عِشق یہ پاکِ میـں تیرا نکھرجاوں

Ishq ye pake main tera nikhar jaun

***

Armaan sighed.

"If you ever need someone to talk I'll be there Saman." In a soft voice he spoke and walked away.

She wasn't fine. Armaan knew it. She was far form being fine. The hollowness in her eyes told enough to him. And he had to find out what was bothering her to this extent.

_______

"All of this happened and you did not find it important to inform me?"

"I couldn't contact you at all and you know that too." Ahad replied.

"What do we do now?" Armaan asked.

"Nothing. Specially you. Don't even think of doing anything. Saman have had enough. Let her be at peace." Ahad sounded hostile. In his eyes all of this was Armaan's fault. If he had manned up sooner nothing of this sort would happened.

"Ahad whatever you are thinking is not what I am talking about." Armaan spoke. "What do we do to...to help Saman. I saw her last night and...and she wasn't fine. Not at all."

Ahad looked at him with a passive face. He took a huge sigh. He didn't know exactly that. Ahad didn't know, how to help Saman. She needed her father but that man hadn't even looked back once. Every member of the family had tried contacting him and pursuing him yet he had turned deaf.

"I don't know bhai, I have no idea why Ihsan chachu is acting like this. All of us had tried."

"Maybe we are wrong here. We should priorities Saman and not Ihsan chachu." Armaan aded.

"But how?" Ahad asked.

"By bringing back the normalcy. I have noticed that everyone was pitying her, trying to console her, for what?" Armaan took a deep breath to calm himself. "Let's just try to bring things back to how it was. You should talk to badi ammi about this, she will understand and help us." He completed.

Ahad agreed to this. Maybe their concern wasn't helping Saman but only making her uncomfortable. He had noticed how she had distanced herself from everyone...avoiding them at any cost. If it weren't for Armaan,he wouldn't be able to conclude why.

And now it was time for some action. His sister had enough, they all had enough of sadness. It was time for the essence of Shah Gharana to come back.

__________

Saman stared at the moving clouds, she had lost count of the seconds and minutes she had been doing so. She was laying on her bed, and her eyes were looking outside the window, somehow she had positioned herself that the sky was clearly visible. The roaming clouds and some birda flying around occasionally was giving her peace she was craving for. Or maybe helping her mind to not think.

The events of last night had created a havoc inside her mind. From the time she had seen Armaan appear out of nowhere to the moment he uttered those words.

"Are you fine Saman?"

Saman knew he had no idea what had occurred when he was gone. She had asked Ahad, that was it him or anyone that told Armaan. At first Ahad just kept looking at her as if she had spoken foreign language, but then he answered her query . Nobody had any sort of contact with Armaan when he was gone, even Nausheen chachi got to know about his arrival when he landed in India.

Then why did it seemed like he knew.

As if he knew she was in a turmoil by merely looking at her.

It felt like he had heard all of that she wasn't saying, and all of that she wished to say. And it perplexed her to no extent, wether she was thinking too much or thinking just right.

Armaan Shah had always been a person she knew existed around her, someone she knew and knew not. He was always there in the background...somewhere she hadn't ever thought to look. But now...it felt like the line between that background, and where she stands now was fading.

He was advancing towards her...slowly that even she didn't perceive when he reached so close. And it didn't trouble her as if it was meant to be.

Whatever her mind had beem conjuring up was so complicated and so forbidden that she didn't even want to ponder over it...even for a second.

"Saman are you sleeping?" She heard Mansha's loud voice way before Mansha entered the room so she immediately closed her eyes.

Ofcourse she is sleeping!

"Oh you are sleeping!" Mansha spoke to herself. Saman thought she would go away but then it was Mansha.

"Saman uth jao badi ammi bula rahi hain!" Here it goes. Mansha screamed at the top of her lungs making Saman clench her eyes.

And she thought she could get rid of this one.

"Saman badi amm-"

"Bas kardo Mansha!" Saman replied getting up. She glared at Mansha who was looking her with questioning gaze.

"You were up all this time!" She exclaimed." And here I was wasting my energy, ab uth gayi ho to chalo. Badi ammi wants everyone to assemble immediately." She completed putting her hands on her waist.

This Dory!

Saman mentally whispered and with all her efforts she stepped down and gave an irritated look to Mansha, who just rolled her eyes. She made her way towards the washroom but before that, Revenge.

Swiftly she turned on her heels and smacked Mansha's head and dashed towards the washroom. Before poor Mansha could even understand what had happened Saman was gone.

"Saman yaar!" She cried.

_____________

"Everyone's here?" Munazza asked as she ran her eyes around the room. Sometimes having this many people meant you might forget someone.

"Yes ammi." Mahi replied after making sure all the women of the family were actually here.

"So, you all know Fahad had officially entered the political arena." She started and took a brief pause, making sure they were listening. "And soon we have to host a grand celebration for this. It will also be an announcement regarding Shaha Gharan's next generation's start, meaning Mahi's pregnancy."

"Why is badi ammi talking like some Raani?" Mansha whispered in Saman's ear.

"Mansha shh!" Saman couldn't understand what to do with this thing sitting beside her.

"We will be hosting some really important guests, big names of Alamnagar and some other places along with their families." Munazza completed.

"So we have to take care of the preparation really well. We want all of you girls to be active and hel p in the preparations as much you can...and also prepare yourself." Rameesha added making the girls look at each other for a brief moment.

"Badi ammi how big will it be?" Mansha asked.

"Big enough for the whole Alamnagar to talk for ages." Munazza replied smiling proudly.

"And how long will they talk?" Mansha asked Saman. Saman gave her a look.

"Mansha do you ever try to use your unused brain? Ever?" Saman asked in a whisper. Mansha frowned, offended at her question.

"I do but if you all talk in all sorts of metaphors and figures of speech how will I figure it out?" Mansha spoke and then huffed in annoyance.

"Are meri jaan, kyu khafa ho jati ho baat baat pe. Badi ammi meant that the party will be huge and we have to be at our best." Saman explained calmly. Mansha nodded.

The next half an hour went in explaining all the planed things to everyone and soon they were joined by the male members too and somehow this planning of the event turned into a fun family time.

Saman smiled at something Fahad bhai said and looked around fondly. These were her people. That's all that actually mattered, and as long as they were here with her, things would always be fine.

"Sara is right here bhai, we all need a treat." Ahad remarked breaking her reverie.

"Han bas kuch ho na ho tum logon ko treat chahiye. Nahi deraha mai treat kisi ko." Fahad spoks narrowing his eyes at them. Ahad smirked.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Bhabi jaan, my dear bhabi jaan have you ever thought of teaching your husband some kindness? Did you see how much he lacks that ?" Ahad faced Mahi with a huge grin, and she smiled nervously. She knew what was behind that smile.

"Bas bate banwa lo isse." Fahad grumbled.

"See, that's what I was talking about. Ab dekhein itna bada mauka hai ek chota sa treat to ham deserve karte hi hain?" He spoke and turned towards the elders making sure they all listened.

"Fahad le jao sabko." It was Mazhar this time. And Fahad wouldn't dare to refuse him. Ahad gave his cheeky grin to his father and turned towards his brother and gave him a smirk.

"Fahad didn't you hear?" He leaned towards him and whispered making Fahad glare at him and raise his hand to slap some sense in his dense mind but Mahi stopped him. Ahad again smirked.

"Seekhein kuch apni bivi se." He spoke only to receive a hard slap on his head by Fahad. Well deserved.

"I am not taking you."

"I will take my own self." Ahad replied smugly.

"I will not pay for all the things you hog."

"Thank you not,I earn too."

"And I am the one who pays you."

"No you don't!" Ahad retorted. Irritated by Fahad successfully. At this Fahad smirked.

"Yes I do." He spoke leaning against the headrest of the sofa.

"Bas bhi karein aplog!" Mahi whispered.

"Bache ho tum dono?" Munazza asked walking towards them making the two look away from each other and around. All of them were holding back their smiles. Embarrassed Fajad straightened himself and got up.

"Half an hour, I won't wait longer." He spoke and walked away followed by Mahi who herself was controlling her laugh.

"Now you don't tease me!" Fahad whined seeing Mahi's smile get even wider.

"Why not?" She asked teasingly making Fahad smirk and pull her towards himself.

"You tell me why not?" He asked in a whisper. Mahi shook her head and pushed him back lightly.

"First let's go and give those poor kids their treat." She replied making him smile and plant a small kiss on her forehead.

_____________

Nadia's weekend was going good. Her home was at peace as everybody who usually caused chaos were gone to some wedding. And the ones who were at home were peacefully doing their own things.

It was bittersweet day, she was not overstimulated but she still had to do some work. And so here she was with a warm cup of tea, some biscuits and her laptop. It was not that the work demanded her to do this but rather herself. She prefered being prepared and organised to a great extent and that's what she was currently focusing on.

She had already organized her room in the morning and it felt as if her mind had cleared magically. The satisfaction of cleaning was unmatched for her.

Saving the monthly plan for her team she took another sip of her tea. Her eyes were glued to the screen when she heard a knock on the door.

"Yes?" She yelled still not looking away making the door open with a squeak. She peeled her eyes away from her laptop when she didn't hear anything even after a whole minute. And she found someone unexpected leaning on the door.

"Ahad?" She whispered, unsure that if she was actually seeing him.

"Kafi busy lag rahi hain aap?" He asked with a small smile. She raised her brows in confusion. So he was really here.

"No not really." Nadia replied. He looked at the laptop and raised his brows.

"Nothing work related." She clarified. He nodded and stepped further inside her room all the while running his eyes around. He didn't remember when he had come here. Maybe in childhood.

Sage green walls, brown decorations. A cozy, elegant and properly kept room, it screamed of her. He could make out that she had herself designed everything, she preferred minimalism.

"Is everything alright?" She asked making him look at her, she lookes concerned.

"Yeah, Fahad bhai's giving us treat so I came to pick y'all. I got to know Umair and Uzair aren't home, so it's just you." He said taking a seat on the sofa.

"Treat for what?" She asked closing her laptop.

"Just usual." Ahad shrugged his shoulders. Nadia smiled, knowing very well it was him behind this treat.

"I didn't disturb you right?"

"Nope, I was just making monthly planners...no biggie." She replied nonchalantly.

"It's weekend though."

"I was bored anyways."

"Nadia have you ever considered to let go?" Nadia froze hearing him. Frowning at his unexpected question she faced him.

"Let go what?"

"Nothing." He shook his head.

"I will be waiting downstairs. Come fast." He said and walked out of the room, leaving her perplexed.

________________

Mansha and Sara were busy in deciding what they will be doing throughout the day as they had planned to convince Fahad for making it a whole day outing. Saman was listening to them, giving them answers when they asked something but she wasn't paying attention. Her mind was wandering here and there and her attention was divided.

Mostly she was finding herself pondering about the certain someone who was driving the car right now.

He was unaware of her fleeting looks. She couldn't help it, her actions seemed like they were on their accord. As if her mind and her thoughts had broken chains.

She wasn't liking this.

"Saman?" A soft whisper called making her bubble of thoughts to pop. She turned towards the voice only to find Armaan watching her intently from outside the car. She blinked few times to regain her lost senses.

The car was standing in a parking lot and also empty, they might have reached. Saman concluded. Taking a long breath in she opened the back door and tried to step out quickly but seemed like things weren't going to go as she wished.

Somehow her feet had stuck and in an attempt to step down she tripped and fell forward. A gasp left her mouth and she tried to hold something but before that Armaan moved swiftly and grabbed her hand.

"Careful." Armaan helped her on her feet. She looked at him with wide eyed and nodded vaguely.

"Are you hurt?" Armaan asked. Saman shook her head in negative. Thankfully she wasn't hurt but seemed like her sandals were broken. She looked down again and assessed the damage and sighed.

"It's broken." She murmured under her breath making Armaan look down too.

"Can you walk in them?" He asked making her look at him with distressed eyes. She couldn't walk a step in them. He sighed.

"Will you wait here for a moment? I will be back and inform someone that we are coming in a while." He said calmly making her raise her brows at him.

"Don't worry. Get in the car and lock the doors." Saman was still confused but she did as he had asked. Closing the door she again looked at him only for Armaan to smile and then walk away. She messaged Sara that they will be inside im a few minute.

She removed her sandals and watched it sadly. Saman sighed. How does she land in these kind of situations? And almost everytime infront of Armaan. Then it was her dress and now it's her sandals.

She was once again lost in her thoughts when suddenly a knock resonated making her jerk in surprise. It was Armaan, finally here after she didn't know how much time. She opened the car's door making him pass a package towards her. She frowned seeing the packet and also how he was breathing heavily. Did he run or something?

"I could just get this, they didn't have much option." He spoke.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Umm...sandals?" His reply seemed more like a question. Saman took out the box and opened it only to reveal a pair of new foot ware. She lifted her head up and stared at him making him smile nervously.

Saman didn't know what to say. She wasn't expecting this. She wasn't expecting him to be this...this caring.

"Put them on fast everyone's waiting." He said snapping her out of her haze. She did the same and stepped out carefully and all the while she could feel Armaan too making sure she didn't trip again. Her thumping heart couldn't take anymore.

"Let's go." He smiled at her. The same smile Saman had scarcely seen on him, the soft smile that could even dim the lights of the world.

____________

Assalamualaikum everyone.

A short update.