20 years later...
In London,
~Its' weird how time can change something, you thought would always stay the same~ by Susane Colasanti
It seems only yesterday when he used to race with Ibrahim to the golden meadows of mustard...chirping of birds and that sweet smell of soil is still crystal clear in his mind. It brings a smile to his face when he remembers all crazy things they used together. They used to be inseparable...like two bodies, one soul. Kite flying was their common passion. Ibrahim was an expert in kite flying and he was the kite runner, and their team was such that none could stand against them for more than 15mins. Now, it's been years since they have seen each other. The chirping of birds has been replaced by honking cars and trucks, huge skyscrapers have taken up the place of trees almost everywhere. Firdous sighed as he fed the pigeons, remembering his days in Pakistan. He jogged down the lane to his apartment. Shopkeepers were all ready for another tiring day at market. He picked up the newspaper and milk bottles from his doorstep as he moved inside the house. Keeping the milk bottles in kitchen, "Heer gudiya, chai toh bana do!" he calls out for his elder daughter. "Jee Baba, abhi bana deti hoon!" she replied as she came out of her room, tying her hairs in a loose bun. She prepares two cups of tea, one for him and one for herself. "Yeh lijiye Baba!" she said as she handed him his cup. "Khub khush raho!" he blessed her. But his expressions changes to annoyance as soon as he takes a sip, "Ohho... cheeni toh daal deti!"
"Diabetes nahi hai aapko!? Chup chap peejiye..." she replied strictly. He made a face but knew that arguing is of no use, he gives up. "Aur bataye... aapki walk kaisi thi?" she asked while taking a sip from her cup. "Thik thi lekin yahan woh maza kahan jo Pakistan mein aaya karta tha!" he replies sadly. Heer feels bad for him. "Koi baat nahi baba, hum bahout jald wapis jayenge!" she said assuring him. He smiled weakly at her. "Kaun kahan jaa raha hai?" Isra asked from behind. She too sat down along with them. "Koi kahin nahi jaa! Hum toh aise he baat kar rahe the..." Firdous replied. "Aise kaise baat kar rahe the... kahin jaane ka plan hoga tabhi toh baat kar rahe honge. Bewajah thodi kahin bhi jaane ki baat karoge, aaj kal bahout khichdi pak rahi tum baap beti ki, sab dikh raha hai mujhe. Lekin agar mujhe pata chala ki tum dono ne kuch gadbad ki toh dekhna, mujhse bura koi nahi hoga!" she began mumbling continuously. "Tumse burakoi ho bhi nahi sakta!" Firdous muttered under his breathe. "Kya kaha?!" Isra asked. "Kuch nahi...main kahan kuch kehta hoon! Sab toh tumhe kehti ho, mujhe bolne ka mauka kahan deti ho!" he replied. "Dekho jee, aap mujhe blame mat karo ki main aapko bolne nahi deti.." and their usual banter began. Heer shook her head. She knew that there is no use of wasting her time to sort out their fight. So she quietly left the place.
She entered her room to find Amirah still sleeping. "Ami... utho! Nau baj gaye hai..." she said as she tried to wake her up. "Haan.. bas paach minute!"
"Koi paach-waach min nahi... utho fatafat!" she said as she grabbed her quilt to find her sleeping in knee length party dress. She was still wearing her heels. "Amirah...!" she called out sumwhat loudly. Amirah who was now caught, woke up slowly, and hissed, "Shhh... please Ammi aur Baba ko mat batana! I can explain..." she pleaded. "Kya hua, Heer?" Firdous cried out from living. She looked at her guilty sister who was pleading with folded hands, "Kuch nahi Baba! Ami uth nahi rahi thi issiliye bas... thoda tez ho gaya. Sorry!" she replied. "Koi gal nahi puttar!" he replied.
"Hmmm... kuch kehna chahogi?!" she looked at Amirah with questioning eyes. "Main nahi jaana chahti thi party mein, woh Anjum ne mujhe force kiya! Kehne lagi tumhe meri dosti ka waasta... maine toh usse kaha bhi ki Anjum mere baba allow nahi karenge lekin woh kehne lagi ki mere bina woh apna birthday nahi celebrate karegi...toh mujhe jana pada! Raat raat mein plan bana isliye bata nahi payi." she lied.
"Raat mein plan bana toh kya? Tumhe batana toh chahiye tha... mujhe he bata deti..." Heer tried to reason.
"Sorry na! agli baar aisa nahi hoga!" Amirah made a puppy face. "Please agli baar thoda dhyaan rakhna... agar Ammi Baba tumhe aise dekh lete toh gajab ho jata!" Heer said as Amirah nodded. Heer smiled and left. Amirah sighed, "Aaj toh bach gayi, magar aage se dhyaan rakhna padega... jagat mata ka kya pata kab muh khol de! Waise isse bewakoof bana mushkil kaam nahi hai."she mumbled to herself as she smiled victoriously.
Meanwhile in Pakistan,
"Sheen...! Arre o Sheen..kahan mar gayi!" Bayji shouted at the top of her voice.
"Aayi... kya ho gaya? Kyu rola paa rahi ho?" Shaheen asked. "Kya ho gaya? Maine tere se kaha tha ki dhoop tez hai, aachaar ke liye mirche sookhne dalde, daali tune?!" she asked. Shaheen bit her tongue as she realized that she had forgotten to complete the task. "Abb kyu chup ho gayi? Bol? Maine tere kaha tha na, Batoolan aane wali hai, uske liye aachaar banana hai...magar nahi! Ek kaam dang se nahi hota!"Bayji said.
"Haan.. haan.. saari galti meri he toh hai, iss ghar mein jo bura hota hai usme meri galti aa jati hai! Main bhi insaan hu, koi machine nahi jo har cheez yaad rakh saku... bhul gayi thi abb rakh deti hu!" Shaheen replied as she went inside the kitchen.
"Ohho... Bayji, ki hua? Kyu subah subah khoon jala rahi ho?" Ibrahim asked as he came out. "Yeh jo teri woddi hai, koi kaam dang se nahi karti!" Bayji said as Shaheen glared her from kitchen. "Chalo koi nahi, tussi gussa nahi karo...! Yeh cheez toh aapne humara nikaah karane se pehle sochna tha...abb toh issi se kaam chalana padega!" he said which earned him a glare too.
"Aman-Asad kahan hai?" Ibrahim asked.
"Asad toh namaz ke liye masjid gaya hai... aur Aman, woh...woh kuch kaam se bahar gaya." Shaheen exclaimed.
"Kaam se bahar!? Kya baat hai, suraj purab se uga hai yaa paschim se?" Ibrahim teased her.
"Arre hato jee, aapko nahi pata ki mera beta kitna layak-fayak hai!" Shaheen said. To which Ibrahim smiled and replied, "Sab pata hai mujhe ki kitna layak hai! Achchha main bauji se milke aata hoon!"
"Asalam Walekum bauji!" Ibrahim wished him.
"Walekum asalam puttar jee!"Karim greeted him back. "Ek kaam karvade mera! Batoolan ko lena jana hai, apne beto se bolde chale jaye!"
"Bete kyu bauji, main hoon na! main jaunga apni behen ko lene!" Ibrahim replied expecting praise from his father.
"Kyu tere bete ghis jaayenge agar thoda bahout kaam kar lenge! Ek awaara gardi karta firta rehta hai, pata nahi kahan se pir bhi paal liya aur doosre ko apni namaz se he fursat nahi hai!" Kareem said.
"Toh allah ka naam lena galat toh nahi hai na bauji!"
"Jee nahi, betajee galat nahi hai...lekin har kaam ki ek umar hoti hai! Sach much dono he namoone hai! Ek se badh kar ek!"
~~~~~~~~
"Hum toh tere aashiq hai sadiyon puraane... chahe tu mane chahe na mane..." Aman hummed the song as he saw girls passing by.
"Oye hoye... jaaneman! Kahan jaldi?" Aman commented on one of the girls.
"Kahin bhi jaau, tujhe usse kya?" the girl replied.
"Mujhe usse kya?! Abb tumhaari jaisi khubsoorat ladki kahin jayegi toh ata paata toh rakhna padega na! aaj kal zamana bahout khraab!" Aman said.
"ohoo...tumhe toh bahout chinta hai humaari, bhaiya!" the girl replied.
Aman made a face, "Bhai vai nahi hu main!" he replied annoyed. The girls laughed and went away, "Aaya bada majnu!"
~~~~~~~~~
Asad came out of the masjid after his namaz. Being a pach-waqt namazi, he was either found in masjid or in fields! Just then, a girl who was standing there approached him, "Padh aaye namaz! Haaye Kabhi hume bhi padh liya karo... main bhi khuli kitaab he hoon... aur jyaada mazedaar bhi!" she said as she winked in his direction. He looked at her disgusted as he mumbled, "Lahaul Wila Quwaat!" while touching his ears and went ahead leaving a laughing girl behind.
That's it!!! Do hit like button and leave your comments...
Waiting for them😳
Kumkum Bhagya
Anupamaa
