Aakhirat

A Date

Kafi mausam beet chuke Jab ham unse aakhari bar mile the, Kaisi hongi wo? Kya hame dekh khush honge wo? Kya unhe ham mil payenge? ya allah!

Jitne sawal the usse kahi guna jyada bechain the ham iss bat se ki kya Karishma hamare jazbat samjhenge? Kya wo hamari mohobbat ko apna lenge? Lekin ek sukoon bhi tha hamare zehen mai kyuki ham kariban ek saal bad unn ankhon se milne wale the. 

Jiss shaksh ne aajtak asptal se ek chutti nahi li, Kashmir se ek pal ke liye bahar nahi nikale, Aur sabse badi bat! Apni ammi se ek pal ke liye alag nahi hue Ham!... Wo aaj milo ka safar teh kar rahe the sirf unn ankhon ko dekhne ke liye..

Dr. Malik sat by the train's window, her pen tracing emotions on paper. As she looked outside, she realized that she had arrived at her destination. She grabbed her coat and suitcase, exiting the train. She made her way out of the station.

Dr. Malik hailed a taxi and mentioned the name of the restaurant Mr. Singh had told her about. She was unfamiliar with the area, being completely new to Kanpur.

As the cab neared the restaurant, she remembered the house was close by. She paid the driver and stepped out, looking around as she slung her coat over her arm.

It was an old neighborhood, home to some of the town's well-established families who had been living there for generations. She glanced at the restaurant, packed with people, and recalled Ms. Singh's words: "Agar aap kabhi aaye hamare restaurant, toh mushkil hai aate hi aapko baithne ke liye table mil jayega, Ms. Malik!"

Dr. Malik smiled softly, realizing how true the angry bird's words had been. She moved forward, trying her best to weave through the crowd.

Inside the restaurant, Ms. Singh was busy assisting her staff. The unexpected rush had her taking orders from some tables, while Mr. Singh managed the cash counter and Sumati, as always, ran the kitchen.

Dr. Malik stood amidst the crowd, her eyes locking onto the woman. The world seemed to stop. Though it had only been just a year since she last saw her, it felt like decades. Leaning against a wall, Dr. Malik folded her arms across her chest, watching her. Karishma's eyes were filled with irritation, likely due to her staff not working fast enough. Her hairs tied in a messy bun, suggesting she hadn't had time for herself with all the work. Her voice, always filled with authority, sounded like a ticking bomb ready to go off if her workers kept testing her patience.

"Masha allah," Dr. Malik whispered under her breath, watching her like a total simp. Without realizing it, her legs carried her toward the angry woman. She stood behind her and whispered,

"Table for two, please?"

Karishma turned around, already irritated by yet another person asking for a table, even though it had already been announced that the restaurant was closed and no more orders would be taken.  She snapped, eyes closed in frustration,

"Ama aap sab pagla gaye hai kya! Kahana ham ne restaurant band ho chuka hai, ab koi table nahi hai avai...

She stopped mid-sentence when she finally saw the person in front of her. "AAP?!!"

Dr. Malik stood there, savoring the expressions of the surprised woman, as the entire restaurant fell into an unexpected silence, as though the once loud and fiery presence had been muted by someone's arrival.

"Please, Ms. Singh? Ham bohot dur se aaye hain yaha ka khana chakhne, yun hamein mayoos mat kariye..." Dr. Malik teased in a soft whisper, fueling the woman's surprise even further.

Karishma finally snapped out of her daze, realizing this wasn't a dream. "Dr. Malik? Aap? Yaha? Achanak kaise? Hamara matlab, na koi chithi, na koi call... Aaiye, aapko jagah dilvate hain." Karishma quickly arranged a table for two and gestured for Dr. Malik to follow her. "Do log? Aur bhi koi aaya hai aapke sath?"