Chapter : 43 - Tumhe dekh ke sukoon milta hai.

As we opened the door, Sahara was holding a vase as if ready to throw it, and Samir was standing in front of her.

"Sahara, what are you doing?" I whispered, yelling at them.

"Ya Allah, put the vase down, Sahara," Uns said from behind.

"Bhai, just save me," Samir said with pure fear, coming towards me.

" You better take him, bhai, before I do something I will regret later on," Sahara said with utter frustration.

"Be careful while going, Aziz," Uns reassured me as we were leaving.

I nodded and took Samir out through the back door.

As soon as we got near the car, he burst out at me.

"If things work for you, it doesn't mean they will work for others too, Aziz!" he said, anger clearly visible on his face.

"I didn't invite you to come, Samir. You came on your own will," I said calmly.

"Great then, I will never come with you again," he said while walking away.

"We came in a car," I reminded him.

"I don't want to go with you," he said, still walking.

"Don't you think it's getting late to pray Fajr?" I tried to stop him.

"Fine," he said, raising his hand in frustration and coming back.

"But don't talk to me," he said while opening the back door of the car.

"I won't talk, but why are you sitting in the back?" I asked.

"I don't want to sit with you," he said and sat down.

"Suits you," I said while getting in and starting to drive towards the mosque.

What happened between them and why is he mad at me? I wondered.

********

We had just finished praying and were putting on our shoes when we heard a familiar voice.

"Aziz bhai?"

"Tamir?"

I turned my head to the side and saw Tamir standing next to me, putting on his shoes.

"Assalamualaikum bhai," Tamir greeted me and hugged me.

Then he greeted Samir.

"Walaikum assalam," we both replied.

"Why are you so late?" I asked him being disappointed for not attending the engagement ceremony, while walking with him and Samir.

"My flight was delayed, bhai. I came back at 3 o'clock, and while I was going home, I heard the azan, so I stopped to pray," he explained.

"Where's your luggage?" Samir asked.

"It's in the taxi," Tamir replied.

"Get your luggage, I bought the car. We'll go in that," I said.

"Okay," Tamir said and went to the taxi.

He brought three suitcases with him from Paris.

"Are you planning to stay for a few days or for the whole year?" Samir teased.

"Yes, I'm here for bhai's wedding and also for vacations," Tamir said with a smile. I was driving the car, Tamir was sitting next to me and talking, and Samir was sleeping in the back.

We reached home. I woke Samir up, took one of Tamir's suitcases, and went inside with him.

********

"Bako Nader," came Uns's reply when she answered the call.

"Ahh, I missed this," I said, laughing a bit.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, just you starting the conversation with 'Bako,' I missed that," I said, still smiling a bit.

"Why did you call?" Her voice wasn't cold nor soft, it was off.

But why is she off? Just yesterday we had a beautiful conversation.

"Are you free today?" I asked, shaking off my thoughts.

"Yes, why?" she replied.

"Can we meet at 9 PM?" I asked hopefully.

"Where?" she replied, giving me the hope.

"I will send you the address," I said, smiling.

"Okay," Came her cold voice.

"Allah Hafiz," she said plainly.

"Khuda Hafiz," I said without asking any questions.

The call ended, but my eyes were still on the screen.

What happened to Uns? I wondered as I walked towards the dining table.

Ammi had placed tea there. I thanked her and was drinking tea when Phuppu started the conversation.

"Are you only having tea? Have a heavier breakfast, Aziz," she said, offering fruits.

"Thank you, Phuppu, but I don't eat breakfast," I politely refused and lightly smiled.

"Kids these days, I don't know why they skip breakfast," Phuppu said.

Everyone were busy talking when I grabbed my office bag from the table and headed towards my office.

**********

It was around 6 PM, and I was sitting in my cabin checking papers when Abbu knocked on the door.

"Abbu, you here?" I asked as I walked towards him.

"Are you free now? I need to talk to you," Abbu said seriously, his expression showing concern.

"Yes, of course, we can talk," I said, sitting with him on the couch.

"Should I order some tea?" I asked.

"Yes," Abbu said.

"Okay," I said, smiling, and ordered two cups of tea.

"Is everything alright?" I began the conversation.

"Yes, everything is fine," Abbu said softly.

"Okay, so what do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Hassan called in the morning, to discuss about dowry and asked me what do you need," Abbu said very patiently.

"And what did you answer?" I asked him in the same manner.

"Aziz ko puchke ke bataa ta hoon, Maine Hassan seh kaha," Dad completed the conversation.

(I'll tell him after asking you)

"Do you think I'm so useless that I can't handle Uns on my own, Abbu?" I asked him, my voice was soft but my heart was broken that my Abbu didn't know me.

"It's not like that, Aziz. This is tradition," Abbu said, taking my hands in his.

"Riwaaj? Yeh kis riwaaj ki baat kar rahe hai aap, Abbu. Maine toh Quraan mein aise koi riwaaj ka zikr hote nahi pada?" I asked him.

(Tradition? What tradition are you talking about, Abbu? I've never read about such a tradition in the Quran)

"Hassan will be happy if you take something," Abbu tried to explain.

"If he want to bless me with happiness, then let him give me his blessings. But, I cannot take anything from him," I said.

"Maine Mohabbat ki hai, Abbu, sauda nahi.

Should I displease my Allah to please the world?" I asked, holding back my tears.

"The world doesn't understands this, Aziz," Abbu said.

"I'm not getting married for the sake of the world, Abbu," I said, looking down.

"So you don't want dowry?" Dad asked, smiling.

"I just need one of my Allah's servant, I only need Uns Reza, Abbu, and nothing else," I replied, also smiling.

"Sir, tea," my secretary said as he entered.

"Yes, please keep it here," I thanked him.

"Abbu, tea," I said, handing him a cup.

Without saying anything, Abbu just smiled and took the tea cup. We both finished our tea with pure silence.

I arrived at the address Aziz had sent me with Iqbal, and I looked at the cafe in front of me. A cafe which used to be mine once.

That day, I didn't pay much attention to the cafe, but today, seeing it again, I was amazed. Everything was kept the same as it was seven years ago - the counter, books, couches, flowers, everything was exactly as it used to be.

"Uns?" I heard Aziz's voice.

I turned around to see him approaching me with a bright smile, holding a rose in one hand and his coat in the other.

His eyes looked tired, yet there was a different sparkle in them.

Yeh kaisa sukoon hai mere allah, joh mujhe sirf uski aankhen dekh ke milti hai.

(What kind of peace is this, my Allah, I find it just by seeing his eyes).

In the morning, when I heard Abbu discussing dowry, I don't know what happened to me. I felt that he believed in dowry, but when Ammi said that Aziz had refused it, my respect for him increased even more at that moment.

"Shall we sit?" He stood in front of me and asked.

"Yes," I said.

"Ms. Reza is in a good mood? How?" he teased.

And I just smiled in response.

"Should we order coffee?" I asked.

"Yes, absolutely," he replied with a smile.

It was 10 o'clock, and we were sitting across from each other.

Maybe he come straight from the office because he was still in his suit.

"Mujhe yahan bulaane ki kya zarurat tih, Aziz, aur tumhe yahan aane ki kya zarurat tih, thake hue lagh rahe ho, ghar jaakar so jaate toh thoda sukoon mil jaata tumhe," I said, noticing his tired eyes.

(Why did you need to call me here, and why did you come here? You look tired. You should have gone home and slept. You would have gotten some peace)

Woh halka sa muskuraya tah.

(He smiled slightly).

"Sukoon paane ke liye hein toh aaya hoon," Usne mujhe dekhte hue kaha.

(I came here to find peace," he said, looking at me).

"Aur, woh kaise?" I asked.

By then, the coffee too arrived.

(And how's that?)

"Tumhe, dekh ke sukoon milta hai, mujhe," he said.

(I find peace when I see you)

"Coffee," I said, handing him his cup.

Sukoon? Aur mai is shaqshs seh yeh kaise kahu ki mujhe uske hone seh sukoon milta hai.

Jab woh mere saath hota hai, tab sukoon milta hai.

Uski awaaz seh sukoon milta hai.

Uske baaton seh sukoon milta hai.

Iski aankhon seh sukoon milta hai.

Mujhe usse sukoon milta hai.

(Peace?" And how do I tell this person that I find peace in his presence, that I feel at ease when he's with me, that his voice brings me peace, his words bring me peace, his eyes bring me peace. I find peace in him).

"Thank you," I said after a while.

"Why?" Aziz asked as we sipped our coffee.

"Just like that," I replied.

He didn't say anything in response, and we drank our coffee in silence.

"Sorry," I said after finishing my coffee.

"I accept it," he said with a smile.

"Why didn't you ask "Why" this time?" I asked firmly.

"And do you think I did something wrong?" I asked before he could say anything.

He hesitated before saying anything.

"No, you didn't do anything," he said nervously.

"So why did you accept the sorry?" I asked, looking at him.

"Um, no, I mean, I was going to say sorry," he stuttered.

"Okay, I accept it," I said with a smile.

He smiled, But he seemed to lost in deep thoughts.

"And you bought this rose just to hold in your hand?" I asked.

Jab seh janab aye hai tab seh unhone yeh ek gulab haath mein pakda hua hai, yaah toh mujhe de dete yaah phir laate hein naha.

(Since the moment he arrived, he's been holding this one rose. Either he would give it to me or don't bring it at all).

"Oh, sorry, Uns, tumhe dekh ke sab bhul jaata hoon," he said, shyly, and handed the rose to me.

"Done?" I asked.

"Um, yes," He said while rufling his hair.

"Thank you," I said, taking the rose.

He was looking at me, without even blinking, and here my cheeks started turning red.

"You finished your coffee," I asked, trying to get myself out from his stares.

"Yes," he said, placing his cup down.

"Shall we go?" Aziz asked.

"Yes," I said.

********

For Hindi / Urdu Readers.

For English Readers.

*****

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