ishq kavita

Chapter 6: Daneen

I woke up to the sounds of Biya rushing through our room. Why, if this house had more room, why must we both share the same one?

“Why are you making such a chaos this early in the morning?” I groan from under my covers.

“Only if you would have got up and pressed your clothes, I wouldn't have to run here and there.” She yells from the wardrobe. Press my clothes?

I finally sit up, rubbing my eyes. I check the time on my phone: it's 10 am in the morning. Picking up my morning tea, I walk out on the balcony. I can't tolerate noisy mornings and I definitely can't get up and run like she does. Unaware of my attire, I shamelessly stand on the balcony, one arm resting against the fence. Sipping my tea and enjoying it, it completely left my mind that this is his time to leave his house and go for work.

The main gate is swung open by one of his servants and he walks out to his car. The same instant my eyes go wide, he looks up, at me, AT ME, and waves! FREAKING WAVES!
I can't breathe, I can't move, I can't think, I can't decide wisely. After he effortlessly drives and leaves, I let the breath hitch and let the mug fall to the floor. It makes noise and I think maybe it broke too. To pieces. Like my heart.

“Omg, what happened?” She scans my position and then the mug that was now shattered to pieces. “Are you okay, Dina?” She checks my arm and my feet. “What's wrong with you!” she shakes me and I come back to my senses.

“He saw me.” I look at her. “He saw me like this, Biya. In my night shirt and strawberry printed Pajamas, my hair disheveled and my eyes swollen.” I make a very ugly face as if I would have puked If I were him. “He saw me like this and HE WAVED,BIYA, HE WAVED!!! OMG!!” I didn't know whether I should cry and pity myself in this situation or scream with happiness that he noticed me.

She sighs, grabs me from my arms and pushes me back to our room.

She makes me sit on the bed and sighs. “Look, Dina. Today some guy is coming to ask for your hand in marriage, shit is getting serious. Stop this drooling over a guy who is already engaged. Normal people wave when they see each other and we are neighbors. Stop it.” she slaps me lightly on the arm.

I roll my eyes. “Yeah okay, whatever. I wasn't drooling anyway.” I cross my legs. I didn't want to hear any of her lame lectures anymore.

“Fine. guests are coming over around 2 at lunch, be ready by then. This is the dress Maa wants you to wear. And she said "wear Kajal.” Maa’s favorite child.

I nodded and waited for her to leave. As soon as she does, I get up, pull out the letter box from drawer and start writing:

“Dearest Zayn,

Today, I felt what writers write about. “Having butterflies in stomach”,
And you are the cause of it. I am so glad you finally noticed me and waved.

But, love, why did you have to form a relationship only when I am going to meet another guy, someone I'll possibly marry? Isn't it unfair to our long lost love?

Yours only,
Dina.”

I was standing before the mirror of our dresser. Ready to take off the jewelry and the makeup. Maa made me wear a pastel pink colored salwar Kameez. The dress was monochrome hence the chiffon dupatta I wore on my head was also pink. My makeup was very minimal and I did not wear any kajal. Dadi said, women should only wear jewelry for men when the man in question is your mahram, aka your husband hence I did not wear any jewelry except for tiny pearls in my ears.

The guy, named Azlan, was 30 years old. 8 years older than me. He even looked older. He was good looking, but he did not seem attractive. He had a good posture, he talked nicely and kept staring at me. It felt a little uneasy but who else would he look at if not me? I was invited by his mom to sit between her and her daughter directly in front of him. A small smile kept lingering over my face from time to time and whenever I met his eyes, he gave me a smile too. He had done his MBA and was now running his own business empire. They lived in a big house in a rich area and he had only one sister, who was married 10 years ago so he lived alone with his mother. His father passed away when he was just 19, so he had been helping alongside his mother since then. How did I know all that? His mother liked to talk a lot.

Could I imagine myself with him? As his wife? Holding his children? Hm, it was a little hard, but maybe that was because we haven't spent time together yet. We barely even talked.

Someone knocked on the door. I turned to find Ravi standing on the doorside. I smiled.

“Come in.” I say taking off my hoops.

“How are you?” We both knew what he was referring to.

“Confused, I guess?”

“Do you like him?” he asks casually, roaming around my room and checking my stuff.

“He seems good enough, but I couldn't reciprocate any feelings of love for him in just one meeting where all his and my family members were present.” I say, brushing my hair. A smirk tangling on my lips. “Did you find yourself falling in love in the first meeting, bhai?”

Something soft hits my head at the back. I turn to see one of my stuffed toys on the floor.

“Answer the question. Will you marry him if everything goes smoothly?” he seems worried, damn.

I look away. “ I don't know Ravi. We just met. How am I supposed to decide this so early?”
He strokes his hair back. “I just wanted to know if you are considering him. I mean, if Baba asks, will you say yes, or will you reject him?”

I sigh and pick up the fallen stuffed toy. It's 1the avocado Rumi gifted me. I pick it up and put it back on the bed. “Isn't Maa planning our date this weekend? I need to talk to him and then I’ll decide whether he is a yes or a no.” I say calmly. No one is rushing things.

He stands up abruptly. “Okay, I guess. No rushing things. Yes. “ he takes two steps towards the door. “Um, are we still going to meet Sasha?”

Oh, I almost forgot about that. Although I'm exhausted, I don't want to break his heart. He must have committed to her.

“Yes, we are. Just give me half an hour to freshen up and change. Cant meet your girlfriend like this." I smiled at him. He smiles too, a fake one. Something is troubling him. Or maybe he is just being an overprotective brother.

When he leaves, I lie on the bed. What a long day.