Arsee or Aymee ki kahani

Chapter 6

Arslan had moved to Karachi for shooting of CC, but now that the whole country was going under lockdown because of surging cases of Covid-19, he was perplexed. He couldn't decide if he should stay or go back to his home town, Pindi.

After sudden announcement of shooting cancellation, everything had gone under a complete halt in Shehr e Qaid. As much as they were in shock, they had packed it up and said good byes to each other, without knowing when they will see each other again. This thought was gnawing at his heart, but he wasn't sure what it was that bothered him the most. There were a lot of questions and worries hitting the insides of his head.

It felt like his journey had just began and he was finally enjoying some voyage but then it had vanished in the cyclone.

CC was an unfinished business right now...but it felt like it wasn't the only unfinished business that bothered him. It wasn't only about his carrier that had just begun. For sure that bothered him big time, but there was something else eating his insides. As if you are watching your favorite series next season that you had waited to watch all that time, you are all mind and heart into it and then puff!...it's just gone.. you don't know what happened next and you feel stranded in the middle.

"Kya soch raha hai mere bchay" Arslan's mother said while caressing his hair with affection.

"Kuch bhi nahin Ammi, aap soyi nahin abi tk ? Raat hogyi Boht" he sighed shutting the window that was letting in night's breeze. March was ending and it had started getting warm in Karachi.

He walked to his bed and sat down. His mother followed him and took her place near him on the chair. It was a two bedroom flat that mother and son were sharing. He had insisted her to stay back in their hometown but she was bent on not letting him stay alone in Karachi. After all she had faced his absence for a very long time in past and now that he was back she didn't want to stay without him for a second.

"Aati hai neend bhala aese halaat hyn mulk k, or jb tu itna pareshan hai" she said examining his face and he could see worry lines etched on her face.

"Main to nhn hu pareshan bilkul b maa ji" he chuckled intentionally to ease out her worries a little.

"Aap so jayen ja k, or subha aap wapis chali jayen main thek hu yahan, ye kuch din ki baat hai" he reassured his mother of what he wasn't sure himself. Nobody knew at that stage when things will be back to normal. Danish Bhai had called him to tell that they will be back on set soon but he couldn't give him any definite date. That said a lot.

"Mujhe pta hy tu pareshan hy, kitna khush tha k ye project Mila hy, kitnay saloo'n baad roz hasta dekhti thi..job b chor di pichli...Allah mere bchay ka imtehaan Kyu le raha hy" She teared up.

Truth of his inner turmoil resonated in her voice, he lowered his gaze to not let her know but the moment her voice shivered and she became teary eyed, he went forward and hugged her, "aray aray maa ji Kya hogya hy chup kr jayen or please promise krain aap subha chli jayengi..."she looked at him analyzing, "main pareshan rahunga na wrna" he stressed scrunching his brows, "theak hai chali jaungi, mjy pta hy k tri aadat nhn hy btanay ki, tu nhn bolay ga but main smj skti hu maa hu teri..myn Dua krungi sb thek hojayega pareshan na hona" she pecked on his forehead with love and went to her room shutting his door.

Arslan exhaled the breath he was holding and sighed behind the door shutting.
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The next morning when he woke up, her mother was packing bags, "ja rahi hu main driver k Sath, ab khush hy tu ! Naashta kr le phr main chalu"

"Acha...sai hai" he yawned getting up from the bed.

Mother and son did the breakfast together and then she was gone from the front door. Giving him instructions about a lot of things and reprimanding him to call her more often.

The moment she had left out of that door, he suddenly felt more ..lonely ?
It was unfathomable, what he was feeling. He had lived a lifetime abroad away from his parents, ofcourse he missed them and therefore he came back, but he sure was not emotionally dependent on anyone. He did manage on his own very well. Neither he shared a very expressive bond with either of his parents. What was the case with him then?

What was this restlessness?

He had gotten so invested in this routine that it was difficult to adapt to absence of that. He wanted to hang out with everybody on set, he smiled remembering shenanigans of the boys.. their teasing games...

Speaking of shenanigans, it dawned on him suddenly that he hadn't exchanged phone numbers with anyone, except OB and Danish Bhai who were already in his contact. They would spend their whole day on set with each, most of the hours late till night and only did go home to get some hours of sleep. He was so much there that he never realized they hadn't exchanged contact information.

He didn't have Aymen's number even.

Suddenly, that realization downed his spirits. She never contacted me besides work hours, practically she couldn't as she didn't have my number, he thought...but she had my insta...she could, at least now...she didn't feel the need to have that...may be...He jerked his head to get rid of these strange thoughts.

"Kya hogya Bhai..hai to nhn tu itna softie" he rolled his shoulders looking over himself in the mirror.

He sighed turning around, coming to a conclusion after confronting himself.

May be she is protecting her boundaries..we were just work colleagues after all and why would she go out of the way to contact a mere "colleague"

Before this thought entered his mind he was looking at her insta profile, what was he thinking, he cleared his head and closed his phone without attempting what he had previously intended.
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