Chapter 2

She smirked when suddenly her phone rang.

She picked it up, "Hello!"

"Hey Kashaf!", greeted the person on the other end of the line.

"Kaise ho Osama?", she asked.

Zaroon looked up at Kashaf hearing the name 'Osama'.

"I'm fine! Tum sunao!", he said.

"Main theek hu!", she replied.

She looked at Zaroon who was fondling with his phone and smiled.

"Tum Karachi kab aa rahi ho?", asked Osama.

"Agle weekend aane ka program hai.. Kyun?", she asked.

"Iss baar mujhe tumse milna hai Kashaf!", he said.

"Iss dafa main thoda busy rahungi! It's not possible to meet this time!", she replied.

Zaroon furrowed his eyebrows and wondered, "Osama ko Kashaf se kyun milna hai?"

"Haan lekin mujhe tumse zaroori baat karni hai!", said Osama.

"Wo tum phone par karlo.. Infact.. Tell me now!", said Kashaf.

"Nahi! Phone par baat nahi ho sakti!", he replied.

"Kyun?", she asked.

"Please! Just inform me when come to Karachi! Thodi der ke liye hi sahi.. Lekin mera tumse milna bohot zaroori hai!", he replied.

"Okay! Khuda Haafiz!", she said and cut the call.

Zaroon looked up and asked, "Osama ka call tha?"

"Haan! Wo mujhse kuch baat karna chahta hai.. Wo bhi milke!", replied with a confused expression.

Zaroon nodded.

After a while the car halted. They got off. Kashaf opened the door and moved inside followed by Zaroon. She dropped the bag on the nearby sofa and turned to him. He stood there smiling at her.

"Baittho!", she said. Zaroon plopped down on the sofa.

Kashaf made her way to the kitchen and heated up the food made by her butler.

Zaroon drifted to the day before. To the conversation he had with Osama over dinner.

Flashback

"Zaroon.. I really don't think ke jis tarah ki ladki tum chah rahe ho.. Us tarah ki ladki aaj kal hai bhi! Aur if you think ke iss tarah ki ladki koi hai to mujhe ek example dikhao!", said Osama.

"Kashaf!", said Zaroon.

"Kashaf? Kashaf Murtaza? You're serious? Lemme remind you this is the same Kashaf Murtaza jisko tum university mein hate karte the!", asked Osama confirming whether he heard right.

"Okay! I understand we had our differences. But I like her habits! Aur main iss baat ko quote kar sakta hu kisikebhi saamne!", said Zaroon.

"Zaroon.. Maine duniya mein bade bade bewakoof aadmi dekhe hain.. Lekin to be honest, tum jaisa bewakoof aadmi nahi dekha!", Osama replied.

He continued, "You know what Zaroon.. I actually think you are confused! If you weren't confused.. You wouldn't quote Kashaf Murtaza!"

"Osama! I was just giving an example! I'm not telling you about my likes and dislikes!", said Zaroon.

"Agree! Lekin ye baat tumhare subconscious mein to thi na! Agar nahi hoti to tum Kashaf aur Asmara ko compare na kar rahe hote!", replied Osama.

Flashback ends.

Zaroon smiled at himself as he wondered to himself, "Come to think of it! Kashaf has really been a part of my subconscious throughout these years! Osama sahi keh raha tha.. Aakhir maine Asmara ko sirf Kashaf ke saath hi kyun compare kiya! Or is it that, even though I'm not too fond of her she is very close to the ideal woman whom I like? Or do I actually like Kashaf? What the hell is happening to me?"

"Zaroon!", she called out. His thoughts broke and he smiled as he heard his name leave her mouth.

"Haan!", he replied.

"Dinner is ready!", she said. Zaroon walked over to the dining table and pulled out a chair for himself and sat down.

"Biryani! Tumne banayi?", he asked.

"Nahi! Mere mulazim ne! Agar weekend hota to main banati!", she replied.

Zaroon laughed and served for himself. She then passed him a plate of shammi kababs.

"Ye maine banaye hain!", she said.

"Wow! They look good!", he teased.

"They taste good too!", she replied with a smirk.

Zaroon served for himself. Kashaf by then served Biryani on her plate.

Zaroon had a large bite of the kabab, "Umm.. Delicious!", he complimented.

"Thank you!", she replied with a smile.

The rest of the dinner was a silent affair where Zaroon kept taking glances of Kashaf and smiling to himself. Once they finished, they sat in the hall opposite each other.

"Asmara kaisi hai?", asked Kashaf.

Zaroon smiling face lost it's smile. He stiffened at the question.

Kashaf furrowed her eye brows and asked, "Kya hua?"

"Humari sagaai toot gayi!", he replied.

"Oh.. I'm sorry!", she said.

"Us mein sorry ki kya baat hai? I just realized that Asmara and I could never be life partners. Wo bohot head strong hai, zaroorat se zyada liberal hai aur hadd se zyada aur aazaad khayaal hai. Main ek aisi biwi bilkul nahi chahta jo mera pasand napasand ka khayal hi na kare!", he concluded.

Kashaf thought over his statement and smiled.

"Tumne abhi tak shaadi nahi ki?", he asked.

"Nahi!", she replied point blank.

"Kyun?", he asked.

"Kyunki main apne career par concentrate karna chahti thi. I'm the major earning member of my family. Isliye shayad kabhi khayal hi nahi aaya. Ammi ne kaafi chaha par I didn't want to give up my career at a point where my family needed me the most!", she voiced her facts.

Zaroon smiled, impressed at her facts.

"Waise kal ka schedule kya hai?", he asked.

"Wohi hai jo maine gaadi mein bataya tha!", she replied.

Zaroon laughed and said, "Mujhe chalna chahiye! Kal subha milte hain!"

"Okay!", she said as they got up from the sofa and Kashaf escorted him till the main door. Zaroon got into the car and gave a wave to which she waved back.

Kashaf retired to bed. After half an hour her mobile buzzed. She opened the message.

From: Leechar

"Thank you for the wonderful dinner and company! Have reached the guest house! See you tomorrow! :) Good Night! :)"

She smiled and quickly replied and put her phone aside and dozed off.

Zaroon lay down thinking about the whole day's events when his phone buzzed. A smile appeared on his face thinking Kashaf would have replied. He opened the message in a hurry.

From: Chudail Murtaza

"It was nice to have you over! You're welcome! Good Night! :)"

He smiled to himself even more.

"Kashaf actually bohot achhi ladki hai!", he told himself after which he closed his eyes and drifted into deep slumber.