the carpet beside her knees. The cat came straight to her, and she gathered it into her lap. For a few minutes, she continued to stroke its head and body, then lifted it up and brought it close to her face.
"I missed you so much," she said to the white cat as if it understood her words.
"Did you remember me?" The cat attempted to respond with the sound of its meowing.
"Yes, I know you must have missed me too," she said with affection.
She picked up the cat again and returned to the lounge. After sitting on the sofa, she placed the cat in her lap and began to soothe its body with great tenderness.
"So, you've come back to me," she said to the cat.
Nano, who had just returned from the kitchen, smiled at her words.
"No, she didn't even realize. I brought her back myself."
"Where is Nana, Nano?"
As she spoke, suddenly it dawned on her.
"He was at home, waiting for you, then suddenly a phone call came from the gathering hall. There was some work there. He told me to come in three or four hours. Now let's see if it's been three or four hours. Whether it's been three or four....!"
Nano had approached her, sitting on the sofa, and said.
"Assalam-u-Alaikum, Aliza Bibi! How are you?"
At that moment, the cook brought the tea tray and addressed Aliza.
"I'm absolutely fine, Mureed Baba! How are you?" She inquired about her father's well-being.
"Thank God, Bibi! This time you took quite a while to come back," Mureed Baba replied, placing the tea tray in front of her on the table.
"Yes, it took a few extra days, but I'm back now, Mureed Baba!"
She smiled again. The cook put the tea and went back to the kitchen. Nano starts making tea for her.
"Oh yes, I did not tell you that Umar has come."
Nano said in a sudden excited voice while holding the cup of tea to him.
"Umar, when did he come?"
She was astonished by Nanu's statement.
"He came last week."
"Did he come alone?"
"Yes, he came alone. He's here to give CSS exams. He'll be staying here for a month or so."
"CSS exams? But wasn't he working, in London, and then...?"She was puzzled.
"He quit his job. He said he couldn't handle the pressure anymore. His routine had become too stressful. I think Jahangir has forced him to come this way. You know he's been pressuring him from the start. Last time when he came here, he was quite concerned about Umar. He's not consistent in any job. His interests change every six months, and it seems necessary to stick to one thing to move forward. Yet he's forcing Umar to join the Foreign Service. He's in a good position now and wants his son to join the Foreign Service too. So, he'll establish him there."
Nanu had explained it in detail while drinking tea, listening to her as she comforted Kristy's head with one hand.
"Where is he right now?" She had asked to conclude their conversation.
"He's sleeping now, trying to adjust his sleeping routine. There's a big time difference between England and here, so he has to make quite a few adjustments to his sleeping schedule after coming here. Moreover, it's quite hot these days. He went out yesterday to get some things on March 10 and when he came back, he wasn't feeling well. I was scared at first that he might have had a stroke. The doctor said everything is fine, just be cautious about going out for a while. He regained consciousness in the evening, but he was very optimistic. He was saying that if he had been completely English, he would have surely died. I'm a bit relieved because of being here. It seems like the heat has gotten to me, and it seems like there won't be another scare. I told him there's no need to be so happy, it's better to follow the doctor's advice and take it easy before going out again. It's not necessary that if you've escaped a stroke once, you'll escape it again."
Aleeza listened to her somewhat disinterestedly. They were continuously talking about Umar.
"You know what he was saying after seeing your pictures? He was saying that Aleeza is a carbon copy of his Phupo (Auntie). I asked him how he knew, how often do you look at Samina's photos or have you seen Aleeza well enough. Just seeing someone once is enough for him. In fact, he had also gone to Australia two years ago, with some friends, for sightseeing, and he had also gone to Samina's place. He was praising her a lot. He was asking me if you also talk like your mom. I said when you meet, see for yourself, whether she talks like her or not. He knows you're coming today."
She had no interest left in Nanu's words. She kept drinking tea silently without giving any answers.
"Mummy has sent some gifts for you. Should I bring them out now or tomorrow?" She had said in response to her questions.
"Don't open the luggage now, you must be tired, relax. I'll open your luggage with you tomorrow. Then see." Nanu had said. After drinking tea, Nanu had said to rest, and she got up and went to her room, lying down on the bed without changing clothes.
Umar Jahangir was not a new name for her. He used to come to Pakistan after every two, three years, mostly during holidays, with his father and family, and he used to stay there and this had been happening for many years. But this time he came after about six years, and for the first time, he came alone. There was a formal hello between Aleeza and him. He always seemed very reserved to her. Even in childhood, he was not the kind of child who easily mingled with other children. Aleeza was also like that, so there was never any informality between them. Sometimes it also happened that he came to spend holidays with his father and Aleeza went on holiday with her mom to Australia. That's why they never got much time to spend with each other, and even now Umar Jahangir's arrival was not a particular reason for her happiness.
She didn't realize how long she had been sleeping. When she woke up again, darkness had spread in the room. She tried to check the time by picking up her phone, but it was showing at 11:00 PM. She got up and turned on the lights in the room. Taking out clothes from the wardrobe, she went to the washroom. When she came back to the lounge, it was past 7:00 PM.
"So the lady is here!" Nana had said upon seeing her, and she went smilingly to hug him. "I tried to go to your room two or three times, but your Nanu stopped me, saying you might be disturbed..."
Nana had said to her, smiling, as she sat on the sofa, her gaze fixed on a person sitting on the sofa with a broad smile. When he noticed her attention, his smile deepened. Despite seeing him after a long time, Aleeza didn't take long to recognize him. When she saw Umar five years ago, he was particularly thin. But now he was the owner of a long, broad figure. He was eight years older than her. But in terms of height and stature, he seemed older than his age. She hesitated involuntarily. She didn't know how to address him, clearing her throat, she said, "Hello! How are you?"
Umar had lowered his head slightly.
"Oh! I'm fine"
"It means you have recognized me."
"Am I right, Aleeza?"
He responded to her statement as if he was a very deep friend of hers.
"Yes! Nanu told me about you." "She was....!"
She was talking to Umar when Nanu called her.
"Aliza! Shehla's calling, talk to her."
She glanced at Nanu in surprise, as she held a cardless in her hand.
"Excuse me!"
She left her conversation unfinished, taking the cardless from Nanu's hand and heading towards the dining area. She knew Shehla well and knew that she wouldn't be free for at least half an hour now. Shehla had the habit of making calls and today she was already engaged in a conversation. She kept talking to her for quite some time, and when she returned to the lounge after ending the call, Umar wasn't there. She continued chatting with Nanu and Nana, and from them she learned that he had gone out with a friend. She sat with Nanu for a long time after dinner. Then she went back to her room until Umar returned.
She woke up late in the morning when she came for breakfast, it was already half past ten. The cook had informed her that Nanu had gone out. Nana was usually at the club at this time. She was having breakfast when Umar also arrived there. After saying hello, he casually pulled up a chair in front of her and began having breakfast himself. He was also talking to her, asking her about her activities. He was asking about his engagements in Australia. Aleeza noted that he seemed much more cheerful than before. He wasn't as reserved as before. They continued their conversation in English for quite some time, then the servant brought juice for him. Umar had asked in Urdu very clearly for the first time.
"Please bring me the same in a glass, but first check if it's sour, and make porridge for me tomorrow, don't fry the eggs, boil them and serve."
He had given instructions to cook and started drinking juice.
She looked at him with a somewhat puzzled expression. He had thrown her off guard. Placing the glass on the table, he asked, "What happened?"
"You can speak Urdu!"
She said somewhere stuttering.
"Yes, I can speak. What's surprising about that?"
For the first time he answered her sentence in Urdu.
"I was thinking maybe you..."
"Why did you think so? Just because someone lives abroad doesn't mean they don't know their language."
"Whenever you used to come before, I never saw you speaking Urdu, so I thought..."
She had trailed off, trying to explain. Umar had cut her off with a smile.
"I never got the chance to have such long conversations with you before. Besides, I was much younger back then," he said.
She had noticed Umar's expression, which seemed particularly fortunate (delightful).
"The last time I saw you, you were much younger. I think eleven or twelve years old, and now..."
"But I must admit you are prettier now!" he added, Aleeza's cheeks turned red, and she lowered her head. She found Umar Jehangir quite odd; she didn't particularly like this boldness.
"I won't sit alone with him again," she thought as she ate her toast. After finishing breakfast, he got up and went back to her room. She took Kristy and sat in the lounge itself.
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Their first proper Convo 🥀
Do tell me how's it??
Aleezay found him quite odd!
What is the first impression of Umer on you guys?
Please vote. comment & share 🫶🏻