Hassas- Pt 8

*****

Out of all the things Mayza could have imagined happening to her, this certainly was nowhere in sight.

Choking on the morsel she had just taken a bite of, she felt her mother running a hand across her back, looking guilty for dropping the bomb without a care. Wiping her lips and then gulping down the chilled water that did nothing to calm her heart down, Mayza's wide eyes stared at her mother in disbelief.

"You're not serious."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

Ibtizam stared at her daughter with a straight face.

"But- how-"

Mayza shook her head, not ready to believe her words even though her mother looked dead serious.

Smacking her cheeks with a not-so gentle force, she pulled them and felt the pain but the dream wasn't coming to an end.

"Mayza, stop doing that."

Ibtizam frowned and was quick to pull her hands away. The stunned expression Mayza wore was amusing and her mother sighed gently before taking a seat beside her.

For Mayza, the day had begun with her mother knocking on her door and entering the room with plates of food, saying that she wanted to spent some time alone with her but never had she imagined that this would be the motive.

"Mama, do you realize what you just said?"

"Stop being so dramatic, Allah! Is it so unbelievable?"

Mayza raised an eyebrow at the question, showing clearly how unbelievable it was. Massaging her temple for a bit, Mayza took in a deep breath before facing her mother completely.

"Mama, I met him just yesterday! In Rome, not baju wali market mein. How can you expect me to believe that he sent a rishta for me? That too, when we haven't even known each other for so long. Aur woh sab chodo, how did abbu even give it a thought? Has he forgotten who Humaid is? Don't get me wrong, lekin how..."

She slumped in defeat, not finding appropriate words to describe the turmoil she felt. The feelings of having a crush on him had taken a backseat and the shock had yet not settled in.

How did he even figure this out?

In the first place, how rude of him!

They had seen each other the previous day, yet all he had to say were riddles in place of goodbye.

And then, the man had the audacity to do something so unexpected.

"Mayza, I know what you're trying to say. Hum sabko yaad hai woh din, lekin don't you remember who he had spoken for? He had gone as far as giving a statement to the police due to which the queries were finally complete. Humaid has suffered as much as Faeezah but in a different way."

Mayza frowned upon hearing the last statement. Her eyes questioned her mother silently and Ibtizam felt no need to hide the truth when Humaid had been crystal clear with his life conditions when talking about the proposal to her and Amir.

"His parents, they, ahm, they have in a way refused to acknowledge him as a son. The proposal was sent by Humaid- not his family- and he had made sure to explain the relation he shared with them as of now."

And just like that, Mayza's heart ached for a reason more.

*****

Humaid had boarded a flight to his hometown an hour before Mayza. He had things to take care of and people to talk to at such short notice.

For him, his life had been cut short to the path of sorrow and call him selfish, but he had no desire of letting the small ray of happiness slip past his fate into someone else's.

Standing now in front of the mansion he had once called home, Humaid could feel the uncertainty spiking. His palms shed sweat at how nervous he was especially since he hadn't contacted any of them since the past year or so.

"It'll be alright."

He tried to assure himself even though he knew it was a lie. He wished to mend the broken bridges but the people on the other side remained cold and unreachable. He had humbled himself and had apologised- only for disrespecting them with his words and not for his actions- and that seemed to have added fuel to the fire.

"Humaid lala, aap?"

The old guard questioned with a surprised look. Humaid smiled at him and moved forward to share a hug since he had shared pleasant memories with the man as a child and in his early twenties. His father was often cold and busy with his work and when feeling lonely, he used to sneak towards where Mohsin Sheikh would stand to do his job and rant about his day and his worries.

"Aise kaise chod ke chale gaye the?"

Mohsin was emotional. His old eyes had shed enough tears and they were shedding them now too on seeing the sadness that lurked behind the brown eyes of the man he had considered as a son.

"Maaf karde chacha, zaroori tha jana."

"Jaante hai bache, par dil ko kaun samjhaye?"

Mohisn shook his head, as though reprimanding himself to stop crying. Patting Humaid's head with a fatherly love, he wiped his eyes and shared a smile with him.

"Allah tumhe aur kamyabi, khushi aur sehat de. Duniya ke ghamo se pareshan na ho jana, Humaid."

Humaid understood every word clearly. He knew what Mohsin was trying to say and just like that, he prepared himself for another rejection from his family even before talking to them.

"Jao andar lekin yaad rahe, tumhe dekh kar sab khush nahi honge."

"Jaanta hu chacha."

Humaid smiled sorrowfully and made his way inside the mansion with heavy steps. His mind yelled at him to turn back, to not do this, to save himself a series of heartaches but his heart wanted to give them a last chance- a chance he had been giving for months now.

If Humaid could describe how he felt the house was, the only word he'd manage to gather would be cold.

There was no sign of life or love. Everything felt dried and on the verge of collapsing- not the bricks, but the relations.

"Assalamu alaikum."

His greeting seemed to have taken the people sitting in the living room off guard and he couldn't even blame them. His eyes found his mother's and the older woman looked as if she had aged so much more than the last time he had seen her. Her eyes were clouded with tears as she took in his form and with a sob, she made a move to come to him but was stopped by a stern call of her name from his father.

"Parveen."

The said woman stopped before she could reach her son and looked at her husband, as though unable to believe that he'd stop her from meeting her own son.

"A-aap-"

Her soft plea was ignored as Jamal turned to face his son with a stone expression. There was no sign of warmth in his eyes as he stared at Humaid, still not having returned the salam.

"Kyu aaye ho yaha?"

"Baba-"

"I've no time to waste. Get to the point."

His words were no less than a slap for Humaid who subtly cleared his throat to stop the tears that had formed in his eyes from falling. Ignoring the pain in his heart, he offered him a smile and spoke about what he had come for.

"I've decided to get married."

Parveen's sadness was reduced by a little hearing his words. She had thought that she wouldn't be able to see the marriage for her only son and hearing him say the words made her want to cry out of happiness. She looked at her husband, waiting for his acceptance but Jamal Mirza did not desire to connect the broken threads.

"Toh? Paise chahiye?"

Humaid smiled at his father's jab and shook his head.

"Aapko phir se shamil karna chahtu hu apni zindagi mein, baba. Kab tak aise ruthe rahenge?"

"You chose your side that day, Humaid. You betrayed your blood and there's no forgiveness for that."

"What the blood supported was wrong!"

"They were false-"

Humaid took in a shaky breath, not really having enough energy to deal with something that his father wasn't ready to let go or see the perspective from an angle apart from the blood side.

"Jamal-"

Parveen tried to intervene but was stopped by a glare from her husband.

"Nikkah karna hai toh karo, talaq karna hai toh karo lekin is ghar mein dobara aane ki zaroorat nahi hai."

"Aap kyu-"

"Tumhe bhi jaana hai iske saath toh jao! Aur manhusiyat waise bhi nahi chahiye mujhe apne ghar mein!"

Jamal yelled at his wife who flinched at the frequency of it. The tears that had been of happiness on seeing her son changed into that of pain when she saw the look in Jamal's eyes, as though he did not care about what he had said, as though he did not care about her.

"I think that's enough."

Humaid stepped between the two, shielding his mother from his father. Jamal gave a nasty look to his son before storming out of the house, leaving the two alone.

Parveen broke into sobs as soon as he left. It has been more than 30 years since their marriage but clearly, she still held no importance in his life.

"Ammi, chale mere saath."

Humaid pleaded to his mother, not wanting to leave her alone in this house that was no less than filled with hate and malice. Parveen wiped her tears, thinking to herself for sometime.

What did she have to lose?

Her dignity had been locked away the moment she married a man like him and now, she had no heart to carry on.

"Bag pack kar lu?"

Humaid swallowed down his tears, chuckling at how innocent she sounded. Giving her a nod, he kissed the top of her head, basking in the embrace of his mother whom he had missed the most.

Things were finally set to change.

And happiness was bound to be theirs to reach.

*****

Mayza looked outside the window, still unable to process everything she had heard and talked about. Shortly after her mother had spoken to her, her phone had rung and to her surprise and shock, it was Humaid.

She had been mute for a good while and when she did speak, it came out no less than an embarrassing stutter.

"I take it, you know?"

"Y-you- how can you do this?"

She had questioned with a bewildered expression even though he couldn't see her.

Mayza heard a chuckle from the other end and frowned at how casual he sounded.

"It was simple. I just had to talk to your father and the many other people who followed after him but that's alright. I believe you're informed about my family relations, aren't you?"

The last question came off a little hesitant and Mayza did not like the insecurity she heard in his tone.

"Humaid, that's- that's not what I'm worried about. Y-you do know I-I was married before, don't you?"

"So? Is that supposed to make you untouchable?"

"Humaid, it's not a joke. I'm not- I-"

Mayza didn't know how to continue.

She was reluctant.

She was insecure.

She was afraid.

"I know it all sounds so rushed, trust me I know. Take as much time as you need to think this through. I might not be the best man the world has seen but I'm pretty decent if you ask me."

He joked and the two shared another set of chuckles while Mayza leaned her head on the wall, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm not so sure about how much I can give you but I can always try my best. I'll make sure that we end our day with smiles. I'll try my best to never let you feel less or uncared for. I'll always try to make you happy, all the while sharing my life with you and not just coexisting. I know we've not known each other for long, lekin dil nahi maan raha hai aapko chod ne ke liye. Ek mawka de de, Mayza, banda aapko naraaz nahi karega."

Mayza placed a hand over her lips to stop the sob that broke through. Tears streamed down her cheeks and a giddy smile made her aware that she wasn't crying because she was sad.

She was crying because she couldn't believe her luck.

"Keh raha hu ki take your time, lekin itna bhi nahi ki dil ko sukoon na aaye. I'll wait for your decision, Mayza. It's all yours to take- as am I."

By how low the last bit was, Mayza picked onto the fact that it wasn't meant for her to listen. The call was disconnected but the ties weren't. She could feel the warmth that had come to rest on her cheeks, the solace that had suddenly touched her heart and maybe, a few days of waiting wouldn't hurt.

They say the fruit of patience is sweet.

*****

If Humaid knew that she was going to take more than 3 weeks to give a reply, he would've never told her to take her sweet time but khair, it was all worth it as of now, seeing that his mother was fussing over his sherwani that lay carelessly on his bed.

"Ammi.."

Humaid shook his head in amusement and was met with a stink eye from his mother. Parveen quickly ushered him to change into the silver coloured sherwani with light zardari work on it.

The baraat- which was nothing but Humaid, his mother and a few of his old friends and Mohsin chacha- were set to reach the Bukhari mansion in an hour and her son was still not ready!

"Jao ab, jaldi change kar ke aao. Pata nahi kaun apne hi nikkah ke liye late hota hai."

Parveen shook her head in disappointment and Humaid couldn't stop the grin that surfaced on his lips. Placing a quick kiss of gratitude on her forehead, he quickly changed into the given attire, looking as gorgeous as the moon in winter.

Meanwhile, the Bukhari mansion was no less than chaos- not so surprisingly.

Amir Bukhari was seconds away from losing his patience seeing that he had clearly given instructions that it was an intimate nikkah and not many people should be invited but alas, when the joint family was so big, a 1 or 2 from everyone could gather more than a hundred.

"Mama, do I look good?"

Mayza hesitantly asked her mother.

Standing in front of the mirror, dressed in a silver sharara that made her glimmer even in the dark, Mayza could've been synonymous to the snow after the dusk had fallen past.

Her hair was styled in a low updo, nothing too fancy since she wanted to keep it simple and real. Her make up was minimal too, courtesy of her eldest cousin, Faeezah, who helped her through it all.

"Good? Masha'Allah, dolce & gabbana ka fashion shoot kaha ho raha hai?"

Ibtizam joked with love, kissing the crown of her head that was covered with dupatta. Mayza smiled widely at the compliment, unable to hide the blush that surfaced on her cheeks.

Ibtizam apologetically excused herself to check the arrangements downstairs, leaving her and Faeezah alone. Mayza peeked at her elder cousin, slightly anxious to ask something.

Faeezah, sensing the gaze, turned her attention to her and raised an eyebrow, asking her to go on.

"Appi, you-you aren't upset, hai na?"

The elder sister frowned at the question, not really knowing why it was being asked. Coming to stand in front of her, she fixed the mang tika and kissed her forehead softly.

"Main kyu naraz hongi? Did you sneak another one of my books?"

"Haan woh toh ki hai but-"

"WHAT?"

"Appi, jaane de na. You can buy another copy."

Faeezah shook her head with a defeated sigh. She never knew being an author would mean that her free copies would be swept without her knowledge every now and then.

"Khair, that's not what I meant. Main Humaid se nikkah kar rahi hu and you and him-"

"-Were just acquaintances. I might not be fond of the Mirza family, but he's an exception, Mayza. He's a nice man and I can feel that he'd keep you happy. He'd appreciate you as much as you should appreciate him. Don't let your past insecurities blind you. If you feel something is wrong, say it. If you want to compliment him, do it but don't keep it all in. You're supposed to be equals in this relationship. Just because it failed once, does not mean it will again. Give him a chance to prove himself, and while doing so, take in account both your and his feelings. Hmm?"

Faeezah gently patted her head, assuring her once again.

Mayza let the words sink in. Taking it all slowly and efficiently.

"You're the best appi."

"I know."

Faeezah winked at the end and Mayza laughed at the cheekiness in her tone.

It wasn't that tough after all.

Shortly after that, the nikkah took place.

Mayza held a breath as she signed the papers. Many disastrous thoughts had crossed her mind before that day but now, when doing so, she felt at peace. She knew it was the right thing to do.

She knew he was right for her.

The parda was dropped and Mayza anxiously played with her fingers. All of a sudden, shyness felt to be weaved with her being like an intimate connection and she couldn't bring herself to look at him even though his gaze burned through her soul.

The goosebumps that rose on her skin even though she was fully covered were a sign of how intense his eyes were- how intense their relationship was.

Mayza took in a shaky breath when she felt her father's hand on her head. Looking at him, she saw the smallest signs of tears and doubts as he kissed the crown of her head, murmuring words that were inaudible to her.

"I still don't like him."

She heard her Masar bhai whisper to himself. His scrutiny filled gaze should've made Humaid uncomfortable, but the latter laughed it off, knowing well the justification behind the look.

"Bhai, control!"

"Wah ji wah! Ek ghanta bhi nahi hua nikah ko aur dekho toh, miss is already being the saving grace of her husband."

Ahzan teased with a fond smile on his face and Mayza, ignoring the blush on her cheeks, glared at him.

"You're a nuisance."

"You're a guest now..."

Ahzan sing-songed with a victorious look on his face and Amir glared at his nephew, which surprisingly made him sober up with a sheepish smile on his face.

"I meant, guest hai but not that kind of guest. She can always come and go as she pleases."

Ahzan nodded his head towards the end, as though he had said words of wisdom and Mayza couldn't even bring herself to glare at him anymore.

The realisation that she'd be leaving this house in a few hours took some time to settle. She had been sent away before but this- this was different.

She wasn't high on any expectations. She wasn't bold enough to look at him. What had changed? Was it her or was it the haya of a beautiful nikkah?

"I knew something was fishy between the two of you."

Mayza yelped when she heard Qizrah whisper the words next to her ear with a teasing smile on her face. The carmine red forbade itself from leaving her skin as Mayza shied away from the suggestive look in Qizrah's eyes.

The accusation wasn't entirely true nor was it entirely false.

It was a little this and a little that.

"Masha'Allah!"

Parveen swooned over Mayza like a mother hen. The older woman was polite but the excitement was contagious and soon, Mayza found herself reciprocating the grin that Parveen wore on her face.

Not long after that, did they all settle down to have the food. Mayza was yet to make eye contact with Humaid who was turning restless by every passing second.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He whispered cautiously next to Mayza's ear when no one was looking at them. The latter stifled a smile at how adorable he looked with that frown on his face but did not give him a reply, sending Humaid into another set of frenzy.

Grumbling under his breath, Humaid half heartedly ate the food he was served by his mother-in-law, Ibtizam. The Bukhari family had surprisingly warmed up to him pretty quickly and he could only put it all on that one phone call he made.

Maybe the distance was needed for the hearts to grow fonder.

Rukhsati was a mess- literally.

Ahzan, who had called Mayza a guest, was openly glaring at Humaid, as though warning him to keep his hands to himself when Amir handed Mayza's hand to him.

"If he tries to act smart, you know who to call."

Ahzan said to Mayza with a determined look and she laughed through her tears at how serious he was regarding his words. Masar was no better. His eyes could've buried Humaid 6 feet deep if not for Faeezah who gently coaxed him into leaving the man in peace.

Mayza took hold of her 2-year old niece who was busy babbling away. The little human was confused why everyone was crying but what she did know was that she liked the shimmering jhumka of her khala.

"Mela!"

Maeen giggled while trying to pull the jewellery to herself, not really knowing that she was hurting her one and only khala in the process.

Mayza felt a warm hand brushing past her cheek and gently removing Maeen's hold on her jhumka. Making the mistake of looking up, she found Humaid's eyes trained on her and Maeen. They were shimmering with joy if it could be called that. The brown irises were the shade of warm chocolate in winter and Mayza felt herself melting when he gave a cute smile to Maeen who glared at him in return.

How dare he pull away her toy?

Humaid, not wanting to make an enemy off a 2-year old child, pulled out a chocolate from his pocket. It did the deed as Maeen quickly latched onto it and gave him a toothy grin that warmed his heart.

Saying goodbye was hard.

Mayza controlled her sniffles as she waved at her family. Her nose had turned red at how many times she had small break downs throughout the whole day and her eyes were already red with the amount of rubbing she did.

Humaid glanced at her every now and then, concerned as well as conflicted. He did not like the tears. They were a complete opposite to the smiles and laughs and giggles he had fallen in love-

He would've hit the nearest car if not for his senses kicking in as soon as possible.

Mayza wiped her cheeks, mentally asking herself to calm down and not make fun of herself in front of him but little did she know, he'd think about her anything but that.

The two were silent throughout the 40 minutes ride.

Humaid had bought a cosy villa, small enough to not be called a mansion and spacious enough for three people. It was more in an inner part of the city, along a side where not many roads could be found. It was a family area with villas lined in a row with a backyard garden and the main road a few miles away.

Humaid helped her down the car once they reached the place. Mayza placed her hand in his, feeling all kinds of different emotions and things. She didn't dare look at him, knowing well the state of her face and that of course, didn't settle well with him.

Humaid placed a finger below her chin, raising her head to meet her eyes that were rimmed with red. Wiping her cheeks gently, he offered her a small smile.

"Nazre churana acha nahi hota, begum."

And just when she had gaslighted herself into thinking that she wouldn't blush, Mayza felt the hues of dusk coming to rest atop her cheeks. Her lips set themselves in a shy smile without her knowledge and Humaid knew it was useless to fool his heart.

Parveen was quick to take the two inside, scolding them for standing in the cold for too long. Helping Mayza get comfortable in Humaid's room- now hers too- she gave a gentle caress to her head before walking away.

Knowing well what was to come, Mayza tried to calm the rate of her heartbeat. She had been touched intimately once and it was not a pleasant experience. The thought frightened her and maybe, when Humaid entered the room, he had seen it well.

"Mayza, you know you have a say, don't you?"

He was understanding and gentle with his words. The smile on his face made Mayza scold herself for being such a fool into thinking the wrong way. He wasn't him. He was Humaid.

Her husband.

Her saving grace-

Just as she was his.

"Come on, you must be uncomfortable."

He ushered her towards the washroom but before that, helped her in taking off the jewelleries. Even though they weren't many, Mayza enjoyed the feeling of being pampered when he removed her veil and gave a gentle massage to her head when she said that it was aching.

Changing into a simple blush pink cotton suit that caressed her skin into calming down, Mayza peeked outside the washroom, only to find her husband arranging the bed.

With a silly smile on her face, she tiptoed to him but unknown to her, he had felt her presence. Humaid bit back a smile at her adorable antics and waited for her to do something.

Mayza tapped his shoulders and Humaid turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow while she looked sheepish.

"I- ahm..."

Mayza's playtime dissolved into another wave of shyness when she saw the emotions in his eyes. Humaid was someone she had imagined to spend a life with- not physically but personality wise- and to think that wishes do come true, that fairytales did exist, was something that weighed heavy on Mayza's heart.

"Zyada dukh raha hai?"

Humaid asked softly when she said nothing else. He placed his fingers on her temple, applying slight pressure and Mayza closed her eyes at how soothing his touch on her skin felt.

It was warm.

It was caressing.

It was right.

It was the touch she had always craved; it was him whom her soul desired.

Humaid stiffened when he felt her touch his chest. Mayza looked at him with an emotion he couldn't decipher and she closed the distance between the two, Humaid opened his mouth to speak only to be shushed by her next words.

"I'll forever be grateful to you, Humaid. Aap- aap soch bhi nahi sakte the place you hold in my life. I know we've just met and I don't know what to call the feeling I have when you're around but what I do know is that I've become used to you. Please don't ever leave me."

A tear fell down her eyes and Humaid felt his heart taking a leap. Wiping it gently, he leaned in to kiss the corner of her eyes and then her cheeks, holding her waist with a gentle yet firm touch.

"You'll never get rid of me, begum. I've come to crave your presence, your smiles, your cuteness. If at all, you'll be the one demanding space since I don't plan on leaving you alone."

Mayza giggled at his silly presumption. Her eyes locked with his and she didn't know who moved first- was it her or was it him? Or was it the two of them with an equal longing?

Mayza closed her eyes when she felt his lips on hers. They were soft, they were sweet. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist completely, gently pulling her more to himself and Mayza smiled through the kiss, placing her hand on his shoulder and letting him take the reins.

Humaid kissed her in a way that if his emotions were physical, they would've. The kiss was tender but equally passionate. It was promising and consuming. It was filled with longing as well as a promise. It was a touch of claim. It was a reminder that they belonged to each other without any hesitations.

Mayza felt herself being moved and soon, her back touched the soft surface of the bed. Her lips were released from the sweet prison and the feathery touch trailed down her jaw to the hollow of her neck. The dupatta was discarded when or how, they didn't care.

The touches shared weren't hurried. They touched in a way one would touch something precious, something of an importance beyond words.

"I may not be your first but I'll be your last and one and only."

Humaid whispered the words staring into her eyes with a knowing look. Mayza knew words would not be needed as long as she was with him.

What happened next was a feeling no less than euphoria. It was a feeling that made Mayza feel loved, made her feel wanted, made her feel like she was the only person that mattered.

His touches were like the touch of wind but with the hint of possessiveness. They were careful as though not wanting to taint any part of her. Mayza felt tears of bliss touching her cheeks that were softly kissed away by Humaid, who made sure to convey how important she was to him.

The game of lost and found had come to an end.

The two had finally found themselves in each other.

**********

5000 words😶

And I'm in dire need of spare hands...

But alas, the pain was balanced by how cute they sound together! Aish, Humaid miya, that was just too much love for my weak heart....

Let me go and adjust to the fact that only the epilogue is left while you guys gush and cry over them....

*********