Besabriyan

2|TWO

"Amma! Daji!" Maheen kept shouting for her mother and her grandmother as she walked inside the house, looking for the ladies that meant the world to her.

"We are in the kitchen." Came her mami's reply from the kitchen. Tossing her college bag to a side, Maheen danced her way into the kitchen to find the ladies having an evening tea party. She looked up at the clock that ticked sharply at seven past seven and however it wasn't the time they usually had their evening tea. Not wanting to probe into their routine, Maheen went to the cabinet to get a cup for herself.

Her mother shot her a wary look while the other two ladies were engrossed in their own gossip. Maheen never had any problems living with her mother's family, they treated like she belonged there when the world told her she belonged in his father's house. Daji- her grandmother loved her as much as she loved her grandson. Nobody in their house made her feel like she didn't belong there and she loved them for that. Her mother, however, had been a little concerned about her routine now that she had started to come home late and had been spending time on either studying or writing up until dawn. It had just started to bother her.

"Aaj dher kyon ho gayi, hein? Aur woh nalayak kahan reh gaya hai?" Her mami wondered, well knowing what resulted her in coming home alone when her son was in charge of her transport.

Maheen gruffed, snatching the last bite of samosa from her and tossed it in her mouth– extremely ridiculed from what happened in the college and it had nothing to do with Daniyal, for it was nothing new for them to bicker, quarrel and leave the other in the middle of nowhere. It was how Daniyal and Maheen functioned. The world would doubt itself if they acted civilly around each other. It was about that one man with a set of dark chocolate eyes.

"Hoga yahin kahin." Maheen shrugged, getting a cup of chai for herself and plopping down next to her mother. Manha– her mother had been looking at her with eyes that protrude. Maheen glanced at her mother as she took a sip and raised a brow at the latter. Her mother shook her head in a no.

"Are you free tonight?" Rafia asked her, cornering a samosa on Maheen's plate.

"Depends," She slurped chai, narrowing his gaze at both the women, "Why though?"

"We are invited for a house warming ceremony. The lady insisted on bringing you kids too." Rafia looked at her with hope as Maheen was her only hope at parties like those meanwhile Manha liked to stay closed off without anyone to bother her.

"Will Daniyal come too?" Maheen got excited upon hearing it.

"If you're coming, yes. He will have no other choice." With that the women hi-fived while Manha heaved out a sigh as she knew what awaited for her dear boy.

Earlier that day when the ladies from their street met, they had asked her about Maheen's marriage and that was the reason she had decided to pursue a master 's degree. Manha couldn't answer back even when she, of all people, had every reason to allow her daughter to study more, to stand on her own legs, to not depend on any man. She had failed to do it for herself so she would allow her daughter to grow wings and fly high– higher than everyone. And it had been bothering her ever since she came back. That no matter what the year was for a girl, marriage and building a family came first.

She had been zoning out throughout the tea session from the minute she saw her daughter walk inside of the door. They had pointed out her closeness with Daniyal too and Daniyal being older to Maheen didn't help. They only talked. However, it hurt both Manha and Rafia. They could take it forward– they could attempt to tie a knot but the decision would ultimately be on their children. They wouldn't force their opinion on them and they wouldn't let others opinion bother them. Manha was happy– elated when he had stopped talking about her only to start talking about her daughter after a handful of weeks.