اچھی صورت کو سنورنے کی ضرورت کیا ہے
سادگی میں بھی قیامت کی ادا ہوتی ہے
تم جو آجاتے ہو مسجد میں ادا کرنے نماز
تم کو معلوم ہے کتنوں کی قضا ہوتی ہے
Achi Surat ko sawarnay ki zaroorat kya hai
Saadhgi me bhi kayamat ki Ada hoti hai
Tum jo aajatay ho masjid me Ada karnay namaz
Tum ko maaloom hai kitnon ki Kazah hoti hai
What is the need of make up for a beautiful face?
Simplicity also has the power of beauty to bring forth a dooms day.
When you come to the mosque for offering prayers
Do you know for how many it becomes something akin to death?
~~
Back at home, Ahmed Khan had already informed his wife, Farhat of the long awaited arrival of the two sisters into their home.
As Sherbano entered the large hall through the tall engraved main door , she was engulfed into an embrace immediately -an embrace that she recognised. She gave in, hugging the woman back.
Farhat Khan had always been like a mother to Sherbano, since she had lost her own mother at a very young age, Farhat had always been the one to take her out on lunches, talk to her like mothers do and offer her advice. It had been about a month since she had last seen Farhat -which had been too long for the both of them to spend apart.
After letting go of her, Farhat pressed a soft kiss to Sherbano's forehead before embracing Ayla. Zaryab had already disappeared somewhere.
It had been years since Sherbano had come to this house -ever since Zaryab left, she didn't find any reason to.
The two sisters were then led into one of the guest bedrooms they preferred to share, and Farhat left them to freshen up and rest for a while -not forgetting to inform them about dinner at 8:30.
With a warm smile, Farhat left the room and the two sisters drifted off, deciding to take a nap and wake up at 8 instead.
When Sherbano heard the incessant haranguing of her alarm clock, she groaned before waking up, and waking a snoring ayla up with a few nudges and chants.
Sherbano wore a black embroidered shalwar kameez -contrasting with her dewy skin and the delicate gold chain that rested upon her collarbones.
Ayla however, wore a bright summery blue printed shalwar kameez and by the time the two were freshened up, it was already 8:40.
Not wanting to be any more late than they already were, the two rushed to the dining room. The Khan family was waiting around the dining table for dinner to be served and the two girls to arrive.
When the door was pushed open by Sherbano, five pairs of eyes moved to her direction.
The silence in the air was almost awkward as Sherbano flushed pink at the attention and Zaryab looked away, clearing his throat. Ahmed Khan started,
"Come beta we-"
His words were cut short by his sons.
Ali looked from Sherbano's direction to Zaryab's and smiled smugly, his eyes wide as he brought his index finger and thumb to his mouth and an exaggerated series of loud whistles escaped from him whereas Sheheryar's teasing voice echoed
"Oh ho ho? Bhaaabhi ayi haaiiinnn?" Shehryar's tone was full of amusement, a sparkle of mischief glistening in his eyes.
(My sister in law has coomeee?)
Ahmed Khan and Zaryab Khan both glared at the two younger siblings and Farhat slapped Sheheryar on the back of his head before speaking,
"Don't mind him beta, always playing around. Ajao, we were waiting for you both, come sit."
(Come)
Sheherbano, despite the deep blush, smiled shyly and contemplated where to sit.
At the head of the dining table sat Ahmed Khan, the three chairs on his right occupied by his wife and younger sons, whereas the first chair on his left was occupied by Zaryab, and the two chairs left next to him were empty.
She moved to sit at the other end when a voice interrupted her,
"Soch lain bhabhi, agar aap Bhai ke saath nahi bethi tou wo bura maan jayengay." Sheheryar teased
(Think about it sister in law, if you don't sit next to my brother he'll feel bad and disappointed)
Sherbano flushed a deeper red,
'Maybe he's right, I don't want Zaryab to be mad or disappointed in me'
So she moved back to pull out the chair next to Zaryab and Sheheryar chuckled lowly as she settled on the seat, Ayla sitting next to her.
This time, Ali was the one to slap him upside the head as he whispered
"Abey oye, Bhabhi ko tangg na kar, you'll intimidate her, pehle hi Maasoom si hain"
(Oh loser, don't annoy our sister in law, you'll intimidate her, she's already so innocent)
"Oh shit, sahi bol raha hai, we'll make it up to her ruk" Sheheryar whispered back.
(Oh shit, you're right, we'll make it up to her just wait)
The two were whispering so loud that even though they didn't realise, everyone in the silent dining room could hear them. By this time, Zaryab already had his head in his hands in embarrassment.
Ahmed Khan shook his head at his children's antics before addressing Sherbano,
"Beta, they're just teasing you, don't worry. Make yourself comfortable, you too Ayla beta, come on now let's eat."
(Child)
The rest of the dinner went by smoothly, small talk was made by Farhat and Ahmed, Ali and Sheheryar seemed to engage in light conversation with Ayla. Zaryab and Sherbano however, silently ate their food.
~
After dinner, the family shifted into the living room.
Sheheryar, Ayla and Ali were on the carpet playing Ludo. Zaryab and his father were engaged in a conversation -most likely about business. Farhat and Sherbano spoke softly until Farhat excused herself to use the restroom.
Sherbano sat alone, cuddled up into the arm of the sofa as she played with the ring on her finger.
Sheheryar whispered into Ali's ear,
"Oye, it's time, get up."
The two brothers shushed Ayla and since Sherbano was lost in her thoughts and the two men were too engaged in their conversation, nobody noticed as the brothers left the living room.
When Farhat came back, she pointed out,
"Where did those two devils go?"
Breaking out of her thoughts, Sherbano shrugged confusedly and as if on cue, the two walked in. Standing in the door frame, Ali was holding a chocolate cake as Sheheryar tried to light up the candles without burning himself.
"Abey oye jaldi kar dar pok, you're ruining the element of surprise." Ali said irritatedly
(Oh hurry up you coward)
"IM TRYING, Ali ."
Sheheryar focused before successfully lighting the candles.
The two brothers walked to the sofa were Sherbano was seated and kneeled down in front of her, setting the cake on the table, she caught a glimpse at it and the words in white frosting which read
'Welcome home Bhabi'
Sherbano shook her head in amusement and shock.
She looked at the two brothers kneeling before her, both of them holding their ears as Sheheryar smiled his charming smile, Ali putting on his famous pout and widening his eyes
"We're sorry for teasing you Bhabi, we already like you more than Bhai, can we start over?" Sheheryar said
She chuckled at their attempt to cheer her up and nodded, smiling brightly.
Zaryab shook his head smilingly at the drama queens he called his brothers.
"Of course we can, but for that you'll have to stop calling me Bhabi."
"Okay fine." Ali agreed
"-For now." Sheheryar added
"But that doesn't mean we won't tease.."
Ali winked, making Zaryab glare at him sternly and point his finger out,
"Hey, limits", he reminded
Ali rolled his eyes before turning to Sherbano once again
"Okay, okay we get it Bhai, you're possessive." He winked at Sherbano once again before running out of the room so Zaryab wouldn't be able to get his hands on him.
Sheheryar leaned in and whispered,
"I just wanna say that the cake was 100% purely my idea, I take all credit and I accept a friendship as my thank you."
Sherbano's eyebrows furrowed,
"I thought we were already friends", she teased
"Perfect-", he blew out all the candles on the cake before standing up
"LATER BHABIII!" Sheheryar yelled before leaving the room
Sherbano shook her head in amusement and slight shyness before serving tea and cake to Zaryab, his parents and Ayla, settling down with a slice herself.
She smiled once again and thought smilingly,
'What kind of family is this,'
Zaryab liked seeing her smile, his brothers' childish actions irritated him sometimes but this time in particular, he was glad they did something to cheer her up from all the sorrow and glumness she had been surrounded with.
So as he took sips of his chai, he watched her make conversation with Ayla and his mom.
He couldn't wait to make her his wife.
~~~~
The following morning, breakfast was served at the dining table, full of chatter and conversation. As soon as visiting hours for the morning started, Zaryab took his father and the two sisters back to the hospital.
Sherbano and Ayla spent the day with their father, Zaryab didn't let any discomfort come to them, he ordered lunch for them on time and monitored the amount of food and sleep they got in the day.
Ayla made eye contact with Adeel a few times but quickly averted her eyes, making him smirk.
That night, Zaryab sent Adeel home to get rest and stayed at the hospital himself.
They fell into a routine, Ayla did her best to avoid Adeel at any cost but she couldn't ignore his heated stares, couldn't help but feel flustered under his gaze.
Sherbano would shy away every time Zaryab looked at her and would change paths every time he approached her.
Some nights Adeel stayed at the hospital and some nights, Zaryab.
Haris Malik was doing considerably better, his condition improved and his heart was strengthening. He was now able to hold full fledged conversations with Zaryab and sports arguments with Adeel, who was also growing attached to him.
The doctors were considering discharging him earlier than expected but as Zaryab insisted, he would still be under the doctor's observation and supervision for a week or two, to ensure his complete health and recovery.
It had been a week now, Sherbano and Ayla still felt scared for their father and missed him at home dearly but they were staring to love it at the Khan's estate. Sherbano and Ayla loved the adoration they received from Farhat and Ahmed, they loved the mischief and troubles caused by Ali and Sheheryar -who at 24 and 20 still acted like they were a decade younger.
Sherbano remembered how just the other day the two brothers were playing a game of what they called
'Dare and Dare', which according to their mother was never a good idea.
She recalled the drama that unfolded that night when one of the maids complained to Auntie Farhat about Sheheryar constantly licking his lips and winking at her in the corridors while she returned to her quarter.
Ahmed uncle had also received a complaint by the neighbours regarding Ali doing jumping jacks, clad in only his underwear right in front of their daughter's bedroom window.
Sherbano shook her head at the memory of how Farhat had tried to beat them with her slippers that night before Sheheryar kissed his mother on the cheek from behind and ran out of the room, Ali trying to escape after him but she had caught a hold of his collar and gave him the share of Sheheryar's beating too.
She broke out of her thoughts and was brought back to the present suddenly when Farhat auntie excused herself in the living room and retired to bed.
Seeing as it was getting quite late in the night, Sheheryar and Ali were already dosing off in front of the television. Ayla had excused herself to bed earlier, and Adeel had followed close after.
Tonight was the first night Ahmed Khan insisted on sending both his sons back home and staying back at the hospital with his friend. Zaryab and Adeel were both against it initially but decided to give the two some time to catch up with their friendship
Sherbano was left in the room alone with Zaryab, so she excused herself as well. Without looking at him, she stood up to retreat to her bedroom.
She heard his footsteps behind her and her heart thudded in her chest. Choosing to ignore it, she continued to walk up the stairs and down the hall until she opened the door of the bedroom and heard a voice behind her,
"Kahan challi?" His voice was full of amusement before he tugged on her wrist and pulled her into him, closing her room door.
(Where you going?)
Her eyes didn't meet his, her gaze was downcast, as always.
"Wo -umm, Sonay?"
(Ummm to sleep?)
She replied, innocently, slightly unsure of her words. He smiled in amazement of how pure she was.
He leaned in close, almost touching her, he tucked his head slightly under hers, near the dip of her neck,
"Pehle goodnight tou bol lo"
he whispered, his nose grazing her ear ever so slightly
(Won't you say goodnight first?)
He had trapped her, between the cage his arms had created and her dark mahogany bedroom door
"Zaryab..."
His face was so close that Sherbano could feel his mouth split into a grin on her jaw, right under her ear,
"Hmm?" He whispered back tenderly
Zaryab loved it when she took his name
Her breathing hitched in her throat before she could continue, making Zaryab aware of the effect he had on her
"If I ask you for something, will you give it to me?" She asked
Zaryab furrowed his brows in confusion, pulling away before pushing back an escaping tendril of her hair that framed her face,
"Anything, princess"
He would lay the moon and stars at her feet if she asked for them.
She didn't know how she managed to stem up the courage but she intertwined her left hand in his, and looked down.
His heart filled with love, if every time she asked him for something like this, he wondered how he would ever be able to say no
And the answer was simple, he wouldn't.
"Wo..umm..." she hesitated
Zaryab only smiled encouragingly, even though her gaze was casted down, towards the wooden floorboards
She finally mustered up the courage and shifted her gaze up, but before her eyes could meet his, they stopped in their tracks as she now trained her gaze at his chest instead
'As small as it is, it's improvement nonetheless' Zaryab thought
"Umm I just wanted to say that can't we wait until the nikkah? I don't want any touch or nearness between us to be haram. I want to have full rights on you before all this."
Zaryab couldn't stop the smile that etched its way onto his face yet again, as much as he had smiled around her in such a short span of time, he hadn't smiled in all of the ten years without her.
He loved that she valued her morals and beliefs before anything else, the respect for her and her character increased tenfold in his eyes.
"Okay, whatever you say will happen. Can I at least text you?" He said hopefully
These days without her words and her nearness would be torturous
"We can still talk...just-" she placed her hands on his chest and gave it a slight push to create some space between their bodies
"-at some distance," she continued
The two couldn't stop their smiles, hers shy as she bit her lip and looked down and his full of adoration, his eyes drunk on her
Zaryab nodded smilingly, and for the sake of his sanity, he thought of creating some distance between the two. He murmured,
"I'll see you later, my love,"
Then he turned on his heels, hands tucked into the pockets of his sweatpants as he made his way down the corridor and stopped at the door of his room
Sherbano's heart skipped a beat at the endearment and her palms went sweaty, she felt her knees tremble at the smug look adorning his face and her eyes followed his retreating back until he stopped, right before entering his room.
Zaryab turned around to catch one last look at her and winked, before disappearing into his room.
Sherbano rested her back against the door and closed her eyes, catching her breath. When her breathing finally normalised and the goosebumps faded, she allowed the smile to spread.
That night, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face, she couldn't stop her wandering thoughts that all led back to him. The scene of her being in his close proximity, near him, in his arms kept replaying in her head -she had waited for such a moment for years, but it felt even better than all of the times she had fallen asleep imagining it.
She didn't know when but during the early hours of morning, she caught a hold of sleep.
Zaryab's sleep was slightly disturbed knowing that she was in the room down the hall,
'So close, yet so damn far'
But he felt strangely satisfied, he admitted, not completely, but her presence -knowing that she was near him, safe, knowing that she was going to be his, made him content. He slept with the smile still on his face, his last thought being,
'Man, she's making me so whipped for her'
~~~~
Thoughts? Well either you guys liked it or just hated it 😂
But I mean, I'm open to any kinds of criticism.
(Next chapter we'll see a little more of Adeel and Ayla ;) so buckle your seat belts and leave some comments if you want the next chapter soon🤪😉)