HUMSAFAR

17~ 'Not' Missing You

[MORNING]

Mannara turned around in the bed, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She opened them slowly, trying to adjust to the morning light filtering through the curtains. As her vision cleared, she saw Munawar busy packing clothes into a suitcase. Confused, she sat up on the bed, her hair tousled from her sleep falling across her face. "Kahin jaa rahe ho?" She asked.

'Hyderabad..bataya tha na..'

Mannara's eyebrows furrowed, her expression turning slightly upset. 'Par tum toh agle hafte jaane wale the?'

'Meeting prepone hogayi...Aaj shaam tak mujhe wahan pohonch na hai'

After a pause she asked, 'kitne din ke liye jaa rahe ho?'

Munawar turned to her. 'Do teen din mein aa jaunga'

'Main kuch..help karu?'

He closed the suitcase. 'No it's fine. I think mujhe abhi chalna chahiye. Mujhe zyada miss mat karna' he said, a slight smile playing on his lips.

'Oh please..main toh balki khush houngi ke kuch din sukoon se reh sakti hoon akele.'

He smiled sarcastically. 'Bye' he said leaving the room. She quickly got out of bed and followed him outside, her loose night dress flowing around her.

Munawar sat in the car and glanced at Mumtaz and Mannara waving at him. He smiles warmly as the car starts moving.

.........

MANNARA

I made my way downstairs for breakfast. It was eleven in the morning. Maa and Amreen would already have finished breakfast. So it was just going to be me..

I entered the dining and saw Nazila. Why is she back? I tried to leave thinking I'd rather have breakfast alone later.

'Kya hua Mannara? Ab Munawar ke bina khaana bhi nahi khaogi kya? Meray saath ki kha lo.'

I smiled sarcastically.

'Tum Mumbai se itni jaldi aa gayi? Mujhay laga ab wahi rahogi'  I said sitting.

She looked irked. 'Yeh ghar jitna tumhara hai, usse kayi zyada mera hai. Toh tum ya koi bhi mujhay iss ghar se nahi nikal sakta'

'Maine kab kisi ko nikalne ki baat ki?' I said trying to eat my breakfast.

After a pause she looked towards me. 'Pata nahi kya dekh liya Munawar ne tum mein' she blurted to herself.

As much as I tried to avoid a conversation with her, she was trying to provoke me.

'Waise Nazila..tumhe nahi lagta ke tumhe ab shadi kar leni chahiye? I mean no offense but kab tak dusro ke shohar ke peeche padi rahogi? Apna ghar basao'

'Pehle khud ka ghar basa lo Mannara. Wese woh toh main tumhe karne nahi dungi!

'Tumhe mujhse itni problem kyun hai Nazila?' I asked frustrated. Ever since I married she was trying to give me a hard time.

'Kyunki tumne meri chahat, meri kismat sab cheen li mujhse'

'Koi kisi ki kismat nahi cheen sakta..jo jiske naseeb main hota hai woh usse hi milta hai' 

'Munawar sirf mere naseeb mein hai.' She replied.

Aur tum iss ghar mein hamesha ke liye nahi rehne wali! Yeh baat yaad rakhna' she said leaving from there. I don't think trying to talk to her would fix anything so I'd rather let everything be the way it is. I don't understand why she lives with us here and not in Mumbai. And how could she openly talk about having feelings for a married man? Ugh