Maaya undid the intricate braid in Saira's hair, running her fingers through her hair as Saira looked at her lovingly. Saira's mother was sitting across from them in the living room.It was nearly midnight. They were talking about the stuff they had to do tomorrow, the preparations and work they had to do and who had to do what for the baraat.

It was cold, the middle of december as everyone held a cup of tea in their hands, wrapping a shawl around them. From where she sat, she could see Hussain sitting in the drawing room from the open glass doors. He was talking to someone on his phone and held a file in his hands.

They were talking about Saira's rukhsati and both the mother and daughter were teary-eyed. This talk about rukhsati and the pain of leaving your house always made Maaya sad and she couldn't help the tears in her eyes.
They heard Hussain's voice
" Saira jao bhai ko bna dau."

Saira was going to get up but Maaya got up quickly,
" Mey bna deti hun. Aap logg baatain karain. Kal kahan time milay ga."

She smiled at them and they reciprocated and nodded so she went in the kitchen to make him coffee.

Some minutes later, she came out with a cup of coffee in a tray in her hand and was walking towards the
drawing room when Saira told her that Hussain had gone upstairs just now. Biting her lip, she nodded before climbing up the stairs, trying to move her hair out of her face with a jerk of her head.
Reaching his door, she knocked and then entered upon his permission. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, taking his sandals off and he looked at her when she entered.
" Oh tum?"

" Jee, Saira aunty sey baatain kar rahi thi tau menay socha..."

He went at his task again before gesturing her to place it on the table.
" Rakh dau."

Maaya placed the coffee on the table while she looked at him. Why was it that her heart would start beating a rhythm when he was near? He looked like a vision, sitting there in that golden brown coloured Kurta he was wearing with narrow white trousers. She had rarely seen him wear those but he looked in them with those closed sandals he was wearing. The way his hair was mussed made her eyes trace every single strand and then the one which fell to his forehead, touching his eyebrow. She wanted to look at the blue pigment in his eyes but he was looking down at his feet, rendering her unable to do that. Her eyes rested on his lips which suddenly twitched.

" Nazar laganay ka irada hai?"

He looked at her as he suppressed his smile, the corners of his lips falling into a lopsided smile as he stood up. She moved her gaze away, embarrassed and shy as she bit her lip and moved to walk out of his room with the unfulfilled desire of looking into his eyes once but suddenly something brushed against her hand and her heart skipped a beat.

One beat.
Two beats.

And she froze when she felt the warmth of his hand on hers and he turned her towards himself and his hand left hers. The state of being was confused, the feeling of his hand on her, the feeling fulfilment of her mohabbat and the feeling of shyness from his touch enveloped her.

" Aashiq sharmatay bhi hain?"

A shy smile stretched her lips on his words and she looked at his eyes to see them smiling before lowering hers again. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the pink tinge on her nose and the redness in her eyes.

" Tum ro rahi thi?"

Saira looked at him suddenly at the change in his voice. She shook her head. She never wanted to let these moments get away.

" Kyun ro rahi thi?"

He ignored the shake of her head. Her heart jumped again at the care in his voice. He cared enough to ask her that.

" Bus Saira ro rahi thi tau mey bhi..."

A slight chuckle left his lips and she looked at him at the huskiness in his voice. Her heart was thumping, she was watching him he laughed so closely.

" Saira ki shaadi ho rahi hai, aur tumhey apni soch kar rona aaraha hai?"

Her cheeks got more red at the knowing glint in his eyes and she opened her lips to say something but closed them again.
" Nahi tau.."

She said like she was offended and he raised his eyebrows at her, moving his eyes as he teased her.

" Samajh gaya hun mey sab kuch.Thehro zara, btata hun tumhari ammi ko."

He watched as her eyes widened and then she looked at his smiling wyes once before turning away quickly, walking out of his room with a small whisper.
" Saira dhoond rahi hogi mjhey."

He watched the open door, smiling a little again before he shook his head once before he started taking off his watch.

                 /////////////

The phone pinged again, after several times and she picked it up. Her eyebrows raised at the text, a smile enveloping her face after wonder. She read his text.

" Phone kyun nahi utha rahi?"

And then another one.

" Soa gayi ho?"

And there was missed call. The phone started ringing and she picked it up quickly,

" Kab sey phone kar raha hun. Menay aik shayari ki kitab parhi tumhari wajah sey, kuch samajh nahi aaya. Ab meray sarr mey dard ho raha hai, coffee hi pila dau."

" hello?"

She walked out of the room, crossing the lobby to stand in front of Hussain's room and knocked.

The door opened and she watched as Hussain came into view with his phone to his ear and his eyebrows furrowed on watching her.

"Kya baat bhai sahab? Ab aap itni raat ko coffee pina shuru ho gaye hain?"

Hussain eyed the phone Saira held to her ears before understanding poured into him , lowering his down abruptly and placing it in his pocket. His ears tinged pink as Saira eyed him mischievously.

" Kya baatain kar rahay thay meri dost sey?"

He opened his mouth to answe but was speechless for a second before he said.
" Mey tau buss coffee.."

Maaya came out of Saira's room, now changed into a light dress to sleep in as she looked for Saira.
" Saira mera phone tha wahan..."

She stopped when she saw him standing next to Hussain and Saira called her over.

"Mey tau buss yey dekh rahi thi k itni raat ko meri dost ko kon yaad kar raha lekin yahan tau logon ney shayari ki kitabain bhi yaad kar leen."

She was laughing now, holding Maaya's hand in hers while Maaya looked at a embarrassed Hussain who was looking away and their eyes met once and Maaya could only control her laughter at the look in his eyes.

" Saira tumhara dimaag khraab hogya hai. Jao Fahad ka sarr khao. Mey sonay lagga hun."

Maaya could hardly control her smile at his exasperated tone as he shut the door abruptly.

"Ab coffee tau nahi peeni?"
Saira shouted after him but there was only silence to answer her and Saira started laughing as she looked at Maaya.

" O hoo!  muskuraya jaa raha hai!"

Maaya placed her hand on her lips to stop her from yelling, scared that their mother would hear but she couldn't help but smile.

                 ///////////////

  "Barri chhupi rustam nikli tum. Mjhey pta bhi nahi chalnay diya."

Maaya rolled her eyes.Trying her best to act as nonchalant as she could.
" Aisa kuch bhi nahi hai."

" Acha? Meri taraf dekh kar kaho."
Saira turned her head towards herself, looking into her eyes.

" Bus kabhi kabhi baat hojati hai."
Maaya said meekly. She knew Saira wouldn't back away without getting anything out of her.

" Aur coffee k bahanay mulaakat bhi?"

Saira chuckled.

"Aisi koi baat nahi hai. Tum bus khudi sochi ja rahi ho."

" Baat jesi bhi hai. Ab menay tau tumhey hi apni bhabi banana hai."

Maaya pushed her away with her eyes wide and Saira pulled her, wrapping herself around her in a tight hug.

" Yaar, mey boht khush hun!"

Saira whispered as she hugged her and Maaya couldn't help but smile.
" Kitni besharam dulhan ho tum. Fahad bhai k milnay ki itni khushi?"

It was Saira's turn to turn red and she pushed Maaya away. Everyone knew how shy she was of Fahad. The guy had been begging her to at least talk to him on text but she wouldn't, even after their Nikkah.

" Badtameez! Jao, sonay day mjhey."

Maaya laughed at the turn of events.

" Kyun? Fahad bhai k khwaab dekhnay hain?"

Saira threw a pillow at her and Maaya ran out of the room. Walking to her room, she couldn't help but chuckle at the turn of events. It felt weird now, it felt like a dream was turning into reality.

                  //////////////

After becoming comfortable in her bed, she contemplated texting him. She wanted to see what he was doing. But what if he was angry? What if he thought that his image was stained in front of his sister because of her? She could bear is ignorance, she could bear everything but she could not beat his naraazi.

Closing her eyes, she whispered a prayer before calling him. She swallowed as he picked up at the fourth ring.

" Ab aap ko meray sey baat karnay par aitraaz tau nahi hai?"

She wanted to get that out of way, she could bear it if he wouldn't talk to her but she won't bear him talking to her while being annoyed of her.

" Nahi. Tum batao, tumhey shayad aitraaz ho."

Maaya scrunched her brows. How could he even think that?

"Mjhey aitraaz ho sakta hai?"

He didn't answer her and she heard his breathing, then she felt the smile in his tone as he said,
" Wesay kya soch rahi hogi Saira? Kya kaha usney?"

Maaya smiled too, how could she tell him what she had said?

" Kuch bhi nahi soch rahi hogi. Uskey paas aur boht log hain sochnay k liye."

He chuckled.
" Tum uski shaadi sey jealous ho rahi ho?"

Maaya raised her brows. What?
" Mey kyun jealous hun gi? Meri dost hai."

There was a ruffling sound on the other end, like he changed his side.

" Hmm. Yakeen nahi hai mjhey. Lekin chalo maan letay hain."

Some seconds stretched before them, mulling over their thoughts when she asked,
"Aap naraz tau nahi hain?"

" Kis wajah sey?"

She hesitated before she told him her worries, scared that she might cross the fine line between them. The line that always left some things unsaid.

" K meri wajah sey aapki behn k nazar mey aap ki image..lekin aap pareshan na hon, menay ussey bta dia hai k aisa kuch nahi hai hamaray beech."

His voice was firm, not nonchalant like she expected him to be and she believed him when he said,
" Mey pareshan nahi hun kisi bhi baray mey."

A few more seconds were spent while stared at the ceiling in the dark, her heart was heavy now and her eyes suddenly moistened when he said,

" Wesay meray paas tumsey naraaz honay ka haqq hai?

A tear left her eyes as she closed them, her hand making a fist so that her long nails stabbed her the palm of her hand, a sudden pain erupted inside her heart. How was he so ignorant still?

Letting the silence stretch, she was going to hang up but she could not help when the words poured put of her mouth with a wet voice,

"Meri taraf sey tau har haq hai aap k paas."

She rubbed her filled eyes, not even letting the tears fall as they wetted her hand before she heard his whisper,
" Tum kesay itni asaani sey itni barri baat keh jaati ho?"

She didn't dare to answer him, taking in a deep breath before she hung up, letting a sob escape her lips.

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2019 words for 2019. Pray for me. Please.

Did you enjoy this chapter? I am sorry for being too late but I will update the next one a little early.

What has been your fav dialogue so far in this book?

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