Holding a tired face he pushed the already open door and walked towards his room without bothering to look at his mother who was sitting on the same sofa on which he was sitting some one and a half an hour ago. All his attention was fixed on his mobile phone which was showing a chat page.

"How was your meeting with your friend?" Stressing on the word friend Rani asked and Shariq glanced at her, shrugged his shoulders and shifted his gaze back to the mobile he mumbled "Fine." without giving much attention.

"Bade jaldi wapas aa gye... Wo dost aaya nhi kya?" Asked Rani with her signature smile which indicates that she had performed a kaand (blunder) Shariq furrowed as he knew his mother and her smile but he doesn't know what she had done this time.

(You're back too soon, hasn't that friend of your came?)

"He had some work so left soon." He shrugged and sat down beside his mother.

"Mummy."

"Hmm?"

"Shifa ki koi khabar hai?" Shariq asked, He was unable to understand the hidden reason behind this smile present at his mother's face so thought that she might know about the arrival of an old lady in Shifa's in-law's home and making everything difficult for her. Rani usually smiles in this way when finds an odd news related to Shifa.

(Any update about Shifa?)

"What? How do you remember about her suddenly?"

"No... Just a general question..." He shrugged and didn't pass the information about Badi Amma about whom he got to know from Afifa.

"Maryam Mami? How is she?" He asked and Rani huffed. "What's wrong? Why are you asking about them?"

"Because you can't be this happy if there is all good in their home." Shariq shrugged while snapping the truth which turned Rani's face pale for a moment but the very next moment she was red in anger.

"Tumhe nhi lagta tum kuch zyada bakwas karne lage ho aaj kal?" Rani grit her teeth and Shariq rolled his eyes.

(Don't you think you've started talking a lot of rubbish these days?)

"I've been like this ever since, but don't you think you're behaving differently with me nowadays?" He walked towards his room after this rude reply but stopped in between, "khana bhijwa dijiyega mere liye," he said in a loud voice but Rani glared at him.

(Send my dinner to my room.)

"Musa aane wale honge thodi deyr mein, sath mein hi dinner kar lena." Rani announced without even looking at him and switched on the TV.

(Musa must be coming in some time, so wait for him and have dinner together.)

"Shama Mera khana mere kamre me le aao." Yelling to order the maid Shariq walked to his room, Rani jerked her head, she was thinking that her son was angry because Afifa didn't come to meet him but she doesn't know the reality.

(Shama, bring my dinner to my room.)

"Shariq... Rani..." A call forced both of them to focus on the Man who entered in the home. He was no one else but Musa.

"Yeah Papa?" Asked Shariq with irritation but his expressions were changed when he noticed stress on his father's face.

"We need to go to Afifa's home." Musa announced in a hurry. "why?" Rani asked.

"Her parents want to talk about wedding." Musa informed and Shariq smiled lightly but Rani was burnt from inside.

"Maybe this weekend will be fine to meet." Shariq shrugged but Musa shook his head. "We need to go right now. They are calling us immediately." Musa informed which filled everyone with different feelings.

<><><><><>

Musa, Shariq and Rani were sitting on the black couch and on the other couch Afifa's parents were sitting with their elder son. There was silence in the room but soon it was broken by the soft voice of Afifa. "Assalamualaikum." Afifa just muttered while walking in the room with the maid who was pushing a Serving Trolley loaded with different food items.

"Waalaikum as salam beta." Musa stood up to pat Afifa's head and she faked a dead smile. There was something in Afifa's behaviour that  She glanced at her parents, especially at her mother with demanding eyes but she looked away as if she already rejected her demand then she glanced at her brother and mouthed "bhai, please." But he also looked away. Afifa glanced at her father but she knew he wouldn't change his decision so without wasting time she focused on the beverage and snacks present on the serving trolley. She tried to show herself normal before picking up the tea kettle but but she was not Shifa who knew how to act fine when she's actually not. She passed an almost dead smile while put a cup of tea on the glass coffee table just in front of Musa then placed another cup in front of Rani but without giving attention to her. Shariq was silently noticing Afifa's behaviour, she was not energetic like usual, he could feel the sensitivity of the situation, but what was the matter he was unable to understand.

"Sab theek hai na Khaleel?" Musa asked what Shariq wanted to ask. Musa was also worried because, silence of the room was indicating that something was not fine.

(Is everything fine Khaleel.)

Afifa picked another cup of tea from the serving trolley and put it in front of Shariq. She was trying to avoid making eye contact with him but her heart gave up resulting she looked at Shariq who was already staring at her face, he smiled wholeheartedly but Afifa's sad face stay untouched by smile and her eyes filled with tears which pushed away Shariq's smile too. Before anyone could notice her eyes flowing tears she turned her back towards the guests and walked back to her room but Shariq was shocked to see her crying.

"Musa." Afifa's father call the sensible man in a hushed tone which forced Shariq to give some attention to that side also. "Yeah Khaleel?"

"Mujhe bohot afsos hai lekin main apni beti ka rishta tumhare bete se nahi kar sakta." Said the father who loves his daughter more than anything else and Musa was stunned so was Shariq.

(I'm not pleased to inform you but I won't marry my daughter to your son.)

"Khaleel?" Placing the cup back on the coffee table Musa looked at the faces present in front of him. "What are you saying?" Musa was unable to ask anything else.

"Shariq." Khaleel addressed him and he tried to nod in response but couldn't. "Where were you today?"

"What do you mean uncle?" Asked Shariq when unable to understand the hidden reason behind this question but Musa furrowed. "Answer what he's asking."

"I... I was at home then I went to meet my friend in a cafe then went to office just to glance if everything is going fine, and then I came back to home." Shariq present his schedule in a few words and khaleel looked at Rani.

"Rani bhabi, aapne apne bete se nahi puchha wo kaha kaha jata hai, kis se milta hai aur kis kis se baat karta hai?" Asked Khaleel with furrowed brows and cold tone, for the first time in life Rani was burnt but couldn't do anything.

(Rani bhabi, haven't you asked your son where does he go, with whom he talk or meet?)

"Baat kya hai khaleel?" Musa asked while removing his glasses and Shariq looked at his mother who was ready with all her gus targetting Afifa's father.

(What's the matter khaleel?)

"Aaj Rani Bhabi ka phone aaya tha mujhe ye batane ke liye ki Afifa Shariq se milne jaa rahi hai." Shariq's eyes became widen when khaleel passed this information but Musa was shocked.

(Today Rani bhabi called me to inform that Afifa was going to meet Shariq.)

"But we didn't meet." Shariq defend Afifa as well as himself and this time Afifa's mother took part in the conversation.

"Afifa was going to her Nani's home with me. She was not going to meet Shariq."

"Musa, agar Bhabi ko meri beti ke character par Shak hai, ya wo use pasand nhi karti to is rashte me hume koi dilchaspi nhi hai, hum apni beti ki shadi aese ghar me nhi kar sakte jaha us par bina kisi galti ke ilzaam lagaye jaye..."

(Musa, if bhabi doesn't trust in my daughter or she doesn't like her then we're also not interested in this marriage. I won't tie my daughter in a relationship where she will not be trusted in her family)

"Kya aapki beti din raat Shariq se baat nhi karti rehti?" Asked Rani in venomous voice and this time Afifa's brother stood up in her defence.

(Don't your daughter talk to Shariq all round of the clock?)

"Sorry to say aunty but, agar Afifa Shariq se baat karti hai to Shariq bhi barabar ka zimmedar hai, sara ilzaam meri behen par hi kyu?"

(If Afifa talks to Shariq then they both are equally responsible for this, why all these blames are coming over my sister only?)

"Agar aap ko Shariq aur Afifa ke baat karne par ya unke rishte par itna aetraaz tha to aapne rishte ki baat hi kyu kari? Rishta le kar aap loog aye the hum nhi gye the aapke ghar. Meri beti ke liye ladko ki kami nhi hai..." Khaleel announced without any hesitation and Shariq looked at his father, he was the only man who could do something about this matter but what??

(If you already had issues with Shariq and Afifa's relationship then why did you come up with your son's proposal? It was your demand to tie these two in this relationship, otherwise there are already many proposals for my daughter.)

"Afifa..." Khaleel called his dear daughter and in a few moments she came out from the room, her red eyes were screaming loudly that she was crying, "Yeah dad?"

"Return the ring beta." Khaleel ordered Afifa and she looked at everyone then towards the guy with whom she had already made a dream land. Her left hand grabbed the gold ring present in the middle finger of her right hand. It was her engagement ring. An engagement which was not announced yet. Looking at Shariq who was also watching her without blinking she slowly slipped the ring out from her finger and placed it on the coffee table, just in front of Shariq. Without uttering even a single word she wiped her tears with the back of her palm and walked back to her room. Shariq was silently seeing everything, his beautiful dream suddenly converted into a nightmare just because of his mother. Tonight he was about to ask Musa to discuss wedding dates with Afifa's parents but something else happened.

"Khaleel, don't make decisions in a hurry," Musa tried to put a point but khaleel shook his head. "I'm not making decision in a hurry, we've been thinking about this since afternoon, I can't take a risk for Afifa." Khaleel replied in a hushed but harsh tone and Rani felt happy.

Why wouldn't be she happy? She won this game! She threw Afifa out from Shariq's life but she didn't know how could she throw her out of his heart... One can control other's actions but not emotions.

"Khaleel hamare bachho ki khushi ke baare mein socho..." Musa put a valid point.

(Khaleel, think about our children's happiness)

"Don't mind Musa... Magar main apni bachhi ki khushi ke baare mein hi soch raha hu." Khaleel said in a hushed tone without any intention to insult Musa he already insulted Rani.

(I'm already thinking about my daughter.)

Shariq looked at the cup of tea he was holding in his hand for the last ten minutes or so, slightly tilting the cup he looked up and "ohh... No." Mumbling that he put the cup on the coffee table and everyone noticed a brown stain on his off white pants. Without bothering to look at anyone he just clean the tea with his handkerchief and khaleel looked at his son who understands his father's gesture very well.

"Shariq, clean this... You already know the way to washroom."

"Umm... Thanks." Shariq muttered while glancing at the young man who was almost the same as his age and walked towards the passage which was leading to a corridor, standing in between the doors he was blinking blankly and struggling with himself to recognise the door of the washroom. This place wasn't new to Shariq, since childhood he had visited here countless times because Musa and Khaleel were very close friends But today Shariq forgot everything if he's remembering anything it was his love. Before he could step towards the third door his gaze travelled to the door of a room from which he could see two eyes peeping out. Was that difficult for him to notice tears rolling out from them?

"Afifa." He whispered and pushed open the door slowly. Afifa was standing near the door, she didn't protest when Shariq stepped into the room and locked the door after himself.

"Shhh...." He wiped her tears with his thumb and cupped her face with both hands. "Shariq." She muttered while pressing her lips together to control her sobs.

"Hmm?"

"Shifa was correct." Afifa muttered and Shariq furrowed. "What?"

"Shifa ne pehli hi bataya tha Rani aunty hume khush nhi rehne dengi, unhe khushi milti dusro ki khushiyan ujaadne mein." Maybe this was the very first time when Shariq felt Shifa's pain. His brain took no time to put two and two together and conclude that rejection of Faraz's proposal for Shifa wasn't a coincidence but his mother's plan, but for now he had better things to focus on. And the best topic to be focused on was standing in front of him flowing tears from those eyes in which he could see dreams of new life.  

(She already told me that Rani aunty won't let us live happily, she enjoys creating problems in other people's lives.)

"I love you Afifa, and I won't let anyone snatch you away from me, either of it's my mother." He tightly hold her face and forced her to look at him.

"I can't trust your mother."

"Can you trust me?" He asked and Afifa nodded her head in agreement while her eyes flowed down two tears, "Trust me Afifa, I will make everything fine, everyone will agree for this marriage..." Shariq smiled lightly before pulling his hands back and She sniffled and shook her head.

"Dad won't agree. He was already talking to mom to consider the other proposal they received for me." Afifa cried helplessly, but Shariq's smile grew up. Afifa was amazed at his reaction. "Shariq... Tum has rhe ho?" she muttered in anger but he nodded with the same smile.

(Shariq, are you smiling?)

"At least I got to know that a girl who never talks to me nicely actually loves me so much." He smirked and stepped out of the room leaving her in a shocked state. "Does he really love me?" She muttered and unknowingly her lips turned upwards when remembered his countless confessions of love.

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