Farmeed / One-shot Series

~ chitta kukkar baneray te ~

Umeed entered her room and threw herself on the bed. It had been a long night, but she had never felt this happy and contented before. Her legs hurt from dancing and jumping around to the point where she couldn't even bring herself to stand up. But her heart? It never felt lighter and more at peace. Her cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing, but she couldn't stop. Her mind kept replaying the events of the night. 

Pasha sahab aka the same father who had never even cracked a joke with her, dancing around with her all night, out of his own will. Somewhere, the 12 year old Umeed made a comeback today. The one who had the perfect family - a loving father, a doting mother and just normalcy in her life. Something that had gone missing ever since that fateful night. In the eight years that followed, Umeed never felt at home with her own father. It felt like a liability that they both just had to stick to. 

But tonight? Tonight was everything she had ever wished for growing up. All she wanted was for her family - her father especially - to support her in her dreams and actions. She wanted the people closest to her to be happy in her happiness. She was tired of hiding her happiness from her own family. She wanted to be able to take a breath and laugh out loud without the fear of being caged. Today, she got that liberty. In what were already the happiest days of her life, as she prepared to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved more than life itself, she also found her entire family being genuinely happy with her. Life really couldn't get more perfect for Umeed Pasha. 

She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with a smile etched on to her face, as her fingers traced the messy mehndi Sameer had applied on her hand. Brides always wanted everything to be perfect. The mehndi design has to be applied with utmost precision. But as Umeed looked at the unruly circles - which didn't even look like circles - she could never imagine better mehndi. 

Haya entered the room in a hurry, yanking Umeed out of her thoughts. She looked distraught, as if she had ran here to save her life. What was with her? And where had she been all this time?

"Haya, tumhein kya hua hai? Koi bhoot dekh liya hai kya?"

Umeed finally sat up straight, looking at the girl in front of her with concern. 

"Nahiiii, mujhe kya hona hai? Mein to bas, aisay hi"

Umeed knew this girl inside out. She knew very well when she was hiding something. Raising an eyebrow at her, she got off bed.

"Beta, kuch to kar ke aayi ho tum. Aur ye tum itni dair se kahan ghayab thi, hmm?"

Getting closer, Umeed looked her in the eye, but saw Haya avoid looking at her. 

Aha! She was right! Haya was definitely on to something. 

"Mene kahan ghayab hona hai? Ammi ke saath cheezein samait rahi thi, aur kya?"

"Haya, tum ne mujhe pagal samjha hua hai? Shakal se bewaqoof lagti hoon mein?"

Haya shook her head vehemently. 

"Ab seedhi tarah bata rahi ho, warna phir mujhe buhaat tareeqay aatay hein. Sameer ke saath thi na?"

Umeed said in a teasing voice, poking her arm.

"Aray nahi, ye Sameer kahan se aa gaya? Ussay to apni us nayi mehmaan se hi fursat nahi hai."

"Phirrr, oye, tum mere bhai ko koi dhoka woka to nahi de rahi? Dekho mujhe pata hai thora khiska hua hai magar - "

"Taubah Umeed, kya bolay chali ja rahi ho? Aisa kuch nahi hai. Acha chalo na, chatt pe chaltay hein!"

Umeed raised her eyebrow, giving her a quizzical look.