***

کہ بھی دے دل میں تیرے ہے جو چھپا
خواہش ہے جو تیری

Keh bhi dil mein tere jo hai chipa, khwaish hai jo teri.

***

Zeeshan smiled seeing a pleasant scene unfolding before his eyes. It was now something that he should get used to but he knew even if he did, this would still feel surreal to him.

Noor in this setting felt good to see. Her presence had engraved itself around him within few days. The small apartment he used to come back to everyday felt like home. It screamed of home, for someone was so right that home is a person not place.

"Zeeshan?" Noor called making him smile, he had been staring at her. She raised her eyebrows and removed her troubling bangs away from her face. He shook his head.

Moving towards her he stopped just behind her. Raising  his  hands he removed her claw clip from her hair and kept it aside.
Noor froze feeling his hands gently collect her hair. She could feel him wrap them in a bun and then secured it with the claw clip. She smiled at this but the very next moment her breath hitched feeling his hand gently caress the side of her neck.

"Better now? " he whispered near her ear making her close her eyes at the intensity. Stepping aside he again took his position and leaned on the counter. She glanced at him...how was this all even real.

"Noor, chai!" Zeeshan exclaimed making her jerk and turn towards the boiling tea that was about to overflow.

It had been just a week to the day Noor had stepped in this place. After her residency Noor decided to shif to Patna and continue here. Luckily she received an offer from a prestigious hospital and she didn't wait to accept that. Armaan had gave her a green flag, even her seniors were positive about this opportunity. And she didn't miss it. Her family was more than happy, for her growth and also for certain someone who  hadn't hid his excitement.

The moment Noor broke this news to him he was over the moon to say the least.

"I am so happy for you Noor I can't even tell you!" He had exclaimed excitedly like a child.

"But I am more than happy that finally we will be together." He had added with such a smile that Noor could swear she hadn't seen something more beautiful than that.

And so here she was, with him trying to adjust to this setting as  quickly as possible. It felt like a cakewalk. All the efforts he was making was filling the gap that had existed between them.

"I can drop you to your work if you wish, but if you need your vehicle I will make the arrangement soon." He spoke taking a sip of the warm tea. Noor leaned into him more. They were seated on the couch in the balcony, a new addition to the furnitures of the house.

"Honestly I will prefer my own vehicle, that would be less of a hassle for both of us." She replied. He agreed to that.

"Zeeshan can we get a table for me? I need one. I have even made space for it. That corner I was talking about in the morning...it will be ideal." Zeeshan smiled hearing her rant more about the plans she had made, she had stared to mould this lifeless place according to her liking and whatever she liked...he loved.

_________

Saman massaged her foot as she ran her eyes around the buzzing hall. Everyone was doing something. Sara and Mansha were having an argument or  about the cushion  covers. Badi ammi and Nausheen chachi were discussing about the list they had to give staffs for shopping. Ahad and Nadia were talking-

Wait Ahad and Nadia were talking?

Nicely...with smiles. What the heck?

Saman was curious now. They were having a normal talk by what Saman could see. And on top of it they were smiling and laughing. When did this happen?

Was she so lost in herself to witness this new change?

She smiled seeing the duo get up, still talking and walk towards her.

"Saman you tell me, for drinks what should we chose? Ahad here  thinks coffee and tea would be ideal." Nadia spoke air quoting coffee and tea.

"And Nadia thinks cold drinks is the right choice.  We are in middle of october for crying out loud!" He tried to sound irritated, but he was still smiling.

"Well as long as we have alcohol,everything else is fine." Saman spoke maintaining a poker face. It was such a sight to see the smile slipping their faces. Controlling herself she kept staring at them with a passive face.

"Was that a joke?" Ahad asked raising his brows. Nadia smacked his shoulder.

"Ofcourse it was."

Saman shrugged her shoulders with a small smirk. Nadia shook her head and adjusted herself beside Saman.

"Okayy...now we need to decide the drinks." Ahad spoke trying to sit beside Nadia, only for Mansha to snatch the seat. She grinned at him.

"Get everything na...coffee, tea soft drinks, hot chocolate, and whatever that they could make." Saman spoke making Nadia and Mansha nod.

"That's what we had decided." Ahad said pointing his finger at them with a smirk.

"Then why were you wasting my time?" Nadia huffed.

"Awein hi." He shrugged his shoulders  with a mischievous smile.

"Kya awein hi fazool admi." 

"Waise bhi tumne bas bhag daur hi karni thi, fuzool me thakne ki adat hai, already aaj bht bhag daur kar chuki hai...thora araam karwa diya maine."

Nadia couldn't say anything next, she just gaped at him.
She was greatly surprised, Saman was shocked while Mansha was Mansha.

Saman narrowed her eyes and looked between the two who was now silent. One with surprise while other awein hi. Before she  could say anything more or investigate,Sara's voice made her look up.

"Kya ho raha hai?" Sara asked nearing them, and she wasn't alone.

"Alizeh!" Saman exclaimed seeing Alizeh stand beside Sara.

"What a surprise! How come your Highness grant us this visit?" Saman asked.

"Her Highness wasn't coming if not it was related to our next test tomorrow." Sara added narrowing her eyes at Alizeh.

Nadia couldn't keep her eyes down, as she had wished to do as soon as she realized Alizeh was here. She didn't want her stupid heart to spew some more nonsense. And so when she had looked up, unknowingly her eyes went to him who had a small smile on his lips as he watched Sara talk.

Stupid heart. She snatched her eyes from him and gulped the lump in her throat.

"I will be back." She whispered and giving a nod to them walked away. She couldn't see more, even if she knew the truth was infront of her.

Ahad's eyes followed her, as if captivated. And it felt as if all the colours just walked behind her, leaving him in grey. Excusing himself,he too got up and made his way outside.

Unknown to him, unknown to her something was shifting. Moving  towards them, slowly...as if just waiting for that perfect moment.

_____________

The night had started slow, slower than usual as the younger ones of Shah haveli had wished for. Tonight they had decided to have dinner under the open sky...even though winter was pretty much made its presence known. 

"Kiska idea tha ye?" Zeeshan asked rubbing his arms. They had reached home just an hour ago and instead of having warm welcome and warm food, here they were standing under the open sky and trying to barbecue their dinner.

"Any guesses?" Armaan asked smirking making Zeeshan roll his eyes.

Ofcourse it was the one fanning the fire behind this. 

"I am sure at the end of this I will have some serious lung disease, Armaan bhai be ready for another patient." Ahad spoke, coughing in between his words.

"You lacked a brain and now you will have no lungs!" Zeeshan sassed. Ahad raised his brows at him.

"I can also make sure you all have no dinner too." He said pointing the hand fan towards him. Zeeshan smirked.

"Get aside idiot I will do this." He said and pushing Ahad took the fan in his hand. He hadn't even fanned for a minute and started coughing badly.

"Serves you right." Ahad smirked. Armaan shook his head and grabbing Zeeshan's hoodie pulled him on the opposite side.

"Parhe likhe jahil."

"Smoke is moving along the wind, and you are standing just in it's way. Stand here and fan and see how we get our dinner quickly." He explained and watched as the two fumble in embarrassment.

"Achanak se Ahad ko ye naya bukhaar kaha se char gaya?" Noor asked adjusting her shawl. She eyed the three, Ahad, Zeeshan and Armaan taking out the skewers.

"We are talking about Ahad api." Saman said suppressing her smile, her eyes were trained on the three whose faces were very much resembling a tomato.

"Here ladies, presenting chef Ahad's famous chicken skewers with chutney and lots of smokey smell." 

"Kal subah jag payenge na hamlog?" Sara teased making the people around finally laugh. Ahad glared at them and tried to take away the plates only to stop by Armaan.

"Consider yourself lucky you are having food and that too prepared by me." He said raising his imaginary collors.

"Yeah as lucky as you are in life." Zeeshan added earning a glare from Ahad. As if he was scared of that chutka.

"Whatever! Ladies and not so gentle men, are you ready for the real fun?" Ahad asked clapping his hands animatedly.

"What are you upto now?" Fahad asked making Ahad gesture him to shh.

"Get ready for a movie night!" He exclaimed only to receive a deadly silence in reaction. Wiggling his brows he gestured towards the table he had kept at a side with his laptop.

"Pura pagal ho gaya hai ye." Fahad  spoke shaking his head in disbelief.

"Ahad have you lost your senses with your brain?"Zeeshan asked.

"Ahad bhai all of us will freeze to death right here if we are to stay for the 'movie night'." Sara said air quoting movie night.

"And then dada jaan will hunt each of us down for not being there at tomorrow's party." Mansha added.

"Why are you all such a spoilsport?" Ahad whined.

"We are normal, you have gone nuts." Ahad glared at Zeeshan, he wasn't surviving from his wrath now.

"Get inside. Don't listen to this one." Fahad announced getting up and helping Mahi to stand too. Giving a warning look to Ahad he made his way inside along with Mahi. Ahad sighed.

"You guys will also ditch me?" He asked eyeing Sara, Mansha and Saman hopefully. The three exchanged glances and nodded slowly, that too in sync. Huffing in disbelief he grabbed his laptop after giving them a nasty look stormed inside.

"Are Ahad wait !" Armaan called but he didn't pay any heed.

Zeeshan and Noor too left soon after him leaving the four there to clean up the mess.

"Girls get inside, I will handle this." He said facing the girls. Sara and Mansha exchanged looks and smiled, they were so gonna obey their elder.

"Thank you bhai!" They exclaimed and hopped inside, but Saman didn't follow them. Armaan raised his brows seeing her still there.

"Saman?"

"I will help you."

"Don't worry." Armaan tried to assure her only for her to stare at him blankly. She was still Saman after all, stubborn when wanted to.

"Fine, can you fold those blankets ." He said giving her the easiest  job he could find. She nodded with a faint smile on her face and strated folding the blankets. Meanwhile Armaan completed the rest of the work quickly or else she would insist to stay here under the cold.

"And we are done!" He said making her look around briefly. She turned  towards the blankets and tried ot pick it up, only to stop by Armaan as he beat her to it. She frowned and faced him making him supress his smile.

"I could pick them up." She spoke still frowning.

"I know,but I am here so you don't have to." He smiled at her. Saman wanted to retort, say more yet all she did was watch his smile. It was doing wonders to her.

"Let's go." He whispered breaking her reverie. Looking away as if caught  red handed Saman nodded.

"That night ..." Saman started making Armaan stop in his track and turn towards her. Saman glanced at him nervously.

"That night in the kitchen, you...you asked if I was fine. Why?" Her voice was a mere whisper, and her eyes were casted down.

Armaan watched her, for a moment or two? He didn't count. He watched her fumbling with her fingers in nervousness...he watched as she would raise her gaze up for a fleeting second and then again look down. He watched as Saman once again, unknowingly knocked  the deepest corner of his heart.

"Because I knew, you weren't fine. You are an open book Saman, whatever you feel can never be hidden. It just needs a little attention to figure you out."

Saman was yet again stunned. Lifting her gaze, Saman peered into his eyes. Even under the dark sky, they shone like stars...as if guiding the lost. And nobody was as lost as her.

"And I also want you to know that whatever happened, it wasn't your fault. You did no wrong. Even if it feels everything is going downhill now, soon everything will be fine." Armaan completed and not once did Saman look away from him eyes.

Unknowingly, yet again, Armaan was marking a territory in her heart she never knew existed.

________________

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