Aamir
"Hey buddy, how was your date night?"Mushtaq winked when I entered in the house.
"Not now Mushtaq."
"Why , you hadn't got chance to do ahem ahem things."he giggled like a school girl and honestly I want to punch this guy.
"Shut up , please."I said in low voice and he came at my side.
"Something happened? "
"You guys fought"
"She throwed tantrum."he asking various questions which I don't want to answer till
"Aamna spoilt our date." words blurted out from my mouth.
"This is too much dude ,stop your obsession towards this particular girl."
"I am serious Mushtaq,she came to our table , blurted nonsense,lectured me about Islam...."it looks like a rant but I describe things truthfully.He is not believing me.
"Pahle bhi kaha hai phir kah raha hun Nikaah kar lo Aamna se waise bhi usko yaad kiye bina tumhara koi kaam hota nahi hai ( I said earlier too and now repeating myself,go get married to Aamna as you can't function without her.)" He laughed at me.
"Me and Aamna ,she shall eat me alive.You don't know her, she is very arrogant, proudy and self righteous girl."
"I think, I should meet this girl who brings whole spectrum of emotions in my friend."he proclaimed
"You won't do that and no need to talk with her. You don't need to know her.I know her and that's enough."
"Easy buddy,no need to be possessive about her."
"I am not."I said firmly.
"Okay okay, you are not possessive about Aamna" he put extra pressure on her name and left with a huge grin.
Nerve of this guy, I just hate him but I hate Aamna more. She always irked but this time I'll teach her a lesson.
***********
Aamna
We raced against the time to reach our hostel gate as we are not allowed to enter the hostel after 8.
"Bach gaye( We are spared)" Karuna said after entering in our room . I agreed with her. We had managed to reach our place with a thin margin, five minutes more and we would be denied from entrance.
We are breathing rapidly due to running about 500 meter. Adrenaline rush is still not over. We let our body fall on the bed . We look each other and smile came on our place. Although our body is exhausted we are happy with today's events.
"I hadn't imagined my birthday this way.Thank you so much for making it special for me."she said and I just smile. 'Its my duty as a friend etc etc is not my thing. If I care for someone I try my best to make them feel special. I don't mind compliment from friends and family.
"Let's play a game and know each other better."I said
"Okay"
"Favourite food?"
"Dal bati and churma"she immediately said."and yours?"
"Its my turn silly, ask about me when your turn came."
"Okay"she pouted like a child and I giggled. She is so adorable. I feel like Iqra is just sitting beside me. She is just like her,same child like innocence, happy go attitude. At home Iqra eased my worries and here Karuna take away all gloom of my life. My little one became my biggest strength to if she wasn't there ...
"Allah, you know everything please keep my family away from misery, Amen." I prayed internally.
"You zone out again"Karuna declared.
"Really"I said and asked her a random thing. She is busy now and leave me without asking tough questions.
"Place love to visit?"I ask again.
"Nani ka ghar (maternal home)" she replied and this is another thing common between us. She is like sister from another mother. I also love to visit my Mamu's place and meet my grandparents.
"Favourite season?"
"Obviously Rain"
"Rain?"
"Romance"
"Love"I asked
"Forbidden"
"you.."I think she said something else
"You heard it right, its forbidden for me."
"Why?"
"I am betrothed to someone"
"So?"I raised my brows in confusion ."I am not understanding anything. You can love your fiancee or your future husband. What's the issue?"
"Love is not a choice for me whether I fall for him or not , I can't refuse him."
"Are you mad? You are an independent girl.
"I am not independent.His family is bearing all expenses of my life."
"You can repay"
"I can't, I never repay favours his family bestowed upon me. I am the youngest child of my family. My parents hadn't expecting me,I came unannounced." I put my hands on her hand and her eyes glisten with unshed tears. I can feel her pain . Those who should love you unconditionally,doesn't want you .
"It would be false if I say my parents doesn't love me .I know they do but they were not capable of raising me. Our family's financial condition was critical. They had to raise three other kids and I was ...."she stopped for few minutes and composed herself. "They wanted to put me for adoption but my grandfather's friend stopped them. He paid all my expenses till now. He is the reason , I am with my biological family. How can I forget his favours?" She said and I had no answer for her question. I can't advice her to be ungrateful but I can't see sweetheart like her to be in despair.
"When it was fixed?"
"The day he offered his help.My grandparents was more than happy as decades of friendship will be turned into a relationship."
"Have you seen him?"
"I did when I was ten after that he stopped coming to our town."
"Where he..I mean his family lives now."
"Delhi" she said in low voice.
"and what he do?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know.?"
"I hadn't asked about him .He stopped coming and I devoted myself in studies. I almost forgot about him but my grandfather reminded about him recently."
"We can find him on Facebook or Instagram."
"And what's the point.?"she looked me with no hope in her eyes. "I had to marry him in any condition so..
"Maybe he is in love with someone else" I said and her eyes shines with new hope.
"But I don't know, how he looks now."she hided her face in pillow.
"But we can still try to find this invisible fiancee of yours by city,name and other things." I said hopefully.
She bring her laptop and we start searching "Lucky Vashist".we zeroed out to closest ten and send a friend request to them. I assure her that everything will be fall on place.
********
Me and Karuna are exiting from our hostel gate and we find a guy looking towards us . He has a camera with him and its strange to roam with a camera in hospital premise. We are early for college so we decided to roam in campus for sometime.
"He is staring Aamna"she whisper in my ear and I ask her to let it go,may be he is a bystander. After sometime he followed us and before I stop her Karuna marched towards him.
"O hello kabhi ladki nahi dekhi kya(o hello, had you not seen a girl before)" she scold him.
"Aapki jaisi nahi dekhi ( Never seen someone like you)"that guy was off guard initially but comeback quickly with a witty reply.
"You are trying to flirt with me" Karuna is in angry mode
"No,but if you like..
"Shut up and tell me your name ,I'll complain ...."
"Mushtaq " a voice from behind interrupted our conversation and he quickly move passed us.we turned behind but all we can see is two retreating figures.