In The Pursuit Of Love

The Frenetic Quest

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth" (46:15).

The date of the marriage was getting closer, and Aamina's house was a mess. The guests had started pouring in, laughter and chatter could be heard from every corner of the house, things were all misplaced, and she struggled to find even her slippers in the house. Right now she was standing with one foot in her slipper and the other bare.

"Hadd hai, I cannot even find a slipper" she murmured and kept murmuring anything to everything while searching for her long lost slipper.

Mehreen kept looking at her from a distance, taking it all in, her mother's beauty, her OCD to keep everything in its place, which was currently thrown out of the window with the number of guests at their house, her constant blabbering and her care. Oh how much she cared for her family and most importantly her children. She was going to miss all of them, especially her mother's care. No other person can give the care and concern one's parents can give.

A tear rolled down her eye amidst her thoughts and before it can drop to the ground, it was wiped away. She looked, alarmed at the sudden intrusion, only to find her brother with a solemn look on his face.

"These tears are of happiness right, Chidiya? Cause you will be free from me. You traitor" he said narrowing his eyes while she laughed. He smiled at her laugh and rubbed her head.

"Keep laughing like this. I should go help her. Or else, we will be beaten by those slippers once she gets it" he winked and left. She saw his brother find it and place it below their mother's feet while saying something to which he got a slap on his head.

Everyone in the family were happy for two major reasons- One was Mehreen's marriage and the second one being Zeeshan's selection in the preliminary round. Zeeshan was happy, but he had a long way to go before he could play for the national team. He still had a series of rounds before the final one and he stopped himself from being too happy at his selection. His parents and Mehreen on the other hand were over the moon. Though his father didn't show it, and Zeeshan didn't believe when Mehreen broke the news that he was way too happy. For a fact, he was. And he had secretly prayed in each and every prayer, even in the tahajjud, that his son gets what he wants. As a father, he had to be strict to his children all the while showering them with all the love, so that they could attain success in this world as well as the hereafter. He knew he was being harsh on Zeeshan too many times, but he had been going astray since that time and he couldn't help but try and be strict with him.

Zeeshan was deciding the menu of the wedding, Aamna was stitching one of Mehreen's clothes, Mehreen was writing invites and their father was watching news, while helping his children with their respective tasks at hand. And all other guests were having desi conversations with each other. A particular news seemed to catch Zeeshan's interest, and his head snapped to the screen of the television.

'...was bailed out yesterday due to lack of evidences. He told the media that some people were trying to mar his reputation and that he had trust in the system that it will prove him innocent..'

He couldn't hear any further as the bells in his head had started ringing and all he could think of was Nargis. He stood up abruptly, making the things in his lap fall to the floor in the process. Everyone in the room looked at him confused, "What happened bhai?" Mehreen asked only to get silence in response.

"Bhai" she called once again and this seemed to break his trance.

"I..I am sorry. I have to leave" having said that he paced out of the room and out of his house. He didn't know where he was going or what even he was doing, but he just kept going taking turns and realized that he ended up in the market place where he had first met her. He didn't know what he was even thinking when he decided to be here.