Veiled Emotions

CHAPTER - 5 (Part-2 )

We all enjoyed the meal and thanked Fahad bhai for how tasty it was. However, Haniya pointed out that it shouldn't be only Fahad bhai's responsibility to pay; it should be all the boys' job. She asked why only Fahad bhai was doing it. Hammad said that Fahad bhai had volunteered to spend his money on us, so why would we say no? "Gentlemen, haan, we also have the right to use his money since he is our buddy," he added. Fahad and Qavi both agreed, with Qavi noting that they all share their money anyway.

I laughed as Haniya was taking my side at the dinner table and arguing with the brothers to help me out. Little did she know, I would love to spend my money on her and my cousins as well. Then I said specifically to her that it was my idea to take them out for dinner since I was coming after many years and wanted to have a splendid cousins' dinner night.

I didn't want to burden Fahad bhai alone because I know when we go out to eat, we spend a lot more than we think. Then I replied to Fahad bhai, "Phir bhi Fahad bhai, aapko aisa nahi karna chahiye tha. Ye toh pure team ka kaam hai na party dene ka." Hammad said, "Tum ne kya tumhare Fahad bhai ko gareeb samjha hai?" Haniya was blushing as Hammad said, "tumhare Fahad bhai."

Haniya responded, "Arey, maine aise kab bola?"

Qavi added, "Fahad toh pure Kuwait ka first young, dashing, and successful businessman hai. Toh woh gareeb kahan se hua?"

Arshiya said, "Aisa hai toh phir Fahad bhai toh roz aisa khana kha sakte hain."

Hafsa said, "Kya aap sab bhul rahe hain ki hum sab ameer hain? Yahan koi bhi gareeb nahi hai."

Hammad said, "Hamme pata hai pehle se hi."

Hafsa said, "Mein toh yaad dila rahi thi bas."

Haniya said, "Arey, baat toh sirf Fahad bhai pe ek sath itna burden karna nahi tha par tum sab toh hamari gareebi ameeri pe chale gaye."

To which Fahad replied, "Arey, ye kya burden kahe rahi ho aap? Mujhe apne hi cousins ko ek waqt ka khana khilane mein kaisa burden hoga? Haan, agar mein aap sab ko roz bhi khilaya na toh bhi mujhe burden feel kabhi nahi hoga."

Hammad said, "Arey bhai, jaane do. Ye bachi se jeetna bohut mushkil hai. Isse acha, bhai, mein aur Qavi milke in sab ko ice cream party de dete. What do you say, Qavi?"

"Haan bhai, kar dete hain, nahi toh phir umar tamam hamein inka tanna (taunt) sunna padega."

To which all the girls laughed.

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Here all the elders were sitting in the garden, enjoying the cool breeze and having a good talk with each other.

They had just had their dinner and went to the garden.

Niaz Mirza (grandfather) said, "Aaj bacche itne dinon ke baad bahar gaye dinner karne."

To which Safiya Mirza (grandmother) replied, "Haan, ye toh sahi hai. Allah hamare bachon ko buri nazar se bachaye."

To which all of them said, "Ameen."

Niaz said, "Fahad toh bohot dinon ke baad aaya hai aur bohot nek aur samajhdar ho gaya hai."

Safiya said, "Waise toh hamare sabhi bachche hi samajhdar hain, mashallah se."

Ahsan and Humera (parents of Haniya) said, "Ammi Abbu, Haniya ke liye Qureshi's aur Khan's ke paas se rishta aaya hai."

Muzaffar and Zulaikha said, "Mashallah, bhaiya bhabhi, yeh toh bohot achi khabar hai. Hame toh khushi manana chahiye is baat pe."

Ahsan said, "Baat yeh nahi hai, Muzaffar. Baat toh yeh hai ki Haniya ki abhi padhai khatam nahi hui hai."

Safiya said, "Magar maine Haniya ke liye kisi ko pehle se chun liya hai."

Niaz said, "Tum wo sab chhodo, Safiya. Jo Haniya ke liye sahi hoga, hum wahi karenge. Abhi ke liye, filhaal toh hame hamza ki rukhsati ke liye tayyar hona hai. Thode hi din mein Farah sab ke saath aane wali hai.

Aur rahi baat Qureshi's aur Khan's ke rishte ki, hum unhe rukhsati ke baad alag-alag bula ke baat karenge. Agar hame theek laga toh phir achi baat hai, nahi toh phir saaf inkar kar denge."

Ahsan and Humera replied, "Theek hai, Abbujaan."

Aur Safiya boli, "Yeh baat Haniya ko koi nahi batayega."

To which all of them replied, "Theek hai, Ammijaan."

✨✨✨

Everyone finished their banter, and then Qavi and Hammad ordered all the girls' favorite ice creams. When the ice cream arrived, all the girls squealed in happiness and started eating as if the ice cream was going to vanish.

Hammad said, "Thoda toh aaram se khao ice cream, koi tumhare paas se nahi cheen raha hai."

Qavi added, "Haan, aur ice cream bhi kahin bhag nahi jaari."

Fahad was observing Haniya, who was happily enjoying her ice cream. Eventually, the boys also started eating, except Fahad.

Then Haniya asked, "Fahad bhai, aap ice cream kyun nahi kha rahe?"

Hammad replied, "Fahad ko ice cream pasand nahi hai."

To which Haniya responded, "Ab ye bhi kya, koi na pasand hone wali cheez hai, Fahad bhai aap bhi na." Then she put some ice cream into a cup, passed it to Fahad, and said, "Chalo ab aap yeh ek good boy ki tarah finish karlein."

Hammad said, "Yeh koi chhota bachha nahi hai."

Fahad asserted, "Aur mein boy nahi, ek man hoon." Haniya teased, "Harkate toh chhote bachon jaisi hai," to which Hammad added, "Wo toh sirf aapke samne ye shareef shahezaade bane phir the hai."

Haniya blushed and requested Fahad to eat the ice cream, saying it was her favorite. Fahad replied jokingly, "Agar aap zehar bhi de dein toh , hum khushi khushi kha lenge."

Haniya blushed again and started eating her ice cream. Then Arshiya reminded Haniya to eat quickly as it was late and they had to go home, especially because Haniya had college the next day.

Fahad intervened, saying, "Aaram se khane do usse, itni gadbad mat karo." Hammad added, "Yeh jo shehzaadi hai na, unhe sone ke liye kam se kam 9 ghante chahiye, if not she doesn't wake up."

Hafsa agreed, saying, "Yeh toh baat bohot sahi hai, appi. Jaldi khayi yeh ice cream." Haniya reluctantly agreed and finished her ice cream.

After a lot of bickering, everyone got up from their chairs, went downstairs, headed to the parking lot, and all of them sat in the car, driving towards their home.

Haniya said, "Jazakallah Fahad bhai," and all the other cousins joined her, saying, "Jazakallah Fahad bhai." Everyone was tired, but Haniya was still more energetic than the others and kept talking. Hafsa was so tired that she fell asleep, while Qavi and Arshiya were also in a sleepy state. Hammad was driving, and our great Fahad was listening to Haniya's stories.

After some time, they reached their villa. Haniya started waking Hafsa, Arshiya, and Qavi. "Wake up, everyone! We've reached our house. Let's go and sleep in our beds. Come on, guys, wake up," she urged. They slowly woke up. Fahad came down and opened the door on Haniya's side as she was waking the cousins up. She blushed because Fahad was fulfilling all her simple wishes gradually, without even realizing it. After Haniya got down, everyone else followed one by one. Hammad gave the car keys to the worker to park in the garage, and everyone went inside.

All the elders were in their rooms except for Haniya's mother, Humera, and Arshiya's mother, Zulaikha, who were waiting for the younger ones to arrive. The younger ones entered and wished, "Aslamualaikum" to the elders, who replied with "Walaikumasalam."

Humera said, "Chalo, bohut enjoy kar liya aaj. Ab jaldi jaake soo jao, kal subah college bhi jaana hai na?"

The younger ones (Haniya, Hafsa, and Arshiya) replied with, "Ok, Mamma," and Arshiya added, "Ok, Tayyammi."

Zulaikha said, "Chalo, ab tum sab bhi jaake soo jao. Kal office ku bhi jaana hai na aur Fahad ko rukhsati ki tayyari bhi karna hai."

Qavi replied with, "Ji Ammi," Hammad with, "Ji Chachi," and Fahad with, "Ji Mami." With that, they all went to their rooms to have a good sleep.

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Thank you!!