"Just Leave this house and never come back! Get Out! Right now!"
Aahil woke with a start as the words he screamed at Miss Dhabewali echoed in his dreams. He looked over at the clock - 7:00 pm. His head ached from his recent hangover but these dreams always seemed to wake him up fully alert.
He had kicked her out of the haveli about a month ago and in his haste to rub salt in her wounds he used her as a cover up for the scandal the media was pressuring him about. She denied it, of course, but who would have taken her word over the great Aahil Raza Ibrahim.
Her eyes had brimmed with unshed, angry tears as she refused to cry in front of the media but he would never forget how those eyes had been emblazoned with fire and disgust for him. A fleeting feeling of empathy crept into his heart but he shook it off vigorously and stalked off towards his car leaving her at the mercy of the media vultures.
Thank God Rehan had stepped in to help diffuse the situation. He got the media to disperse and from the looks of things he managed to say a few calming words to the chit before she walked away dejectedly. He felt a little bad for her but after what she put him through he felt he was justified in his actions. Yet he drove away with a heavy heart and didn't know why.
That was a month ago and every night since Miss Dhabewali invaded his dreams. She came to him whenever he felt most alone and her presence, even if it was full of contempt, was comforting to him.
He unconsciously rubbed his fingers together as he remembered the feel of her dori wrapped around them and the heated look of her arresting eyes. He rubbed his face with his hands and cursed himself for even entertaining the idea of her.
He needed a distraction and he needed it now. He picked up his phone and called Rehan but the phone just rang and rang. "Odd! Rehan always answers his phone - especially when he knows it's me calling." Aahil mused.
He took a quick shower and after getting dressed he called Rehan again but still no answer. "Something's not right." Aahil decided to go over to Rehan's house to see what was going on.
"Come to think of it, Rehan has been acting strangely these past few weeks." Aahil muttered to himself as he made the drive to Khan Vila. Aahil allowed Rehan to live in the house as he wanted it as untouched as possible. He had made the decision long ago when his father bought the property. He had always felt it belong to someone else and he never stayed one night there.
The guards opened the gate and he sped up the driveway. Rehan's car was in the driveway so he must be home. Aahil opened the door and walked into the dimly lit living room.
The house smelled heavenly. The warm scent of chai wafted up to his nose and wrapped around him like a warm blanket. Since when did Rehan make this kind of chai? New maid perhaps?' he wondered as he strode in unannounced.
Aahil looked around the room and it looked a bit different. There were soft touches all over the house that made it homely and for the first time Aahil felt like it was a home - filled with security and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on.
He was about to call out to Rehan when he noticed that the verandah windows were opened and he walked towards them.
"Shall I start?" Rehan called from the back yard.
"Yes" Aahil heard two women's voices respond in unison.
A sly grin spread across Aahil's face as he thought of Rehan entertaining not one but two girls. Good show old boy!' Looks as though Aahil came to the right party after all!
As he turned the corner, he saw Rehan sitting on a chair by the fire pit warming up his guitar.
Not bad Rehan Miyan' Aahil praised as he thought Rehan was on the right track to impress these girls.
"Come sit Badi Ammi. The doctor said you should be resting." Rehan said kindly and gently.
Aahil stopped dead in his tracks. 'Badi ammi? But Rehan was an orphan with no family - where did he get a badi ammi?'
Aahil snuck behind the vine covered trellis and peeked through to see what was going on.
An elder but graceful lady came and sat down in front of him and to the right of Rehan. Her back was to him as she was facing the fire to keep warm so he didn't see her face.
Then a pretty young girl sat across from her to Rehan's left. She beamed a bright smile at Rehan as she wrapped her hands around her chai cup and settled in for the performance.
Ah! So this is the girl he's trying to impress! Strumming his guitar in front of her badi ammi... you go Rehan!' Now he knew why he was acting strangely these past few weeks.
He was trying to form a relationship with this girl. She's pretty and looks good with him' Aahil thought and silently cheered him on.
He decided to stay long enough to hear him sing then he would take off to find his own entertainment. Rehan had a decent voice even if he didn't sing often. Rehan cleared his throat and started strumming his guitar.
He closed his eyes and Aahil could feel the emotion pour out of Rehan as he sang. Wow, he's really into this chick' Ahil thought as he recognized the song.
"Apne karam ki kar adayein,
Yaaraa
Mujhko iraade de, Kasamein de, wade de
Meri duaaon ke ishaaron ko sahaare de
Dil ko thikaane de, Naye bahaane de
Kaahon ki baarishon ko mausam ke paimane de
Apne karam ki kar adaayein, Kar de idhar bhi tu nigaahein
Sun raha hai naa tu
Ro raha hun main
Sun raha hai naa tu
Kyun ro raha hun main"
What?!?! Rehan Rockstar!!! You are killing it boy!!!' Aahil gave Rehan two rock ons from behind the trellis and he wanted to go up to him and give him a high five. Aahil decided against ruining the moment and thought he would bust Rehan's chops tomorrow.
With a huge smile on his face he turned to walk away but a beautiful, lilting voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Mazilain ruswa hain, Khoya hai raasta"
Aaye le jaaye, Itni si ilteja"
Aahil raced back to the trellis to see for himself what a lucky girl Rehan had caught but to his great surprise the girl sitting next to Rehan wasn't singing at all. There's another girl?' Aahil was dumbfounded. He moved positions around the trellis to get a better view.
He saw her sitting across from Rehan. She was poised and confident and Aahil found this very attractive. The wind playfully whipped her dupatta up briefly concealing her face as she sang.
The rest of the world fell away as Aahil locked on to her voice - it was like a soothing balm on his battered soul.
"Ye mer zamaanat hai, Tu meri amaanat hai
Aaa"
As the wind died and her dupatta fell back into place, Aahil's eyes bugged out of his head as his mouth dropped open.
Miss Dhabewali?' he whispered into the night.
Her eyes were also closed as she sang but he felt as though she was singing to him. He felt the words go straight to his own heart as they left her lips.
"Mujhko iraade de, Kasamein de, wade de
Meri duaaon ke ishaaron ko sahaare de,
Dil ko thikaane de, Naye bahaane de
Khabon ki barishon ko mausam ke paimane de
Apne karam ki kar adaayein, Kar de idhar bhi tu nigaahein
Sun raha hain na tu
Ro rahi hun main
Sun raha hain na tu
Kyun ro rahi hun main
Yaaraa"
His dream world came crashing back to reality as Rehan's powerful voice joined hers for the rest of the song. Aahil felt a sting in his heart. Their voices blended melodiously together as if they had been doing this forever.
He was suddenly jealous of Rehan and Miss Dhabewali and this did not sit well with him.
"Waqt bhi thehara hai, Kaise kyun ye huaa
Kaash tu aise aaye, Jaise koi duaa
Tu rooh ki raahat hai
Tu meri ibaadat hai
Aaa"
Miss Dhabewali's eyes were still closed and Aahil glanced at Rehan, who was openly staring at her while she sang. Aahil wanted to gouge Rehan's eyes out for staring at her like that. How dare he?'
Aahil's eyes were drawn back to her as she continued to sing.
"Apne karam ki kar adaayein, Kar de idhar bhi tu nigaahein"
Aahil remembered her luminous eyes boring into his own as he held her in his arms by the pool.
"Sun raha hain na tu
Ro raha/i hun main
Sun raha hain na tu
Kyun ro raha/i hun main"
The song ended and the other two ladies clapped stirring Ahil out of his dream world. Unnamed possessiveness poured out of him as he saw Rehan blush with Miss Dhabewali.
That was the last straw.
No one, and I mean no one, get the better of Aahil Razaa Ibrahim. Time to shake this party up!'
Aahil strode out from behind the trellis and clapped loudly.
"So this is why you haven't been answering my calls Rehan Miyan?" Aahil spoke loud and clear.
They all stood up and the ladies quickly came to Rehan and stood behind him. Rehan's chest puffed up as he addressed Aahil.
"Aahil bhai? What are you doing here?" Rehan said slowly.
Aahil's eyes were locked on to Miss Dhabewali's and they never left them as he spoke.
"I tried calling you but you never answered your phone so I came to see what you were up to. It looks as though you were busy. What intrigues me the most though is your company! What is SHE doing here?"
Sanam cleared her throat and stepped forward next to Rehan - with their shoulders almost touching. The other two women stood closely behind them as if trying to protect them. Rehan reached down and covered her hand with his own as Aahil's eyes narrowed in on this union.
Aahil felt his chest constrict at the sight but what made his heart plummet were the words she uttered next in her clear, unforgettable voice.
Her piercing eyes locked on to his as she said, "I live here. This is my home now"
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