"Tum Mehrab se kya baat kar rahi thi?" Anabia asked, as she sat beside Hoorain, earlier where Mehrab was sitting.

(What were you talking to Mehrab?)

"Huh?" Hoorain got startled by her voice and looked at her.

"I just saw Mehrab leaving from here, what were you talking?" Anabia points at the way from where Mehrab just left, and asked once again.

"Nothing." Hoorain shook her head negatively, picking her bag from her side, Hoorain was about to stand up but Anabia's voice stopped her.

"When did you start keeping secrets from me?"

"Matlab? Konse secrets?" Confusingly, Hoorain asked.

(What secrets?)

"Mehrab ke barey mein. Tum hamesha hume kehti ho Mehrab se durr rehne ko but khud unke kareeb ja rahi ho... kahi aisa toh nahi ki..." Anabia left her sentence incomplete intentionally, but Hoorain understood her words very well, her words were enough to hurt her.

(About Mehrab. You always told me to stay away from Mehrab, now you are going close to him. Are you...)

"Shut up, Anu. Aisi koi baat nahi hai. I was just checking up on him." Hoorain could not understand how Anabia even thought of this. Her and Mehrab? This thought was enough to disgust her.

"And why you need to check up on him? You don't even know each other." Anabia could never handle how Mehrab and Hoorain were talking to each other. If she is supposed to stay away from Mehrab then Hoorain should also stay away from him, and if Hoorain was talking to him after everything, this only indicates one thing.

"Tumhara matlab kya hai?" Hoorain asked, frustratedly.

(What do you mean?)

"Matlab saaf hai, tum hume Mehrab se isliye nahi durr kar rahi thi because of Zaryab's feelings, isliye kyuki tum Mehrab ko pasand karti ho."

(What I mean is clear, you didn't want me to stay away from Mehrab because of Zaryab's feelings, but because if your feelings.)

"You... have lost your mind." Hoorain took an exasperation breath out and declared. "Aisa kuch nahi hai."

(There is nothing like this.)

"Then tell me kaisa hai?" Crossing her hand over her chest, Anabia demanded.

(Then tell me what it is.)

Hoorain was silent for few seconds, not knowing what to say, she wasn't even able to understand Anabia was demanding answer from her. At last, she muttered "I don't think I have to tell you anything." And she left, leaving Anabia all alone in her thoughts, which were getting more tangled now.

•••

I can not believe this. Hoorain thought as her eyes started brimming with tears, out of all people, how can Anabia accused her with Mehrab? Her view got blurred due to tears as she walked without looking at the way properly, but end up bumping into someone.

"Ouch!" A soft whimper left her mouth as she rubbed her head.

"Tum theek ho?" Zaryab's voice came as he held her head to look at her forehead but when saw her teary eyes, he got worried.

(Are you okay?)

"Kya hua, Hoori? Tum theek ho? Zyada tezz chot lag gayi kya?" He started rubbing her head and asked.

(What happened, Hoori? Are you okay?)

Hoorain looked at him, as if being in trance by his proximity. Looking at him, as if her tears rushed out more. Scaring Zaryab.

"Hoorain, kya hua?" Patting her cheek, Zaryab called, startling her.

(Hoorain, what happened?)

"Kuch... kuch nahi." Bowing her head, she wiped her tears and answer, meekly.

(No... Nothing.)

"Woh bas... aise hi." Clearing her throat, she added.

"Chot zyada tezz lag gayi hai kya? Idhar baitho." Zaryab was still holding her head, but realised she is standing, and quickly asked her to sit.

(Are you hurt? Come, sit here.)

"Main theek hoon, Zaryab." Pushing his hands away, she told him, this time firmly.

(I am fine, Zaryab.)

She didn't wait for Zaryab's reply and ran away from him.

"Issey kya hua?" Zaryab asked to his ownself.

(What happened to her?)

•••

"Anu, kya soch rahi ho?" Zabail was showing Anabia her shopping that she did with Zaniya for her engagement, but when saw Anabia's lack of attention, she asked.

(Anu, what are you thinking?)

"Huh? Nothing." Anabia got startled as she looked at Zabail and shook her head, and quickly picked a kurti from bed, to appear as she was paying attention.

Zabail shrugged her shoulder, thinking Anabia must be thinking about doing her own shopping. "Waise Mamma bata rahi thi shayad kal Zayrah fuppo apko le jaye shopping pe."

(Mamma was saying maybe Zayrah fuppo will take you to shopping tomorrow.)

"Kyu?" Anabia didn't understand her and asked, being clueless.

(Why?)

"Engagement ki shopping ke liye aur kyu." Zabail said, now folding her clothes.

(For engagement shopping.)

Anabia huffingly sat on her bed, while Zabail was putting her shopping away, but when saw Anabia lost, she snapped her finger in front of her.

"Kya soch rahi ho, Anu?" She sat in front of her and asked.

(What are you thinking, Anu?)

"Zubi, yeh sab bohot jaldi nahi ho raha?" Putting her hands over Zabail's, Anabia asked. Hoping she ain't the only one thinking like this, Zabail feels the same too.

(Zubi, don't you think this all is happening too fast?)

"Kya sab?" But Zabail was oblivious of what Anabia was talking about.

(What all?)

"Yeh engagement. I mean, ek taraf hum bohot khush hain, Zaryab hume itna pasand karte hain, hum dost bhi itne achhe hain lekin dusri taraf hume lag raha hai yeh sab bohot jaldi ho raha hai... apko aisa nahi lag raha?" Anabia tried to put her feelings into words, but didn't do a good work with it, Zabail was still uncertain what Anabia is talking about.

(This engagement. I mean, I am happy that Zaryab likes me, and we are good friends but I also feel like... this all is happening too fast. Aren't you feeling the same?)

"Apko... apko Zain bhai se shadi karne ki khushi toh hai lekin ek taraf yeh darr nahi ki sab kuch itni jaldi jaldi ho raha hai?" Anabia asked.

(Like... you are happy that you are getting married to Zain bhai but also scared of the changes?)

"Nahi." Zabail shook her head.

(No.)

"Tum nahi samjhogi, rehne do tum." Anabia huffed as she layed down, her back now facing Zabail.

(Let it be, you won't understand.)

Zabail thought of Anabia's words for few seconds when realized why her baby sister feel this way.

"Anabia, shayad apko yeh sab isliye lag raha hai kyuki abhi ap choti hain. Lekin apko itna sab sochne ki kya zaroorat hai? Apki sirf mangni hogi na. Shadi toh humari hai. Itna na socho." Zabail put her hand on Anabia's shoulder and tried to pacify her.

(Anabia, maybe you are feeling all of this because you are still young. But you don't have to worry about this. You are only getting engaged, not married. Don't think of this too much.)

"Kaise na soche? Hume na ajeeb si feeling arahi hai. Pata nahi yeh sab sahi hai ya nahi?" Sitting up once again, Anabia asked, as if Zabail would have answer to her question.

(How can I not think? I am feeling very weird. I don't know is I am doing to right thing or not.)

"Apko Zaryab pasand hain ki nahi?" Zabail was stunned with Anabia's words, as she asked.

(Do you like Zaryab or not?)

In return, Anabia could only shrugged her shoulder.

"Anu!" Zabail gasped as she looked at the open door of their bedroom, quickly getting up, she went to close it.

"Kya keh rahi hain aap? Abhi uss din toh aap bada khush thi iss rishte se. Ab kya hua?" Sitting in front of Anabia, Zabail hissed.

(What are you saying? That day you were very haopy with this proposal, now what happened?)

"Ab... kuch nahi bas... Sab bohot jaldi ho raha hai, aisa lag raha hai jaise hume sochne ka mouka hi nahi mila." Anabia once again repeated her words.

(Now... nothing just... Everything is happening too fast, I didn't get time to think about it.)

"Pagal ho gayi ho kya? Mamma papa ne konsa gun point pe apse haan karwayi hai? Mamma aur baba toh sure bhi nahi the iss rishte ko leke, woh toh apke khatir humne unhe manaya. Please, Anu, yeh ulte seedhe khayal nikal do apne dimag se. Kya kya sochti rehti ho."

(Have you lost your mind? Mamma papa weren't sure about this proposal but I talked to them because of you. Please, Anu, don't think anything stupid.)

"Hum kuch nahi soch rahe..."

(I am not thinking anything.)

"Woh toh maloom chal raha hai. Kal hum Hoori ko bula rahe hain, woh akey de apko kuch aqal. Na jane kya kya sochti rehti ho." Getting up, Zabail told her.

(That I can see. Tomorrow I will call Hoori, only she can talk sense to you.)

"Unhe bulane ki zaroorat nahi." Covering herself with duvet, Anabia told her and laid down. She was still upset with Hoorain.

(No need to call her.)

"Kyu? Ab kya hua?" Putting her hands over her hip, Zabail asked.

(What? What happened now?)

"Kahi Hoorain se jhagra toh nahi kar liya? Yakeenan uske samne bhi yahi ulti seedhi bakwas ki hogi."

(Have you argue with Hoorain? I am sure you have told her this non sense too.)

"Zubi, hume sone do." Anabia cover her face and told her.

(Let me sleep.)

"So jao, lekin zara aqal se bhi kaam lo. Zyada mat socho." Putting her clothes in the cupboard, Zabail told her.

(Then sleep, and don't think too much.)

•••

"Aap theek hain? Aisa lag raha hai jaise soye nahi kal." Asked Hoorain, worriedly.

(Are you okay? You looked like you haven't slept last night.)

After her class, Hoorain hurriedly left, not wanting to face Anabia, but bumped into Mehrab, who invited her to join him in the cafeteria.

"Mujhe toh tum neend mein lag rahi ho." Mehrab chuckled.

(To me, you look sleepy.)

"Main Zaryab ki wajah se nahi jagi kal, woh toh bas aise hi, bhai kal chale gaye na..." Thinking he must be thinking about Zaryab, Hoorain mumbles, as focuses on her milkshake.

(I wasn't up because of Zaryab,)

"Main bhi Anabia ki wajah se nahi jaga." Smiling, Mehrab also drank his coffee.

(I wasn't up because of Anabia.)

"Anabia?" Hoorain whispered as she looked at Mehrab. Just few days ago, he used to call Anabia Belle, and now he is calling her Anabia? How quickly he moved on?

"Ek... baat puchu?" Hoorain asked, hesitantly.

(Can I ask something?)

"Aap zubi aapi ke barey mein kyu puch rahe the uss din?" When Mehrab nods his head, she continued.

(Why were you asking about Zubi aapi that day?)

"Zabail Ahmed."

•••

Going back to a story after a year feels sooooooo ajeeb?

I mean I forgot half of the plot I made, but fikar not, here I am again and will work on this story very hard. Filhal iss half cooked Khichdi se kaam chala lo, bohot jaldi Biryani milegi👍🏻😌

Btw, ap log ke Ramadan kaise ja raha hai??

-Ufaq