Latte Or Mocha

08|Feef and Dan

"Dan, Hurry up! We need to leave for Pakistan."  Aniqa Khan shouted from across the hallway.

"Coming Mom! I just don't understand why we have to leave so soon. Weren't we supposed to stay here for another week?" He asked, confused seeing his parents act weirdly. Their hushed whispers and worried looks were a clear giveaway that they were hiding something from Dan but he didn't know what it was.

Dan's luggage was already packed and he was just ensuring that he hadn't left anything behind esp. the gifts he had bought for Feef. He pocketed the wedding band he had bought for Feef from Tiffany and Co. after saving from working odd jobs in America while he was on vacation.

The entire flight back home, he tried to sleep as much as he could so that upon landing he could just run back to meet Feef. He had missed her dearly. They have been away before for longer durations but this was the first time when he was away from his wife and he had just wanted to hug the living daylight out of her. He had become accustomed to her goofy smiles, snarky comments and tender kisses. She was his addiction and he didn't mind remaining drunk on her for life. She was indeed the mocha to his latte, a perfect blend of sweet to his bitter life. Dan couldn't contain his excitement, he was eagerly looking forward to surprising Feef since he hadn't informed her of his early arrival. There was this weird mix of apprehension, nerves and excitedness that caused all his attempts of sleeping soundly go in vain. They had reached Pakistan after 20 hours of flight. Dan stretched his legs out and headed in the direction of his car that was waiting at the airport to pick his family up.

"Dan wake up, we have reached home," his mother lightly shook him awake. Dan groggily looked around and wiped his face with the wet wipe his mother handed over to him. He didn't realize when he had fallen asleep in the car. However, upon reaching his house, he went to the washroom to freshen up. After taking a shower and changing into a plain light blue t-shirt and black jeans he picked up all the gifts he had gotten for her and rushed out of the house. He couldn't wait any longer to meet Feef.

"Dan, where are you going?" His mother asked him as she saw him walking towards the gate.

"To Feef's house mom!"

"Wait, your dad and I are also coming. We all will go together to her place," she said in a squeaky voice.

"Umm, okay?!" he answered quizzically. He didn't know what his parents were up to because they were acting quite uncharacteristic of themselves. He didn't understand why all of them had to be bundled up together in the same car to go meet Feef's family.

"Mom, is everything alright?" He asked as his mother gripped his right hand tightly in between hers.

"Dan, we want to show you something," she said tearfully. Dan couldn't help the anxiety that reared his head within him after seeing his mother cry as she tried to find a video on her phone.

"Highway per hoye haadsey mai mashhoor businessman Usman Diwan ki beti Afifa Diwan jaanbahak ho gayi hain. Is haadsey mai koi bhi nahi bacha, sunney mai araha hai key Afifa Diwan upney dou bodyguards aur driver key saath apni zameen par gayi theen. Akhri martaba baat unki apni walida se qareeb 11 baje hoyi thi lekin unhey yeh nahi pata tha key 5 baje unki beti sameth tamam log jo gari mai they woh is duniya se rukhsat hojayenge. Hum jaye-waqooa per kharain hain aur ap yeh manazir dekh saktey hain key yeh Land Cruiser bilkul hi tabbah hogayi hai, poori tarah se yeh jali hoyi halat mai payi gayi hai aur in mey paye janey walon ki bhi raakhain aur hadhiyan mili hain. Sab buri tarah jal chukey hain. Baqool kuch logon key, achanak se inki gari ek darakht se takrayi aur phir gari mai aag lag gayi…."

Dan couldn't believe what he had just heard, all the voices around him droned out and became completely numb. He couldn't believe that his wife had just left this world without saying a proper goodbye to him. It was not possible for Feef wouldn't do that. She couldn't just die like that. There was no way he was going to believe the utter nonsense his mom showed him.