Hello jaanis!! Missed me? xD
Okay, as promised, here's a happy wala chapter for you all.
I thought that since Shehry was so graceful to bless us with 2 vlogs, woh bhi from Pakistan (YAY!!!) I should update too.
Guys, I'm really busy with stuff right now, so I will probably not be able to update so much...but I will update as much as I can, I just don't feel right giving short chapters with no quality. I'm a bit of a perfectionist (like our Shehry ;)) So I may take some time.
But please continue supporting me the way you have! It means the world to me. Please vote, comment, recommend, follow...please :)
This update is kind of long, to make up for my absence.
Enjoy! <3 <3
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Shehry's POV
"Mama!" I yelled from upstairs, getting impatient. "Hussain ne phir se meri shirt pehn li!"
"Tum kuch aur pehen lo na! Ab main nanga kar doon Hussain ko?" She shouted from downstairs. Hussain smirked at me and left. I let out a frustrated breath and started rummaging through my closet.
"Ek toh shirt nahi mil rahi, upar se yeh bada smirk maar raha hai. Bada aaya chota bhai." I muttered nonsense under my breath as I sorted through the clothes. I stopped when I heard my phone ringing.
"Hello?" I set the phone between my ear and shoulder and continued looking through.
"Shehry!" Ayaan's excited voice boomed through my speakers. I winced and pulled the phone away from my ear.
"Haan Ayaan bolo?"
"Aaj tum restaurant par aa rahe ho, ek surprise hai."
"Konsa restaurant?" I asked distractedly.
"Main address bhej raha hoon, please mana mat karna. Oh and bring Hussain, Waqas and Atif too. Unse bhi mil lenge."
"Okay, what time?"
"Eight." I thought over it and agreed to him. "Good, now Allah Hafiz" He hung up hurriedly.
Isko kyun aag lagi hui hai?
Shoving aside my curiosity, I rang up Atif and informed him about Ayaan's invitation.
"Yeh Ayaan wohi hai na? Teri wali ka bhai? Tera hone wala saala?" I rolled my eyes at his suspicious tone, trying to fight the irritation in me at the subtle jab towards Sakinah.
"Ayaan mera college ka dost hai. Haan, Sakinah uski behen hai lekin mujhe pata nahi tha. Usne hum sab ko bulaya hai aath baje."
"Haan toh pohanch jaayenge, tujhe zyaada jaldi nahi hai?" I hung up before he could continue teasing.
It's been nearly two months since that incident at Sakinah's home, and my mind has been stuck there completely. There was something different about that family, something I wasn't able to put my finger on. The way that Sabrina clung to Sakinah told a thousand things at once, but I wasn't able to grasp any of those things. They were flying towards me before I could even react.
"Shehryaar, thank you for coming and I'm sorry ke hum theek se aapki mehman-nawazi nahi kar paaye."
Her brush-off rang in my ears. I hated to admit it, but it hurt. Even though I'd resolved to stay far away from her, I still wanted to be there for her. Her shutting me off like that was not helping my case at all. I'd texted her countless times but she would always reply with crisp, short answers. After a while, I sort of just stopped.
And the way she was looking at me. I saw a storm of emotions run through her eyes, running parallel to the thoughts running through her mind. Uncertainty, reluctance, confusion, fear, pain, sadness. Her eyes were their own cocktail of addiction. Alluring, captivating and tempting without even trying. Nasha hai uski aankhon mein.
How am I supposed to stay away from her when I'm drawn to her every time I see her?
"Shehry? Tu theek hai?" Hussain's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked over at him who was giving me a concerned look. "Yaar, kaafi dinon se tu pareshaan lag raha hai. Bata na, kya hua?"
"Kuch nahi," I said, avoiding his eyes by turning back to my closet. I felt his hand on my shoulder, a reassuring burden.
"Shehry, its Sakinah isn't it?" I shut my eyes, and my shoulders slumped in defeat.
"It's not Sakinah as much as it is my own confusing feelings." I finally admitted, walking over to my bed and sitting down. "I want to be close to her, but I don't want to be close to her. I want to erase that pain in her eyes but I don't want to end up giving her or myself more pain." I ran my hand through my hair, disheveling them in my exasperated state. Hussain stayed silent, studying me.
"Tu jitna bhi door jaane ki koshish karega, utna hi paas aayega." He said finally. "Tu itna ladh nahi sakta khud se, haar jaayega. Jazbaat se dara nahi karte."
"No. Main kisi se nahi darta," I said firmly. Suddenly, I didn't feel like talking to him. "Iss masla ko chodo, Ayaan ne humein shaam ko restaurant mein dinner ke liye bulaya hai. Keh raha tha ke koi surprise hai. Be ready by eight."
"Why do you avoid talking about your feelings all the time?" Hussain said, sounding annoyed.
"When I figure this out, I'll be sure to let you know." I said flatly, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Maybe I can help you figure it out. You don't have to do it alone." He insisted softly. I laughed in disbelief. "We used to share every little thing Shehry, what happened?"
"Just be ready by eight." I asserted, telling him to back off right now. He shook his head at me disapprovingly and walked out of the room. I stared at his back, wondering how he would be able to help.
It's just a phase. Thode waqt mein sab bhool jaaonga.
Maybe Hussain was right. I was scared of my own rising feelings for her. I haven't known her for long, yet I have such strong feelings for her. I don't want to imagine what it'll be like if I get to know her better. She was like a book that I wanted to read over and over and over again, one I would never get tired of reading. A book that would be on my nightstand every night.
I shook of the thoughts and went back to the closet to set out clothes for the evening instead.
Ayaan ka surprise kya ho sakta hai?
It was 8 and I was parked outside Waqas' house. They were taking their own sweet time to get ready and I was getting annoyed. I pressed on the horn again and opened my window.
"Kitna time lagaoge, ladkiyon?" I yelled. Finally, they fell out of the doorway, still trying to fix their hair.
"Yaar, sorry. Hum so gaye the, toh bhool gaye." Atif said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.
"Beth bhi jao, der ho rahi hai," Hussain finally spoke. He hasn't spoken a word to me after leaving my bedroom.
Yeh kyun itna ghussa kar raha hai?
After they sat, I shifted gears and backed out of the driveway.
"Ayaan ne humein kyun bulaya?" Waqas asked after 5 minutes.
"He said that he wanted to meet you guys too. He has some sort of surprise." I said, turning into the restaurant.
"Aur Hussain, tu kyun Devdas ban ke betha hai?"
"Nahi toh, tu paagal ho gaya hai." Hussain answered.
"Paagal toh tu hai, mere liye." Waqas blew him a flying kiss, earning a smile out of him.
"Woh toh hai." He winked at him before turning back around and looking in front. I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.
We walked in to find Ayaan waving his hand like a maniac at us. He'd booked a table at the back, even though the entire restaurant was empty. Sakinah, Sabrina and Rizwan were already seating, laughing over something. There were also two other girls, one of who I'd recognized from Umair's wedding
"Tu Lahore airport par nahi khada, haath hilaana band kar." I greeted him, laughing at his contagious excitement. "Yeh eyebrows wala Waqas hai, dole shole wala Atif hai aur Hussain ko tu jaanta hai." Ayaan shook hands with them all.
"Yeh meri Aapi hai," he said gesturing to Sakinah who had gotten up. "Yeh dono twins hai, Rizwan and Sabrina. Rizwan ke saath bethi hai Mahreen aur woh patakha Fauzia hai, jo Hussain already jaanta hai." Ayaan tossed a wink in his direction.
"Mahreen, yeh naam kahan suna hai maine?" I cocked my head teasingly. A light blush appeared on her face. Rizwan sent a mock glare in my direction.
"Rizwan ki girlfriend hai." Fauzia said in the midst of her conversation with Hussain. Finally I was seeing some life in him. Hussain's eyes held something else that I couldn't put my finger.
Kahin pyaar vyaar ka chakkar toh nahi hai?
"Iski bhi girlfriend hai?" Waqas groaned, lamenting at his single life.
"Umar ka koi lehaaz kar le. Ab iss umar mein girlfriend banake accha lagega? Ek kaam kar, shaadi kar le." Atif said, throwing his arm around Waqas' shoulders.
"Tumse pehle toh Rizwan nikaah karega, isne toh apni wali dhoondh bhi li." Fauzia giggled. Mahreen turned red, stepping a fraction away from Rizwan.
"Bohot accha laga aap logon se mil kar." Sakinah smiled and changed the subject before poor Rizwan turned into scapegoat. Sabrina started chatting away with Atif. "Ab sab aa gaye, ab toh bata do. Kyun laaye ho humein yahaan?"
"Itni bhi kya jaldi hai?" Ayaan smirked mischeviously. "Khaane ke baad bataonga." Rizwan groaned, shaking his head at his brother.
"Aur kitna suspense yaar, subah se uchal raha hai lekin kuch bataya hi nahi. Hadd hoti hai." He grumbled.
We took our seats. Sabrina was sitting in between Sakinah and me.
"Uh, Aapi, tum yahaan beth jao, mujhe Rizwan se baat karni hai." Sabrina said.
"Mujhse kyun?" Rizwan protested, shooting a suspicious look at her.
"Arre, haq hai mera. Aapi yahaan betho na please." Sabrina gave her puppy dog eyes. She got up and switched. Waqas and Atif sent suggestive looks towards me, which I returned with a glare of my own.
Jahaan ke khotey hai yeh log.
Sakinah and I locked eyes for a brief second before she glanced away.
Nazrein bhi nahi milati
I mentally face-palmed myself at my thoughts and looked back down at my plate. Ayaan had pre-ordered everything. Plates full of kebabs and biryani decorated the table. The waiter set down trays of soft naan and crispy samosa. Sparkling red glasses of rose sharbat twinkled and winked at us as they caught the light. Bowls of gravy and what not topped off the meal. Rizwan's eyes widened at the spread.
"Ya Allah! Ayaan!" Sakinah gasped, casting an undecipherable look at him.
"This is still less than the food you'd made that day," I commented.
"Shehry bhai toh dekh ke hi phat gaye the." Rizwan said, setting off a round of laughter.
"Shehry aapke khaane ka bohot tareef kar raha tha." Sakinah smiled at Hussain's intended praise and looked down shyly, a light redness kissing her cheeks.
"Bismillah kare?" Mahreen finally spoke in her soft voice.
"Neiki aur pooch pooch?" Atif said, reaching for the plate of samosa.
"Saari umar paitoo rahega," Waqas said fondly, patting his head like a proud father.
"Says the guy who has already started eating," Sakinah laughed, gesturing to his plate which was laden with food.
"Haan toh paitoo maine hi banaya isko. Nahi toh yeh ghaas phoos kha raha tha, fit rehne ke liye." Waqas laughed and pinched Atif's cheeks, earning a scowl out of him.
"Harami insaan, yahaan bhi chain se khaane nahi deta. Saara credit tu le jaa aur mujhe baksh de." Atif looked up dramatically. "Ya Allah, yehi mera naseeb hai?"
"Aap kuch bolti bhi hain?" Hussain directed the question to Mahreen. Her eyes widened slightly and a smile spread across her face.
"Yaar main bohot bolti hoon. Ab aap logon ko daraana toh nahi hai na, toh main chup bethi hoon."
"Hum Waqas ke saath rehte hain, aap usse zyaada toh bol nahi sakti." I said, setting off a round of laughter.
"Aap?" Fauzia said, looking alarmed at the formality. "Okay, first of all, we're all friends here. What is this 'aap.' Itni formality se mujhe bohot herat hoti hai."
"Behaya insaan, tehzeeb kehte hain usko." Sakinah said, looking amused.
"Aisa lagta hai ke hum kisi siyaasi ikhlaas mein bethe hain." She took a sullen bite of a kebab. "Doston mein toh nahi chalta aisa na."
"Siyaasi ikhlaas? Haye, bohot khaalis Urdu hai tumhaari." Ayaan taunted.
"Tumhaari behen ke saath reh ke ho gayi. Nahi toh main milaawati Urdu istemaal karne mein maahir thi." She fired back. Sakinah looked between them exasperated.
"Let's get to know each other guys." Waqas said, swallowing the bite he had. "Go around the table. I'll start. Hey guys, I'm Waqas Riaz, I love food, film editing, and music."
"Atif Khan, full time gym lover, I love writing and I love Desi music."
"Hussain Asif, naam toh suna hoga." We groaned at his usage of the overused dialogue. "Accha okay, jeez. I love acting and I hope to Inn Shaa Allah make a successful career out of it. I love Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar and Kajol. Oh and I love music and playing guitar."
"That's a lot of things to love," Fauzia commented. "I'm Fauzia Qazi, I teach at the local primary school. I love desi music and I absolutely do not like asparagus." We laughed at her disgusted expression.
"I'm Mahreen Anwar, I'm still in high school but I want to become a lawyer Inn Shaa Allah. I love..."
"Rizwan." Rizwan interrupted. She gasped and jabbed her elbow into his side. "No I love writing and reading books."
"So you don't love me?" He asked, offended. Mahreen stared at him with disbelief before they both burst out laughing. We looked at them strangely as they calmed down.
"Okay okay, I'm Rizwan, and I'm really shy until I'm comfortable with someone, just like Aapi. I love to paint and I also play guitar." Hussain high-fived him.
"I'm Sabrina and I absolutely love photography," she chirped in her normal bubbly tone.
"I saw her photography, uff, kya kamaal ka tha." I complimented, remembering the amazing photos I'd seen hung up on the walls.
"Aapi ka candid picture bohot pasand aaya isko." Ayaan said mischeviously. I choked on my naan. Everybody broke out into guffaws. Sakinah passed me a glass of water while simultaneously shooting a glare at Ayaan. He stuck his tongue out before shoving another bite in his mouth.
"Jitna tu thoos raha hai apne mooh mein, usse zyaada maine ghoosna hai agar aur bakwaas ki toh." I finally managed to calm myself down.
"Maanna padega though, Sakinah that's definitely my favourite photo of you." Fauzia said. She smiled lightly, still looking a bit disturbed at Ayaan's comment. Shaking it off, she continued with her introduction.
"I'm Sakinah. I also teach at the primary school with Fauzia. Mujhe cooking ka bohot shoq hai."
"Haan pata chal hi gaya," I teased. She glanced over at me with a breath-taking smile on her face.
"Aapi sings very well." Sabrina blurted out. Fauzia, Ayaan and Rizwan nodded in agreement.
"Toh humein bhi kuch sunao," Atif said eagerly, mirroring my curiosity. "Shehry also sings, tum dono saath mein gao na." I gave him a look, wondering what he was up to.
"Nahi, aaj nahi. Phir-"
"Aapi hamari khatir please?" The three siblings gave her puppy dog looks and she gave in.
"Are you okay with it?" She asked me. I realized I'd been staring at her and coughed nervously.
"Yea I'm fine with it. Which song?"
(A/N: Sorry, the full song wasn't available from the original channel, so I had to put this link)
"Samandar Main," Mahreen squealed. Rizwan was looking at her with an adoring expression. Ayaan walked over to the stereo and plugged his phone in, playing an instrumental track. Sakinah and I stood up, going to the microphones that Sabrina held. I was a bit nervous because it'd been a while. Closing my eyes, I let the music guide me.
Tu Heer meri, tu jism mera
Main Ranjha hoon - libaas tera
I opened my eyes, unsure about everyone's reaction. They were looking at me, surprised at this hidden talent of mine. Gaining confidence, I sang a bit loudly, repeating the first verse.
Tu Heer meri, tu jism mera
Main Ranjha hoon - libaas tera
Sakinah joined in with me. Her sweet voice complemented mine beautifully. I smiled at her as we locked eyes. Suddenly, the lyrics made so much more sense to me.
Aa yoon qareeb tu
Chhu loon main teri rooh
Bin tere main hoon be-nishaan
Samander main, kinara tu
Jo bikhru main, sahara tu
Samander main (samander main)
Kinara tu (kinara tu)
Jo bikhru main (jo bikhru main)
Sahara tu (sahara tu)
Sakinah echoed me in perfect sync. Rizwan got up and extended his hand towards Mahreen, who took it without any hesitation. They started dancing around the tables set out in the restaurant. Hussain took Fauzia's hand while Ayaan and Sabrina waltzed around the restaurant. Waqas and Atif jokingly started slow dancing with each other, to which I chuckled.
Pehle thi bewajah
Phir aake tu mila
Khwabon ko zinda kar diya
Apne wajood ka hissa bana diya
Qatre ko dariya kar diya
She shifted her gaze from me, looking at Rizwan and Mahreen with an affectionate look. I was unable to shift my gaze from her as I kept singing. It felt like I was singing to her and that was not a good sign. My grip around the mic involuntarily clenched, my knuckles turning white.
Shirin hai tu, tu meri zubaan
Farhad hoon main, alfaaz tera
Aa yun qareeb tu
Chhu loon main teri rooh
Bin tere main hoon be-nishaan
I shut my eyes to keep my gaze away from her.
Samander main, kinara tu
Jo bikhru main, sahara tu
Samander main (samander main)
Kinara tu (kinara tu)
Jo bikhru main (jo bikhru main)
Sahara tu (sahara tu)
Sehra ki dhool thi
Tune qubool ki
Main aasmani ho gayi
Jaagu na umr bhar
Jo mere humsafar
Baahon mein teri so gayi
Atif and Waqas signaled for us to slow-dance with each other. I shot them a glare, pushing a hand through my hair, eyes darting to make sure Sakinah hadn't seen that. By the looks of her expression, she had.
Tu Laila hai nigaah meri
Main Majnu hoon talaash teri
Aa yun qareeb tu
Chhu loon main teri rooh
Bin tere main hoon be-nishaan
Samander main, kinara tu
Jo bikhru main, sahara tu
Rizwan twirled Mahreen around, looking at her with complete adoration. There was no doubt about the strength of their feelings for each other. I was beginning to see why Ayaan and Sabrina persistently teased them.
Samander main (samander main)
Kinara tu (kinara tu)
Jo bikhru main (jo bikhru main)
Sahara tu (sahara tu)
We finished off the song. I glanced at Sakinah. She looked at me for a minute, studying my face before a light blush kissed her cheeks and she averted her gaze.
Iss ko bhi wohi ehsaas ho raha hai, jo abhi mujhe ho raha hai?
"Joote ko itne phaad phaad kar mat dekhiye, phat jaayenge," I whispered, repeating her words from the wedding. Her head shot up to me, looking at me with a surprised look on her face. I smirked at her and walked away, sensing her gaze on me.
"Wow Shehry bhai! That was amazing!" Sabrina exclaimed, giving me a high-five.
"Your and Sakinah's voices go so well together!" Hussain said, still in awe.
"Okay, ab yeh toh ho gaya. Ab toh bata de...kya surprise hai?" I practically begged Ayaan. He smirked, knowing the suspense was killing us.
"Kyun tadpa rahe ho, bata do na." Sakinah spoke up, coming to my side.
"Jaante ho yeh dinner kis ki meherbaani hai?" Excitement was clear in Ayaan's face as he bounced on the heels of his feet.
"Aap batayenge toh hi jaanenge na?" Waqas said snarkily.
"Meri tankhwaa ki." A five second shocked silence preluded the shouts of joy and surprise before Rizwan and Sabrina ran up and hugged Ayaan so hard I was almost afraid he'd break.
"Me too!" I yelled, joining the hug. The atmosphere shifted from a romantic one to an overjoyed one.
"Hum kyun peeche reh jaaye?" Atif said as him, Waqas and Hussain joined in too. Rizwan held his arm out to Mahreen, who came and slipped her arms around him. Fauzia ruffled Ayaan's hair like a little kid.
"I'm being squished!" He yelled, the words muffled by everyone around him.
Sakinah kahan hai?
She was standing afar with tears glistening in her eyes, looking so proud of him with a huge smile on her face.
"Aapi-" Ayaan started, taking a step towards her after we all let go of him. He ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her slight frame. "Kaisa laga surprise?"
"Pagal, mujhe pehle kyun nahi bataya?" She said, her voice slightly shaking as she ran her hand through the hair at the back of his head. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, which I knew to be tears of ecstasy.
"Ab tumhaari madad ho jaayegi na Aapi?" Ayaan asked, pulling away. She nodded her head, wiping away her tears and smiling widely at her brother. My eyebrows furrowed.
Madad? Kis cheez ke liye?
"Thank you Ayaan." She said sincerely. Rizwan and Sabrina came up behind and thumped Ayaan on his shoulders.
"Thank you Ayaan bhai." They said in unison.
"Yeh tumhaari rehmat hai Aapi. Mujhe pata hai ke tumne iss din ke liye bohot dua ki hai."
"Dua maine zaroor ki hai, par rehmat sirf Allah ka hai. Usne hum par reham farmaaya hai. Allah ke karam-o-fazal se tumhaari naukri bani rahe."
"Ameen." The word resonated around the empty restaurant. I felt so happy. My friend had gotten his first job!
"Your parents must be so proud of you yaar! Only 19 and naukri lag bhi gayi teri?" At Hussain's comment, Sabrina and Rizwan paused in their conversation, looking at Sakinah with wide eyes. Fauzia knocked over a plastic vase on the table she was leaning on. Ayaan looked down. I noticed his eyes filling but he blinked rapidly to brush them away.
Aisa kya hai, jo maa-baap ke zikr se itni khamoshi chaa jaati hai? Itna ghamgheen maahol kyun ho jaata hai?
"They're so proud of him," Sakinah patted his shoulder. "Ab agar dinner, gaana, dessert, sab kuch ho gaya ho, toh chale?" I could sense an undertone of panic in her voice.
Yeh itna ghabra kyun rahi hai?
"Haan, chalo," I said slowly, still suspicious of the strange behaviour. We walked out into the cool October air. I shivered from the chilly air flying through my coat. Sakinah was by my side while everyone else was walking in front of us. Feeling awkward, I initiated a conversation, hoping to bring back that two-minute friendship from two months ago.
"How is your foot?" Her eyes shot up to mine, surprised that I remembered.
"It's all better." She said, eyes darting away from me.
"Tum bohot accha gaati ho," I complimented, looking over at her. Her hair was swaying slightly with the wind. A soft smile adorned her face and her eyes were smiling with happiness.
"Thank you," she said warmly. "Even you sing surprisingly well. I didn't peg you to be a singer."
"Leh, ab aise insaan ka kya faida, jis mein koi hidden talent hi naa ho?" I joked, getting a small giggle out of her.
I thought you were supposed to stay away from her.
For the first time in a long time, I shut down my brain and embraced my heart's desire. I wanted to talk to her, and I was tired of fighting myself for it.
Hussain was right.
"Aapke Mama Papa kaise hai? Maha kaisi hai?" She asked. I was taken aback for a moment. There has never been a girl who, instead of asking about me, asked about my family. A weird, unidentifiable feeling bubbled up in my chest.
"Theek hai. Mama wants to meet you soon." Suddenly my mind registered her 'aap' and I turned to give her a glare.
"Kya hua?" She said, looking confused.
"Phir se aap?!" I said in mock anger, putting my hands on my hips.
"Aadat hai," she said simply, pouting a little bit.
She's so cute.
"Aadat badal do."
"Nahi badloongi." She said defiantly. "Izzat raas nahi aati?"
"Aap bohot formal hai yaar. Tumne hi toh kaha tha ke hum best of friends hai, konse best friends 'aap' se baat karte hai?"
"Maine kaha tha?" Sakinah exclaimed indignantly, smirking. "Khush fehmi check karo zara."
"Kyun Shehry, itna marr raha hai Bha-Sakinah ki dosti ke liye?" Atif quickly caught his mistake. Heat flooded my face as I realized what he was about to call her. She looked a bit red herself. Whatever peaceful bubble we'd encased ourselves in was broken. I glowered at him, pushing his arm off my shoulder and walking ahead.
"Offo, rooth ke kahan jaaoge, jaan-e-man?" He flaunted dramatically. I ignored him and continued walking. The sound of Sakinah's chuckle reached my ears, automatically bringing a smile to my face.
Kya?
"Tu idhar reh, main jaata hoon." Atif whispered in my ear, sensing that I wanted to be alone with her. I internally smiled and slowed down, coming back to her.
"Weren't we just arguing about this?" Sakinah said, laughing at the irony. I joined in with her.
I noticed her rubbing her arms against the harsh wind. The dress she wore covered her arms in a thin material, not even enough to withstand the cold. I took off my jacket and gave it to her despite the goosebumps that appeared immediately on my skin.
"Nahi, tum rakh lo, tumhein thand lag jaayegi." She pointed at the goosebumps that were prominent through my long sleeved shirt.
"Tumhaare paas do hi options hai. Ya toh hum yeh jacket share kar sakte hai ya phir tumhi isse peheno. Soch samajh kar faisla lena." I said firmly, knowing that she wouldn't choose the sharing option. I could see the gears working in her head.
"Itna bada bhi nahi hai ke hum dono share kar sake." She said, in almost a whisper, thinking I wouldn't hear it.
"Share kar sakte hai, dekhna chahoge?" I answered, smirking. She gasped, looking embarrassed at being heard. Sakinah held my gaze and we looked at each other, almost as if we could reach in and reveal everything about each other.
Mama bhi sahi keh rahi thi. Woh kabhi apni takleef zaahir nahi karegi, par mujhe nazar aa hi jaayega.
"Agar tum dono ka ho gaya ho toh main apni behen ko le jaaon?" Ayaan teased loudly, shaking us out of that trance. Everyone was looking at us as we stared at each other. We broke off, looking everywhere but at each other. Sakinah walked away towards her car.
"Hum dono bus aise hi-" I scratched the back of my neck, feeling it flush red. I found myself unable to come up with any explanation.
"Haan haan, bana lo bahane, hamare paas poori raat padhi hai." Fauzia interrupted, high-fiving Hussain. I narrowed my eyes at him.
Saala kuch chupa raha hai mujhse.
"This was so fun! We have to do this again and again and again!" Mahreen bounced around. We started laughing at her adorable excitement.
"Don't worry, we're definitely going to be meeting a lot these days." Waqas smirked at me, clearly mirroring Mahreen's enthusiasm.
"Many times," Hussain piped in, sneaking a look at Fauzia who blushed. Sakinah looked suspiciously at her.
"Haye, tum sharmati bhi ho?" She said, setting off laughter. Ayaan ran over, pulled her braid and hid behind Atif. Fauzia stuck her tongue out at him.
"Main kahan sharma rahi hoon. Tumhaare chehre ki laali abhi bhi nahi gayi, uske baare mein kya khayal hai aapka mohtarma?" Fauzia fired back in an effort to shift the attention from herself.
"Yahaan khade rehne se behtar hai ke hum kisi ice cream parlor mein jaa ke ice cream khaaye." Atif said.
"Nahi nahi, ice cream parlor mein maine dal makhani khaani hai." Sakinah said. I chuckled, finally seeing what Ayaan meant by silent patakha. She caught my eye and flashed me a shy grin. Atif gave her a flat look
"Idea sahi hai, ice cream khaane jaate hai. Our treat for your new job." Hussain said, putting a hand on Ayaan's shoulder. His happiness was evident.
"Par abhi toh itna saara khaana khaya!" Sabrina protested, rubbing her stomach. "I'm still full!"
"Toh?" Rizwan said. "That doesn't mean the rest of us can't."
"By the time we get there, you'll have some space, don't worry." I butted in. "Let's go. But mix up the cars so that no one runs away."
Fauzia leaned in and whispered, "No one runs away or she doesn't run away?" I opened my mouth to answer but found myself speechless.
Wisely deciding to keep my mouth shut, I got in the driver's seat and waited as Ayaan and Atif sorted out seating arrangements.
After about 5 minutes, they finally decided who was going where and got it. Sakinah, Hussain and Fauzia were going in my car, while Mahreen, Rizwan, Atif, Waqas and Sabrina went in Ayaan's car. Hussain and Fauzia claimed the backseat, leaving the passenger one for Sakinah. I leaned over the console and opened the door for her. She smiled gratefully before getting in.
"Did we even decide where we're going?" I asked. The blank looks from everybody gave me my answer. "Idiots." I mumbled and picked up my phone, calling Atif and putting it on speaker mode.
"Duffers, jaana kahaan hai?"
"We told Hussain that we're going to Agha Juice!" He said. I turned back to look at Hussain.
"Kameene, you didn't tell me anything!" He protested.
"Well if you stopped getting lost in your girlfriend's face you would've heard." Ayaan sassed back.
"Ayaan, teri toh-" Hussain opened his mouth to defend himself, but I cut the call before he could say anything.
"Agha Juice it is then," I started the car and pulled out onto the road.
"So...how long have you two been friends?" Hussain asked.
"Bachpan se," Sakinah answered.
"Meri Ammi aur iski Ammi dost the. Hum dono padosi bhi the. There was no one else on the street to play with, saare budhhe uncle the. Toh bas, wahin se shuru." Fauzia added.
"Toh, how long has it been?"
"Well..." Fauzia thought over it.
"17 years." Sakinah spoke. I looked over in surprise.
"That's awesome!" Hussain exclaimed.
"Pata nahi kaise jhela hai maine isko," Sakinah said, mockingly looking sorry for herself.
"Excuse me? Tumne mujhe jhela hai? Maine tumhein jhela hai. Aur tumhaare saath saath tumhaare bhai behen ko bhi," Fauzia fired back, enticing a laugh out of her. I smiled, listening to their banter. Their friendship clearly ran deep and they were seriously giving us friendship goals.
"Log hamesha humein tareef karte hai, hamari dosti ke liye. Lekin tum dono toh kamaal ho." Hussain voiced my thoughts.
"Hum dono hai hi kamaal, kya kare?" Sakinah and Fauzia boasted in unison, pretending to pop their collars. I laughed, seeing this side of Sakinah.
"Shokhi bakriyaan." Hussain scoffed.
We ended up reaching nearly 10 minutes after the others.
"Kameene log, they've already started." I said, spotting them laughing away inside the café.
"Why are we wasting time here?" Fauzia and Hussain clambered out of the car and went in.
Sakinah reached for the door handle.
"Wait!" I almost yelled, startling her. I got out and quickly went to her side, opening the door for her.
"Gentlemen haan?" A graceful smile adorned her face. I mirrored it and bowed, going over the top.
Zyaada ho gaya Shehry, ab chup chap usse andar le jaa.
"After you, madam." I shut the door and followed her inside.
"Aa gaye aap log? Itni jaldi?" Mahreen said sarcastically.
"Maaf kijiye ga," I said, holding my ears.
"Jao, maaf kiya, tum bhi kya yaad karoge." She said, putting on a high-and-mighty air.
"Woh na sahi, hum toh yaad karenge na." Rizwan popped up beside her, equipped with two ice cream cones. She dropped the act almost instantly, her face lighting up with a child-like glee. Mahreen reached for one cone but Rizwan pulled it out of her reach.
"First say...that Rizwan is the sexiest man on earth and I will love him forever and ever."
Mahreen glared at him. "Itna sab kuch ek hi ice cream ke liye?"
"I'll give you as much ice cream as you want, just say that." Rizwan smirked at her.
"Aapi, dekho na. Tumhaare bhai mujhe kitna pareshaan karta hai," Mahreen pouted, stomping her foot.
"Why are you troubling her? The ice cream will melt." Sakinah asked, suppressing her laughter.
"Yeh ice cream pighal jaayega, doosra le loonga, lekin yeh mauqa haath se nahi jaane doonga." Unknowingly, Sabrina had sneaked behind Rizwan. She made a silly face behind his back and snatched one ice cream out of his hand, passing it to Mahreen.
"Yess!" Mahreen pumped her hand in the air and stuck her tongue out at Rizwan. She licked happily at her ice cream.
"Sabrina, chudail. Why did you betray me like this?" Rizwan looked so offended. "Dhokebaaz!"
"Meri behen hai na, iss liye." Ayaan bragged, ruffling his sister's hair. Sabrina pushed his hand off her head annoyingly.
"Accha, toh tu bhi manta hai ke main teri behen hoon."
"Kabhi kabhi meherbaan ho jaata hoon." Ayaan provoked her. Sabrina rolled her eyes and ignored him.
"Sorry Rizzy, Bhabhi first." She winked at Mahreen, who stopped eating, turning as pink as her strawberry ice cream.
"Sahi hai, Bhabhi first." Waqas agreed, smirking at me. I automatically looked towards Sakinah who had walked over to the counter to collect two vanilla ice creams. Atif came and blocked my view.
Ab toh tu gaya Shehry
"Bhabhi ke naam se Sakinah nazar aa jaati hai na?" He whispered. "Ab toh maan le, tu pyaar karne laga hai usse."
Love?
That one word shook me up on the inside. Atif gave me a meaningful look before walking out of the parlor along with everyone else.
Is that why I'm not being able to forget her? Is that why I feel the urge to be near her? Is that why I see her with everything I do? Is that why every mention of her brings a smile to my face? Is that why she's always on my mind?
Is that why I see her as my future wife?
"Kya hua?" Sakinah interrupted my thoughts, looking worriedly at me. "Tum itne pareshaan kyun lag rahe ho?"
"Kuch nahi." I shook my head, looking at my feet trying to compose myself.
"Yeh lo. Ice cream makes everyone feel better." She gave me a cone. I took a bite of it and heard a gasp come from her. I choked a little on my ice cream before swallowing it.
"Kya ho gaya?" I asked Sakinah, coughing to dispel the uncomfortable icy feeling running down my throat.
"You bite your ice cream?!" She appeared so appalled, as if I had just committed the worst sin in the world.
"Haan toh?" I said defensively. "Koi gunnah toh nahi kiya."
"Gunnah hi toh hai. You cannot bite your ice cream, that's the first rule of ice cream!" She insisted, the horrific look still plastered on her face. I internally smiled at her adorable stubbornness.
"Accha?" I deliberately took another bite out of my ice cream. An annoyed look crossed her face, setting off my laughter again. She huffed and glared at me, her eyebrows furrowing.
"Stop. Biting. Your. Ice. Cream." Sakinah emphasized each word before marching out of the parlor, leaving me to stand alone, equipped with only an ice cream cone and a heart full of feelings.
A small smile fixated itself on my face as I watched her laugh and joke around. It finally felt as if she let herself be free. Happiness over Ayaan's job dripped from her every expression. For the first time, I saw her eyes smiling whole-heartedly, not only her lips. Her entire demeanor was visibly lighter than before.
"Shehry!" Hussain yelled in my face whilst snapping his fingers, jerking me out of my thoughts. "Your ice cream is melting all over your hand!" I looked down, feeling my hands grow sticky.
"Arre yaar," I groaned, fetching napkins to clean the mess. I braced myself for the teasing that was definitely going to come my way for staring at her, but surprisingly, it didn't come.
"Tu theek hai?" I asked Hussain, sensing his too-quiet attitude.
"Haan." He replied shortly, "Jaldi se saaf kar, aur chal." He left, leaving me to muse over his weird behaviour.
Hussain has never behaved like this, toh phir aaj kyun?
Shaking off the thoughts, I swiped the napkin over my hand to clean up the mess and continued on my way out.
"Why is the night ending?" Rizwan whined.
"Kyun ki meri jaan, yeh raat khatam hogi, toh aur aayegi. Ab chalo." Sakinah said, throwing an arm around her brother's shoulders. "Mahreen tum hamare saath aa rahi ho?"
"Haan, mera ghar bohot door nahi hai tum logon se."
"Kaafi der ho gayi hai. Mama intezaar kar rahi hogi." Hussain said. I watched the Khan siblings closely. A strange look appeared in all four of their eyes, as they shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"Let's go yaar, I want to sleep." Waqas yelled from the backseat of my car.
"Saale, poora din sota hai, yahaan aane se pehle bhi so raha tha, aur ab bhi sona hi hai tujhe?" Hussain yelled back. "Sabar kar, theek se bye toh bolne de!"
"Hum konse jung par jaa rahe hai, wapas milenge. Ab chalo jaldi." Waqas replied firmly before shutting my car's door with a slam.
"Hey! Watch the car!" I warned him. He rolled his eyes and made a face at me from behind the glass. I ignored him and turned to face Sakinah, who was standing next to me fiddling with her fingers.
"So...I'll see you around?" The words felt awkward on my tongue for some strange reason. I cleared my throat, scratching the nape of my neck.
"Yeah," she said in her normal soft tone, completely opposite to when she was telling me off for biting my ice cream.
"Humein bhi bye bol do, hum bhi khade hai." Ayaan smirked.
"Bye Ayaan." I said with sarcastic enthusiasm. He blew me a flying kiss, leading Sakinah to smack the back of his head. I laughed at his shocked expression.
"Aur hum?" Fauzia and Sabrina stood with identical mock glares with their feet tapping the ground annoyingly. I internally smiled, they reminded me of Maha.
"Bye everybody, see you all later." I smirked as their faces fell, not getting the rise that they wanted out of me.
"Inn Shaa Allah!" Atif sighed. Bidding our final goodbyes, we climbed into our respective cars and drove off, ending an amazing night.
After a silent, thoughtful 10 minutes in the car with Waqas' snoring, we finally reached home. I pulled into the driveway, the sudden brake jolting Waqas awake.
"Mummy?" he said groggily, stretching like a cat. Hussain and I stifled our laughter at him. Sometimes it felt that Waqas wasn't the oldest, he acted so childish sometimes.
"Chal be, andar jaa ke so jaa." Waqas stumbled out, still half asleep. Mama was waiting at the door, having heard my car.
"Aap abhi bhi jaag rahi hai?" I kissed her cheek, bringing her inside. It was nearly 11 o'clock. I hadn't realized that so much time had passed.
"Aur nahi toh kya, mere bete ke liye main intezaar na karoon?" I smiled at her doting.
"Aa gaye aap ke bete? Ab toh jaa ke so jaaye. Aap thak gayi hongi." Hussain came up behind us, hugging her. Mama pinched his cheek and ruffled his hair.
"Dinner kaisa tha?" She asked. I instantly felt a sense of déjà vu from her asking me the same question when I had to Sakinah's house.
"Ayaan ki naukri lag gayi hai." Mama's eyebrows shot up, happiness filling her face.
"Yeh bohot acchi baat hai!" She praised. After a little chit chat, we went to our respective rooms, switching off all the lights.
I got ready for bed and laid down, my arms behind the back of my head. Instantly, thoughts consumed me.
Why do I have to fight with my feelings all the time? It's definitely not going anywhere. Iss se behtar hai ke main yeh sach apna loon.
I smiled to myself, biting my lip as the conversation with Sakinah came to mind. The hint of red that always seemed to be present on her cheeks whenever I talk to her. The soft melody of her laughter. The motion of her hair as it flew with the wind. The gentle way that she did things. The elegance by which she walked and talked. The respect she held for everyone around her. The playfulness stuck deep inside of her. The maturity that was evident through her every action.
But most importantly, her clean heart. I brought one hand down, placing it on my chest. The rapid beating of my heart confirmed what I had just come to terms with.
Main pyaar karta hoon usse, aur yeh pyaar mohabbat mein badalti jaa rahi hain.
Atif was wrong.
Main pyaar nahi karne laga usse. Pyaar toh ho gaya.
Yeh pyaar mohabbat mein badalti jaa rahi hain.
Mohabbat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay so how was it? Finally, I managed to write this happy chapter.
Can I just repeat this. DHOOMBROS ARE IN PAKISTAN!! That's so cool!!!
Guys please vote, comment, follow, anything to tell me that you're liking the book. Don't be silent readers please :(
For all those that support me actively, thank you guys so much. You have no idea how much each vote, each comment means to me.
Sooo.......
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Till next update, which probably won't be for a while unfortunately, Allah Hafiz!! <3