Daniyal's POV:

A new day with new hopes, new ideas but old memories and old routine. I'm kinda bored with this RJ job, getting ready every day to go to the radio station, sitting in the same chair to speak whatever comes to my mind. Is this a job? I wanted to change my schedule. I wanted to do something which will make me feel better.

'Uncertainty' is my most loved job, unfortunately, my parents have a problem with it...

"Daniyal breakfast is turning cold."

"Coming Ammi..." I yelled while fastening the buttons of my black shirt, and suddenly a thought strikes me. Has Shifa convinced her parents or not? I wanted to call her and ask about it but stopped myself. I would have to wait till evening. With these thoughts, I walked to the dining area and took the newspaper from Baba's hand while taking my usual seat.

"Daniyal ye kya badtamizi hai beta? Aap har roz apne baba ke hath se newspaper chhen lete hain..." Ammi scolded me but I smiled and ignore them. Glancing at the business news I picked up a piece of Apple from Ammi's plate.

(Daniyal what is this? Why do you snatch the newspaper from your dad's hand every day?)

"Daniyal Ab to bade ho jaiye," Ammi instructed me, it's been my habit since childhood. I eat from Ammi's plate instead of serving for myself.

(Daniyal, at least grow up now.)

"Ammi aur bada ho gya to budha ho jaunga." I chuckled but got a glare in return from my parents.

(Ammi I'll turn grey-headed if, I'll be growing up even more)

"Aapki Ammi Bata rahi thi koi ladki pasand hai aap ko?" Baba asked and I put down the newspaper.

(Your mother was telling that you like a girl)

"Oh really? Ammi, you didn't tell me which girl I do like?" I asked playfully, that's the only way to avoid and divert this topic.

"Daniyal." She glared at me. "Ammi..." copying the way I glared her back in the same playful manner.

"Daniyal, be serious and tell me, are you interested in any girl or not?" Baba asked seriously and I shook my head.

"Baba, I am not interested in any girl. Please stop repeating this topic and question. This is my sincere request." Saying that I picked up the cup of tea and Baba hummed with a nod.

"okay. We won't ask you about that girl." He muttered and I smiled. Thankfully, Baba understood me.

"Khatija"

"Ji Kazmi Sahab," Ammi passed an apple to Baba with this response and my heart gave a painful beat.

This is how Ammi addresses Baba, I just love this way of hers, and I wanted Adeena to address me in the same way, but this wish of mine turned into my most painful wish. Whenever Ammi calls Baba like this my heart clenches with pain.

"Daniyal where are you lost?" I looked at my mother who was shaking my shoulder to grab a small amount of my attention.

"Yeah Ammi?"

"Your Baba is saying something." I looked at Baba and nodded.

"Since You're not interested in any other girl, I'm calling Mirha's parents for her proposal." My heart stops beating. Mirha? Really? What was my crime for that I was going to get a punishment in the form of Mirha?

"Baba... Please. Don't even think about Mirha." I declared clearly but I was quite shocked to hear the reply from my Ammi. "Fine, If you're not introducing me to that girl and you don't want to get married to Mirha then I'll find out a girl by myself."

Oh god... What could I do to get rid of this problem? My playfulness is not working in this case.

"Ammi," holding her hand I asked politely. "Are you blackmailing me?" I was trying my hardest to blackmail her, or better to say let her taste her own medicine. But not to forget, she is my mother.

"No, I'm not blackmailing you." She sweetly smiled at me giving me a new hope but... "I'm clearly warning you." Saying that she hurriedly removed my hand from her hand. I have to admit, my parents are more stubborn than me.

"Kya mil jayega aap ko meri shadi kara ke?" I asked, this time I was frustrated.

(What will you get by my marriage?)

"Ek bahu." She smiled and I rolled my eyes before standing up from my place.

(A daughter-in-law)

"I'm going. And have you even remember today you have an appointment with the doctor?" I asked, and my dear Ammi's blank face answered well. But this topic also ends in my marriage. "My all attention is fixed on you, settle down in your life so that I could focus on myself and your baba's health." Giving back the newspaper to baba I huffed with fake anger. How cleverly my Ammi hides her forgetfulness.

"Khatija, I'm also going." Baba stood up from his chair, Ammi passed his wallet, handkerchief, medicines and don't know what else? It's been her daily routine since ever.

"Ammi, Get ready by 6 O'clock." I picked the sunglasses from the dining table but my car keys were missing. "That's why we're saying to get married..." I didn't let Baba complete his sentence.

"I don't need a wife to keep my keys, I can handle them." With a dry smile, I went to my room and pick up the keys from my desk. My parents could not understand me and my feelings. According to them, they were doing well for me, but in reality, it's morally wrong.

"Daniyal, A wife doesn't keep only the keys of home but a happy life too. When you enter in the home holding your tired self, her smiling face vanishes the tiredness. A happy home is no less than a paradise on this earth." Baba told me and I look at my parents with a smile.

"You both are my paradise. Ammi has paradise under her foot and you're the door to it." With this statement kissed my Ammi's temple and stepped out from the home.

What could I tell them? How could I explain to those who raised me about the one whom I love to the point of insanity, love of her is an adrenaline rush for me. Her face is imprinted in my eyes so much that I find her in every other face is looked at, her love has become so ingrained in my heart that no one else can replace it. I can't imagine handling myself over to anyone else. Just in case I got hitched with someone forcefully then it's a great unjust I'll do to that stranger as I won't be able to give her the amount of love she deserved.

==============

"Daniyal, I need new ideas, our progress is not satisfactory." David was looking tense and I sighed. He was expecting progressive ideas from a person whose boat of life was stuck in between cyclones of misery.

"Yaar, today I'm not in the mood to suggest anything." Mumbling that I picked a Ferrero Rocher which he always keeps on his table.

"Is everything fine?" He asked and I nodded without looking at him

"Missing Adeena again?" I closed my eyes for a while without looking up, "No." Saying that I unwrapped the chocolate. "Bhul ja use, khush hai wo apni Zindagi main. You should also move on." I suddenly looked up.

(Forget him, he is happy in his life)

"Are you in her contact? Where is she? How is she doing?" I wanted to know everything about Adeena.

"Daniyal I don't know anything about her, but you and me both saw her with her husband, have you forgotten how happy she was?" I took a deep breath and nodded with a big grin.

"She deserves happiness. I'm happy for her."

"Don't you deserve happiness?" His question was straight but I didn't want to answer. I was tired of this debate, everyone deserves but my case is different. "Daniyal it's almost five years of her marriage, move on dude."

"David at you don't behave like ammi and baba. They also want me to get hitched in the bond of marriage."

Before I could get another lecture from David thankfully a knock on the cabin door grabbed our attention.

"Good afternoon sir, you summoned me?" She was Shifa, David gestured her to take a seat beside me while making a circle on the name of Shifa from the list he was holding in his hand. I was confused about his act, maybe Shifa was also.

"Shifa, I'm planning to off-air your program by the end of this month, we need some changes if you have any new ideas discuss them with me or Daniyal otherwise, you'll get your termination letter soon." Shifa's face was sightable. Her face was red when she entered the room as if she was angry but now her face was pale.

"You can't terminate her job like this," I said on her behalf and David furrowed.

"She has a chance to save her job, by the way, She is a temporary and part-time staff, moreover I'm giving her one-month advance notice."

"Fine sir," Shifa mumbled with a professional smile but I could see a shine of tears in her brown eyes.

"You may go to record the program."

She nodded with a dead smile and stood up. "Hey Shifa, wait." I stopped her. "Assalamualaikum, sorry I didn't even greet you, Deni." She apologises and I passed her a Ferrero Rocher from David's bowl, he glared at me, and Shifa shook her head.

"All the best for the recording," With a nod and turned to go without taking the chocolate.

"What is this Daniyal? What's the reason for this special treatment towards her?"

"Couldn't you see she was upset?" I glared at David and he rolled his eyes.

"Couldn't you see many more employees? They were also upset due to their termination." I ignored that nonsense.

"By the way, good selection. She is a nice girl, just your type."

"What the crap? She is just a friend of mine." I glared at David who was smirking.

"So do some progress." Winking at me he chuckled but I didn't like those words for Shifa. "Shut up David. I won't listen to anything like this for her."

"Oh, it means you've serious feelings for her?" This time he asked seriously.

"How could you even think about it? You know everything about me and Adeena."

"Yeah, I know, that's why I'm sure you have feelings for Shifa. Have you remembered your feelings for Adeena? You couldn't see Adeena upset, and today I am seeing the same for Shifa."

"Shut up David, no one can take Adeena's place in my life. And I just have a soft spot for Shifa in my heart, she is a nice girl. I respect her. Just it." Declaring my feelings I started writing something for the next show. Soon I noticed Shifa going out from the recording room.

"Shifa have you talked to your parents?" I asked her when she was signing the register and she informed me about her fear.

"Shifa stop being anxious."

"I'm not anxious." She shows a smile and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I could see." With these words, we both stepped towards the parking area. "You can share with me if you want."

"I... I am afraid Deni, neither I could leave this job nor could continue ans this new problem... I don't have any idea what could I suggest?" She was not only scared but angry too

"Shifa first of all, calm down." I passed her a bottle of water which she took from me and gulp half of it in one go.

"I trust you, you'll do something to pass this phase too. I believe in you. Such a strong girl you're. Don't worry about anything, I'm always at your back" I smiled and this time she also smile.

"Thank you."

"Only thank you? Give me a treat." I demanded but she rolled her eyes.

"Treat? But for What?"

"Because I helped you. I don't give motivational speeches for free!" I chucked making her laugh too. "So don't help me next time."

"Are you sure with your decision?" I teased her and she nodded.

"Let's go, I'll drop you at the metro station." She nodded, but before she could open the car door, a taxi stopped a few steps from us. We both didn't pay attention to that. "Why were you angry?" I asked and she blinked. "How did you know?"

Why couldn't she understand, her facial expressions talks more than her tongue?

I raised my collar and she laughed. "Deni, are you a physiognomy reader?"

"Yes, he is." a voice that startled both of us, and the owner of the voice was stepping out from the taxi.

Ya Allah, what's this?

My poor heart questioned when the figure walked towards us.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in a whisper but got a glare in reply.

"If I'm not wrong you're Shifa. Aren't you?"

I really smacked my forehead, Shifa looked at me nervously but nodded in reply. "Yeah, I'm Shifa... But..." The poor girl was unable to understand how that stranger knows her.

"Daniyal introduce me to Shifa..." I smiled with hesitation and nodded while watching Shifa's confused face.

=============