Next Day After Iftari

Iraana and Armaan were fighting. Iraana was chasing after him, and Armaan ran to Chachi, hiding behind her back.

"Chachi, dekho, yeh chudailo ki tarah mere piche padi hai!"

(Aunt, look, she's after me like a witch!) he grinned.

"Imaan, main tumhe chhodungi nahi! Kahan bach kar bhagoge?"

(Imaan, I won't let you go! Where will you run?) Iraana said in exasperation.

"Kya hua? Kya baat hai? Kyun lad rahi ho, Ira?"

(What happened? What's the matter? Why are you fighting, Ira?) Her mother asked, looking puzzled.

"Ammi, isne mera samosa kha liya tha!"

(Mom, he ate my samosa!) Iraana glared at Armaan.

"Accha baba, toh kya hua? Main doosra bana dungi,"

(Okay, so what? I'll make another one.) Ammi replied with a smile.

Iyyan entered the hall, hearing the commotion of Armaan and Iraana shouting. Iraana's mother went into the kitchen and started making samosas for her.

"Ira, aaram se khao, beta,"

(Iraana, eat slowly, dear) Iraana's mother said gently.

Iyyan watched as Iraana devoured her samosa. She was eating like she had never had one before. Her nails were long and dirty, making Iyyan feel nauseous at the sight of her eating like that.

"Ira, yeh kya? Tumhare nakhun itne lambe kyun hain aur tum unhi haathon se kha rahi ho?"

(Iraana, what is this? Why are your nails so long, and you're eating with those hands?) Iraana's mother asked, worried.

"Ammi, agar main nakhun kat lungi toh Armaan se kaise jeetungi ladai mein?"

(Mom, if I cut my nails, how will I win against Armaan in a fight?) Iraana replied proudly, munching on her samosa.

Whenever Armaan and Iraana fought, Iraana always won.

Iyyan had always hated Iraana's habit of keeping her nails long. He never got close to her or talked to her and always avoided her touch because of it.

But today, he began to understand why Iraana always kept her nails sharp and long.

"Ajeeb ladki hai yaar, isko ghin bhi nahi aati apne gande nakhun wale haath se khana khate hue,"

(What a strange girl, she doesn't even feel disgusted eating with her dirty nails.) Iyyan thought to himself.

"Beta, aaj toh Jummah hai, nakhun katne chahiye,"

(Dear, today is Jummah, you should cut your nails) Iraana's mother advised, holding her hands out.

"Nahi, Ammi, mujhe inki aadat hai abse,"

(No, Mom, I'm used to them now) Iraana replied, pulling her hand away defiantly.

                        * . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° . *

Next Day Evening

It was raining heavily. The pleasantly cold water of the pattering raindrops hit the ground. There was howling of the wind and splashing of the water.

Iraana and Armaan were making and playing with paper boats. Suddenly, the rain stopped falling, and the black clouds disappeared from the sky.

Iyaan came to call Armaan for study.
"Armaan, maine tumhe padhai karne kaha tha, yaha bahar kya kar rahe ho?"

(Armaan, I told you to study. What are you doing out here?) Iyaan shouted.

"Haan, aaya bhai."

(Yes, I'm coming, brother.) Armaan replied.

Armaan hurriedly went inside the house. Everyone in the house was afraid of Iyaan except Iraana. Iyaan turned to Iraana.

"Aur tum? Tumhe Chachi ne nakhun kaatne kaha tha na?"

(And you? Didn't Aunt tell you to cut your nails?) Iyaan inspected her.

"Haan, woh main kaat lungi, aap fikar na kare."

(Yes, I'll cut them; don't worry.) Iraana lied.

"Mujhe pata hai tum kabhi nahi katogi apne nakhun. Kitne lambe nakhun hain tumhare, dar lagta hai mujhe inse."

(I know you'll never cut your nails. They're so long; they scare me.) Iyaan said, extending his hand towards her.

Iyaan held Iraana's hand and sat down on the stairs. He kept her hand on his lap and started cutting her nails with a nail cutter.

Iraana could feel his warm hands and his breath on her face.

His silky hair brushed against her nose, making her feel butterflies.

She was puzzled.

"Main khud kaat lungi,"

(I'll cut them myself,) she stuttered and ran into the house, embarrassed.

"Isko kya hua? Ajeeb ladki hai,"

(What happened to her? She's a strange girl,) Iyaan thought.

********

It was night.

Iraana was lying on her bed but couldn't sleep.

What was that? Iraana was thinking.

She couldn't stop herself from thinking about Iyaan.

She was too young to think about this, but not that young that she couldn't understand what she felt when he held her hands.

His breath and closeness were making her heart flutter.

The way he compassionately held her hands gently while cutting her nails-it was something she had never thought about regarding Iyaan before.

She felt a feminine urge to keep a dupatta [scarf] on herself and imagined herself as Iyaan's bride all day.

She remembered her mother's words from a few days before.

"Mujhe toh Iyaan Anaab ke liye bachpan se pasand hai."

(I have liked Iyaan for Iraana since childhood.)

She couldn't sleep now.

She wanted to sleep, but she didn't know why she was unable to.

She kept thinking all night; however, she only managed to sleep for two hours after struggling.

Her mother woke her up for Sehri. It was the second last Sehri and the last Friday of Ramzaan.

"Anaab, utho beta, roza nahi rakhna aaj kya tumhe?"

(Iraana, wake up, dear. Aren't you going to fast today?) Her mother was sitting on her bed.

"Haan, Ammi, ruke sone de thodi der."

(Yes, Mom, let me sleep a little longer.) Iraana said in a drowsy voice, keeping her face inside the duvet, trying to sleep.

"Arey wah, tumne nakhun bhi kaat liye, shabash."

(Wow, you even cut your nails, well done!) Her mother's eyes shone with happiness looking at her hands.

"Haan, woh..."

(Yes, well...) Iraana stopped and remembered that Iyaan had cut her nails forcefully.

But she felt it was better not to tell her mother. She just reciprocated with a smile.

"Accha, jaldi aajana ab bahar."

(Okay, come out quickly now.) Her mother said and went outside, remembering the milk she had left in the kitchen for a long time.

                                  ♡🕊️♡

"Meri beti kyun nahi aayi?"

(Why hasn't my daughter come?) Iyaan's mother asked Chachi.

"Ammi, rehne dena aap, aap kyun uske itne nakhre uthati hain? Aapko pata hai na woh kitni dheet hai."

(Mom, let it go, why do you take so much trouble for her? You know how stubborn she is.) Iyaan said jealously.

"Galat baat."

(That's not right.) His mother gave him an angry look.

"Haan, woh aati hogi,"

(Yes, she must be coming,) Iraana's mother replied, embarrassed.

After a few minutes, Iraana came into the dining room. Everyone was eating.

She looked at Iyaan. She pulled a chair to her side and settled down.

"Ira beta, tum bethi kyun ho? Khao, roza nahi rakhna?"

(Ira, dear, why are you sitting? Eat, aren't you going to fast?) Tai Ammi asked her.

"Ji Tai Ammi."

(Yes, Aunt.) Iraana only drank water and went back to her room.

"Isko kya hua?"

(What happened to her?) Tai Ammi questioned her mother.

"Uski tabiyat thik nahi hai."

(She's not feeling well.) Her mother said.

"Ammi, aap rehne dena, agar usse nahi khana toh aap kyun force kar rahi hain? Waise bhi, woh kisi ki kaha sunti hai."

(Mom, let it go. If she doesn't want to eat, why are you forcing her? Besides, she never listens to anyone.) Iyaan said and also went to his room, tired.

Take care ❤️😊

~Hana💗