Hamraaz- Pt 3

*****

One month later

"Zamurad, kab aane ka irada hai? 5 mahine ho gaye hai jab aakhri baar dekha tha tumhe."

Aashna's voice held a motherly longing as she spoke to her son on the phone. Her heart ached to see him safe and sound and knowing that he was out there, facing the gruesome reality of the world, she couldn't help but let sadness reign over her heart.

"Mama, kitni baar kaha hai aise roya na kare."

"I wasn't crying!"

She opposed with a weak tone and could only hear her son snicker in sarcasm on the other side.

"Zyada smart na bano mere saath aur jaldi batao kab aaoge."

She didn't leave room for a 'no' but the stubbornness of her son made her doubt the possibilities of the answer being in her favour.

"Kab aaoge matlab? Mama, open the door first!"

Aashna almost lost her balance on hearing her son's words and immediately raced to the door which was closed due to the heavy winds that were blowing outside.

A relief filled sob escaped her lips as she saw her son standing in front of her, safe and sound. She hugged him tight, crying in her son's arms and her heart sending it's gratitude to the Lord. A wide smile rested on Zamurad's lips as he embraced his mother's affection like a soil that had been nurtured after ages.

"I missed you too, mama."

Zamurad kissed his mother's head in response to which Aashna just hugged him tight. The latter was crying buckets and now Zamurad found it a little too emotional. This was something he should have gotten sued to since the day he was enrolled in the army but everytime he saw his mother crying like this, his heart ached just like the first.

"Mama, bas kare. Allah ke karam se I am all safe and healthy. Please calm down."

"A-alhumdulillah."

Aashna murmured and pulled away from her son. Zamurad bent down a little and Aashna placed a kiss on her son's forehead, muttering duas and 'alhumdulillah'.

"Bhai!"

A surprised, happy and high pitched scream made Zamurad wince slightly and he narrowed his eyes playfully at his sister who was smiling a megawatt smile. His heart soared at her care while Azra hugged him tight. She suppressed her sob since she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her missing him but Zamurad knew her better.

"Awe, ab bol bhi do that you missed me."

He teased her lightly and Azra just poked her tongue at him.

"Puh-lease, all are delusions, nothing else."

Zamurad just shook his head and walked into the house. The feeling of finally being in his humble abode hugged him tight. The very air inside calmed him in ways unsaid as he relished the feeling. Being away from home for many months does this to a person but Zamurad never complained. He felt like the defiant child who had roamed around the whole town at day but in the end, came home to his mother with a not-so sorry look and intentions of doing the same the next day.

A relaxed sigh escaped his lips as he threw his duffle bag on the couch and stretched his well built arms that had been carrying heavy guns not 24 hours ago.

"Zamurad, jao fresh hokar aao jaldi se. Main abhi kuch-"

Zamurad looked towards his mother with a tired smile and gave her a brief hug before shaking his head.

"Mama, abhi mujhe sirf thodi neend chahiye. Let me complete my sleep and then I'll tell you about the incidents in the snow covered mountains."

Aashna looked a little reluctant but anyhow nodded her head at him and placed a kiss on his forehead. Zamurad was quick to walk up to his room- the room in which he was stepping in after a total of 5 months.

It looked neat and clean. Not one of his belongings was displaced or thrown anywhere in the corners. The room smelt fresh and he didn't need to make a wild guess to know that his mother cleaned it regularly after his departure.

Removing a set of washed track pants from his wardrobe, he quickly took a short shower, just enough to loosen the knots in his muscle and within a span of 15 minutes, he found himself lying on his back, staring at the ceiling of his room with a faraway look.

His hands were crossed beneath his head as he closed his eyes, hoping for a blissful sleep but all that filled the darkness with its presence was the encounter with the wandering soul a month ago. The same brown eyes that glistened with curiosity and awe stared back at him. Clothed in the thick muffler and woollen gloves, she looked cute enough when compared to the fawn that he was treating.

The camera that she had clutched in her hands seemed like her lifeline since he had observed the way she ran her fingers more than a few times across the lens, even when she was fumbling on her steps after their eyes had clashed together in a brief battle.

A breathless sigh was what covered the silent room as Zamurad opened his eyes before he could get lost deeper into the memory. His mocha eyes seemed hazed as he tried to shake away the incident but it kept trickling back in his mind almost at every chance that it got.

"Get over it!"

He reprimanded himself softly, though the small smile on his lips told an entirely different story. The way his heart pretended to be familiar to her presence.

Minutes later he found his last ounce of energy draining into the environment around him as sleep came without even trying, though the glimpse of the woven brown muffler, floating in the air as its owner ran further away from him appeared one last time in front of his eyes.

*****

Darya went through her camera dump after having an eventful snack evening with the whole family. The two khurafati Malik kids had been successful in earning an earful from her father and she snickered under her breath on remembering their pale faces as Zaviyar Malik asked them about their college schedule.

But to know the college schedule, the two idiots should appear at its doorstep at least once in a while.

"Darya, ab camera ko baksh do yaar! Kab se lekar baithi hui ho."

Zaahira whined at her cousin who just rolled her eyes at the dramatic display of annoyance.

"Hira, tang nahi kar. Don't you have anything else to do?"

The one questioned too just shook her head from left to right like it was the most obvious question one could ask her and before Darya could give her a peace of mind, the doors of her room were thrown open and barged in the two monkeys in human form whom she called her siblings.

"Agar darwaza tuta toh tum dono ki haddiya bhi tutengi."

A frustrated Zaahira growled at the two boys and Zameer and Murad just stood at the doorway, giving the two their sheepish smiles.

"Kaunsi aa fat aa gayi hai?"

Zameer shrugged and jumped on the bean bag kept near Darya's bed while Murad took a place near the edge of the bed, where his elder sister lay looking half dead and annoyed.

"Kya hua hai tujhe?"

He scrunched his nose as he asked the question to Zaahira who just mumbled something under her breath and pulled the covers over her head. Murad now looked concern on seeing her mood and looked at his Darya appi for help who just smiled lightly and mouthed,

"The monthly arrival."

Murad instantly relaxed and got more comfortable in his position while Zameer scrolled through his phone, trying to find something entertaining.

Darya looked between the two boys and sighed in frustration on seeing them getting so cozy in her room.

"Bataoge ki kyu aaye ho? Or was it just another one of your hero giris?"

Zameer glanced at her over his shoulder and nodded his head.

"Haan, aapko abbu ne bulaya tha."

Darya hummed and got up to go meet her father but was stopped by Zameer once more, who was now looking a little sheepish and alert. Her eyes narrowed in slits as she took in his change of demeanour.

"Bulaya tha, lekin adhe ghante pehle."

"Toh abhi time mila tujhe batane ke liye?"

She glowered at him and he only shrugged before going back to his phone notifs. Her annoyed eyes looked at Murad who was trying to pacify his elder sister while the latter just swatted his hand away.

"Appi, main aapke liye chocolate lau?"

"Bola na nahi chahiye kuch!"

Darya smiled at the two and gave a mean look to her own brother who was quick to dismiss her accusatory gaze and quickly dashed out of the room, hoping that her abbu was still at home.

Knocking on her father's study room, she slowly opened the door, completely aware that she was late by more than 30 minutes and all the thanks goes to her younger brother.

Siblings could be utterly useless sometimes!

"Abbu?"

Darya voiced with a nervous chuckle. Two pairs of eyes snapped towards her, both of which belonged to her parents. Dua and Zaviyar seemed to be having a serious conversation since the tension in the room was thick, thick enough to make Darya rethink her decision of coming here.

"Time ruk gaya tha kya aapke liye?"

Dua asked her daughter with a sarcastic smile and Darya just gave her a nervous one of her own. Zaviyar shushed his wife and called his daughter to sit on the seat in front of him.

Khudki bachi se business deal karne wale hai kya yeh?

The ridiculous thought crossed her mind but she quickly knocked some sense in her head and did as she was told. Zaviyar cleared his throat and looked at Dua who just disregarded him completely, even after the mighty Zaviyar Malik gave her a pleading look.

Darya watched the interaction with an amused smile since it was clear as day that her mother was not very happy with her father. Dua gave him a warning look and Zaviyar Malik slumped back on his seat with a sullen look.

How old were her parents again?

She cleared her throat to make them realise that she was still present in the room and colour bloomed on her mother's cheek while her father seemed as casual as ever.

"Right, toh..."

Zaviyar dragged the word and Dua finally felt a tad bit of pity for her husband and so took the reign of taking the conversation forward.

"Aashna Radwan yaad hai aapko?"

Hearing the old woman's name, a fond smile spread across Darya's lips. The old woman had been successful in registering her name in Darya's good books and the young woman looked forward to having another chit-chat with her soon.

Seeing the fond look in their daughter's eyes, the older couple relaxed their tensed postures but only by a little. Dua cleared her throat and gave her daughter a small smile.

"Kuch din pehle unka call aaya tha. They have sent a proposal for you."

Stop.

Wait.

Repeat?

"Huh?"

Darya's baffled tone alarmed her father who already had the word 'no' for this proposal or any other of that sort on the tip of his tongue but one glare from his wife had him sitting back on his seat.

Who says that only men control the reigns of the family?

"The Radwan family has sent a proposal for you. Unke bade bete Zamurad ke liye. Though when they sent it, he was still in his army camp. Aashna ka phone aaya tha kuch der pehle telling that he has made a surprise visit today and would stay for a month or more. She thinks this might be the best time for the two of you to get to know each other and make a decision based on your meetings."

Dua's words were gentle and firm, like a mother giving instructions to her child on the first day of school. Mixed with a little bit of anxiousness and worry. Darya blinked a few times, not knowing how to react or what to say.

"Darya, beta there is no hurry. Meet the guy, get to know him, understand whether he'd be a good life partner for you or not and then make a decision. You know that we won't push you into something you aren't comfortable with, right?"

Dua said again, clearly sensing the storm of emotions in Darya's eyes. The latter nodded her head with utmost reluctance and without asking for a leave, she got up and walked back to her room.

Her steps seemed heavy on the marble floor as she twisted her door knob and much to her relief, the room was empty. The rowdy siblings had left not long ago and Darya closed the door behind her, locking it for a while.

Walking up to her bed, she laid down on her back. Her body worked in a robotic mechanism as her mind remained silent for a little while longer.

Her camera lay beside her and she didn't know when her fingers gripped her life, her camera and before she knew it, she was scrolling through the numerous pictures for what felt like the umpteenth time.

Her eyes looked for a sense of peace in the numerous breathtaking sceneries that were captured in a place where time remained still- unmoving and unchanging.

Her fingers paused their movements when she came across a certain picture that always accelerated her heartbeat. The sight of the army man but this time, she didn't ponder upon what had happened there or what happened to the fawn.

All she focused on was the man and his mocha eyes that were filled with concern, warmth and assurance. Though the feelings were not directed her way, Darya still felt the storm of thoughts in her mind coming to a halt as she sat in her place, staring at the picture, obtaining her peace via a person she didn't even know.

**********

Ahm , looks like the phrase 'stranger, danger' does not work here...

Ahah, proposal huh? Well, Zamurad is yet to know about the karname of his parents but a certain birdy tells me that he wouldn't mind it one bit after *clears my throat*.... well, make a wild guess!

***********