"May I come in"

"Aa jaein meri jaan" Hearing a giggle, Azeem lifted his head to see his annoying cousin shaking his shoulders in an inaudible laugh while his wife stood there all embarrassed.

"Ahhmm....." Azeem cleared his throat but to no avail

"Shamir kandhe gir jayenge..ho gaya bas" Azeem threw a glare at his cousin's way which made the acceleration slow and eventually stop after sometime.

"Haan Raniya...kya baat hai..?" Azeem asked after offering them a seat

"Wo meri half day hai to Shamir ke saath ghar jaa rahi hun.....wo idhar se guzar raha tha toh"

"Aap kab is raste se guzarne lage...."

"Bas kuch time hua hai bhai...mera matlab....ek dost rehta hai mera idhar"

"Dost ya Saheli..."

"Dost aur saheli me kya antar hota hai" The oh so innocent boy was not yet aware of the world's definitions

"Phone par aap jis Adeela ko Adeel ke naam se chipka rakha hai na..wo hui aapki saheli...aur dost batana padega" Azeem smirked folding his arms

"Let's change the topic bhai"

"Sure...." Azeem nodded and dialled Junaid's number and put it on speaker
"Dayals ki meeting me rehna zaruri hai?"

"Shehryar Malik aaya hua hai as a guest lecturer trainees ke liye....so meeting maine meeting postpone karwa di thi pehle hi"

"Good...mai bhi aaj leave le raha hun"

"No problem bhai..enjoy"

Junaid ended the call while Azeem kept writing something in his file.

"Chalein..phir aaplog niklein sath me"

"Aur tum"

"Mai bhi nikalta hun kisi ke saath me......matlab..dost neeche car me hai" Shamir gave a genuine smile validating his words which made Azeem nod and leave with Raniya.

"Raniya us corridor se nahin..idhar se chalo..."

"Us bande ne marriage proposal galatfehmi me aa kar bheja tha......otherwise I have heard..he is a decent man" Raniya tried to make her husband understand but all in vain

"Still.. I don't want you to be on the periphery of his vision" Azeem pulled Raniya towards the other corridor

"Ok baba..."

Azeem drove to a Chinese restaurant as Raniya recommended so.

"Ye kya aap chidiya ki tarah khaa rahe hain" Raniya frowned seeing Azeem eating one noodle strand at a time.

"Yaar mujhe bahar ka khana utna pasand hi nahin hai"

"Acha yeh try karein...." Raniya fed him a piece of Manchurian.

"Arre Azeem...."
Azeem smiled seeing one of his old friends from college

"Hey man..what's up"

"Great...who is this pretty lady"

Azeem mock glared at his friend and then turned to Raniya.."She is my wife..Ra"

"Oh Rasha bhabhi....maine bas naam suna tha yaar...."

Azeem's eyes immediately went to Raniya who got visibly stiffened at the  misunderstanding.

"Actually....She is Raniya..."

"Rasha is no more"

"Oh..sorry...I am extremely sorry" Azeem's apologised at once

"It's ok" Azeem whispered looking at the unshed tears of his wife.

The ride back home was covered in silence. Raniya kept looking out the whole time and reaching the room, locked herself in the washroom.

"Niya..open the door..baby please"

After constant knocks, the door got opened and Raniya stood there with puffed cheeks.

"Niya..kya huwa"

"Mai bahut buri hun...."

"Mai bahut buri hun"

"Kya huwa Niya..batao mujhe"

"Mujhe aapka naam Rasha aapi ke saath bilkul acha nahin lagta.....lekin mai bhul jaati hun ki mai aapki zindagi me dusri ladki hun...."

"Wo meri Aapi thin..mai unse bahut pyaar karti hun ... par phir bhi aapke sath unka naam judta hai toh..." Raniya

"Idhar dekho.... dekho meri taraf" Azeem cupped her face and made her look at him
" Meri zindagi me beshak pehle Rasha aayi ho....lekin meri pehli aur aakhiri mohabbat tum ho...."

Raniya looked at him with hope in her eyes ... and Azeem gave her the assurance by taking her lips into a comforting kiss promising her of his love.

Coming out of the kiss, Raniya  latched herself to him and started dropping slow kisses on his face..."Aap sirf mere hain..."

Azeem smiled but when her lips started descending towards her neck, he got alert.."N..Niya..."

But looked like this time Raniya was in no mood to spare him.

"Nniya please..."

Raniya pulled out with a pout "You don't love me"

"I do love you my baby wife..but my senses go haywire when you are close to me......"

"Toh aap mere shohar hain.. aapko haq hai"

Azeem raised his brows..."Iska matlab mai kya samjhu"

"I I am ready to be yours in all senses" Raniya was saying with lowered eyes and head hung low

"Yahi baat jis din tum meri aankhon me dekh kar kahogi na...I will take you then and there" Azeem's voice started out soft but took a different tone towards the end making Raniya shudder.

Azeem knew it was not Raniya but her insecurity speaking. He didn't want his wife to take their love making as some sort of proof....it should be an acceptance of their love  which they could cherish life long.

And he knew it was not the right time!!!!

----------------------

"Kyun bulaya mujhe" Pariwash showed her displeasure as soon as she entered Junaid's cabin.
She was in the middle of her favourite series when Hammad came in her room and asked her to get ready kyunki Junu baba ka bulawa aaya hai.

"Tumhara hi form bhar raha hun..so ye attitude kisi aur ko dikhana"

"To kisne kaha aapko ye sab karne ke liye"

"Tumhe apne bado ki izzat karni nahi aati hogi..lekin mai Phupho ki bahut izzat karta hun"

"Ye jo aap Mama ke kandhe par banduk rakh kar chala rahe hain na...khoob samajhti hun mai" Pariwash made a face.

"Banduk chal gaya .. ab yahaan baitho aur jo mai pooch raha hun batao"

"Age?"

"24..."

"Chal jhooti...25" Junaid smirked writing down the number

"Jab aapko sab pata hai toh phir kyun bulaya hai....."

"Mujhe tumhari bahut yaad aati hai Pari..kya karein..." Junaid's  melodramatic expressions made Pariwash curse under her breath

"Acha chalo Post Graduation Percentage..jaldi jaldi"

"92.60"

"Tch...mai thoda college se kya nikla..tumhara performance down ho gaya" Junaid shook his head

"Jee nahin... din bhar phone kar ke mera dimaag khaate rehte hain toh aur kya hoga.......mere khud ke ghar me nahin bakshte mujhe" Pariwash scowled but narrowed her eyes next second
"Ye Local guardian me aap apna naam kyun likh rahe hain"

"Toh kya karun jimma toh tumhara mere upar hi hai.....school college har jagah toh mere hi care me rahi ho"

"Kabir bhai ka naam likein aap"

"Shut up......apna email id do" Junaid waved her off and moved to the last column

"Rockstarpari..wala abhi bhi rakha hai" Junaid smirked seeing her silent

"Jee nahin...mai bachi nahin hun ab..aur banaya kisne tha wo" she glared at him....

"Acha muh mat phulao....bolo kya logi" Junaid asked placing an intercom call

"Pasta??" He raised his brows at Pariwash whose eyes twinkled

"Haan ek Pasta aur coke"

"Apne liye bhi mangayein..main share nahin karungi" Pariwash said softly but no heed was paid.

After sometime, the peon came with a tray and Priwash shifted to a two seater sofa on the corner..."Yahaan rakh dein"

She was having spoon after spoon when a hand held her wrist and moved it towards another direction

"Hmm nice"

"Mai share nahin karungi" Pariwash moved the plate sideways in order to retrict Junaid's reach

"Bas isi kaaran tumhara weight kam nahin ho raha....sab cheez akele thoosna hai"

"Excuse me...I am not overweight..."

"Huh...keep saying that to yourself..we all know what's the truth" Junaid straightened and got back to his chair

Pariwash kept the plate down and looked at her petite waist......."Zyaada ho gaya hai kya....."

Then her eyes kept moving to and fro between Pasta and her waist for sometime.

Getting up she walked to him..." Ye lein.."

"Nahin yaar ... mera man nahin hai .. bahut kaam hai" Junaid denied opening a file

"Abhi to aap ka mann tha......phekna acha nahin lagta kha lein"

"I am busy Pari" Pariwash saw Junaid writing something on a paper and slumping her shoulders brought a spoon of pasta to his mouth

And for the next fifteen minutes, she kept standing and feeding Pasta to Junaid who seemed to have been competing for a Slow Motion Eating round.

"Ab mai chalti hun" Pariwash picked up her bag after wiping her hands

"Ab aa hi gayi ho toh meri madad karo chalo........wo corner wala system pakdo...aur kuch slides bana do" Taking out a file, Junaid looked at her who just turned and rushed to the door

"Pari...stop right there" Junaid's scream fell on deaf ears as Pariwash was out of the cabin in lightning speed.

"Brat" Junaid huffed but then started smiling !!

-------------------------------

"Aapi aapne baat ki Junaid se" Anabia asked Jannat who was home today.

"Abhi tak toh nahin...soch rahi hun aaj baat karun...."

"Ek baat kahun Tayi Ammi..." Hammad who was watching tv spoke

"Hmm"

"Mujhe lagta hai Junaid bhai Pari aapi ko pasand karte hain......"

"Kya"

"Haan bas pata nahin mujhe aisa lagta hai"

"Acha..chalo phir test kiya jaye"

"Sameera..jao Pari ko busy rakhna..." Anabia said rubbing her palms

"Bhai..record karna aap...mujhe bhi dekhna hai"

"Ok Sameera baby" Hammad smiled

"Junaid bhi aata hi hoga.....aaj kal toh wo jaldi aane lage hain"

Half an hour later when Junaid entered, he found his Mama, Chachi and Tayi Ammi engrossed in a serious talk

"Kya baatein ho rahin hain bhai..." he smiled coming to them

"Arre Junu..achha hua tum aa gaye aao baitho" Anabia smiled

"Wo...Pari ke baare me baat kar rahe the"

"Pari ke baare me"

"Haan....uske liye rishta aaya hai" Haya informed

"Rishta...you mean shaadi ke liye..." Junaid frowned

"Nahin...raakhi bandhne ke liye" Shamir chuckled but shut his mouth receiving a glare. He was the most excited when he was told the plan

"Phupho...I hope aaplog serious nahin hain...I mean uski age hi kya hai"

"Age toh shaadi ke liye bilkul perfect hai" Anabia mock glared at him

"Acha...." Junaid's palm was getting rubbed against his trousers which caught Jannat's attention

"Ladka businessman hai..
"Even before Haya could complete, she was cut off

"Businessman ke sath karna bahut risky hoga Phupho.....matlab future me loss me chali jaye company"

"Bhai bhul gaye hain ki ye bhi ek businessman hi hain" Hammad snickered

"Company bahut achi chal rahi hai...aur wo khud ek degree holder hai"

"Banda smart bhi bahut hai"

"Haan Chris Hemsworth hai...." Junaid rolled his eyes

"Lo photo dekh lo"

"Mujhe nahin dekhna" Junaid huffed

"Arre dekhein na bhai" Hammad and Shamir held his face and started shoving the photograph in his face

"Jaahilon aise dikhega.."

"Oh sorry...humein laga apni picture insaan kaise bhi pehchaan leta hai"

And the statement just made Junaid lift his eyelids and what he saw next just made him squirm..

"Bhai aap live hain...kaisa lag raha hai" Hammad came in front to record Junaid's expressions as promised to Sameera

"Kuch bolein"

"Kya aapko yeh rishta manzoor hai" Shamir's excitement level reached a record high

"Tum seedha nikaah hi padhwa do" Noor rolled her eyes but her son failed to take the noted sarcasm

"Bilkul bilkul.....Junaid Haider Ali wald.....aaaah" Shamir held his ear which was being twisted by his mother........"Mama....chhodein...unka Qubool hai sunna hai mujhe abhi"

"Kya karun mai is ladke" This time Noor smacked Shamir a little hard and Hammad laughed recording the extra scenes.

Junaid had come out of the shock by then and thought of escaping

"Aaanaa .. bhai ..the nation wants to know..kya hai aapka jawaab...yes or no" Hammad jumped off the sofa to reach Junaid who was caught offguard by an over-excited reporter cum cousin.

"Guys...Isn't it obvious now...." and with that Junaid Ali signed off!!!

============================
This is my 100th update...so wanted to know which pair have you liked the most in this "Short Stories" section

Mine is "Aqib-Asif-Anaya" ( A3)
(Tikdi but phir bhi)

You guys tell me yours

Anaya × Adil

Arham × Humeira

Aqib × Asif

Safiya × Ibrahim

Rehaan × Mehek

Zohair × Safa

Shahzain × Ammara

Rabiah × Bashar

Faizan × Anabia

Haider × Jannat

Faseeh × Maheen

Riyaz × Mahira