"Khala, where is Saima Bhabi?" Kanwal asked, coming out of the room where Alina and she were staying.
"She isn't back from her mother's house yet." Her Khala answered.
"Oh! And where are Alina and Maaz?" She asked both her mother and Khala.
"They are on the rooftop. Probably playing cricket again. Can't you hear their voices?" Kanwal's mother answered.
On mentioning the roof, Kanwal paid attention and heard Alina begging Maaz for a rematch.
Maaz and Alina? Can't he find someone of his own size to play with???
Kanwal sighed and went into the kitchen saying, "Khala, I am making tea for everyone. Khalo (Khala's husband) will be home soon."
"Khush raho, beta (bless you, child)" Kanwal heard her Khala's voice from behind and a smile appeared on her face. Within the past few days, Saima made Kanwal familiar with the kitchen. Therefore, now she can easily work in the kitchen.
Kanwal starts making tea for everyone besides Maaz and Alina. They need snacks at 6 pm, not tea. Which Khalo said he will bring while coming home. But knowing Maaz, he will definitely ask Kanwal to make something especially for him.
Maaz was three months older than Kanwal and he was also studying in the third year of his college, but his exams were still going on. Maaz wasn't a reserved type of person, but kept his distance from Kanwal, unlike Haseeb who didn't miss a single chance of teasing Kanwal. Maaz was frank with Alina and the only thing Kanwal and Maaz ever talked beside formal greetings is, what new dish Kanwal had learned to cook and when he could eat it. But this conversation also rarely took place, especially since Kanwal had learned about this habit of his. She would cook something new every time he visits their house.
Kanwal knows she will have to prepare a new type of snack for him, sooner or later. So without wasting time, she starts taking out ingredients. She was taking out breadcrumbs when her phone buzzed. Quickly wiping her hands with the kitchen napkin, which had become a habit of hers, she checks her phone and froze that instant.
It was a mail from Ahad, with an image of a gold bracelet along with a message.
'I bought it again for you and this time I will put it on your hand myself...'
~*~
"Mano, what are you doing?"Kanwal asked, looking at the stairs so she won't fall from Mahnoor's dragging.
"We are going to take a selfie."Mohanoor answered excitedly and kept dragging her.
"On the rooftop at night? It will be dark." Being alone with Mahnoor at her home is fun but Kanwal would never guess the crazy ideas she has in her mind. That's why Kanwal is always hesitant about doing as Mahnoor says.
"Just be quiet and come. It's not dark there, we have lights."
"But why do you suddenly want to take a selfie?"
"Awain."Mahnoor replied and Kanwal sighed, avoiding asking more questions.
Once they got on the roof, Mahnoor took out her mobile phone and took more than a single selfie.
"Ary...!" Mahnoor shrieked, making Kanwal jump in surprise. "Yar, wait here. I think I left the stove open. I will be right back."Mahnoor said and rushed towards the stairs.
"Oye! What will I do here alone? I am coming too."Kanwal shouted and started taking steps to follow Mahnoor and abruptly halted as her eyes saw the figure coming up from the stairs.
Kanwal's eyes forgot to blink and her heartbeats started to accelerate when she saw Ahad approaching her with his usual mischievous smile.
"Assalam o Alaikum!" He said in a hushed voice, standing in front of her.
"Wa-Wallaikum Assalam."Kanwal mumbled, lowering her eyes, unable to meet his gaze and a blush started to creep over her face.
"Surprised to see me here?"Ahad asked, with a smug look and Kanwal nodded in response.
"How did you know I was here?" She inquired.
"Ummm... Actually, both Mahnoor and I planned this meeting." He answered, sliding his hands into his pocket and Kanwal's head snapped towards the stairs where Mahnoor went, but she found the criminal herself there standing and showing her thumbs up.
Wahiyat Insaan!
(A foul person)
"Oh! She is here. Guarding us, your chowkidaar (Gatekeeper/ guard)."Ahad said, turning his face to Mahnoor. "I don't understand. Is she overprotective of you or she doesn't trust me?"
"She trusts you."Kanwal abruptly denies his assumption. Ahad turned back to Kanwal and chuckled.
"Her presence there says something else."
"Listen, if you guys are planning to have a long chat, then I will be downstairs."Mahnoor shouted from her place.
"Sure."
"No."
Both Ahad and Kanwal said at the same time.
But Mahnoor chose to ignore what Kanwal said and went down saying, "Take your time, lovebirds."
Kanwal's jaw dropped open and quickly closed it back, remembering her fiancé is standing in front of her, observing every movement of hers.
"So... she really does trust me."Lowering his face to Kanwal, he continues, "What are you going to do Kanwal, now that your Chowkidaar is gone."
Startled by his nearness, Kanwal quickly took a step back.
"You haven't told me why you are here..." She asked.
"So cold, Kanwal... Is this the way you talk to your fiancé?"
"I wouldn't have talked to you like that if you had come to meet me in front of everyone."
"Taking a mental note. I will always meet you in front of everyone. But... Right now, before you get mad, take this."Ahad held out a box to Kanwal.
"What is it?"
"I got my first pay this week, so I just thought..." He answered, scratching his neck and a wide smile is spread on Kanwal's face.
"Thank you..." She shyly accepted the gift, the first gift of his fiancé's money.
"Okay....! I better go now, or your chowkidaar will come again... Allah Hafiz."Ahad said abruptly and left, leaving a sweet smile on Kanwal's face. Whether Ahad would admit it or not, she could tell that he was nervous, not as much as she is, but quite a bit.
This shyness and nervousness weren't there before, it came after their engagement with the thoughts of the future with each other.
"Kanwal...... Ahad Bhai has been gone several minutes ago, what are you still doing up here now?" She heard Mahnoor's bore voice from downstairs and shaking her head, Kanwal made her way to her.
After almost an hour, Mahnoor was examining the bracelet Ahad gave her and Kanwal is reading the small note which he wrote to her.
'A promise of the future, to make you a part of everything that happens in my life....'"Khala, where is Saima Bhabi?" Kanwal asked, coming out of the room where Alina and she were staying.
"She isn't back from her mother's house yet." Her Khala answered.
"Oh! And where are Alina and Maaz?" She asked both her mother and Khala.
"They are on the rooftop. Probably playing cricket again. Can't you hear their voices?" Kanwal's mother answered.
On mentioning the roof, Kanwal paid attention and heard Alina begging Maaz for a rematch.
Maaz and Alina? Can't he find someone of his own size to play with???
Kanwal sighed and went into the kitchen saying, "Khala, I am making tea for everyone. Khalo (Khala's husband) will be home soon."
"Khush raho, beta (bless you, child)" Kanwal heard her Khala's voice from behind and a smile appeared on her face. Within the past few days, Saima made Kanwal familiar with the kitchen. Therefore, now she can easily work in the kitchen.
Kanwal starts making tea for everyone besides Maaz and Alina. They need snacks at 6 pm, not tea. Which Khalo said he will bring while coming home. But knowing Maaz, he will definitely ask Kanwal to make something especially for him.
Maaz was three months older than Kanwal and he was also studying in the third year of his college, but his exams were still going on. Maaz wasn't a reserved type of person, but kept his distance from Kanwal, unlike Haseeb who didn't miss a single chance of teasing Kanwal. Maaz was frank with Alina and the only thing Kanwal and Maaz ever talked beside formal greetings is, what new dish Kanwal had learned to cook and when he could eat it. But this conversation also rarely took place, especially since Kanwal had learned about this habit of his. She would cook something new every time he visits their house.
Kanwal knows she will have to prepare a new type of snack for him, sooner or later. So without wasting time, she starts taking out ingredients. She was taking out breadcrumbs when her phone buzzed. Quickly wiping her hands with the kitchen napkin, which had become a habit of hers, she checks her phone and froze that instant.
It was a mail from Ahad, with an image of a gold bracelet along with a message.
'I bought it again for you and this time I will put it on your hand myself...'
~*~
"Mano, what are you doing?"Kanwal asked, looking at the stairs so she won't fall from Mahnoor's dragging.
"We are going to take a selfie."Mohanoor answered excitedly and kept dragging her.
"On the rooftop at night? It will be dark." Being alone with Mahnoor at her home is fun but Kanwal would never guess the crazy ideas she has in her mind. That's why Kanwal is always hesitant about doing as Mahnoor says.
"Just be quiet and come. It's not dark there, we have lights."
"But why do you suddenly want to take a selfie?"
"Awain."Mahnoor replied and Kanwal sighed, avoiding asking more questions.
Once they got on the roof, Mahnoor took out her mobile phone and took more than a single selfie.
"Ary...!" Mahnoor shrieked, making Kanwal jump in surprise. "Yar, wait here. I think I left the stove open. I will be right back."Mahnoor said and rushed towards the stairs.
"Oye! What will I do here alone? I am coming too."Kanwal shouted and started taking steps to follow Mahnoor and abruptly halted as her eyes saw the figure coming up from the stairs.
Kanwal's eyes forgot to blink and her heartbeats started to accelerate when she saw Ahad approaching her with his usual mischievous smile.
"Assalam o Alaikum!" He said in a hushed voice, standing in front of her.
"Wa-Wallaikum Assalam."Kanwal mumbled, lowering her eyes, unable to meet his gaze and a blush started to creep over her face.
"Surprised to see me here?"Ahad asked, with a smug look and Kanwal nodded in response.
"How did you know I was here?" She inquired.
"Ummm... Actually, both Mahnoor and I planned this meeting." He answered, sliding his hands into his pocket and Kanwal's head snapped towards the stairs where Mahnoor went, but she found the criminal herself there standing and showing her thumbs up.
Wahiyat Insaan!
(A foul person)
"Oh! She is here. Guarding us, your chowkidaar (Gatekeeper/ guard)."Ahad said, turning his face to Mahnoor. "I don't understand. Is she overprotective of you or she doesn't trust me?"
"She trusts you."Kanwal abruptly denies his assumption. Ahad turned back to Kanwal and chuckled.
"Her presence there says something else."
"Listen, if you guys are planning to have a long chat, then I will be downstairs."Mahnoor shouted from her place.
"Sure."
"No."
Both Ahad and Kanwal said at the same time.
But Mahnoor chose to ignore what Kanwal said and went down saying, "Take your time, lovebirds."
Kanwal's jaw dropped open and quickly closed it back, remembering her fiancé is standing in front of her, observing every movement of hers.
"So... she really does trust me."Lowering his face to Kanwal, he continues, "What are you going to do Kanwal, now that your Chowkidaar is gone."
Startled by his nearness, Kanwal quickly took a step back.
"You haven't told me why you are here..." She asked.
"So cold, Kanwal... Is this the way you talk to your fiancé?"
"I wouldn't have talked to you like that if you had come to meet me in front of everyone."
"Taking a mental note. I will always meet you in front of everyone. But... Right now, before you get mad, take this."Ahad held out a box to Kanwal.
"What is it?"
"I got my first pay this week, so I just thought..." He answered, scratching his neck and a wide smile is spread on Kanwal's face.
"Thank you..." She shyly accepted the gift, the first gift of his fiancé's money.
"Okay....! I better go now, or your chowkidaar will come again... Allah Hafiz."Ahad said abruptly and left, leaving a sweet smile on Kanwal's face. Whether Ahad would admit it or not, she could tell that he was nervous, not as much as she is, but quite a bit.
This shyness and nervousness weren't there before, it came after their engagement with the thoughts of the future with each other.
"Kanwal...... Ahad Bhai has been gone several minutes ago, what are you still doing up here now?" She heard Mahnoor's bore voice from downstairs and shaking her head, Kanwal made her way to her.
After almost an hour, Mahnoor was examining the bracelet Ahad gave her and Kanwal is reading the small note which he wrote to her.
'A promise of the future, to make you a part of everything that happens in my life....'
