𝗗𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗮𝗿-𝗲-𝗗𝗶𝗹

اضطرارِ دل ۱۱۔

تمہارے پیار کی قسم
تمہارا غم ہے میرا غم
نہ یو بجھے بجھے رہو
جو دل کی بات ہے کہو
جو مجھ سے بھی چھپاؤگے
تو پھر کسے بتاؤگے؟

Tumharey pyaar ki kasam
Tumhara gham hai mera gham
Nah yun bhujhey bujhey raho
Jo dil ki baat hai kaho
Jo mujh se bhi chupaaogey
Toh phir kisse bataogey?

(I swear by your love,
Your sorrow is my sorrow.
Don’t remain aloof like this,
Speak what’s in your heart.
If you hide things from me,
Then who will you tell your stories to?)

Inaya sat on the staircase, deeply immersed in her thoughts. An hour earlier, she had returned from the hospital after visiting her father. She had pleaded to stay with him, but her mother had firmly refused, stating that only one person could stay. Determined, Inaya also tried to persuade her by saying,

"Mama aapki khud ki tabiyat theek nahi hai aap please Faaria aapi ke saath ghar chali jaaye nah!"

(Mama, you’re not feeling well yourself. Please go home with Faaria Aapi.)

Her mother replied that she needed to stay with her husband; otherwise, she wouldn’t be at peace at home. It was a relief that her mother was assigned a proper bed because it was a private hospital. Her mother was fine when they both left.

Faaria was at her home to collect a few necessary items for herself and Wali. Wali had been cranky due to a fever, adding to her stress. The empty house was weighing on her.

She couldn’t stay inside alone because the walls adorned with their family photos were haunting her. Why is life so unexpected? Growing up, the constant fear that gripped her heart was always related to her father’s health, which had been poor for as long as she could remember. Today, only she understood the dread that overwhelmed her heart, causing it to momentarily stop beating upon hearing the news.

To escape the confines of the house, she sat on the staircase outside, anticipating Faaria, who had called and assured her that she would return as soon as Wali fell asleep. Inaya had no alternative but to sit and wait for her.

From the staircase, she could easily see the main gate and the lawn. Lost deep in thought, her head rested against the wall. Her heart felt heavy, and she longed for a shoulder to lean on and cry for hours. It seemed as if the weight of the world rested upon her shoulders. Truly, it's always the youngest children who end up with elderly and sick parents.

Engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't notice when someone quietly settled on the step below her. Startled, she quickly turned her neck to face the intruder.

There he sat, in a side pose with his disheveled hair, as if he had run his fingers through it multiple times that night. He had changed into his casual nightwear—a t-shirt and trousers—and was also staring straight at the lawn. She hadn’t heard his footsteps, the sound of the main gate opening, or noticed him appear.

Her gaze shifted back to the lawn, where a light drizzle fell from the sky. Normally, Inaya would have squealed in delight at the sight of the rain, as she loved it, but at that moment, she couldn’t have cared less. She had changed into a maroon t-shirt and black trousers, with a black, lightweight shawl draped over her shoulders. Her auburn hair cascaded freely down her back beneath the shawl, with a few strands brushing her face.

They sat in silence for about 7 or 8 minutes. Then, Ibrahim leaned back against the stairs and, for the first time since sitting with her, turned his eyes toward her.