Yaar-e-Bereham

Chapter Twenty-Four

یہ جو سر سبز درخت ہیں
عشق کے یہ ہیں مقامات سبھی
یہ چوم لو، چوم لو، سبھی کا سبھی

Yeh jo sar sabz darakhat hain
Ishq ke yeh hain mukamat sabhi
Yeh chum lo, chum lo, sabhi ka sabhi
~Ahmad Faraz

"Aslam o alaikum Mama, Eid Mubarak." I said, picking up my phone from the night stand after Zain had left me to go look over the qurbani.

"Khair Mubarak, meri jaan, kaisa hai mera bacha?" She asked and I nodded even though she couldn't see me, then spoke.

"Ammi mein bilkul theek hoon, ap bataye sab kaha hain or kaisay hain?"

"Sab theek hain, lo apnay Baba se baat kero." She handed the phone over to Baba and his cheerful loud voice filled my ear as he started talking, wishing me Eid. I laughed at his eagerness as he engaged me in a conversation, telling me about the goats that were here for qurbani.

The phone was next passed on to my sisters and later back to my mother as she probably had snatched it from one of sister's because she wouldn't stop talking about this new boy she met in school.

"Acha Marium, Zain kaha hain?" Mama asked about him.

"Mama wo neechay qurbani ka dekhnay gaye hain," I informed her.

"Waha sab kaisay hain tumharay sah? Zain tumhay khush toh rakh raha hai nah?" Mama's worry filled voice reached me and I ducked my head, looking down at the bangles, a soft smile taking over face.

My head raised at the sound of door opening and Zain came in, our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat as I stood up from the bed, the phone still attached to my ear.

"Ji, Mama bohat," I said, my eyes boring into his and his eyebrows together in confusion at what I was implying before he walked towards me. "Mama yeh Zain se baat kerlein." I handed the phone over to him.

"Aslam o alaikum, Ammi, Eid Mubarak," He said over the phone and I smiled, ducking head down as he talked with Mama with love and respect. Soon the phone call ended and Zain handed me my phone back before we both walked out of the room in silence.

Eid had went by smoothly. After qubani, Armeena Api and Murad bhai with little Saif dressed in shalwar kameez had joined us for the lunch and the day was spent in good mood. Armeena Api now had a radiant glow on her face and I knew Murad bhai was good for her.

After lunch, the family gathered around in the lawn to take family pictures. Once that was done, now it was time for individual couple shoots. Ahmad held the camera as he clicked pictures of Ammi Abu as they looked into each others eyes. Abu cracked a joke to which Ammi shyly smiled at him before slapping him on his chest.

"Acha bus ab." Ammi shook her head, laughing lightly she pulled away from Abu and they walked hand in hand to the lawn sofa before sitting down. Even then, Abu hadn't stopped making Ammi laugh and I smiled at their love, before looking at Zain who was talking on the phone and I wondered would that be us too someday?

After Ammi Abu Armeena Api and Murad Bhai had taken the spot and Ahmad clicked away their pictures. Murad Bhai held a giggling Saif in his arm while the other one was wrapped around Armeena Api's shoulder as they both smiled towards the camera.

"Mimi idhar ao." Ahmad called me over, before turning towards Murad bhai, "Bhai meri or Mimi ki pictures lein please." He asked Murad Bhai before he started to walk towards me but stopped mid-way when he saw Zain coming to stand besides me.

"Ahmi meri or Mariam ki nahi leni thi." Zain said, as he wrapped an arm around my waist and I looked at him in surprise.

"Haan kiyun nahi?" Ahmad smiled warmly at him before taking the camera back from Murad Bhai.