B e c a u s e I R e a l l y Li k e Y o u
She sat there gazing at the delicately emerging stars. And just like the ones chuckling in the canvas of the mighty sky there were tiny stars shimmering on the bed of the city, Islamabad. Just beneath the green hills piling themselves upon each other's shoulders, were the serene city lights which sought their way along the roads and pavements. Yes everything did look distant but mighty from the picturesque centre of exquisite and scenic splendor, Monal.
Monal, named after a pheasant of rare and striking beauty, and located at a height of 3000 plus feet, was were she had first seen him... Zaroon. She liked to calculate the details then.
Falak smoothly remembered how he had lessened her alienety towards his city when she had first visited it. Being a Karachiite, the most alluring place in the world could only be a beach. Even Falak thought there was nothing so beautiful as the Hawks Bay or the French Beach or even the Paradise Point. But this place was a whole different thing, veiled in the garb of spanking new foliage and natural upbringing, the city was no less exotic. It was strikingly interesting to her then and Zaroon with his details of things, she could never imagine things that way, made her all cloudy.
There father's were friends and Falak along with her family was there to see her elder sister, Sana's, freshman ceremony at her university in Sawabi. They decided to pay a grand visit to her father's old friend Uncle Junaid. Sher Afghan and Junaid were two mischievous creatures in their college times who had managed the survival of their friendship over the time.
So the dinner was decided at Pir Sohawa, the conspicuous emerald stone encased in the crown of Islamabad. The hill top was the best place to have a bird's eye view of the city. And Sara, Zaroon's sister, had decided the kids would march there and the elderly lot could fetch a ride in their cars.
Little did Falak and Sana know that it was a whole three hours hiking before they got anywhere close to their expected destination. But what a memorable hiking trip it was... she still found its essence flickering in her mind.
"Zaroon comes here every day..." Sara told them and Falak noticed some people who actually seemed to come there for routine walks...hiking..she corrected. "We will find him once we are there... he takes the tougher route..." Even Sarah was panting now. Falak was always a nature admirer, but admiring nature in Karachi is a whole different experience and doing so in Islamabad another. Sana was busy capturing the singing birds hiding in the shrubs.
Falak and Sana had victorious glimmers on their faces as they marched through the final track which lead to the exceptionally beautiful Monal Restaurant.
"I cant believe it..." Falak chided, "I climbed 6 miles on a mountain..."
"A marked out track..." Sana corrected. Sara chuckled.
"Whatever... you'll be living in this outrageously beautiful Heaven for the next four years... I am sure Topi is just as handsome..." Falak personified Sana's university's area and Sana literally did bounce back in her dream institute while Sara and Falak grabbed themselves water bottles. Their parents and Zaroon were already there. Falak was surprised to see him all fresh when the three girls were so drained out of water. She doubted he ever took the tracking route, but then he was a man... a strikingly handsome and ...out of the novels kind of a man. She chuckled at her own choice of words.
"I am surprised you girls made it..." He said after the usual greetings. Falak and Sana were too busy pouring down water in their parched throats to answer him. Sara although felt it an obligation to answer.
"Since you always chose to under estimate a girls power..." She started but he burst out laughing drowning the rest of her words in it. Falak observed the little spark in his eyes as he laughed. His persona was so charismatic.
"Falak... Come here I'll show you something..." He said pulling her out of her seat. She went behind him. He took her to a little village nearby and told her details of the surroundings as they went. Falak realized he explained her things like one explains a young girl and to him she was a young girl only. Sixteen wasn't much age after all...and he was a graduate.
"Abshaar..." She shrieked. (Abshar is a waterfall...precisely... when water flows through the stones in a mountainous region.)
She almost ran seeing the little pool water landed in after paving its way from the brilliantly curvaceous stones. Thankfully she had grabbed Sana's camera and this was one thing she had wished to see live all her life. Having her entire life spent playing on beaches, having a great affinity for water wasn't unusual. Zaroon had heard how water crazy she was and had decided he would give the girl a little surprise.
"Thank you Zaroon Bhai...i could never imagine it to bee so beautiful."
He chuckled and took off his shoes folding his jeans a little before landing his feet in the chilly water. Falak imitated him and sat opposite him on a huge round pebble looking stone.
"Give me the camera... I'll capture the moment for you." He said and Falak handed him the camera, being careful about the water beneath them. Just as the camera left her hand and found its new owner Falak slipped her foot in a wet rock and ...SPLASH. There she was in the ice cold water, too surprised to utter a word. Zaroon burst out laughing and clicked a photograph of a-drenched-in-cold-water Falak.
She wanted to yell but seeing him all giggly she couldn't help laughing herself. Zaroon extended his hand for her to come up, she rejected politely saying...
"Wouldn't give you another chance of laughing at me...Zaroon bhai..."
He kept smiling seeing her struggling her way out of the little pool.
"Funny the water aint salty..." She said.
"Of course...have a drink... there is nothing so pure." He offered. Falak placed the cup of her hands beneath the falling water and took in huge gulps. She could swear on her life she had never tasted a water so sweet, even when it is said water is tasteless... it does have its taste and Zaroon was right...it was so pure.
He had clicked another photograph as she drank water from the waterfall. And later Falak came to know that he had clicked so many of her pics while they were there.
The went back to their parents and Sara and Sana who seemed to have gotten along well. Falak was still dripping water and her parents were worried she could catch a fever but she refused saying she was fine. The days were considerably warm but the nights outright cold. By the time they had finished off their dinner Falak knew she had cold coming up her sleeves.
No one realized it until Zaroon parked the car outside a take away food outlet on their way back to their home.
"I'll grab Falak some soup... she doesn't look so well."
Falak was swooning in heat to realize it...her family was instantly worried.
... to be continued.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Anything you people have to say?š³
Book Talk
Cricket
99