I'm finally back everyone, yes I am. Back with a treat for everyone whose Quarantine-ing right now. Dr Asfandyar, Dr Zubiya and the whole paramedical staff of Neelum Valley Hospital advises you to stay at home, stay safe :)
Happy Reading !
***
Asfandyar stood in front of that old house. And so one day, after time unmeasured, the house opened each door and window. It shivered at first, for the wind felt cold and it was used to the dust and the odour of nothing. It was a long time, they were back. The house had become aware of itself, of the history that echoed within the walls. Somewhere within, mixed with the pain, were images of soft flowers.
Vividly he could picture his childhood. Within the house stayed there the memories of his birth, of the hugs and laughter that once were its colours and music, for that is the way of spirits. So though the floors were bare and the paint was in need of loving care, though the furniture lay still without the warmth of its family, it stood all the same, strong beneath the flakes and dirt of years.
The walls didn't seem so grey when he was only a boy. Asfandyar felt like no time had passed since he moved from this house, yet as he gazed upon the silence and the loneliness, it was evident just how wrong he was.
***
"Asfi? Ander nahi jana?" Gaiti asked behind his back.
He turned and looked at her. He knew his bhabhi felt the same. The nostalgic waves hit her hard too, but she was composed just like him.
"Bhabhi yeh wohi ghar hai jahan hum baray hoye hain? Yakeen nahi aata." he exclaimed.
"Asfi mein, mein tou khud aaj yahan ki khamoshi dekh kar heraan hoon. Itnay dinon kai baad aaj yahan wapis aker itna ajeeb lag raha hai. Aesa lagta hai jesay kal ki hi baat ho, meri shaadi hoyi thi iss ghar mai. Uss baat ko bhi abb 6 saal hogaye hain. Sab kuch kitna badal gaya hai." she replied softly.
"Waqt kitni ajeeb cheez hai bhabhi. Kabhi guzarta nahi hai aur kabhi itni jaldi guzar jata hai kai insaan ko khud samajh nahi aata." he smiled and looked at the abandoned house. It felt so alone, so empty. He wondered how long had it been since, it heard the laughters of the family? How long had it been since it felt the coolness of fresh paint or contained the fragrance of Sunday dinner?
"Waqae." she sighed and placed her hand at his arm, consoling his memories to rest. They stood their in silence for some minutes.
Meanwhile, Dr. Haroon and Zubiya also reached them.
"Arey Asfand aap meray intezar mai abhi tak ander nahi gaye. Bohat shukriya, likin itni izzat ka mai kya karoon ga. Mai saadha sa insaan hoon, mujhay bura nahi lagta. Baki haan ager aap Dr. Zubiya ka wait kar rahay thay tou woh aur baat hai." he said and laughed.
While Gaiti and Zubiya passed a fainted smile knowing well Asfandyar will be annoyed. Dr. Haroon's wit was enhanced alot ever since he had joined the 'Khans'. He always justified that irritating Asfandyar is the revenge of every strictness he had shown in the early times.
Asfandyar looked at Dr.Haroon and rolled his eyes.
"Haroon aap chalein ander aur Saim kidher hai?" Gaiti asked as she found no signal of him around.
"Saim tou uncle aunty kai sath ander chala gaya hai." he replied. Then Gaiti and Haroon walked inside.
"Aap kya soch rahay hain?" she asked him as she saw his expressions were deep and sorrow at some edges.
"Kuch nahi yaar. Bus revisiting my old memories." he replied skirting the entire house and let out a sigh. "Anyways lets go inside." he added.
***
It was a cloudy morning in Islamabad. There were growing patches of blue, the sort of hue that was soft and bright at the same time. Clouds moved in the morning sky. Though they were mostly white there was a hint of greyness, a suggestion that rain may play a part in the day to come.
***
The dining table was being laden-up with breakfast that filled the dining room with ravenous aroma. The clink of crockery was ringing in the surrounding, the tinkle of metallic spoons and forks against the plates. Usman uncle was sitting on the dining chair with a newspaper straightened in front of his sight while Saim played with the spoon and fork, drumming them on the table. Dr Haroon was also there giving a slight view to a medical brochure.
Within minutes Zubiya, Gaiti and Lubna aunty entered into the dining room ensuring everything was served. Eggs and omeletts, jams and marmalades, toasts, butter, cereals for little Saim and every possible thing they could have managed."Asfand nazar nahi araha beta. Kahan hai.?" Usman uncle asked as he filled his plate with food.
"Baba woh jogging kar ke aaye hain, shower le rahay hain shayad. Mein dekh kar aati hoon." Zubiya replied as she stood up.
***
Zubiya entered the into bedroom. A beacon of light pierced through the panes of glass, bathing the white tiled floor in a crisscross of iridescent colour; illuminating the darkened room. Asfandyar was still in the washroom but there was no plinking noise of water produced by the dripping faucet so it was obvious he was done with his shower. Zubiya was leaving the room but suddenly saw her phone on the dressing table. It's battery was nearly going to end so she decided to plug it in with the charger first.
Zubiya was struggling with the socket and charger when the bathroom lock clicked open. Zubiya's back was facing the bathroom door so she didnt catch the sight of Asfandyar and kept working on with the charger and her phone.
"Asfi. Aap thora jaldi karlein, neechay sab wait kar rahay hain." she called out.
"Woh tou theek hai. Likin aap yahan kya kar rahi hain? Asfandyar replied.
"Mein bus woh--" she turned. She froze. Her cheeks burned hot, his sight had egged her face guarding a flirtatious smile- her embarrassment, his tonic.
Asfandyar was just out of the washroom. An absorbent towel was wrapped tightly around his waist and a small hand towel clinging with his neck, drying up the droplets that dripped on his back and masculine chest.
"Aap bus kya?" he questioned her smiling while she looked away with sheer embarrassment. He was struck with his luck, starting of the day with a romantic spice.
"Woh-- Mein phone ko charge karnay aayi thi. Aap please dining room mein neechay ajain." she replied and started to walk out.
"Zubiya." he called out for her.
She stopped. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes nervously. Ufff aab inkay ander romance ki streak aaye gi.
"Jee." she spoke shyly, shivering abit.
"Woh, meri white t-shirt nikaal dou please." he requested her and smiled to himself. Asfandyar being honest with his cells was just trying to extend her time in the bed room otherwise taking the shirt out wasn't a difficult task for him to do.
She turned around and her unsettled eyes glanced unceremoniously around, trying to avoid catching his sight. She walked towards the wardrobe. Meanwhile, Asfandyar moved towards the dressing and sprayed a homme deodorant on the crevice of his neck and areas near it.
While taking out the shirt she was trying very hard to act normal. She was strictly ordering her nerve cells to work properly and help her maintain her balance because having him standing right there, spraying that arcid perfume over his body was making her a non compos mentis.
"Yeh lein." she stretched her arm, to hand over the shirt to him, but his mischievous hormones were driving him to do something, something, very 'dangerous'.
"Thora nazdeek aker dai dou bhae." he said smiling. This earned him a severe glare from her.
"Mera kehnay ka matlab hai ke itni dur se shirt pakaraney se behtar hai kai thora kareeb ajaou." he explained as he wiped the beads of droplets sinking down from his curly hair.
"Jee. Apkay sab matlab pata hain mujhe bohat achi tarhan se." she replied raising her eyebrows and walked closer to him and handed him the shirt.
The distance between them was still many centimeters apart and Asfandyar was not liking it much. He moved nearer. Zubiya could feel her shoulders, and now in an extreme case, her arms burning with shyness, and her stomach becoming a dome.
"Konsay matlab?" he asked as he muttered softly near her face and gave her a turned-out romantic smile. Zubiya could easily smell the shampoo, his shaving cream and perfume he had applied. He was such close that it was easy for his musky scent to make her brain swim with a heady intoxication.
"Kuch nahi." she replied nervously.
"Nahi na batao tou sahi. Kesay matlab? I mean tumhein kya pata hai?" he teased her and smiled too as he pushed some tendrils out of her face and tucked them behind her hair.
"Ufff. Asfi bus karein abb. Change karein aur neechay aain." she moved back and let out a laugh. He laughed back too knowing the fact that he was late.
***
Downstairs in the dining room, everyone was enjoying the breakfast knowing that this was the golden time for everyone to reconnect. Asfandyar had just arrived and sat adjacent to Zubiya.
Asfandyar spread the jam over the toast. There was a joy in his mood, as if for a moment he was happily absorbed by a feeling of love that played in his subtle smile and soft gaze. Zubiya has actually given him the rhythm he has always wanted in his life, now that she was there he wanted nothing else. He kept eyeing her making her reminisce the moments from the morning. It was a moment with each another- a moment made sacred for just the two of them.
"Asfand beta tum logon ki meeting kab hai baki doctors ke sath?" Usman unlce asked as he wiped his hands with a napkin.
"Baba aaj raat ko hai. We will leave around 7 30 in the evening." he replied.
The purpose of the whole family coming to Islamabad was beacause of 'an official meet and greet of doctors from around the country'. Dr Asfandyar, Dr Zubiya, Dr Haroon, Dr Gaiti, they all had to be the part of it. Dr Shehroze and Dr Asifa were invited too but they couldn't come along due to some personal commitments. Since all four of them were going so they decided to take Usman and Lubna with them too. Giving them an unusual break from their daily lives.
"Tou iska matlab yeh hai kai Dr Zubiya aur Gaiti aap dono tiyar hona shoro kar dein kyun subah ke 9 tou baj hi gaye hain. 7 30 nikalna hai tou yeh na hou ke hum late hojain." Dr Haroon continued with his usual sarcasm. While others laughed and Zubiya and Gaiti exchanged some wasted looks.
"Abb aesa bhi nahi hai kai sirf hum hi late karatey hoon. Zubiya aaj inko 7 30 se phelay tiyar ho kar dikhao." Gaiti replied and ordered Zubiya breaking Dr. Haroon's sarcasm.
It was a long time since this dining room has listened to feminine laughthers, the chattering of the family. Watching the metallic spoon swril around in the cup of tea, feeling the steam rising from it. Smelling the aroma of a baked cake travelling around the kitchen and the walls percepting the heat emitting the oven.
Six years. That house has waited for six years to get these delights and finally when these delights were here, it was beaming with pride and happiness. It was enjoying the same sky with different feeling that day. The walls of the house savoured the moment, soaking the sunlight that fell on it.
***
A/N: OH MY GOD!!! It feels like decades since I've posted, and I'm really sorry for the delay guys. To be very honest your comments and eagerness to read more of my work takes me over the sky but equally saddens me when I know I can't fulfill your requests anytime soon. From the last time I've posted till now the major thing that happened was AHAD AUR SAJAL KI SHAADI ofc. This truly is a safar everyone lives for (say Masha'allah everyyyonee. yeah good!)
Anyway guys, today is 15 April. In like four days, Yakeen ka Safar will mark four years of its premiering on television. FOUR YEARS!!! And we're still not over Asfiya, woaahh. This one shot is to the celebration, everyone.
Cheers :)
Until next time,
Asslam o alaikum ❤