Chapter 12

Today the breakfast scene was different in the Rizwi Mansion. Everyone was gathering in Adnaan's dining area. The eldest member of the family, Mrs Momina Rizwi, was silently watching everyone's face and waiting for them to break the silence but the pin drop silence was thicker than expected. Even Zunera, the drama queen of the family, was sitting silently watching the toast present in front of her but having nothing. Incident of the last night shook everyone deeply.

“Wo dono kaha hain?” After all, a voice broke the glass of silence. Everyone looked at Momina, one who raised the question.

(Where are they both?)

“In their respective rooms. Both of them were sleeping peacefully so I didn't disturb them.” Maizah replied in a hushed tone.

“Better! Let them sleep. Give them some time and space.” Anzala nodded and picked the tea-kettle from the middle of the dining table. 

“Nhi, unhe akela chhod dena koi hal nhi hai…” Momina shook her head and looked at the youngest member of the family “Zuni.”

(No, leaving them alone is not a solution.)

“Yeah Dadi Jaan?” 

“Go, wake up Fayra Aapi and ask her to join us.” Momina ordered Zunera who was about to stand up but they all heard a voice from the staircase. Someone was coming downstairs. It must be Fayra or Danish because only these two were upstairs, the remaining family was already present in the hall.

“No one will talk about last night in front of them, especially Fayra. She must be disturbed.” Everyone nodded on that wise command of Anzala and in no time, Fayra came downstairs while rubbing her sleepy and swollen eyes. She was wearing a cute black t-shirt with a note reading in bold letters Drama Queen Needs No King. 

“Good morning princess.” Adnaan opened his arm to side hug his daughter but his princess was becoming the sleeping princess right now. Taking her seat beside Adnaan she yawned and rested her head on the table top before closing her eyes again.

“I don't know why am I so sleepy today?” She muttered without knowing what Danish gave her yesterday, a painkiller or a sleeping pill. 

“Have some breakfast.” Sara put her daughter's favourite Aalo ka paratha on her plate and Fayra made a roll of it, dipping it in curd she took a mouthful and looked at everyone, they all were watching her with something in her eyes which was between sympathy and love. Before any of them initiated the conversation Danish also came downstairs and took his seat beside Anzala. 

“Danish Bhai, pass me…” 

“Bhai nhi hai ab wo… Shohor hai tumhara.” Momina's interference but Fayra's sentence in between. She looked at everyone and blinked blankly, the paratha present in between her mouth and plate stopped in between. 

(He is not Bhai to you anymore. He is your husband.)

“Wait a minute, Dadi Jaan…” Fayra put the paratha back on the plate and looked at everyone. “This nikkah was done as the need of the moment… isn't it?” She asked and Momina nodded. 

“Yes. Of course, beta.” 

“So where does this husband thing come in between? I understand you all took a decision to save your reputation in front of numerous people but now what's the point of pretending when no one outside is present here.” Fayra asked to give a big shock to everyone. 

“Pretending? You don't have to pretend, now you have to accept the reality. You both are married. Either in front of the world or behind closed doors.” Fayra looked at Danish who was only watching her. She wanted him to support her in front of the old lady but he stayed silent. 

“What? No way!” She shook her head in disbelief and stood up. “No, please! I agreed for this marriage in the state of absentmindedness, but please, don't force me to play this husband wife with Danish Bhai…” and she walked upstairs in a hurry leaving everyone shocked. 

Momina was most disappointed but all the other members were tense but there were two members of Rizwi clan who were thinking something else. First was Zinia and the other was Danish. Momina couldn't demonstrate her disappointment anymore but Danish stood up while lifting the plate on which Fayra left the paratha. 

“Dadi Jaan, please… Aap sab thoda to waqt dijiye use… abhi to 24 ghante bhi nhi guzre hain. Uske baare me bhi to sochiye please.” and he walked away filling Adnaan's heart with satisfaction that this guy won't let Fayra suffer.

(Dadi Jaan, and all of you please give her some time… not even 24 hours have passed yet. Please think about her too.)

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“What do you think, is skipping dinner or breakfast can turn everything fine magically? If yes, that's great! Let's do a hunger strike together..  hunger strike till death… what do you think?” Asked Danish after lifting the paratha roll for her and she grabbed it with anger. 

“Danish Bhai, Dadi Jaan shouldn't force us to accept this marriage. Isn't it?” She asked and Danish controlled his heart one more time. Only he knew what he was feeling till the last few hours. He was happy as well as nervous. There was a hope of getting a bright future but at the same time his heart was fearful for the hardships of the present. What if Fayra takes too long to accept this marriage? She crazily loved Arsh, he knew.

“Okay okay, stop it for now.” He calmed her down and got a glare from her in reply.

“Where is the bowl of curd?” She asked after having a bite of paratha roll, how could she eat paratha without curd? It was all his fault, he should remember her choice. “Why did you come without it?” she added and grimaced while having another bite and Danish huffed this time.

“Khaye bhi jaa rhi ho aur drama bhi karna hai… bhalayi ka to zamana hi nhi hai… you know what, tum par tars khaa ke tumhara koi kaam karna hi nhi chahiye.”

(Wow, continue eating and your drama at the same time… you know what, I should not do any work for you out of pity for you.)

“Ab aap bhi shuru ho jaiye, hamare ghar wale kam hain kya taane dene ke liye?”

(Now you too start, are there not enough people in our family to taunt us?)

“Haa jese tumhe to bohot farkh padta hai na kisi ki baton ya taano se?”

(As if you care…)

“Danish Bhai you are…” before she could complete Danish interrupt 

“Stop calling me this…”

“What?” She was shocked. “What happened to you?” 

“Fayra, they are our family, I know it's difficult for me and you to accept this relationship but…” he took a pause, “but just for their happiness you can stop using this word for me? Can't you? Sometimes we need to alter our decisions according to our loved ones.” 

“But Danish Bhai I have a habit of calling you this way.”

“Habits can be altered.” he asserted 

“But…”

“Please,” the demand spoiled her already bad mood. “Try to understand Fayra, just to satisfy our family! I'm not asking for something big.” 

“Danish bh…”

“Not bhai…” he stopped her in between and Fayra huffed. 

“What's wrong with you?” She huffed. 

“Nothing.” His reply was enough to get a glare from her and he sighed. 

“Want ice cream?” 

“Yes, pizza too.” she nodded without leaving her anger. 

“Get ready after some time, we will have lunch outside.” Danish stood up. 

“Done. You're the best, Danish bh…”

“Stop it here only.”

“Get lost.” She huffed and pointed out towards the door of the room. Danish was pretty surprised, till last night Fayra was crying for Arsh but now she was behaving as if everything was almost fine. Last night he gave her a sleeping pill, not a memory loss potion. 

This wasn't the Fayra he knew, she was a cry baby… this girl was different. 

“Fayra.” He called her in a hushed tone. 

“Yeah?” Having another bite of the pratha she asked and Danish again walked towards the bed. Sitting in front of her he placed his hand on her forehead then on her right cheek. The temperature was absolutely fine. 

“What the hell are you checking Danish Bhai?” For a moment Danish wanted to replace the touch with a slap but he controlled himself because he still remembered an incident of childhood when the four years old Fayra pulled his hair in an argument and he slipped her back, but the fight ended with two tight slaps on his either cheek from Anzala and Maizah both. That was the lifetime lesson for him. He didn't want another slap so he controlled the urge to do so. 

“Just checking if you're absolutely fine? Because you're not looking like one… what happened to you suddenly? Neither you're crying nor talking about Arsh… that's not normal.” Fayra's face, which was showing no expression till a few moments ago, suddenly lost its colour. Danish saw her taking an uneven breath and hiding something behind her fake smile.

“I'm fine.” She smiled but this guy knew her from the time she didn't know herself. 

“Tell me what's cooking in your empty head?” Shifting towards Fayra he grabbed her hand and two little tears rolled down from her eyes as if they were small kids waiting for an ender to hold their hand and show them the way to walk ahead. 

“Arsh called me.” She whispered before sniffling and Danish's breath was hitched. Now this girl was his wife, not Arsh's fiancee.

“When?” He asked only a word. His eyes fixed on her face. 

“I woke up with his call only.” She whispered. “He was apologising for yesterday.” She cried out this time. 

“Just apologising?” he asked. 

“Regretting too.” She added 

“And what do you think about these apologies and regret?” He was trying his best to hide the volcano inside him. 

“He is too late… he ruined everything. Today could be with him, but…” Danish's heart clenched with pain. He had been watching his wife crying for someone else while he was waiting for her to give him a chance. 

“But what?”

“He is the one behind my tears. I have cried too much for him… not anymore.” She muttered while wiping her eyes and cheeks. Danish took a deep breath and felt relieved from an unnamed burden.

“Hmm… good.” He wiped her tears and looked at his hand… Ewww… he grimaced and wiped his hand with his pants. “Lunch in your favourite restaurant. Done?” He diverted the topic and Fayra nodded while rubbing her eyes. 

“Danish bha…”

“Not bhai.” He stopped her in between and she huffed.

“Get lost.” 

“Better than being your bhai…” he mumbled before walking out of the room and Fayra grimaced.

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The dence mango tree was too old to bear fruits but it was present in the lawn of the Rizwi Mansion like a token of remembrance of Late Abdul Gafoor Rizwi, so no one thought to replace this tree with another one because sometimes memories are more important than the sweetness of some ripe fruits. 

In his early thirties, when Abdul Gafoor Rizwi planted a seed in the almost empty lawn of his newly built home he could never had thought that one day this seed would be converted into a plant then a huge tree and after many decades his great grandchildren would be spending time under the shade of his love, eventually under the shade of his love and blessings. 

Today, even after 26 years of his death, a swing was present on a high branch of the tree which was the favourite place for an introvert girl who loved books more than enjoyment but this day was different. She was sitting on the swing, holding a book on her lap, eyes fixed on the words dancing on the white paper but reading nothing as her mind was not working properly.

“Zinuuuu… where are you?” A call from her father but she was lost somewhere between the alley of harsh reality and the fantastic highway of dreams.

“Zinu, kya hua mera bacha? Yaha bethi huyi kya soch rhi ho?” Afnaan asked after seeing his daughter lost.

(What happened dear? What are you thinking sitting here?) 

“Nothing papa. Nothing. I... just am studying for the upcoming exam.” seems she came out from a trance and closed her eyes for a moment, but Afnaan was surprised to see this form of his daughter.

“Really?” he asked and she nodded with a smile which was clearly a lie. 

“Zinu,” Afnaan gave her a disappointed look. 

“Papa, I'm studying.” she asserted.

“I know my daughter is talented, but this much? You know the art of reading an upside down book. Great.” Only then Zinia glanced at the book present on her thighs.

“Umm… I… I'll continue later. I'm tired.” Mumbling that she stood up and Afnaan held her by shoulders. 

“Were you crying?” He asked but Zinia shook her head. 

“Zinu, tell me what's bothering you?”

“Papa, sometimes it happens, you won't understand…” Zinia looked away and Afnaan nodded. He knew very well about mood swings, he had been tolerating his wife's mood swings for the last two decades but he knew one more thing, mood swings trigger only emotionally weak points. 

What was Zinia's emotional weakness? 

“You know what Zinu…” curling his arm around her shoulder he started walking ahead, a silent gesture for his daughter to follow his action. “At your age, l was a fun loving and mischievous guy, then life changed, responsibility and some family issues took away my mischievous nature. But when I got you I promised myself that I will protect you from all the hardships of life… I won't let anyone take away your smile, your happiness.” At the end of the sentence Afnaan kissed the head of his daughter but she didn't react. 

“Now, tell me what is bothering you?”

“Fayra Aapi loves Arsh Bhai… I know this, we all know this but…” Zinia took a pause and Afnaan sighed. 

“Beta, Arsh is not a good choice for Fayra. She is our princess, how could we let her life be ruined?”’

“And who are you all to declare that her life is not ruined now with this forced marriage? Why don't you people understand that your daughters can let go of the love of their lives to satisfy you but what's the need for imposing someone else in her life?” Zinia wasn't sounding like a 17 year old, she was behaving like a mature girl who had experienced many things in her life including heart break. However this girl didn't know the pain of heartbreak, what she knew was a fear of heartbreak. She loved Shaaz secretary, he loved her back openly however they both knew the limits of their lives.

She was the daughter of a billionaire family.

He was the son of an ordinary factory worker. 

Her pocket money was almost equal to His father's weekly income. 

She ordered pizza burgers almost every day. He struggled for bread and butter for many days. 

She knew, Shaaz was also not a good choice for her, will her family do the same with her when the time comes? 

Now, she was scared after watching the unpleasant ending of Fayra's love story. 

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Hey Dear Readers,

I know I'm too late to give you an update but… something is always better than nothing and better late than never. 🫣🫣🫣

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N.Jamal