"Kauser, woh..." Marwaan started while entering Kauser's room, but his words and his steps immediately paused looking at her.

Kauser looked ethereal with her wet hair on display. His breath hitched looking at her, but he immediately downcast his eyes when he realised how wrong it was.

Kauser panicked and immediately cover her head with the towel in her hands.

"Sorry!" Marwaan exited the room uttering an apology.

Kauser put her hand where her heart lies, it was beating faster than usual. Not because of fear or embarassment or anger. Because she saw something strange in Marwaan's blue eyes. A profound feeling she can't guess.

She dried her hair with a hair-dryer and put a white hijab. She left her room only to find Marwaan leaning against a pillar and waiting for her.

"Marwaan, yeh kya harkat thi? Knock karke nahi aa sakte the?" Her tone was a little louder than usual.

"Kauser, I'm sorry. Mujhe aadat nahi hai tumhare darwaaze par knock karne ki, aur mujhe nahi pata tha tumne hijab nahi pehna hoga. Sorry."

This encounter was a little awkward. Marwaan never hesitated entering her room without knocking, because something like this never happened before. Kauser never objected because Marwaan could never have wrong intentions towards a woman. She trusted him. The way he downcast his eyes, was a proof of his respect towards women.

"Tumhe nahi pata mai Sundays ko apne hair wash karti hoon?" She was disappointed to be honest.

How he can forget their younger days when she would send him to the shop every Sunday to purchase sachets of shampoo. He just hated when she would ask him to bring that little one-ruppee thing.

"Tumhara shohar nahi hoon jo tumhare routine ki saari khabar hogi mujhe." His sarcastic reply irritated her.

"Chahiye bhi nahi tumhare jaisa shohar." She blurted out and stomped away from him. While Marwaan stood rooted to his place.

"Nahi chahiye usse mere jaisa shohar." He took her words for granted, even when he knew she was not serious. But he also knew the truth, she will never marry him.

🤍🤍🤍

"Good morning." Aziz greeted when Fida woke up from her sleep. He was lying on her right, with enough distance between them.

"Good morning." She smiled.

He held her hand, his thumb started making patterns on her palm.

"Yakeen nahi aa raha ke tum mere saath ho." Aziz spoke what he felt about this serene moment which felt like a dream.

"Mujhe bhi yakeen nahi aa raha... ke mai ab uss narak se door hoon." Her words ended his serenity. It breaks his heart to think how much broken she was.

He remembered how once in his childhood Kauser hit him with a broomstick when he tried to snatch her hijab from her head. That day he understood, a woman's pride is precious to her than thousand diamonds.

He can't imagine how Fida would have felt when her most precious possession, her pride was snatched away from her.

A knock on the door distracted the couple. Aziz got up from the bed and went to open the door. As the door opened, Kauser and Shafaq barged in with trays of food in their hands, totally ignoring a human named Aziz Irfani.

"Good morning, Fida!" They greeted her in a unison.

"Good morning, Kauser Aapi. Good morning, Shafi." Fida smiled looked at them.

"Fida, jaldi se brush karo aur phir hum saath mein breakfast karenge." Kauser chimed.

Fida nodded and entered the bathroom. While Aziz was waiting when the two intruders will acknowledge him as well. But the moment never came so he decided to interfere.

"Tum dono mere kamre mein breakfast karoge?"

"Jee, Bhaijaan." Shafaq answered before Kauser could give a sarcastic reply that could lead to a full-on argument.

"Toh dining table kya kapde dhone ke liye rakha hai? Chup-chap dono bahar niklo maine nahana hai."

"Acha, toh tum bed par nahaate ho." Kauser said sarcastically.

"Mera kamra, meri marzi. Who the fuck are you to invade my privacy?" Aziz said arrogantly.

"DADA JAAN!!!" Kauser shouted at her top pitch and ran outside.

Aziz clearly understood what she is going to do and he immediately ran to stop her.

Shafaq, who was seated on the bed, kept looking at the scene. Confused.

The bathroom door opened and Fida came outside.

"Kya hua?" She asked, wondering why Kauser shouted so loud.

"Wahi jo bachpan se hota aa raha hai." was Shafaq's reply.

Fida slapped her forehead, her first morning as the bride of Irfani Haveli would be very memorable. When her husband would be punished by Grandpa Irfani.

🤍🤍🤍

Grandpa Irfani was glaring at his grandson in utter anger and disappointment.

"Aziz, Kauser sach keh rahi hai. Tumne gaali nikali, woh bhi apne hi khandan ki beti ko?"

Aziz had his head low and eyes downcast in fear.

"Dada Jaan, slip of tongue ho gaya. Naturally bol ho gaya tha." He was saying the truth, it was habitual for him to use abusive words in anger.

"Aaj kal ke mardon ki zubaan par gaaliyan toh ghazalon ki tarah chadi huyi hai." He always assured that the boys of his family never use abusive words. Even if it has became habitual for the men around the globe to use abusive words, it doesn't mean swearing is a right thing. It is normal nowadays, but it's wrong.

Abusive words usually insults a women. Am I right? Because a person cannot tolerate insult of his mother or sister. That is why, men target mother and sister in this verbal abuse.

Swearing is not something to be proud of. If a man swears, he doesn't respect his mother and sister. And if a woman swears, she doesn't respect her own self.

(I am serious while writing this.)

"Kauser, tum batao. Kya sazaa deni chahiye Aziz ko?" Kauser gave a victorious smirk to Aziz. She was not going to let go this golden opportunity.

"Theek hai, Aziz se kahein mujhe Gucci ka handbag dilakar de."

"Oye, Gucci tere baap ki hai!" Aziz blurted out in anger, not realising his entire family, including the baap of Kauser he just mentioned, is surrounding him.

"Abba, dekhiye ab yeh aapko bura-bhala bol raha hai." Kauser was hell bent on ruining Aziz's good boy reputation in the Irfani household.

"Chacha Jaan, maine aapko kuch nahi kaha." Aziz defended himself.

"Tumhara matlab kya hai? Woh mere baap nahi hai?" That was her final arrow, which backfired.

"Kauser, zyada chapad chapad ki naa, ek kheech kar lagaungi tere." Shahana spoke seeing how Kauser was manipulating Aziz's words. Kauser went quiet listening to her mother's threat.

"Aziz, sazaa ke taur par aaj se Kauser jis gaadi mein office jaati hai, uske petrol ka kharcha tum uthaoge." In the era when petrol is as costly as gold and as precious as diamonds, this was indeed a tough punishment.

"Jee, Dadajaan." Aziz nodded and glared at Kauser before leaving, who in return smirked.

🤍🤍🤍

"Shafaq, meri woh brown jacket nahi mil rahi." Kaysan told her while sitting beside her on the wooden swing in the garden.

"Aapki jacket hai mujhe kya pata." She ignored him and continued reading the book in her hands.

"Tumhare shohar ki jacket hai tumhe nahi pata?"

"Hone wala shohar." She corrected him.

"Kya farq hai shohar aur hone wale shohar mein?"

"Vahi jo aate aur roti mein hota hai."

He had no comeback to her words. So he decided to end this battle of words and put his head on her shoulder. Shafaq smiled feeling his hair tickling her skin.

It felt peaceful. Not arguing for once. And enjoying each other's company. In silence.

"Shafaq." But this silence was ended by Aziz's voice.

Shafaq immediately parted from Kaysan and stood up from the swing.

"Jee, Bhaijaan?" She was nervous, and a little afraid.

"Apne kamre mein jaao."

She nodded and immediately left.

Kaysan was unaffected by Aziz's presence, he was still sitting on the swing.

"Agar agli baar maine tumhe Shafaq ke kareeb dekha, haddiya bhi todunga aur mangni bhi." His tone was stern and dangerous.

"Nice dialogue, par iska mere upar koi asar nahi hone wala." Kaysan smiled and left.

••••••••••••••••••••
Well, I want share something.
I am not 15...

I turned 16 yesterday!

I wanted to update yesterday, but then I started watching Parizad drama. And I was hooked. Do watch this drama, it's very meaningful.

Bye!!!