The kids all made a plan to take a trip down to a beach house on Saturday since the weather was supposed to be really nice. I helped prepare everything on Friday and on Saturday I morning, we woke up at 6am, got ready, and everyone was in the cars by 7:30.
I got shotgun in Yusuf's Range Rover and Ali and Navsheen and Armaan-who were visiting for some weeks during their school vacation- joined us. Navsheen fell asleep in the back seat when the car hit the road and Armaan seemed to be in his own zone with his headphones in and eyes closed. They had just gotten in yesterday so their tiredness was expected.
Ali seemed to be a bit off since yesterday. Once I was sure the two siblings couldn't hear us, I turned in my seat and faced him. "Devar saab?"
"Yes bhabhi jaan," he looked up and carefully put a smile on his face. I almost faltered a bit when I saw his smile. It wasn't Ali; it was almost just a shadow of him. For the first time ever, I saw him smile without it lighting up his face. It hurt almost just as much as when Yusuf did that.
"I need your help with something but we can't let this old guy know," I judged Yusuf's arm playfully. He looked over to protest but when he saw my expression, he just snorted and focused back on the road.
"What?" Ali raised an eyebrow, instantly looking more like himself.
"When we get there, remind me to tell you," I grinned. His eyes twinkled with mischief and he nodded, pointing to Yusuf in question. I nodded back, to which he crossed his heart and winked.
"I don't know how I feel about you calling her 'Bhabhi Jaan'," Yusuf frowned.
"Oh sod off. When Aisha bhabhi came, Zayed and Omar got her. When Kismat bhabhi came, Safiyana and even Ayaan got her. When Zinat bhabhi came, you got her. So now, Inayah bhabhi is all mine!"
"Aww, Ali," I leaned over and pinched his cheek. "I'll always be your bhabhi."
"Okay so question," Yusuf interjected again. "Who will call your wife bhabhi jaan?" he asked Ali. The unease showed on his face again, spoiling what was going on. My devar saab was dealing with lady problems.
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We got to the beach just as noon hit. We set up blankets and chairs underneath a couple trees. Sufyan was sound asleep so he started a little nap area in which his dad joined him instantly.
I joined Kismat bhabhi in her attempts to find a hiking route. We had a map of the area but it was a bit out-dated and so we'd have to explore.
"Just walk through those trees and see what you guys find," Aisha bhabhi suggested, pointing an opening in the trees a bit away from us. Ali and Armaan wanted to go fishing and so they'd gone to inquire about the boat rentals with Yusuf and the other guys.
"Alright, let's go," Kismat bhabhi shrugged.
"You sure you'll be okay?" I whispered to her, pointing to her stomach.
"Let's see. If it's too rugged, I'll come back," she decided. Along with Navsheen and Safiyana bhabhi, we made our way towards the trees. The shade made it a little cooler than needed and we all shuddered from the sudden change in temperature. I handed Kismat Bhabhi my shawl insistently.
We got a couple minutes into the hike before we stopped. There were two ways we could go but the map didn't indicate which one to take, oddly enough.
"Let's take the right one. It sounds less horror movie-esque," Navsheen muttered.
"And left sounds totally horror movie-esque?" Saf snickered, leading the way to the pathway on the right.
10 minutes later, we were lost.
"Good choice Navu," Safiyana bhabhi teased but not looking the least bit worried. I was scared for Kismat bhabhi though and what would happen if she suddenly had to use the bathroom.
"Did you hear that?" Nav suddenly whipped around, looking at the trees behind us.
"Heard what?" I asked her, looking where she was looking. There was nothing there.
"I heard rustling too. They don't have wolves here do they?" Kismat bhabhi's eyes narrowed.
"We're at the beach guys. It's probably a bird or squirrel," Saf, the always logical and calm one, noted.
"I heard it too Saf. Maybe we should just walk back the way we came," Kismat bhabhi bit her lip nervously, her hand now over her stomach.
"Bhabhi lets just go. I don't want to get stuck here for the whole day," Navsheen wrapped her hands around Kismat bhabhi's arm.
"Guys it's nothing. Come on, I think I hear cars ahead, listen," Saf tried to persuade them but they both looked a bit uneasy.
"Inayah what do you say? Should we keep-AHHHH," we all screamed as six men jumped out of the trees. It took a couple seconds before my heart restarted after realizing it was just the guys.
"What the hell are you guys doing here?" Saf whacked Ali's arm while trying to catch her own breath.
"The rental shop is just through the trees. We heard your voices," Ali grinned mischievously, watching all of us trying to breath normally again.
"You okay?" Yusuf came over to me, putting a hand on my back. I glared at him as I held his arm for support. I was standing closest to where they jumped out from so the effect was a bit harsher on me.
"Let's go back please. I have to pee," Kismat bhabhi said over everyone else and lead the way back where we came from. It would've obviously been easier for us to go the way the guys came from but I think she actually just wanted to continue the walk instead of standing in one spot.
Yusuf and I fell behind everyone, only Safiyana and Ayaan behind us. "Did you get a boat?" I asked hi, remembering what they actually came out here for.
"Yeah, they're bringing it around. Did we scare you really bad?"
"Yeah," I grumbled. "Not funny man."
"It was a little funny," he bit back a smile. I rolled my eyes and leaned on him for warmth. It was lunch time now and we reached our spot just as Sufyan was waking up from his nap. He seemed a bit grouchy so Mizan bhai was walking him along the shore. When we got closer, I handed Sufyan a cool rock I picked up just as we cleared the trees. He instantly stopped whining and focused his attention on the rock.
Mizan bhai thanked me. "So have you thought about the offer any?"
"I have. It still just seems a bit unreal to me," I laughed shakily.
"I wouldn't have offered it to you if I didn't really believe in you Inayah. And you don't want to keep your father-in-law waiting any longer do you? I can only keep him in Dubai for so long," he chuckled.
"No I don't. I'm very grateful for this Mizan bhai and I'll happily accept. I hope I do you proud," I joked but I was totally serious too. He gave me a little pat on the shoulder but both of us were interrupted when Sufyan yelled, throwing his stone to the ground.
"Think it's time for everyone's lunch now," he picked up his son and we both walked over to everyone. Yusuf raised an eyebrow at me but I just waved him off, grabbing my own plate of pasta salad.
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After lunch, all the boys disappeared to fish so we girls got some relaxing time to read, tan, sleep, whatever our hearts desired.
After they returned, with nothing because all the fish were gone to warmer waters, we took turns going on boat rides. Yusuf took me and Kismat bhabhi but our ride got cut short when it started raining. He quickly got us back to shore. While everyone packed up, we took the boat back to the shop.
It was pouring by the time we finished and so we had to wait till they bought the car around to this side of the beach.
"I feel like we should be singing a song right now. This is how you know you've been around Ali too much," he laughs, shaking out his hair a bit. I nod in agreement, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief I had in my purse.
"So what were you and Mizan bhai talking about?"
"Nothing really. Just work and stuff," I said vaguely but I could see it clear on his face that he didn't buy it.
"Work? Something important?"
It, for some reason, irked me the way he questioned me. I know I shouldn't keep this from him but his dad agreed to keep mum till we figured out if I wanted to even do it in the first place. Getting everyone involved would mean listening to everyone's opinions and he wanted my decision to be solely me.
"Babe, why are you asking? Everything's good," I tried to keep my tone light.
"Okay but now you're really making me believe something's up. Is something wrong? Have I done something?"
"No Yusuf, nothing's wrong. Look," I took his hands in mine and held them tightly. "I know you're stressed about work and school and stuff. But don't worry about me."
"What're you hiding Inayah?" he let go of my hands and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Wow, you're bei-" the cars pulled up then and cut me off. We both ran to Yusuf's car, that now Ali was driving. I got into the passenger side, which made Yusuf take the backseat. I didn't want to see his face right now.
The tension must've been evident between us because neither Ali nor Armaan said anything. Instead Ali just turned on some music and quietly sang along to himself.
It was an hour into our three-hour drive, after it had gotten dark outside, that the two boys in the back had fallen asleep. I made sure before speaking up.
"So Ali. Who's the girl?"
He looked completely shocked at my words, as if I'd just told him aliens existed. "What do you mean bhabhi?"
"Come on. You can hide it from everyone else but you can't hide it from your bhabhi. Who's the girl?"
"She's not here so it doesn't matter now does it?"
"Wow," my eyes went wide. He was hurt. "I'm here if you want to talk babe. But if you don't that's okay too."
"You promise not to tell anyone?" he looked over at me, his eyes looking sadder than I've ever seen them.
"Of course Ali. Bhabhi-devar pact right?" I smiled softly. He chuckled and then turned the radio down so it was only playing in the back of the car.
"I went to India last summer after I graduated. I was having a bit of an existential crisis and ran off to india, dragging Saf apaa with me. We stayed in our house there, worked with some orphanages and schools. There was a girl there, she was visiting her aunt. And she was a blast from the past," he chuckled bitterly.
"Who was she?"
"Aamir's wife's sister."
"Holy shit. No way," I gasped. He nodded slowly, closing his window.
"Yeah. But in the end it turned out to be just my misconception and her time pass. She lead me on, I ran behind her like a lovesick puppy, and she told me all about her boyfriend on the last day we were there," he sighed. "Aamir's wife doesn't get along with her sister and I think I'm the only one besides him that knows why."
"Wow. What a bitch," I scowled.
"It's whatever," he shrugged, non-committal. "It was my fault because I made up things in my head that were beyond my reach. But bhabhi knew everything and never said anything to her sister. That's why I don't chat with her much. She isn't my kind of bhabhi," he winked at me.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that babe. But Allah is watching Ali. And you have one of the purest, kindest hearts of anyone I've ever met. You will find someone one day who will be your world," I patted his cheek.
"Like Yusuf?" he grinned at me teasingly.
"He's being a little arse right now so let's not talk about him right now," I grumbled.
"Aww, he's just obsessed with you. Don't be mean or he actually might die," he snickered.
"Ali, you're seriously so sweet. Tell me, what kind of girl do you want? I'll find you the perfect wife," I turned in my seat to comfortably face him.
"Someone just like you," he smiled.
"Ai hai. How much butter are you going to put on me?" I laughed. "But I'll keep an eye out."
"You're so skinny. It's my devar responsibility to fatten you up."
"Okay I'll take it then," I laughed with him. "Okay tell me one thing then. When you saw her in Dubai for Omar's wedding, what did you do?"
"I threw it into her face how much money I had and balled like LeBron," he snickered.
"Ali," I chided because I had to but I totally felt he should've done worse. Girls like her deserve a taste of their own medicine. "But we'll find you some smoking hot bombshell and then you can rub in her face what she's missing out on," I promised.
He sighed, turning to me with a dreamy look in his eyes. "You're the best thing to happen to my life."
We got home around 10 at night, our car being the last to arrive. Zayed and Ayaan were unloading the last of the things while everyone else was already inside. Safiyana walked over to me and chatted for a bit while Ayaan sorted things out. Once done, the two went home with Mannat.
"I'll wake him," I told Armaan who nodded sleepily and stumbled into the house. I shook Yusuf but he didn't budge. He didn't get much sleep the night before so I didn't blame him.
"Yusuf wake up," I slapped his cheek a bit. He finally stirred, sitting up. He got out of the car, grabbing his phone and glasses. I locked the car and followed him inside and upstairs.
He stripped down to his boxers and just fell into bed. I watched as he hid under the covers without another look at me. I sighed, going into the bathroom for a quick shower.
I got into bed, plugging my phone in before lying down beside him. Just as I turned the lamp off, Yusuf leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek, wrapping an arm around me.
No matter what happened, we still loved each other. And he made sure I remembered that.
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