The Society Whisperer- Personal Blog Section

August 10th, 2023.

Good afternoon, lovelies! How are we all doing? The weather's taken a turn for the worse again, in the midst of Karachi's unpredictable Monsoon.

Meanwhile, against all odds, things finally seem to be looking up for our queen bee- Mubashira Jaffar. A little anonymous birdie gave us a juicy bit of exclusive intel about some recent developments in MJ's personal life. It appears that it's not a knight in shining armor who has swept her off her feet, but a dynamic suitor who is a king in his own right.

Looks like MJ might've managed to save her kingdom after all! Now, the question is, what's her next move going to be? Will we hear wedding bells anytime soon?!

Keep following this space for more updates!

-Gupshup Rani

*****

Zaid Asif looked at the hordes of guests piling into the lawn of the Shahwani mansion and swallowed apprehensively. He wasn't an inherently social being and mostly displayed tendencies resembling that of an ambivert. He was friendly and mischievous with individuals he knew significantly well and shared a decent rapport with, but remained rather stiff and formal with most others. Consequently, when he observed the number of individuals at the gathering, he had a sudden urge to dodge the guests altogether and possibly go outside for a smoke. However, he knew that he couldn't remain isolated from them, because his father would surely want him to host the visitors as effectively as possible in his absence.

He looked into the dial of his watch and took note of the time. It was nearly eight-thirty, which was well past the stipulated arrival slot for the visitors.

Come on Baba, where are you?

Although his father did arrive fashionably late to most social gatherings on principle, Zaid hadn't expected that he would uphold this little tradition of his when he was the primary host of this grandiose celebration.

It had only been a couple hours since Zaid had reached Karachi. He'd hardly been able to contain his excitement at the thought of reuniting with his family and had wasted no time in returning home from the airport. Nevertheless, much to his dismay, it appeared that his father was still at work and Kashmala had gone out to meet with a friend, clearly failing to recall that Zaid would be arriving in the afternoon. Although Zaid had learned to manage his expectations when it came to Kashmala and his father's occasionally nonchalant behavior towards him, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of disappointment every time such an instance came about.

It had been the same old story ever since Zaid was a mere four year old, starting from the very day Kashmala was born. Even though Zaid was probably too little to remember intricate details, he had an extremely lucid memory of holding Kashmala for the first time, and falling in love with her almost instantaneously. Despite the joy that Kashmala had brought into their lives, her birth was quickly followed by a period of mourning for the Shahwani family as Zeenat- Asif Shahwani's wife of nearly seven years, passed away as a result of some complications that'd arisen during the delivery.

As the years progressed, Asif repeatedly showered Kashmala with extra affection as if to compensate for the fact she'd never known a mother's love. Asif was also extremely protective of her and tried to cocoon her from even the slightest discomfort, making her rather naive and oblivious to the harsh realities of the outside world. As a result, Zaid felt slightly neglected and made repeated attempts to win his father's attention and approval. He pushed himself to the best of his abilities in all spheres of life, in a bid to impress his dad. There was never a year that went by where Zaid hadn't secured the top most grades in his batch. He even worked extremely hard as an athlete and captained the school cricket team for a number of years. Even though Zaid's room was lined with glistening trophies and glowing medals as concrete evidence of his brilliance, somehow, his father always seemed to be happier whenever Kashmala received a mere consolation prize of any sort.

Zaid had often tried to decipher the reason behind his father's inconsistently perfunctory behaviour towards him. At one point, he'd sincerely believed that his father was simply pushing him to acquire his full potential. After all, if his father had been impressed easily, perhaps Zaid wouldn't have put in the hard work required to get into a top university like London Business School. But over time, he realised that the answer was much less complicated. It was a very common occurrence for a parent to prefer one child over the other, and unfortunately, Zaid realised that he was an unlucky victim of this very phenomenon. His father would always love Kashmala more, and he knew that he had no choice but to accept this fact. It took some time, but he eventually made peace with it as he entered adulthood, especially because he had immense love for Kashmala himself- a feeling he knew that she returned despite being slightly self-absorbed at times.

Zaid placed his fingers on the bar counter and tapped them absentmindedly on its glass as he racked his brain to try and guess the news that his father was invariably about to break at this gathering. He knew that his father had a flair for theatrics and he only hoped that it wouldn't be something too shocking.

"Would you like a drink, Sir?" The bartender asked Zaid, forcing him out of his rumination.

"Um...yeah, do you have a bottle of Macallan? Or for that matter any Speyside single malt whisky?" Zaid asked instinctively.

"I'm afraid not, Sir." The bartender looked apologetic as he shook his head while responding.

"Alright, you must have Laphroaig, then? Sixteen years?" Zaid asked for an alternative.

"Yes, Sir! We do indeed." The bartender replied, relieved that he hadn't disappointed his client twice in a row.

Zaid smiled knowingly as he prepared to drink his father's steady poison of choice, which he'd built up a taste for over the years, despite not appreciating it initially.

Baba and his never-ending love for Islay whisky continues!

He watched the bartender pour the gorgeous brown liquid into a wonderfully regal whisky glass and smiled as the pleasant aroma of the liquor invaded his senses.

"Here you go, Sir." The bartender said, adding two ice cubes to it.

Just as Zaid was about to take a tiny sip of the liquid, so that he could break down the components of the drink in his head using his sensitive palate, he noticed an individual walking up to him.

No, no, no...no. Not Mr. Khan. Anyone apart from him. Literally anyone.

The Khans had been old family friends of the Shahwanis for a number of generations. They were perfectly nice people, but their whole family was so arrantly unintelligent and ignorant that Zaid hated making mindless conversation with them, whenever they visited.

"You know what, make that a double." Zaid said discreetly, setting the glass down on the counter once again.

"You've got it, Sir." The bartender smiled cheekily as he poured an extra thirty milliliters of the liquid into the glass, without measuring it explicitly.

"Thanks." Zaid grinned gratefully as he picked up the glass and gulped it down in one go, in a rather unsophisticated manner.

As soon as he sensed the warm fluid descending down his oesophagus and slowly entering his bloodstream, he felt immediately more equipped to handle the dull conversation coming his way.

"Zaid, you're back from Dubai?! Good to see you!" Ismail Khan exclaimed, upon arriving at the bar.

"Yes, I'm back. Good to see you too, Khan Uncle." Zaid lied seamlessly.

"Looking extremely sharp, dare I say. Who are you wearing tonight?" Ismail Khan asked, being as blunt as a spoon.

Zaid cringed internally out of second-hand embarrassment at the question. It seemed like Ismail Khan still hadn't got the memo when it came to directly asking an individual about the brand they were wearing, unless they brought it up themselves. It was an unspoken rule among the members of Karachi's elite that you were supposed to find out about it from other sources in case you were interested, be it common acquaintances or even something as pedestrian as the internet.

"Um...I believe our family's stylist has chosen an Emraan Rajput ensemble for me today. Nothing too fancy..." Zaid said with a straight face, concealing his true feelings.

"What about you, Uncle? How's everyone doing at home? Has Sana graduated yet?" Zaid asked, changing the subject and asking after his daughter instead.

"Oh yes, she graduated just two months back. Inshallah, she'll join our business soon." Ismail Khan said proudly, beaming from ear to ear.

Zaid's eyes widened slightly as he nodded in response.

Someone should really tell him she's going to run it into the ground within a year.

In all his limited interactions with Sana, he could tell that she definitely lived up to the Khan family name, when it came to judgment and intellect. It didn't help that in addition to lacking wit, she always seemed to be fawning over him even as he said the most commonplace things, which he found extremely vexing.

"Oh look, that's Asif Sahab right there..." Ismail Khan said, pointing to the lawn entrance.

Zaid turned in the specific direction immediately and smiled in relief when he saw his father entering the lawn, arm in arm with Kashmala.

"Oh, I better go and join them. Would you please excuse me, Khan Uncle?" Zaid asked politely, as he prepared to make a move from the bar.

"Oh, of course. Of course." Ismail Khan said as he turned away from him and began conversing with the bartender instead.

Zaid began to walk forward soon after, straightening his coat out as he moved towards them. As soon as Asif Shahwani noticed Zaid, a wide smile spread across his face. Kashmala in turn, mirrored his reaction when she realized the source of her father's delight.

"Zaid. Good to have you back, son." His father greeted him while embracing him warmly.

"It's good to be back." Zaid said cheerfully, as he tapped his father's back in affection.

"My turn!" Kashmala said leaping forth, as soon as Asif let go of Zaid.

Zaid smirked as Kashmala engulfed him in a bear hug.

"I'm really sorry I wasn't home when you arrived. Hiba said she was going through a crisis, so I left immediately without thinking of anything else..." Kashmala said, her voice laced with guilt.

"It's okay, Kash. I get it." Zaid sighed as he responded, happy that she'd at least acknowledged that her behavior could have been construed as callous.

"Oooh! Did you get me what I asked for?" Kashmala asked, clapping her hands together eagerly.

"Your Eden pumps are in your shoe closet. Go have a look after the party!" Zaid smirked.

"You're the best!" Kashmala squealed in excitement, hugging him all over again.

Once Kashmala withdrew, Zaid finally decided to ask his father about the 'news' that he'd spoken of over the phone.

"Baba, when we spoke over the phone you said you had some important news to share with us. Is it an announcement of some sort?" Zaid asked.

Asif smiled discerningly in response, while tapping Zaid's shoulder as he spoke. "Indeed, it's an important announcement and I'll be making the news public very soon. Have some patience. Treat it as a surprise..."

"Dad, come on, the suspense is killing me...just tell us already." Kashmala said in frustration, crossing her arms petulantly.

"Like I said- patience, my dear. I'm just waiting for someone important to arrive. That reminds me, Zaid- have you invited Ayra and her family as per my instructions?" Asif Shahwani asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, Baba. I have. I believe that Amir Bhai had some work to attend to, that's why they'll be late. But they're definitely going to be here soon..." Zaid replied, remembering the contents of Ayra's message.

If Zaid had to pick an individual who was the most important to him apart from his father and sister, he knew he'd pick Ayra in a heartbeat. Ayra was the much younger sibling of Amir Saleem- an eminent member of the Council in Karachi, poised to become the next mayor. Zaid had been seeing Ayra for a little over a year, and thus far, it had been nothing but smooth sailing. In fact, their relationship had begun a couple of months before he'd shifted to Dubai temporarily to manage AJ group's affairs at that location, and had sustained itself pretty well, despite the physical distance between them.

It was Zaid's father who'd set them up initially, and since Zaid didn't really wish to pursue anyone else at that moment, he did what any dutiful son would do and gave Ayra a chance. Much to his surprise, he realized that she was quite bright, sensitive and witty, whose company he enjoyed thoroughly.

Zaid was no fool. He knew that the primary reason his father had set her up with him was due to the political influence that her brother carried, which would be extremely helpful for the AJ group businesses. In fact, ever since Ayra and Amir were orphaned, it was Amir who'd looked after Ayra, effectively discharging all the duties of a parent. Thus, he was extremely attached to her and it became apparent to Zaid, that any individual who was precious to Ayra, would eventually be invaluable to Amir as well. Over time, Zaid had won Amir over pretty successfully and Asif used this very fact to his advantage by asking him for favors to benefit his business empire, fairly frequently. In all of these transactions, however, there was just one thing Zaid was thankful for, and this was merely the fact that Ayra was a genuinely good human being, who offered him enough personal space and respect. And that's all he desired from a partner.

"Baba, how about I give her a call and ask her where they are? I'll be back in a bit..." Zaid said, as he removed his cell phone from his pocket in order to check if there were any updates from her.

"Sure. Of course." Asif nodded, offering his approval.

Zaid started to walk towards the interior of their house in order to garner some peace and quiet to make the call. Just as he was about to go through the glass door, he collided with an individual rather harshly, due to the fact that he'd been preoccupied with his phone instead of monitoring his own movements.

Zaid let out a slight grunt and contorted his face as his knuckles clashed against certain sharp structures which appeared to be minute gemstones of some sort, leaving behind small striations on his skin.

"Watch where you're going, you little...Zaid?" The feminine voice's tone in the background transitioned from rage to astonishment, as he looked up to identify its owner.

"MJ?" Zaid exclaimed in surprise as he immediately recognised the individual before him.

As he regarded her carefully, he couldn't help but take notice of how objectively stunning she looked in her floor length, embellished silver gown, replete with cloak sleeves. He instinctively observed the elaborate detailing on its fabric, lined with a mix of sequins and crystals, and tried to recall where he'd seen such an ensemble before. It took him a moment or two but he remembered that the couture was uncannily similar to a Ziad Nakad design that he'd observed a celebrity wear at the Red Carpet at Cannes, rendering him even more impressed that she'd managed to source such an outfit. But then again, Mubashira Jaffar was never one to disappoint with her sartorial choices.

"Um...I'm sorry, I was looking into my phone and..." Zaid tried to apologize, once he regained the ability to speak.

"It's fine. Let it go. So, you're back from Dubai, huh? Permanently I presume?" Mubashira asked, her tone curious.

"Yup. Atleast, I hope so." Zaid replied with a half-smile, unsure of his own fate.

"Wow, it's been ages since I've seen you. I think the last time was on the eve of my second anniversary when..." Mubashira trailed off as she replayed the aftermath of her breakdown on that night in her head.

Although Mubashira couldn't remember the nuances of what had come about once she'd entered into her unyielding bout of hysteria, she had faint memories of people ridiculing her as she nearly progressed to a state of delirium. However, of all the individuals who were present at the gathering, it had been Zaid who'd decided to show her some kindness and escort her away from prying eyes in order to stop her from embarrassing herself any further.

Zaid himself felt slightly uncomfortable as he recalled the night in question. Although being enraged was an organic reaction to being served divorce papers in public, there was something so unnatural and over the top about Mubashira's reaction that had rendered Zaid quite frightened. He remembered how he'd dragged her inside while she'd been kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs, almost as if she were an individual possessed by a paranormal entity. In fact, when he'd offered her a glass of water in order to soothe her throat, she'd flicked it away so violently that Zaid had finally lost patience with her, and decided to leave her to her own devices.

When Zaid's father had later informed him that Mubashira's therapy sessions had ultimately resulted in her being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Zaid felt immediately guilty for having judged her. He'd intended to apologize to her for his frustration with her on that night. However, since she'd retreated into a shell of sorts after what had happened, taking a break from nearly all social events, Zaid hadn't gotten a chance to meet with her in person since then.

"Um...I'm sorry that I couldn't do more that night..." Zaid said contritely as he rubbed his palms together in uncertainty.

"There's no need to be apologetic. What happened was unfortunate and hardly your fault. In fact, you did the best you could to salvage my image, and I'm supremely grateful for that. So, thank you..." Mubashira admitted grudgingly.

"Uh...I guess you seem to have recovered from the trauma of that night fairly well. Apart from that, how have you been in the past year...with the diagnosis and everything?" Zaid asked, his question stemming partially from concern and partially from his own guilt.

Mubashira swallowed hard when Zaid brought up the topic of her ailment which was definitely a sensitive subject to broach with her. Ever since she'd been diagnosed, she'd made a great many efforts to keep this fact concealed from the public as well as all the media news portals, for they would surely have a field day with this salacious bit of gossip, in case they caught wind of it. But she realised that hiding it from the Shahwanis would have been impossible either way, since her father used to share every minute detail of his life with his best friend, who in turn, would surely mention it to his immediate family.

"It's been okay...I go to therapy sometimes, and I have some medication to keep me stable." Mubashira replied, staring at Zaid's feet, as a stray thought about his shoes not quite complementing his ebony black suit entered her mind.

"Good. I'm glad you're doing better. Also, I probably should have led with this, but I'm really sorry for your loss. When Baba told me about Jaffar Uncle passing, I could hardly believe it...how are you holding up?" Zaid asked, placing his hand on her elbow to comfort her.

How am I holding up?

Ever since she'd received that one phone call from her lawyer about her financial situation, her entire world had been turned upside down before she could even realise it. She'd purposely refused to pause in order to process her feelings of grief elicited by the loss of her father. She knew that if she did so, she would invariably break, and end up being a nuisance to herself.

"I've been fine. I'm used to it...whomever I love, whomever's close to me, they always leave. First it was my mother, then Mohib...and now, it's my father. I guess the only thing I can feel better about this time round, is that he didn't abandon me of his own volition." Mubashira said, staring into space, as she clenched her fists.

Zaid was taken aback at how profoundly despondent her statement was, even though she'd said it with an impassive expression on her face. He understood that she was deliberately downplaying her devastation in order to appear more stable and socially appropriate.

Jaffar Ibrahim, despite his vices, had been a wonderfully warm individual who would be sorely missed by all. When Zaid had heard about Jaffar Uncle's demise from his father over a fortnight ago, he was extremely disturbed and couldn't work for the rest of the day. All the employees at the office had taken a day off as well, as a sign of mourning. He had been extremely fond of Jaffar Uncle, because unlike his own father, Jaffar Sahab had frequently acknowledged Zaid's excellence and hard work throughout the course of his life. Zaid felt like an important figure from his childhood had been snatched away from him, without him having been given a chance to say goodbye. And if he felt this way, he could only imagine how miserable Mubashira must've felt upon him passing so suddenly, especially since she was the apple of her father's eye, much like Kashmala was that of Asif's.

Zaid decided not to probe further into her feelings and chose to keep silent in order to allow her some breathing room to process her emotions.

Mubashira eventually recovered from her small bout of self-pity and immediately reprimanded herself for it. She pushed her feelings into the background temporarily and casually adjusted her dress, before attempting to step down from the platform she was standing on.

Zaid instinctively offered her his hand in order to strengthen her balance and she accepted it gratefully as she stepped down from the raised porch in her stilettos.

Once she'd stuck the landing effectively, she said. "Well, my therapist has asked me to try and be less self-involved, so enough about me. How have you been in Dubai? Did you miss home? I can't imagine leaving the comfort of my own house and living in a foreign land where I barely know anyone..."

Even though Mubashira had posed the question pretty casually, Zaid realised that practically no one had asked him about how he'd been coping with living abroad all by his lonesome, without the presence of any immediate family. His father was mostly focussed on gathering official updates from him, while Ayra and Kashmala mainly asked about him missing them, making themselves the subject of the conversation, instead of his feelings. He suddenly grew cognizant of the fact that Mubashira seemed much more evolved from when he'd last interacted with her. Her pride and no-nonsense, incendiary nature was no doubt intact, but she seemed far more thoughtful and empathetic. Zaid realised that perhaps this metamorphosis was only natural with the number of trials she'd faced in the past year.

Just as he parted his lips in order to respond to her question, he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He immediately turned around as a reflex and found Ayra before him, gleaming with happiness.

"Zaid, I missed you so much!" Ayra exclaimed as she flung her arms around him instantly, suffusing him in an urgent hug.

Zaid smiled at the gesture of affection and placed his hand on the small of her back in order to reciprocate it.

"Now that you're back you've got to stay put, here. No leaving again, okay?" She whispered in all seriousness as she receded and pecked his cheek tenderly.

"I wish it were sorely my decision, but my gut does tell me that I'm here to stay..." Zaid answered as he finally loosened his grip on her.

However, Ayra was in no mood to let go of him and immediately encircled her hand around his bicep, holding him possessively.

Zaid glanced sideways and noticed that Mubashira had left from his immediate vicinity. He began to scan the party panoramically as his eyes searched for her. His gaze finally rested at the bar, where he found her standing with a rather bored expression on her face, possibly waiting for a drink. After all, she wasn't easy to miss in her glittering silver outfit.

"Zaid, I put in so much effort to dress up for this party and you didn't even compliment me!" Ayra whispered into his ear in disapproval.

Zaid looked at the simple yet elegant knee length floral dress that Ayra had worn, and rectified his supposed mistake immediately.

"You look very pretty." He said obediently, immediately making her blush.

Before they could continue their conversation, Zaid suddenly noticed his father on stage, where he appeared to be gesturing to the technicians to switch off the music in order to possibly address the gathering. Asif Shahwani then proceeded to grab hold of a microphone and tap it in order to test out its audio so that his voice could be heard effectively by all the members of the audience.

"Ah! Looks like I'm audible." He said satisfactorily, once he was happy with the decibel level of the sound system.

"Good evening, everyone! I know your time is precious, so thank you for gracing us with your presence at this rather impromptu soiree. It's been a tough time for us at AJ group lately, especially with the passing of my dear friend and business partner, Jaffar Ibrahim. I sincerely hope he's in a better place right now. Jaffar, you will be missed...I'd like us all to pause for a moment of silence in order to honour his memory." Asif Shahwani said, as he lowered the microphone slightly and the mood among the spectators turned somber.

After a few seconds of silence, Asif Shahwani resumed his speech with renewed vigour.

"Well, Jaffar was never one to be melancholic for long, and I know he'd want us to celebrate his life rather than dwell on his untimely and unfair death. In this spirit, I'd like to make a couple of important announcements tonight. Firstly, as you all might have noticed, my son Zaid has finally returned from Dubai after nearly a year. His efforts to expand our operations abroad have borne much fruit and also rendered our share price largely stable...so here's a toast to all your hard work, Zaid!" Asif Shahwani said proudly, raising a glass.

Zaid's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected praise and appreciation from his father. Although there was a part of him that wished that his father didn't have any ulterior motive, his instincts and past experience told him otherwise.

"And I'd also like to take this opportunity to announce, with your permission of course, Amir Sahab, that Ayra Saleem will soon be joining our family as my daughter-in-law. Yes, you heard it right! My son Zaid has finally decided to settle down and what a lovely girl he's chosen...she's going to make an excellent addition to the Shahwani family! Zaid, Ayra, would you join me on stage, please?" Asif Shahwani requested cheerfully.

The skin on Zaid's scalp prickled and his throat felt suddenly parched as he heard his father's announcement. It appeared that his limbs had frozen abruptly due to shock. When Zaid had started seeing Ayra, he'd had a pretty good idea of what his father had intended for the both of them. But he'd never imagined that his father would spring this decision on him so suddenly in public without even having spoken with him about it first.

"Zaid...Zaid!" Ayra hissed at him in order to make him snap out of his stupor.

"Huh?" Zaid asked, turning towards her, once she'd succeeded in grabbing his attention.

"Zaid, come on. We have to go on stage!" Ayra whispered urgently, tugging on his arm, as they suddenly became the cynosure of all individuals gathered at the event.

Zaid swallowed and finally began to walk forth as Ayra guided him along towards the stage. Once they were finally in focus under the spotlight, Zaid watched as a househelp came on stage with a tray containing a small jewelry box.

Shit! He's bought a ring on my behalf?!

Zaid felt himself sweating profusely as he accepted the box from the servant, following which the individual got off the stage dutifully.

"Come on Zaid, don't be so awkward. She's your fiance, after all. Not someone else's! Put the ring on her finger!" Asif Shahwani guffawed, as everyone giggled on cue at his unoriginal attempt at humour.

Zaid finally opened the box to find a simple princess cut three carat diamond inside which was extremely modest by Shahwani family standards. He swallowed as he took it out from the box and slid it into Ayra's left ring finger that she'd extended to him, expectantly.

Once the little ritual was completed, he heard a massive round of applause from the audience and a few cheers of jubilation as well. Among the members, he found Amir Bhai clapping triumphantly, his eyes moist with tears of joy.

Zaid encircled his arm around Ayra's waist and drew her close in order to whisper inconspicuously into her ear.

"Did you know about this?" He asked, smiling superficially so as to maintain the facade of being overjoyed.

"What do you mean? Of course, I did! I even picked out the ring. Did your father not tell you?" Ayra replied in an equally unobtrusive manner, maintaining the smile on her face.

Zaid was surprised to hear her response and quite embarrassed that he'd had no inkling of his father's plans despite the fact that he'd been warned of a certain 'news' his father had wished to share with him.

"Um...yes, of course I did." Zaid lied, tightening his grip around her in order to appear more convincing.

"Zaid, Ayra, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness! Inshallah, if all goes well, I hope to see you two married by the end of the year. And Ayra my dear, welcome to the family...our boisterous family surely needed a calming presence like yourself!" Asif Shahwani said, his tone jovial, as everyone clapped and hooted once again.

"Now, for the second announcement of the night." Asif Shahwani said excitedly, as the audience fell silent once again.

Another announcement?! What new scheme has he concocted now?!

Zaid grew worried as his imagination ran wild with all the permutations and combinations of probable outcomes while his father prepared to divulge the next bit of news to the guests.

"A lot of you know that my wife Zeenat passed away several years ago, shortly after Kashmala was born. Ever since then, I've dedicated my life to raising my children and expanding my business, letting my heart take a back seat. But now, it appears that I finally have the strength to move on...and emerge upon a new journey since I've at last, decided to give marriage another chance..." Asif Shahwani said, eliciting immediate murmuring among the guests.

Out of all the things that Zaid could think of, news of his father marrying for the second time was definitely not what he'd expected to hear. It seemed extremely abrupt and ill-timed, especially because Zaid had practically no idea that his father had even been romantically involved with someone, let alone made the lucrative decision of marrying her. Nevertheless, he was still willing to give his father some leeway as he waited for him to announce the name of his fiancee.

"Mubashira, jaan...will you join me on stage, please?" Asif Shahwani said tenderly as the spotlight shifted towards the bar.

What the fuck did I just hear?!

Zaid's ears rang with his father's words as he wondered if he'd misheard or misconstrued the statement in any way. Even though he'd just consumed a single drink, he pondered whether he'd end up regurgitating whatever contents of it hadn't been assimilated by his system yet, whilst still on stage. He waited for his father to reveal that perhaps it was a distasteful joke, but unfortunately, nothing of the sort happened. In actuality, since the technicians had focussed the spotlight on Mubashira- it was only further evidence of the fact that he hadn't misunderstood his father's intentions.

Based on the muted and puzzled reactions from the guests, Zaid realised that he wasn't the only one who was utterly thrown off by Asif's announcement. He watched as Kashmala became the first to diffuse the tension in the air and began clapping rather awkwardly, in order to show her father some support. The rest of the guests joined in grudgingly, possibly out of social propriety rather than any genuine appreciation.

Zaid watched as Mubashira's expression transitioned from being arrantly fearful and nervous to that of complete resignation as she downed the glass of wine she held in her hand and wiped her lips in a delicate manner, before beginning to walk towards the stage. He wondered whether it was a good idea for her to be mixing an alcoholic beverage with the mood stabilization medication that she'd revealed she was on.

His eyes remained fixed on her as she moved, half expecting her to oppose the whole scenario violently and storm out of there without sparing anyone at the gathering a second glance. However, much to his surprise, his expectations couldn't be further from the truth.

Mubashira smiled rather stiffly as Asif helped her step onto the stage, avoiding the disparaging, critical gazes of the onlookers. She hardened herself to them and tried to shut them out, but there was one that was particularly hard to ignore. She felt Zaid's befuddled eyes on her as Asif Shahwani removed an olive Van Cleef box from his coat pocket, and then proceeded to slip the ring contained within it onto her finger.

Mubashira's palm immediately felt heavy as she observed the nearly five carat double banded diamond ring encrusted with miniature sapphires on its edges.

Looks close enough to the one I selected. But it appears very, very slightly included instead of flawless.

She'd decided that if Asif Shahwani really did want to go through with this disgusting deal, she might as well suck him as dry as she possibly could when it came to the arrangements for the wedding. Besides, her first husband Mohib had been so financially inferior to her that she'd had to sacrifice the ring she'd actually wanted when they'd gotten married, anyway.

"I guess, it's true what they say. When you meet the right person, there's no need to waste any time...So, we shall be getting married in two weeks time, and all of you gathered here are cordially invited to our grand wedding celebration! It's going to be the event of the season!" Asif Shahwani said joyously, inviting more apprehensive applause from the audience.

Zaid gaped in abject horror as his father encircled his arm around Mubashira's waist and lowered his face in order to plant a kiss on her temple.

Mubashira flinched in disgust internally but tried her best to keep a straight face so as to not alert the audience about her real feelings. When she stole a glance at Zaid, she couldn't get past how accusatory his gaze was- not just towards her, but his father as well, almost like he felt betrayed in some way.

Zaid ultimately looked away from the other couple on stage, and took a deep breath in order to calm his nerves. He then recovered from his state of shock and began to smile at the audience again in a cosmetic fashion.

As Mubashira angled her eyes towards Zaid and curiously assessed his reaction to his own engagement, she noticed the emptiness in his eyes as he grinned at Ayra. And her recognition of his true feelings about his relationship being a compromise was all but immediate.

We're kindred spirits.

*****

Zaid fiddled with his whisky glass as he mulled the night's events over in his head. It seemed as if the more he pondered about it, the more unsettled and restless he felt. And unfortunately, despite the fact that this was his fourth drink, these feelings refused to abandon him. The guests had left a couple of hours ago and Zaid had taken this as a sign to retire to their home bar and continue his drinking session there, without being interrupted. Plus, he could now actually drink the whisky of his choice which they'd refused to source for the party, for his father's preferences were always given the first priority when it came to planning events.

Somehow, he couldn't get over that momentary expression of fear and despair that Mubashira had displayed, right before doing a one-eighty degree flip and appearing reasonably happy with his father's public proposal of marriage to her.

Why are you marrying him, MJ?!

Zaid clenched his fist and downed the rest of the drink in his glass, feeling a stinging sensation in his throat as he swallowed.

"Zaid, why are you drinking here, all alone, at this time of the night? We have an important meeting tomorrow...and I need you to be at the top of your game." His father's voice greeted him reproachfully.

Zaid merely scoffed and poured himself another small serving of the liquor, ignoring his father's warning. He wasn't intoxicated per se- his motor skills were intact and so were his senses. The only difference in him was perhaps the fact that he'd grown less proficient at hiding his displeasure- a talent he'd mastered to the best of his abilities while sober.

"Zaid, come on. I know you're upset that I didn't speak to you about your engagement before announcing it publicly...but it's done now, and you and Ayra make such a wonderful couple. Come on, let it go..." Asif Shahwani softened his tone slightly, placing his hand on Zaid's shoulder in a gesture of paternal affection.

"That's not what I'm upset about, Baba. I mean yes, you should have told me. But I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later...just, a heads up would have been nice. What's actually irking me is your second announcement, which I absolutely didn't see coming..." Zaid took another sip of his drink as he responded, the liquid courage he'd imbibed from it aiding him in speaking a tad more uninhibitedly.

Asif Shahwani swallowed as he realised that this was going to be a tougher conversation than he'd anticipated.

"I see...so you're upset about me getting married again..." Asif Shahwani said, his tone introspective.

"Oh come on Baba, it's not about you getting married! Trust me, when I heard that you'd decided to move on, there was a part of me that was truly happy for you, despite the fact that you sprung it on me and Kash so out of the blue. But of all the people you could've chosen, you chose Mubashira? Baba, she's just four years older to me- she's basically a contemporary. It makes me feel so...so...odd." Zaid said, speaking his mind pretty plainly.

Zaid was an innately obedient son, but there were times when his patience was seriously tested. Once Zaid had started working at AJ group, he and his father had begun to have several differences over business decisions. And much to Asif's displeasure, there were rare instances where Zaid wouldn't budge regarding his opinion, making Asif re-evaluate his plans in order to pacify him, so that he'd continue to work for AJ group without any bitterness. It appeared that this was one of those isolated instances.

"Zaid, come on. I didn't raise you to be so narrow-minded. Yes, there's a significant age gap between me and Mubashira, but is that necessarily a crime? Are you saying that couples with age-gaps between them shouldn't be together? Are you truly worried about the gossip people will spread about us?" Asif tried to appeal to Zaid a little differently.

Zaid shook his head in frustration as he heard his father's response.

"Baba, you still haven't caught my drift. It isn't just any younger woman, we're talking about here. It's MJ. I've been acquainted with her since I was a kid- in fact you've witnessed her entire childhood, being Jaffar Uncle's best friend. It just seems wrong...the fact that you're interested in her romantically." He said, abandoning his drink and standing up to meet his father's eye.

"Zaid, I know that the whole scenario might seem a little unconventional, but Mubashira is a grown woman now. She can make her own decisions, and she's decided to be with me of her own free will..." Asif said, placing his hands on Zaid's shoulder in a placatory fashion.

Zaid remembered that split second where he'd seen MJ's apprehensions blatantly visible on her face and shook his head instinctively.

"I just can't wrap my head around it...not to take away from you in any way of course, but I'd imagine that she'd have numerous suitors vying for her hand..." Zaid muttered under his breath, hoping that his father wouldn't take offense to the statement.

"Well Zaid, the picture is not as rosy as it seems. She's a divorced woman, and she has significant psychological problems...there's not a lot of men willing to take on that kind of responsibility. And besides, she's honestly lost so much. All she needs is someone to take care of her- to be a companion for her in these trying times, and I intend to do just that..." His father responded calmly, without getting triggered by Zaid's statement.

When Asif finished speaking, Zaid couldn't help but question if he was being too dramatic and whether he'd misread Mubashira's state of mind. But then again, he also knew that his father had an extraordinary talent of using his words to mold one's opinion in his favour, with the utmost subtlety, thereby deepening Zaid's dilemma.

"Come on, Zaid. Stop with this hissy fit of yours. Kashmala is younger than you, and yet she's made an attempt to understand me, and accepted my decision with grace. Why can't you do the same? Don't I deserve to be happy too? Even since Zeenat left me, I've thought about no one else, and felt so utterly...lonely. If I've found someone that makes me happy, why shouldn't I be with her?" Asif asked, his voice choked with emotion.

Zaid looked at the morose expression on his father's face and instantly felt a barrage of guilt hit him unexpectedly. He hadn't really stopped to wonder how lonely his father may have felt in the years since Kashmala's birth, due to the absence of a life partner to share his joys and sorrows with. And since Zaid had personally experienced the toll that isolation and solitude could take on an individual during his time away from home in the past year, he felt immediately more amenable to his father's request.

"She makes you happy...You truly care for her?" Zaid asked, looking into his father's eyes, in order to assess his sincerity.

"Of course I do." Asif replied in a heartbeat, his tenor seemingly genuine.

"Okay." Zaid swallowed before a single, two syllable word slipped out of his mouth, reluctantly.

"Okay? Does that mean you're ready to welcome her into our family?!" His father asked, overjoyed.

"Yes." Zaid gave a mono-syllable answer yet again, much to Asif's pleasure.

He immediately engulfed Zaid in a warm embrace and tapped him tenderly on his back.

"Thank you, son." Asif said, his voice soaked in relief.

Despite the discomfort that Zaid felt, he took a moment to appreciate the irony of the situation where a father was asking his son for approval whilst choosing a wife, instead of the vice versa, which was a far more traditional occurrence.

"As always- anything for you, Baba." Zaid said as he returned the hug in equal measure.

Asif finally withdrew after a couple of seconds as a new thought struck him.

"You know, one of the good things about me choosing Mubashira as my wife, is the fact that you and Kashmala are already acquainted with her. But of course, I'd like you and Kashmala to spend more time with her, since she's going to be a part of this family...so, here's an idea. I have to go to Lahore the day after for some important work. Mubashira has her wedding dress fitting at the boutique and I'll unfortunately be unavailable. Why don't you take her? And while you're at it, why not take Ayra along as well? Perhaps, she ought to start thinking about outfits of her own for all your wedding events." Asif said, his tone cheerful.

Zaid gulped as he responded. "Ji Baba, I'll take her...I mean, I'll take both of them."

"That's my boy!" Asif said in approval, tapping him on the shoulder.

"Now off to bed, haan...and don't forget to drink enough water. I need you at the conference room, tomorrow sharp at 9 A.M.'' Asif said, finally bidding Zaid goodnight.

"Goodnight, Baba." Zaid said in a desultory manner, sitting back down on the stool, once his father left.

Even though he'd assured his father that he'd make an attempt to accept Mubashira as part of their family, he couldn't imagine how awkward it would all be once she moved in with them. He wondered if he'd really be able to mask his malaise effectively enough day in and day out whilst interacting with his father as well as MJ. He turned his eyes to the whisky bottle which barely had a single serving of liquor left in it.

I'm going to have to source a dozen more bottles of Speyside single malts at this rate.

*****