Kabhi main, kabhi tum, kabhi yeh, kabhi voh

Part 23: Housewarming

Mustafa was able to secure a favorable deal for his father's house, largely because the man Adeel had sold it to wanted nothing to do with the house after the news of Adeel's fraud came out in the papers. The man was eager to cut all ties and get rid of the property. Moreover, he had not altered or removed anything from the house, so all of Mustafa's parents' belongings remained exactly as they were.

When Mustafa broke the news to his parents, he did so calmly, but the emotional reaction from them was anything but. His father, already overwhelmed by the series of events in the past weeks, held his head in his hands and started crying. His mother, who had been sitting beside him, quickly joined in, her sobs echoing in the living room. Both of them stood and hugged Mustafa tightly, their gratitude, pride, and relief pouring out in waves.

Mustafa stood frozen at first, but as their sobs grew heavier, something inside him cracked. Years of hurt, resentment, and unspoken emotions surged to the surface, and before he knew it, he broke down too. He hugged his parents back, his own tears streaming unchecked. The once distant relationship now seemed to dissolve in the rawness of the moment.

From the corner of the room, Sharjeena stood silently, her hands clasped together, tears slipping down her cheeks. She watched the scene unfold with a mixture of emotions—pride in her husband's magnanimity, love for the man she had chosen to spend her life with, and deep emotion for the family that was slowly trying to heal itself. She felt overwhelmed but steady, her own strength rooted in the love she felt for Mustafa.

When the moment calmed and Mustafa's father could speak, he said, "Beta, yeh...yeh toh jitna hum soch bhi nahi sakte the, tumnein usase bhi zyada kar diya humaare liye. Humein tumpe bohot bohot zyada naaz hai, Mustafa. Bohot zyada. Tumhara yeh tohfa main kabhi bhi nahi bhulunga."

His mother added tearfully, "Jitna hum tumhaare maa baap banke tumhaare liye nahi kar paaye, usase zyada tumnein humari aulaad banke humaare liye kar diya. Tum humesha khush raho, Mustafa. Bohot bohot khush raho. Hum bhale hi achhe maa baap naa ban paaye kabhi, par tum is duniya ke sabse achhe bete ho."

They eventually expressed their desire to move back to their old house, unable to contain their longing to return to the place they had built with their own hands.

Mustafa opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Sharjeena stepped forward and said warmly, "Dono hi ghar aapke hain—yeh bhi aur voh bhi. Aapko jahaan accha lage, vahaan rahiye."

She smiled gently at them and added, "Lekin, agar ho sake toh yahaan kuch din aur ruk jaayein. Hum dono yahaan naye ghar mein ek chhoti si party plan kar rahe hain. Aapki maujudgi usme bohot zaroori hai."

His parents, visibly touched by her words and her acceptance of them despite everything, nodded enthusiastically. "Haan, zarur, beta," his mother said. "Hum tumhaari khushi mein zarur shaamil honge."

Mustafa turned to look at Sharjeena, his eyes glistening with a gratitude that words couldn't convey. She gave him a soft smile, silently reassuring him that everything was going to be okay. At that moment, he knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together—with strength, love, and unyielding support.

Over the next few days, Sharjeena and Mustafa were deep into planning their party. Though they had intended for it to be an intimate affair, their guest list grew longer than they'd expected. Mustafa invited his family, his close friends Ahmed, Ali, and Osama, his partner Danish, his colleagues and employees, and a few more friends. Meanwhile, Sharjeena invited her family, including her sister Yumna's family, her colleagues, her boss, and some of her close college friends.

The party was planned for Saturday, and Friday marked Sharjeena's last working day before her maternity leave. Her office friends had been insisting she come in for the day, despite her ability to work from home. They cited handover work and a few in-person meetings, which they claimed would be more efficient if done face-to-face. What Sharjeena didn't know was that her colleagues were planning a surprise farewell party for her.