𝟐𝟐. 𝐃𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐲

I grunt in frustration at the movements in my belly, and tossed around on the bed switching from one side to the other.

'It's going to give you a hard time tomorrow,' Her voice echoed in my mind and I hated how true it proved to be.

She could've said something else, anything like, may our project be a success. Absurd things like, 'I've developed a liking towards you,' or 'I dont hate you anymore', but no. she said what she had to say.

Changing position for the last time, I try and tune out the problem with my naazuk stomach and give sleeping a go. I don't know how long I've been able to concentrate before the God forsaken grumble started again.

"Urghh!" Sitting up on the bed, I reach for my phone and see it was almost 10 in the morning.

Looking around the room, I realized I didn't want to stay up and alone here. Atleast someone might be awake.

Is she awake? The thought crossed my mind causing me to frown at myself.

Why would I even think that? I had no reason and I had no answer. But the thought didn't leave right away.

It stayed there, pasted in my mind somewhere I knew how to reach it and ponder over it. Like I was doing now.

I shut my eyes and lean my head back on the headboard. Her face is the first thing that forms in the darkness before my eyes. Her face glowing with Noor, taking after her name. Her wide smile, whenever she smiles, taking after her first name.

Who named her, i wonder? Was it Sir? Or Mumma? Dada jaan maybe?

Whoever it was knew what effect she had on others. The bright face i see first thing in the morning feels like a warm hug even without laying a single finger. Her smile that sends jolts of electricity through me and a fuzzy feeling in my heart. The way my mind is attuned to hers feels unreal.

I try to push the thoughts away, but they come rushing back. Her laughter, her kindness, her unwavering strength. She's more than just a colleague or a friend. She's someone I can't stop thinking about, someone who has become the center of my universe without me even realizing it.

I remember the day we met, how her presence lit up the room. Every conversation, every shared moment, has only deepened my admiration for her. The way she understands me, sometimes better than I understand myself, is something I never thought I'd experience.

I sit up, my heart racing. It's clear now. These feelings aren't just a passing fancy. They're real and undeniable. I care for her, deeply. More than I ever thought possible. The realization hits me with the force of a tidal wave. Noor is not just a part of my life; she is the part that makes everything else make sense.

But what do I do now? How do I tell her? Do i even tell her? The fear of losing what we have is almost as strong as the need to let her know how I feel.

I take a deep breath, resolving to find the right moment, the right words. Because Noor deserves nothing less than the truth.

I lean back again, a small smile playing on my lips. Whatever the future holds, I know one thing for certain: Noor has changed my life in ways I never imagined, and for that, I am endlessly grateful.

A sigh leaves my lips. I push to my feet and stretch, feeling the need to workout now more than ever with the amount of food I am being fed in this house. I freshen up, feeling my stomach still upset from last night mega stunt I'd managed and dress in a pair of sweats.

Running a hand through my wet hair, I pull the door to my room open and stop dead in my tracks when I make out her voice coming from the dining room.

Although my breath hitches in my throat, my heart races in my chest. I swallow, and force myself to breathe so I don't die before this chapter in my life even started.

"Rizwaan uncle bole, mumma ko saath leke aao saree finalize karne. And that I can't rely on the men to choose for me." I hear her say.

"Saree for you and shaadi outfit for Muaaz." Saira mumma says as though making a list of the things that need to be done.

"Fatty said he'd have something custom made for Muaaz."

My name sounds so different when it rolls off that pink tongue of hers.

"Assalamalaikum," I smile, joining the mother daughter duo on the table.

"Walaikumsalam," Both of them replied in unison, with matching enthusiasm and mirroring smiles.

"Kaisa hai mera bacha?" Mumma asked, placing her warm palm on the side of my face.

"Not so good." I tell her with a scrunched nose.

"Why?"

"Panu puri, mumma." Noor cuts in. "The challenge we had last night."

Mumma clicks her tongue. "Do you need something? Peptobismol or Gaviscon?"

"Entroquonol, maybe." She piped wickedly.

That brat!

"I don't know what that does but i think I'm good. Most of it is out of my system anyway. Just the ache that wont go away."

"Kitna nazukh hai ji," Noor shakes her head at me with a teasing smile.

"Entroquonal should be good then. Helps with stomach ache." Mumma said ignoring her daughter's remark and making her way to the kitchen.I take a seat on the chair I was standing next to.

"You seem to be doing just fine." I say, looking between Noor and whatever she was eating from the bowl.

"Hey!" She excalims, taking her bowl and turning away from me. "Say Mashallah. Nazar bohot jaldi lagti meko."

"Meri nahi lagti." Her gaze meets mine, and she smiles, at my statement or my Urdu I couldn't tell, giving my heart a hiccup.

"There you go," Mumma comes to me with a tablet in her hand and a glass of water. Popping the khakhi colored tablet in my mouth, I follow it with water.

"Where is chachi?" I ask casually after settling in.

"At Pho's"

"Pho?"

"Her mother,"

"Is that her name?"

"Her name is Asra, but I call her Pho."

"Oh, but why?"

"Cuz she is my phuppo. My dad's sister."

"You mean, you and chachi are cousins."

mumma laughs. "yes, you couldn't tell?"

"Not really. No." I added. "How'd you get married?"

"That's a long story."

"How did chachi get married?"

"Ahhh," Mumma sighs. "Yet, another long story. But remind me sometime on a Sunday, I'll show you our wedding videos and also tell you the story behind it."

"Oh, you should hear Mumma's. It's straight from a bollywood movie. Also, Machi's. Mumma's is a fun rom com. Machi's is. . . a mix of everything."

"We also had a baby Muaaz as a guest appearance." Mumma teased, earning an embarrassed smile from me.

I clear my throat in an attempt to ward off the attention away from me. Mumma gets me breakfast after which we settle into a comfortable silence. Or atleast I did, listening to Noor telling her mother all about last night.

"Itna wahiyaat collection tha Maanyavaar pe poocho mat. Aur uske uper se aapke ladle," Noor points her spoon at me. "Kuch pasand nahi aara tha sahab ko."

"Of course," Mumma replied. "Tabhi itne saare shopping bags ke saath nikle aap store se. Acha collection hota to apan ko rakhne jagah nahi rehti thi ghar me. Nai?"

"Urmm," Her daughter cleared her throat. "Ye to aap Mr. Angrez se poocho, why did he buy so much stuff from that shitty place." Noor's gaze turns to me, her eyes widening. "C'mon, Mr. Angrez, tell Mumma you liked the things."

Why do I always get to be the scapegoat?

"I, uh," I swallow, mustering all my morning strength to lie. "I really liked all the kurtas, mumma."

"And the shoes." She added.

"And the shoes." I repeated.

"The brooches as well."

"Yeah, those too."

"Bus kardo tum dono!" Mumma shakes her head at both of us, hiding the faintest of smiles on her face at our antics.

"I'm done." Noor announced. "I'm going to go get ready now."

"Where're you going?" I questioned.

"Not you, We. We are going to Dani's place."

"Me? Why me?"

"Cuz you really made an impression on Daniya's mom. A damn good one. And she is going to get you set up with one of her friend's daughter who is already in London and get you two married."

"What?!"

"She's joking." Mumma cuts in, laughing to herself. "Tang nahi karo usko, muskaan!"

"I'm not tang-ing him Mumma. He has to know how she is." With that said she takes to the stares and disappears out of site.

"I didn't like those kurta. Or those shoes. Or those brooches." I turn to Mumma and confess. "Your daughter made me buy them. I despised those pastels. It was only her word I bought those hideous things for."

"I know, bacha. My daughter is a shopaholic and she can't take the sight of people not buying things especially when we're out to shop." She ruffled my hair. "Did you have a good time atleast?"

"The best." I grin for reasons I can't disclose. She smiles back like she knew the exact reasons why.

"I'm ready!" Noor yells minutes later, making her way down the stairs.

"Chalo, good." Mumma says. "Muaaz is also done with his breakfast."

"Yup, ready to go." I shoot her a thumbs up.

"Let's go then."

"Wait, how are you guys gonna go?"

"Activa," I've been her long enough to know what Activa is.

I assume I'm the one whose driving and so I make my way towards the key stand.

"And I'm driving," Noor announced.

My hand stops mid way on her statement. And I look at Mumma who shrugged in response.

"Drive safe." Was all she said.

But--

"Chalo , Mr. Angrez. You can't handle the traffic here. Let the boss do it."

I huff, stomping my way behind her. She throws her leg over the seat and straddles it, tilting her head and ushering me to hop on.

"Do you want a helmet?" She asks.

"I'm hoping I shouldn't need one." Not that I have anything against lady drivers in general but--- nevermind, whatever.

"Dua padhlo jaldi, I have a song in mind."

A chuckle escapes my mouth more at the absurdity of the situation than her statement. I recite all the duas applicable to the situation and Wait for her to play the song.

She has her lips jammed together as she swipes at her phone and hits play. I wait for the tune to flow out of the speakers and give out a full blown laughter when the song registers.

'Dhoom machaleyyy'

Laughing, we hit the road and for some reason I expected her to drive slower than the speed limit but I think she took the song a bit too seriously.

We zoom past the traffic, my knees merely inches away from crashing into an auto, a car and a truck sometimes. She'd brake so hard, I had to hold on to whatever my hands can grab so I don't crash into her and knock us both off the vehicle by my bodyweight.

I thought this was the worse it could get, but Noor proved me wrong. We were turning into a lane after honking as a safety measure like youre supposed to. But there was another two wheeler who was exiting the narrow lane and we nearly collided.

This incident unraveled the side of Noor I didn't know existed untill now.

Noor slammed on the brakes so hard, I lose my balance somehow and land on the floor.

"Oh My God!" She gasps, getting off the vehicle and quickly rushing towards me. "You Ok?"

"Yeah," I grunt. "Just a-- gash." I say looking at my elbow that had managed to grate the tissues of my skin and draw blood.

I notice her stare at my wound for a second longer and when her eyes met mine, I didn't like the look in them. It was as though she had turned into a bull, who has just been showed the red cloth and not mere blood.

Noor turned at the young boy, probably our age who was riding the scooter with her claws out.

"Andha hai, saale?" She snarled. "Haan? Dekh ke gaadi chalana nahi aata?"

I sit up as she takes a threatning step in his direction. "Sorry, main dekha nahi--"

"Dekha nahi to road pe nikla kyku? Amma Bawa tere chordiyea haath me gaadi deke? Jao aysh karo, jo saamne aaya usko uda do?"

"Dekho," He starts, raising his palm between the two. "itni badi baat hai nahi jitni tum karre--"

"Badi baat," Noor scoffed. "Tum dekhke gadi chalana badi baat nahi hai? Main tumhari ghalti nikali to badi baat hogayi?"

He blows a breath, his eyes cutting to me. "Aye, apni girlfriend ko leke jaa yaha se. Kuch to bhi boldunga main--"

"Kyu?" She cut him off. "Sirf tumako haq hai bolne ka? Hum bole to tumhari man ego hurt hojati shayad?"

Sensing the rising tension in the air, I grab Noor's hand and drag her away.

"Let's go," I tell her.

"Chalo ji, jao!" He hollers. "Road pe awaazan karke bohot bada kaam karre samajhri shayad ye papa ki pari."

"Noor!" I call when she yanks her wrist free from my grasp and goes to stand infront of the guy again.

"Papa ki pari kisko bola, kuttey?"

Ya Allah!

"Ayse jagah marungi, saale, jhandu balm bhi nahi laga sakinga."

"Dhamki kisko deri, r💥di. Tu haath laga ke dikha to sahi. Aysa haal karungi tera--" He stops mid sentence when his eyes meet mine as I come to stand between the two.

"Bolo," I challenge, towering over his thin frame. "Kiya haal karta?"

"Ab aayi tere ander Reed ki haddi."

I scoff. "Jo tere ander nahi hai wo mere ander kyun dhoondra?"

A pfft comes from behind me only riling him up further. He makes an attempt to launch at her but I shove him backward causing him land on his butt.

"Next time, dekh ka gaadi chala. Aur apne behen ki izzat karna seekh." Was all I said and take Noor by her hand with me.

I settle on the seat first, bringing the engine to life and she follows, settling behind me and we hit the road again without sparing a second glance. Atleast I did, but Noor decided to go a step further when she flashed her middle finger at him as we drive past.

"Kiya tha wo?" She asks after a cloud of heavy silence passed over us.

"Kiya?" I cross question, glancing at her through the side mirror before making a left.

"You let him go that easily?"

"What was I supposed to do then?"

"Give him a black eye, what else?" She says as though it was child's play. "But you didn't even slap him, punch to bohot door ki baat hai."

"You can't walk around giving people black eyes like that." I frowned.

"And do what instead? Let them hurt you?"

"No one hurt you."

"He was trying to!"

"But he didn't!"

"Agar karta to? What would you do then?"

Do the same if not worse. I gritted mentally but chose to stay silent.

"Abbu rehna tha." She grumbled sounding disappointed for some reason. "Had he been there, he wouldn't have let that saala go without a few slaps."

I hit the brakes all of sudden in the middle of the lane, wanting a time out from this conversation and giving my bubbling anger some time to cool down. "Itna tha, to aajana tha Sir ke saath. Why did you decide to take me with you?"

"Ghalti hogayi merese!" She snapped. "I won't do it ever again. Aur problem Kiya hai tumko Abbu se? Why are you suddenly so angry?"

"Because, I am not him!" I exclaim. "Stop comparing me with your father." Her expression gave away that I've gone a bit too far, yelling like that in her face.

"Noor--"

She raised a finger, cutting me off. "Save it."

"Lis--"

"Save. It." She gritted.

Looking away, I clamp my eyes shut, cursing myself silently. A horn blaring from behind us moves me into action and bring the engine to life.

I resume drivin, looking around for some kind of help when I spot a Sugarcane juice vendor across the street.

'Sugarcane juice is one of my favorite.'

She'd said when I was at the hospital, recovering from my dehydration and food poisoning.

Parking the two wheeler on the side, i make my way towards the vendor. Ordering 2 cups, I wait for a couple of minutes for the lady in a simple cotton saree to prepare the juice before paying her and walking back to where Noor was.

I watch her side eye the plastic cup as I hold it out to her after which she gives in and takes it from me.

We sip our juice in silence so thick it could be sliced with a blade. She was clearly super mad at me and I didn't know what to say to her. Yet. Finishing our cold beverage, we hit the road again with Noor taking the pilot's seat again.

Merely five minutes later, we stop at a house in front of which Noor kills the engine.

"Hey," I grab her wrist as she hurried her way past the wrought iron gates to try and stop her.

"Chordo hath mera." She said, refusing to meet my eyes having her back to me.

"Not without you listening to I have to say." I yank her towards me, spinning her around so I could look at her.

"Kyu sunu main?"

Ignoring her stupid question, I begin clarifying my stance. "I didn't mean what I said about your father in an offensive way. I'm sorry if it sounded like that, but I'm not sorry I said it."

I tip her chin with my thumb, getting those hazel eyes to lock on me. "I am not the same man as your father, Noor. He might hit people for whatever reason but I don't. The last fight I'd picked up with someone was back in school, that was ages ago!

I continue. "I don't have a bad temper. I know how to control my anger. And about that guy hurting you, I'd never let him. All he gave was empty threats, Noorie. He didn't have it in him to hurt you or anybody for that matter."

A cloud of silence passed over.

"Hogya?" She looks straight at me, unfazed. "Haath chodo, Jaana hai meko ander."

"I said I don't have a bad temper. But I can throw a pretty good tantrum. Nakhre bohot hai mere."

"Haath." She stressed with a clenched jaw.

"Are you sure you're still not going to talk to me?" I ask giving a final warning.

"Nahi karna hai baat, jao."

"Ok." I drop her hand the veey next second and take a step back, brushing up my tantrum throwing skills.

Noor disappears past the gates, and I hear another voice joining us which I recognise to be Daniya's as she greets us.

"Assalam-- ek minite. Tumhara mood kyu kharab hai?" She asks taking one look at her bestfriend.

"Meri wajah se." I announce, stepping into the patio of their house. My eyes drilling holes at the back of Noor's head.

Daniya looks at me surprised, giving her bestfriend a cocked brow that was disregarded.

"Assalamalaikum, Hussein bhai." I reply to her greeting, tearing my eyes from Noor's retrieving figure.

"Did she say anything?" Daniya asks looking between her and I.

"No." I sigh. "It was my fault. I apologized but she didn't take it."

"Ek second, did you guys drive here?"

"Yes." I frown at her question.

"And she must've picked a fight with someone on the road?"

"She did."

"Then it's not your fault, I'm sure. Muskaan ki aadat hai, she switches modes the second you hit the road, especially on a two wheeler. Maybe it's the pollution that gets to her, I don't know. But it's a rare occasion that she has not abused atleast one person when driving. Also, she hates when someone calls her out for it. Don't worry, She'll be fine."

"I hope so."

*sigh*

"Anyway, come on in. Welcome to my humble abode."

Stepping into the front door, I am taken in by the smell of food and the number of people the area was filled with. I spot her mother, making her way towards me with a smile on her face that showed an uncanny resemblance to that of a thugger who is happy on the arrival of their new client.

Noor's statement from earlier today rang through my ears. 'She'll get you married to one of her friend's daughter whose probably already in London.'

Is it true? Was her statement based on true events?

A shiver runs down my spine and I am snapped back to reality.

"Assalamalaikum," I greet her, bending my head a little.

"Walaikumsalam, jeete raho." She holds my smile for a couple minutes before turning back to look at some more aunties. "Come, I'll introduce you to my friends."

"Ermm," I look around for help of any sort but nothing really makes sense as she takes me by my hand and drags me with her.

Why does she want to do such a thing?

Is what Noor said coming true?

Am I being set up with someone daughter?

Ya Allah, I know I'm supposed to be mad at Noor but I really need her help to escape whatever this is called. Send her to me, please. I promise I won't argue with her. And drop my tantrum act immediately.

Just please, save me from these rishta aunties.

Nooooooooooooorrrr!

🥤

Noor to the rescue!

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Byeee.