Time was something Farjaad was always particular about. Ever since he could remember, he had always been the boy who reached the school first, the teenager who made it to his first date fifteen minutes early and the man whose impeccable punctuality extended to most of his professional meetings and commitments. Even though he had to intensify his already unblemished time management when he took over the business post his father's death, he had always been a person who liked punctuality on himself and others surrounding him. Just that back then it was more of a personal preference, and now an obligation.

Seven years of tending to that obligation had turned it to dawn over him as a trait of rigidity. It often left him agitated, perched on the edge of discomfort whenever he encountered someone who was not taking time as significant as he did. It often left him agitated, perched on the edge of discomfort whenever he encountered someone who didn't share his unwavering appreciation for punctuality. Consequently, he usually found himself having things his way. But sitting in his office drumming his knuckles on the polished wooden table, he was convinced that wasn't the case for this one specific tempest he had accommodated in his life, in the interest of his baby sister.

After dropping Umeed off, he spent the night tossing and turning, her words about her exhaustion and the sight of her passed out in the front seat of his car refusing to leave his mind. The image of her in slumber, appearing so innocent and delicate, continued to haunt him, and strangely, he didn't mind. But one thing he also realized as fast how wrong he was to perceive her as demure as she had started crossfiring him left and right the moment she woke up, accusing him of kidnapping her and later trying to get her way once again. Farjaad chuckled scornfully, taking a sip of his coffee, mentally chastising himself for momentarily believing she was as vulnerable as she appeared.

Or was she?

The image of her from the past day was imprinted in his mind in such a way that he questioned his own judgment. It wasn't until his phone chimed with a reminder for a meeting at six in the evening that he snapped out of his reverie. Farjaad had idled away an hour in his office, waiting for Umeed to arrive. They had scheduled a meeting to create a comprehensive task list and timetable for the wedding, which was just two months away so that they can get on with the work as fast as possible. He even did a little tour to Miss Mehak's table to make sure the events of Umeed's first time visit to his cabin wasn't repeated. However, Umeed had indeed not shown up, nor had she replied to his texts from earlier and now his priority was to make it to the meeting where people would actually show up.

Umeed tossed her phone onto the bed in frustration before taking a seat in front of the dressing table. With a hint of irritation, she snatched up the hairbrush and aggressively combed through her hair. Haya, who had just entered the room, immediately took notice and decided to intervene. She reached over and gently took the comb from Umeed's hand, stepping in to help her cousin.

"Kya ho gaya hai Umeed, cafe na jaa paanay ka gussa tum apnay in baalon par kyun nikaal rahi ho?" Haya asked, her soothing voice filled with concern as she gently stroked Umeed's head while running the hairbrush through her hair. Umeed, in her black anarkali suit, wore dark, slightly smudged kohl that emphasized her naturally large and expressive eyes.

Umeed's index fingers touched at their tips, pointing towards each other, her shoulders tensed with frustration. "Gussa tou mujhay uss Farjaad Khan Bahadur par aa raha hai. Yeh sab usi ki wajah se ho raha hai."

"Umeed, woh tumhari baat maantay tou bhi yeh hona hi tha. Pasha Sahab waisay bhi aaj Waleed aur uskay ghar walon ko daawat par bula liya tha, nahin jaanay detay aaj tumhein."

"Lekin unko mauka tou mil gaya na mujh par aur gussa karnay ka? Mimi wali baat ka bhi pata chal gaya unhay. Haye Allah Jee kitni beizzati huwi kal meri, kya kya nahin kaha Pasha Sahab ne mujhay? Ab me kya muh dikhaungi Mimi ko? Yeh sab uss khadoos ki wajah se huwa hai, aur uski himmat tou dekho message kar raha hai mujhay kay me uss se milnay jaaun. Yahan insaan ka baahir nikalna mushkil huwa para hai aur me iski sadi huwi shakal dekhnay jaaun?" Umeed ranted, throwing her hands in the air as she spoke, exasperated.

"Par kya usko pata tha iss baaray mein?"

Umeed rolled her eyes. "Pata honay wali kya baat hai, raat kay 9 bajay kay aas paas larki keh rahi hai shortcut lelo tou zaahir hai na, kay use ghar pohonchna hai jaldi. Lekin saahib kay tou nakhray hi khatm nahin hotay, me hi bewakoof thi soch liya yeh insaan itna bhi bura nahin hai jitna nazar aata hai lekin aglay hi lamhay usnay yeh prove kar diya kay yeh tou uss se bhi battar hai."

Haya was confused. "Aisa kya huwa kay tumhein yeh laga kay woh itna bura bhi nahin hai?"

Umeed looked up at Haya through the mirror to see her questioning glance. She looked down, her memory flashing to Farjaad's head tilting towards the flask of chai in the car. Him telling her he did not wake her up because she seemed fatigued and he thought she deserved to rest. That he did not feel like waking her up. Him crediting her for helping him navigate. He looked the kindest in those moments last night, and she couldn't help but contemplate for a moment, reconsidering her perception of him.

Chachi shouting up at Haya from the kitchen led Haya to abandon the hairbrush on the dresser and rush downstairs without waiting for an answer. This had caused everything that followed those moments to rush back to Umeed's conscience. She was now more than convinced he was even worse than she perceived him to be. Her father probably despised her more now, all thanks to Farjaad. Umeed gritted her teeth, her hands nervously playing with the zari work on her suit as she swiftly looked aside, her eyes welling up with frustration.

As the sun descended in Karachi, painting the city in hues of gold and pink, Farjaad navigated through the bustling streets. One hand was firmly on the steering wheel, while the other danced between his phone and AirPods, attempting to reach Mimi to inform her how her best friend stood him up. Earlier, he had visited Umeed's cafe, hopeful of finding her, but was informed by Taha that she hadn't shown up that day. Instead, she had entrusted him and Zoya with the task of managing sales, even promising them extra compensation for their efforts. Ultimately Farjaad decided against pestering Mimi with his constant complaints of Umeed. His jaw tensed in irritation as he directed the car toward Umeed's house.

Parking his car a short distance from Umeed's house, Farjaad approached the front gate and pressed the calling bell, waiting expectantly for someone to answer. Before long, a young man appeared, with vibrant eyes that reminded him of Umeed, albeit lighter in colour.

"Me Farjaad hun" He introduced himself. "Umeed ki dost Mimi ka bhai?"

Sameer raised his eyebrows, his mouth falling open in realization; "Ohhhh, Aap wohi ho na woh ghari... woh?"

Farjaad looked at him, perplexed. Sameer shook his head as he failed to recall the weird Urdu word Umeed had mentioned, also realizing it wasn't the best idea to use it in front of who it was directed to and invited Farjaad inside. He was confused, but followed without questions. They entered the house and he could hear the sound of laughter and the clinking of plates and utensils. He did remember noticing another car parked at the spot where he stopped his last night while dropping off Umeed while passing through the gate but did not think much of it, but now it seemed there were guests.

"Me Baba ko bula kay aata hun abhi, aap baith jaayein."

"Uh, me darasal Umeed se milnay aaya hun" Farjaad replied, passing an awkward smile. He elaborated, explaining his intent. "Actually woh Mimi ki shaadi ko lekar kuch zaruri baat karni thi bas isiliye-"

Sameer gave him an incredulous look, as if Farjaad had uttered something completely unacceptable. He gestured for Farjaad to have a seat in the living room while he hurriedly made his way to the dining room. As Farjaad settled onto a sofa adorned with intricate wooden details, a tea table positioned in front of him, and a staircase situated a short distance away, his mind somehow associating everything he saw with Umeed. The room embraced a warm brown theme, with curtains that matched the earthy tones of the space. Wooden furniture and various paintings contributed to the overall ambiance.

Not too late, Pasha Sahab emerged from the dining hall walking up to him. Farjaad instinctively stood from his seat to greet the elder.

"Assalamu Alaikum Pasha Sahab, me Farjaad Khan Bahadur." Farjaad did the second introduction of the day, with his hands on his chest.

Pasha Sahab smiled at him warmly, gesturing him to sit. "Wa Alaikum Assalam, jaanta hun me aapko, itnay mashoor aur kaamyab businessman hai aap kaisay nahin jaanengay, kaisay aana huwa aap ka humaray yahaan?"

Farjaad's attempt to inquire for Umeed was cut short as a woman appeared, someone he made out to be Umeed's mom or the aunt who she found herself constantly at loggerheads with over small matters according to Mimi. He realized he didn't know a lot about this family, understandably so. Whatever he knew he learnt against his will. Pasha Sahab went up to her and he could hear faint whispers, after which he turned to Farjaad.

"Aap bhi aayein humaray saath khaana khaayein, woh kya hai na kuch mehmaan aaye huwe tou bas..." Pasha sahab explained apologetically.

"Nahin uncle, me theek hun. Kha ke aaya hun." He lied. "Aap guests ko dekh lein, me bas Umeed-"

Pasha Sahab intervened; "Farjaad Saab aap mujhay bas das minute dein me abhi aata hun. Zeenat, tum inkay liye chai coffee kuch banao!" He ordered as he proceeded to disappear into the dining hall.

Zeenat greeted Farjaad with a warm smile, impressed by the respectable and affluent business tycoon standing before her. She insisted on offering him tea, which he initially declined, but after her insistence, he settled for coffee. While they chatted, Farjaad inquired about Umeed, explaining his sister is her friend, prompting Zeenat to call out to Haya to ask her to come down, remarking she was tired of Umeed's shenanigans.

Classic.

As Farjaad idly swiped through his phone, checking emails and notifications, he suddenly sensed movement in his peripheral vision. His gaze instinctively shifted towards the grand staircase in front of him, and there, descending the stairs, was Umeed. For a moment, he casually returned his attention to his phone, but then, he did a double take. His eyes were inexplicably drawn to her, and he found himself unable to look away.

Umeed was dressed in a black anarkali suit, the flowing fabric of her dupatta draped elegantly around her neck. It clung gracefully to her figure, contrasting beautifully against her delicate skin. Her jet-black hair cascaded in loose waves, framing her face and enhancing her natural beauty. Her kohl-adorned eyes, which were already captivating, seemed to hold an even deeper allure. Farjaad was frozen, as if an invisible force had tethered his gaze to her. He felt a peculiar sensation in the depths of his being, one that left him unable to avert his gaze from the captivating vision before him.

It was like the whole world, his life, and even his very steps had come to a standstill at that view, at the sight of her.

"Aap?"

Farjaad didn't know for how long he had been frozen on his seat until he heard her voice. It was as if she had repeated her question multiple times before he snapped back to reality. He blinked rapidly to bring himself out of the reverie and looked away, realizing that he would fail to do that if he kept looking at her. He cleared his throat in an attempt to answer her question, his heart still racing as he looked back at her. She appeared somewhat annoyed, and Farjaad stood up, rubbing his slightly sweaty palms together and taking a deep breath to steady himself.

"Me..." he trailed off, still somewhat lost. Umeed raised her eyebrows, demanding an answer. "Me aapsay milnay aaya tha."

Umeed chuckled. "Allah khair karein Farjaad Khan Bahadur ki zindagi mein aisi kaunsi majboori aa gayi kay aapko mera ghar aana par gaya hai?" Farjaad pursed his lips, and looked down as she worked on what she was best at, taunting him. He felt like it would get easier to get through this interaction as she had turned snarky but damn the moment he looked back at her glaring at him with an evil smile, he felt his heart drumming against his chest again.

Her eyes.

"Aaj aap kay robotic software ko charging par nahin lagaya tha kya? Har baat ka jawaab delay hokay aa raha hai check karwayein zara." She was not in the mood to stop.

Farjaad paid no heed to her taunts, there was too much going on for him to get into that too now. "Tum office kyun nahin aayi?" He asked, he asked, with a tone that said he had the right to know creeping into his tone, even though he couldn't quite fathom the reason for it.

"Mera man nahin tha."

"Iska kya matlab hai?"

"Matlab yeh hai kay kal aapki wajah se mujhay jo daant sun ni par gayi, uskay baad me aaj aapki shakal dekhna nahin chahti thi. Bas." Umeed said, concealing the drama entailing her family and her one day ban on going to the cafe or even outside. She may have issues with her father, but he did not need to know that, she wasn't going to go around badmouthing her father.

Farjaad hummed. "Cafe mein tou me nahin tha, wahan kyun nahin gayi phir?"

Umeed was taken aback by the fact that Farjaad had this information. Had he been stalking her? Had he followed her to her house because she hadn't been responding to his texts and calls? She started to wonder about his intentions. Did he plan to take revenge on her for their earlier arguments by stalking her, and was he potentially a murderous villain disguised as a CEO?

That seems like a stretch, Umeed scolded herself mentally.

But he could be a stalker.

"Aap mera peecha kar rahay hain?" Umeed advanced, pointing an accusatory finger at him. Farjaad's eyes flicked from her pointed finger to her intense eyes and then down to her lips, their plumpness and rosy hue capturing his attention. The unknown temptation that was threatening to consume him was almost overwhelming. Her voice broke the spell, "Jawaab dein mujhay!" She demanded a response.

"Excuse me?" was all Farjaad could muster.

"Dekhein me na ek shareef larki hun, aur aap bhi shakal se maqool lagtay hai haan yeh baat alag hai kay hai aap pura ka pura Changez Khan. Magar yeh jo harkatein aap kar rahay hai na, yeh kahin se bhi sharafat kay zumray mein nahin aati" Umeed was in fury.

Farjaad reiterated; "What?"

"Maana kay menay aapkay messages nahin parhay, magar iska hargiz yeh matlab nahin hai kay aap mera peecha kartay kartay meray cafe jao pehlay phir meray ghar aa jao. Aur kal raat aapki zid ki wajah se mujhay ghar walon se itni daant par gayi!"

Umeed huffed, her hands on her hips. "Ab me aapki koi bhi madad nahin karnay wali. Khud arrange kar lein apni behen ki shaadi, nahin ho pata tou dhoond lein behen kay liye koi Bhabhi." Farjaad looked at her in disbelief, processing the tangent she had taken this conversation to. She continued; "Oh me tou bhul hi gayi, aap jaisay kharoos insaan shaadi karega kaun?"

"Dekho me tumhari bakwas sun ne nahin aaya hun, humari baat huwi thi kay aaj shaam ko humari meeting hogi meray office mein. Aur tum aayi hi nahin jiski wajah se woh messages karnay par gaye mujhay warna mujhay bhi aapsay baat karnay ka koi shauk nahin hai samajh rahi hai aap?" Farjaad said, clicking his tongue in irritation. "Aur agar tum nahin kar sakti yeh kaam tou khud Mimi ko call kar kay batao, mujhay koi issue nahin hai me bhi mazeed apna sir khapana nahin chahta."

Farjaad glared at her, secretly hoping she wouldn't accept the offer. Why did he hope that? He had no idea. Nevertheless, he watched Umeed as she looked down, the sparkle in her eyes fading as she nervously fidgeted with her fingers, lost in thought. In that moment, he instantly felt like a jerk for causing her distress.

Simultaneously, he couldn't help but notice how she bit her lip in contemplation. Farjaad was unsure which thought of his to tend to— his hope for her to stay in their partnership, his grapple with the emotions that stirred within him seeing her distressed because of him, the way his heart raced at the sight of her biting her lips, or why he was feeling any of this for his sister's perpetually tardy best friend.

"Dekhein baat yeh hai kay kal me late aayi aur meray baba ko aap par bharosa nahin hai, tou nahin kar sakti me aap please Mimi se baat kar lein?" Umeed requested, still not giving away the actual conflict. It was too deep and personal to her for him to know, she barely even tells Mimi about the gravity of the tension between her and her father.

Farjaad furrowed his eyebrows; "Woh mujhay jaantay tak nahin hai theek se tou aap yeh kya keh rahi hain?"

"Exactly." Umeed shrugged. "Woh kyun apni beti ko lekar kisi anjaan aadmi par bharosa karengay?" She chuckled softly, but Farjaad remained unaware of the irony in her words. Her father appeared to trust everyone except her, as evidenced by his willingness to arrange her wedding with a near stranger without conducting any thorough background check.

Farjaad ran his hands through his luscious hair, a subtle nervous gesture, which didn't escape Umeed's notice. He should have been contemplating how to present this issue to his sister, but instead, his mind wandered over plausible ways to convince Umeed to rejoin the plan. Just then, Pasha Sahab reappeared, and Farjaad observed a change in Umeed's body language. She visibly tensed up and closed herself off.

So there is somebody who Umeed Pasha actually feared, he noted with amusement.

"Tum yahan kyun khari huwi ho? Andar jaao madad karo apni Chachi ki!" Pasha Sahab ordered, causing Umeed to jump a little. She nodded and hastily made her way into the dining room. As she disappeared from view, Farjaad felt a peculiar emptiness. He couldn't help but track her with his eyes until she was out of sight. Pasha Sahab invited into the drawing room and he followed, his mind busy calculating something.

Umeed found herself nodding absentmindedly, her thoughts far from the conversation that had seemingly dragged on for hours, although only a few minutes had passed. Chachi had sent her to the front courtyard with Waleed, and she had little choice but to oblige.

"Umeed jee, aapka cafe kaisay chal raha hai? Munafa kaisa hai? Accha kamaa paa rahay hai kay..." asked Waleed, to which Umeed nodded once again.

Waleed waited for her to respond but she did nothing but smile and nod. Waleed lowered his gaze, blushing. "Aap tou jaisay kho hi gayi hai mujhmein. Lekin me puch raha tha profits kaisay hai? Customers hai? Sales ka kya? Spreadsheet dekh sakta hun me?"

Umeed came out of her trance as she heard herself getting bombarded with questions, questions that had nothing to do with the blush that was creeping up his cheek or forcing, to be precise. Umeed's eyes widened in horror, and the smile quickly disappeared. What Waleed failed to notice was what was behind him.

At some distance were the windows to the drawing room, and two sofa settees placed in front of each window, where two people were sitting and conversing. Umeed's eyes were fixated on one, the one who wore a tucked-in white shirt that hugged his well defined physique with plum-colored pants, muscles flexing as his hands ran through his hair periodically.

While choosing to nod all over Waleed, she had found something or rather someone to fixate her eyes on to pass her time. This unexpected realization startled her, causing her to abruptly shift her gaze to the lush potted plants nearby as Waleed took a step closer, positioning himself directly in front of her.

"Jee theek thaak hi hai bas lekin aap yeh sab kyun puch rahay hai?" Umeed had suddenly grown stern.

Waleed grinned, a sight that made Umeed feel queasy."Aapka business.. Mera business. Fiqr tou hogi na mujhay?"

"Jee aur yeh kab huwa? Mujhay kyun nahin pata iskay baaray mein?" Umeed questioned, gritting her teeth. The guy was getting on her nerves now.

Waleed stepped closer, forcing another blush up his cheek. "Jo biwi ka hota hai woh shohar ka, nahin?"

"Nahin. Mera business sirf mera hai." Umeed responded, taking a deep breath and forcing her best fake smile. Waleed chuckled, dismissing her remarks, which further infuriated Umeed as he didn't take her seriously and let her misbehave. She had no choice but to continue smiling at him until her cheeks hurt.

Unbeknownst to Umeed, there was a pair of scrutinizing eyes following her every move and interaction with Waleed. These eyes belonged to none other than her object of interest from a few minutes back – Farjaad. He watched Waleed smile and blush while Umeed occasionally reciprocated with a smile. To Farjaad, they appeared to be standing a bit too close, though in reality, their proximity was not much. As he sat in the drawing room, he observed Umeed through the same window she had been using to discreetly watch him earlier.

Farjaad couldn't help but question the identity of the man who had seemingly captured Umeed's attention. He pondered why she was alone with him in the garden and why she was smiling so pleasantly at him. It irked him to witness Umeed so calm and composed in Waleed's company, especially when she was often quick to pounce on him with her biting taunts and sarcasm. His thoughts swirled with disbelief as he wondered how her father had permitted this interaction with Waleed while he, on the other hand, was struggling to come up with a convincing speech to persuade her father to allow her to join him in planning the wedding.

"Farjaad Saab lekin mujhay samajh nahin aa raha Umeed se kya hona hai? Woh sirf tor phor machati rehti hai kaam tou uss se ek bhi theek nahin hota woh aapki kya madad kar payegi?" Pasha Sahab's voice brought him back to earth. "Shaadi ko tabahi bana degi woh."

Farjaad agreed to every word Pasha Sahab uttered. He did not refer to her as toofan-e-badtameezi for nothing. She was indeed a storm that created mess at whatever she touched. But what he failed to fathom was the reason for her father to admit it to an almost stranger who was ready to put their belief in his child.

He pushed away those thoughts as they were not of priority. "Nahin nahin Pasha Sahab, jaisay woh Maryam ko jaanti hai aur koi nahin jaanta use. Jaisa kay menay kaha maa ki tabiyat bhi zara kharab hai warna woh kar deti yeh sab, aur Maryam bhi chahti hai kay Umeed sambhaalay yeh kaam tou bas jo woh chahay..." Farjaad trailed off, hoping this would convince her father as his head involuntarily shifted backwards again, staring at the courtyard.

The duo seemed to have a lot to talk about.

"Dekhein mujhay jo kehna tha menay keh diya, baaki aap jo theek samjhay."

"Yeh mehmaan kaun hai waisay?" Farjaad asked, almost cutting off Pasha Sahab with an enthusiasm so high for something that in no way concerned him.

The latter looked taken aback for a moment at the sudden inquiry but didn't push it too much as he instantly answered the young man who had managed to impress him with his success and discipline in the short time they have interacted. "Woh darasal Umeed kay sasural walay aaye huwe hai, shaadi hai na uski abhi kuch paanch chhe mahinay baad Waleed kay saath. Tou bas daawat par bula liya unko."

Oh.

Farjaad felt a sudden, inexplicable sensation pierce through his insides. His chest felt constricted, as though an invisible weight pressed upon it. He quickly gulped and took a deep breath, trying to dispel the unease that had settled within him. She had not come to her own cafe today because she was having dinner with her fiancé and his family, and he was expecting her to come and visit him. The queasiness welled up in his stomach, making him acutely aware of how he stood nowhere in this situation.

He realized he stood nowhere in this whole situation, feeling like an outsider, and he questioned why he was even here now. They were having dinner together as a family, while he felt like an intruder. Farjaad felt the air in the room grow thin, and a sense of uneasiness washed over him. He didn't show any outward signs, but inside, all he longed for was to remove himself from the situation. A strange, unexplainable feeling of embarrassment washed over him, though he couldn't quite grasp why it had taken hold of him.

It was baffling, really. He had barely known her for more than a few days, and they'd only met a handful of times. Farjaad couldn't help but wonder if, somehow, he had unconsciously nurtured thoughts he was unaware of in his subconscious. It was absurd, yet the nagging feeling persisted.

"Accha, Pasha Sahab mujhay ab chalna chahiye, der ho rahi hai. Khuda Hafiz."

Perhaps it was the effect of not eating properly. He had a lot of meetings today. He would be fine once he had a chance to catch his breath and grab a proper meal. It's okay. Farjaad rationalized as he got up, walking out leaving Pasha Sahab bewildered.

He is going to be fine. 

________________________

Unedited.

Hope you like it, looking forward to your comments :)