Its been a week and a half since Ayesha Baji's walima and I haven't talked to Hussain ever since. He's either not home or he just says he's tired. Kisi se dhang se baat nahi karta aaj kal. His behaviour is weird and I'm not liking it. My thoughts were interrupted by my phone ringing. It was Iqra. I received the call and brought the phone near my ear.
"Result aaya?" Iqra asked from the other end of the line.
"Nope. It's gonna be out at 10." I replied. "I'm scared, Iqra." I told her.
"Tera yehi hai, you're so scared before the results come out and hamesha you get like the highest marks. And A'levels ke results se pehle ache achon ko dar lagta hai. Don't worry." She calmly explained. I remember last year when her results were out. I was the one calming her down. She was so freaked out. She got A*s and an A. "Kya soch rahi ho?" She asked, noticing my silence.
"Acha result aayega na?" I asked.
"Itni mehnat ki thi tu ne. It will pay off. You'll get straight A*s. Insha Allah." I could sense the smile in her tone.
"Insha Allah." I smiled. I know I'd get good grades, but I want the best. I had worked extremely hard for these exams. I hope my hard work pays off.
"Acha, sun main baad mein call karti hoon. Ammi abba ko poora bharosa hai tujhpe. Mithai aur tohfe lene jaa rahe hain." She chuckled which made me giggle.
"Chal, baad mein baat hogi." I responded.
"Jab tere ghar result ki khushi mein mithai leke aayeinge na, tab." She said and hung up. I smiled as I placed the mobile phone on the bed.
The result could come out any moment in the next half hour. I sat on my bed, waiting. A few minutes later, I got a text. This is it. I thought. I picked up my mobile phone and read the text. I jumped with joy and ran downstairs to ammi and abbu.
"3 A*s!" I screamed in joy, while running towards the living room. I hugged both of my parents. "3 A*s." I said, breathing fast. The look on my parents' face was priceless.
"We're so proud of you, meri jaan." Ammi said and kissed my cheek. I smiled.
"Kitni zaheen bacchi hai meri." Abbu said, placing his hand on my cheek.
"I'll call Iqra and tell her." I said, dialing Iqra's number.
"3 A*s?" She asked as soon as she received the call.
"YES, IQRA!" I cheer in joy.
"I knew it! I'm sooooo proud of you." She said longing the 'so'. "Chal ab ghar ka darwaza khol." She added.
"You guys are here?" I asked, surprised.
"Maine kaha tha na, ammi abba ko tujhpe bohat bharosa hai." She laughed. I smiled.
"They're here already." I told ammi abbu and they chuckled. I went to open the door. It was not just Taya jaan's family but also Phuppo's family.
"Assalam Alaikum." I greeted all of them and they all replied. We all walked in the house and everyone met Ammi and Abbu and congratulated them. I felt so happy. They all congratulated me and we settled down in the living room.
"Beta ab apne haath ki chai pilado bas" Phuppo told me. I smiled. "Ji bilkul." I said, getting up. Iqra got up too and followed me with the mithai box that they brought.
We went to the kitchen and I started making tea.
"Phuppo ne toh pata nahi kyun shagun ki mithai jaise saji hui mithai ki pethi laayi hai." Iqra said, smirking, as she placed the sweets in a serving plate.
"Matlab?" I asked, uncertain of what she meant.
"Uff pagal! Sab pata chal jayega tujhe." She said and walked out with the plate in her hand.
What does she mean? I thought. Is this the reason why Hussain was disturbed in the past few days? I shouldn't think much.
I made the tea and poured it in the black glass tea pot. I smiled as the aroma of my tea refreshed my senses. I placed the tea pot, tea cups and saucers and sugar pot on the tray. I walked out of the kitchen and to the living room. I placed the tray on the table and Iqra helped me serve tea to everyone.
"Iss bacchi ke haath ki chai mein jaadoo hai." Taya jaan complimented as he took a sip of his tea. I returned the compliment with a smile.
"Bachon, ab tum log upar jaake betho. Humein kuch baat karni hai." Phuppo told and we all nodded. What is it?
We all walked upstairs and went to the terrace.
"Tum log yahan betho, ya khade ho, ya jo karna hai karo." I told, chuckling. "Main naashte ke liye kuch laati hoon. Result ki tension mein kuch bhi nahi khaaya main." I added.
"Ajeeb baat hai na? Aksar toppers ko hi sab se zyada tension hoti hai result ki." Shehryaar laughed making everyone else laugh. Except for Hussain, who just smiled. I stuck my tongue out at Shehry which only made him laugh harder. I shook my head and walked to the kitchen. I decided to make some scrambled eggs and toast some bread.
Zubaida's (Qirat's phuppo) p.o.v.
"Gaadi mein se mithai le aao." I called our driver and told him.
"Mithai?" Zahir Bhai Sahab (Qirat's father) questioned.
"Bhai sahab..." I paused as the driver came in and placed the Shagun ki mithai on the floor. I continued when he walked away. "Bhai sahab, main aapse ek aur rishta jorna chahti hoon. Main Qirat ko Hussain ke liye pasand karti hoon." I said it. "Hum jaante hain dono abhi shaadi ke liye kaafi chhote hain. Magar agar abhi baat pakki kardein..." Hussain's father added.
Both bhai sahab and bhabhi's faces were unreadable. After a pause, bhai sahab spoke.
"Humein koi aiteraaz nahi hai. Mujhe poora bharosa hai ke Hussain humari beti ko khush rakhe ga." He said, smiling and bhabhi too had a satisfied look on her face. This made me so happy.
"Bhai sahab, aap ko andaaza bhi nahi hai ke aapne abhi mujhe kitna khush kiya hai." I spoke my heart out. I picked up a laddoo. "lein, mun meetha karen."
They ate and fed sweets to all of us.
"Bacche toh raazi honge na?" Bhabhi asked.
"Jee bilkul. Bachpan se ek dusre ko jaante hain, bohat ache dost hain. Koi problem nahi honi chahiye." I assured them.
"Chalein phir aapko bohat bohat mubarak ho." Bhabhi replied. "Aapko bhi bohat bohat mubarak ho." I returned her greeting.
We all greeted other. We're all so happy.
YOU ARE READING
Kahi Ankahi
Romance"Waise bhi humein unse shaadi karni chahiye jinse hum pyaar karte hain." "Aur agar woh kisi aur se pyaar karte hain toh?" . . . Ranked #1 in Short Story many times (most recently on 17/06/17) © rashkeqalam. All rights reserved.
