Hiraeth

Chapter 34

Rayaan's POV

I was waiting for dadi jaan and uncle Asfand's answer. I really wanted them to agree but I will not ask them again if they will reject once as they are my elders and they know what is best for me.
"Why do you want to pick her up?" Zayn asked before anyone else can say something. He was looking angry but tried to keep his anger at bay.
"I just want to make her a little comfortable with me. That all! She behaves okay with all of you guys but she down right ignores me! She is uncomfortable with me so I just wanted to pick her up and maybe then have a small conversation. It will help us in at least getting comfortable in each others company! And aside from hana, I really want to do this for myself! I just want to spend some time with her, but of course, only with all of your permission!" I answered truthfully. I was not ashamed or embarrassed in saying all this as I want to do everything that will make her comfortable with me and that too, within the Islam's boundaries. I know my limits and I know where I have to stop.
"Huh!" Zayn just humphed in annoyance as he knows my blunt nature. He knows me too well and he also knows that I will say what is on my mind without any hesitation.
Everyone was just looking at us and then uncle Asfand smiled softly.
"Okay! But only if Ammi jaan allows it and you take Zayn or Zamid with you! As it will be inappropriate for her to be alone with you and that too at this time of the night!" Uncle Asfand said politely but with a firmness in his voice.
I nodded at that and looked at dadi jaan. She also just smiled and nodded in yes.
"I'm going!" Zayn quickly said in annoyance.
"I'll also come and let's grab some ice cream before returning. What say!" Daniyal chimed from his seat.
"Why not we all go to pick her up and then get some ice cream!" Zeeniya said with an excited gleam. The elders declined saying that it was getting late.
"Please na! I was at home all day and I am getting bored! Please let's go na!" Zeeniya protested with a pout. It is true that she has been at home for all these days. It must be tiring for her. And I think Zamid is totally smitten by her as he nodded at her and zeeniya granted him a big smile as response.
The elders said that they won't go but us youngsters can go as this will be a nice change for all of us too.
Even though I wanted to go alone and spend time with her but what uncle Asfand said about it being inappropriate, it had me thinking and it's true. And she will never get comfortable with me if we were alone so I did not dwell on it much and went with all the others after having dinner.
We left a little later as zeeniya cleaned the table and helped in kitchen first and then gave dadi jaan her medicines as hana was not here. Hana has been giving dadi jaan her diabetic injection and blood pressure medicines. She always massaged dadi jaan's feet before sleeping too. But since hana is not here and it was dadi jaan's sleep time so after everyone had retired to their rooms, zeeniya went to grab her abaya. After wearing it, she came back downstairs and we went out.
"Let's take two cars only. Zeeniya bhabhi and Zamid can come in one car and us three will come in Rayaan bhai's car!" Daniyal said with enthusiasm with a wink at zeeniya and zamid's direction. Zeeniya blushed at this but zamid ignored it and went to get the car along with me.
We sat in out cars and brought it to the front of the villa from the garage and waited for the others to settle in.
"Rayaan bhai please ap ye sab baatain na kiya karain! Theek hai main samajh gaya hn k wo ap ki honay wali biwi hai pr abhi hui to nhi hai na! Shadi k baad is tarah say lena wagaira kr lijiye ga pr abhi nhi! Mjhay bohot jealousy feel hoti hai or gussa bhi ata hai jab ap is tarah ki baat krtay hain hana k baray main! ( Rayaan brother, please, you should not talk these things. Okay, I get it that she is your soon to be wife but she is not yet na! You can talk about her after marriage but not now! When you WL talk about hana like this, I feel so jealous ad angry!) " Zayn complained with an annoyed expression to me from the back seat as daniyal was in the passenger seat beside me as I was driving the car.
"Yar menay esa bhi kiya keh diya jo tmhay Itna gussa ata hai? Ek ijazat hi to mangi thi. Itna to freedom hai na humain Islam main k hum ek dusray ko jananay! (Buddy, what did I even said that you are becoming so angry! I just asked for permission na! Even our religion, Islam, had given us this much freedom that you can meet each other and get to know a little bit about each other before marriage!)" I said and asked at the same time. I really want to know why he is so annoyed all the time whenever a male takes about her. I know that brothers are protective because I myself, am very protective of Samman and zarmina. I just want to know if it's me or just his protectiveness towards hana.
"Ye baat nhi hai! Ap bas meray samnay hana k baray main koi baat na kiya karain. Mjhay bohot gussa ata hai jab koi larka us k baray main ya us say baat krta hai! Mera to dill krta hai k pehlay main us shakhs ko kuttu phir hana ko das bara chapatay lagao or phir khud ko goli maar ln! (It's not like that! You just don't talk about hana in front of me please! I get so furious when someone talks about or talks to hana! I really want to just beat that person who talks to her then I want to give 10 to 12 slaps to hana and then I want to fire my own self!)" Zayn exasperatedly said. I was shocked at first but then chuckled at his thoughts. Daniyal was also laughing loudly at this. Zayn really got very wild thoughts going in his head. He was always violent but to this extend, I never knew.
"Han han hass lo hass lo! Jab Samman ka koi esay naam lay ga to main dekhta hn apka or dani ka kiya reaction hota! Main to apko barha over protective sa lagg raha hn na abhi, anay do zara Samman ki shadi ki Bari! Phir poochu ga ap dono say! (Yeah yeah, laugh all you want! When someone will take Samman's name like that then I'll see how you and dani are gonna react! I look overprotective to you guys,l but let Samman's time come! Then I'll ask you guys!)" Zayn mocked us both. This made daniyal to stop and I also became serious after thinking about it. It is really hard for us brothers to think about our sisters that they will have to leave one day. It gave me chills down my spine but I dismissed the thought for later.
Daniyal and Zayn engaged in an intense battle of sisters and how they will kill anyone who will even look at hana or Samman in the wrong way. Both of then then went from killing to whose sister is better to who is more pretty to who is more intelligent. This went on for the whole ride to hana's university.
As we reached there, the while class was just getting out of the university bus. When hana saw us, she bid her friends bye and made her way to us. She went to zeeniya since she only talks to Zayn but Zayn was also treating her very badly from the past many days so she was not talking to him too.
After talking to zeeniya, she made her way to my car. I think zeeniya sent her here so she can talk with me a little and patch up with Zayn too.
"Assalamualaikum!" She greeted politely with her head down and just sat in the car. We replied her to her salamat and then started the car to go to an ice cream parlor.
" how was your trip?" I asked after some minutes of silence.
At my voice, she briefly looked up from her lap at me and then looked back on her lap.
"It was good!" She replied in a very soft voice. She was sitting with Zayn but both were avoiding each other and both were sitting in the opposite side of the car with as much space as possible between them.
I can see Zayn was fidgeting in his place. I talked to him and zamid last night and told them that they should not be taking their anger out on hana since it was not her fault.
After our brief talk, they were realizing that hana was really not at fault. If they want to be angry then they should be angry at me and not on her at least. Zamid was once again talking with me but his attitude with hana was same. It was not as hostile as before but it was still not good. I just hope that some miracle can happen so that zamid can give her a chance. It was not like it was hana's fault that she was the youngest and she grabbed her parents whole attention. Zamid's hatred started only due to jealousy as hana was getting all of the attention from her parents and they were not giving as much attention to zamid and Zayn as they gave previously. But then again, aunty hiba and uncle Asfand always wanted a daughter and when they were finally blessed with her, it was totally expected that she would be the center of their attention. Aunt and uncle were totally smitten by hana and she had them wrapped around her fingers from the very start.
Even though so many years had gone through but still zamid had not given her a chance. I can see that he wants to give her a chance but he does not know how to be an older brother to her. He only knows how to express anger with her or how to ignore her.
I only got to know that zamid really cares for hana after I proposed the idea of marrying her. He was so angry at me and his possessiveness towards hana was a blind give away about his feelings for Hana. Now that I know how much she matters to zamid, I will do everything to push zamid towards hana so that he can give her a chance and mend their bond which was always one sided. I know that Zayn does not need any push as he will mend his relationship with her in his own joyous way. He was always playful and he will talk to hana on his own. He was also totally wrapped around her fingers. Hana and Zayn, both does not know how much hana had wrapped Zayn around her fingers but I know this. I can see the adoration but possessiveness whenever she gets ready in something nice and one of the male cousins complements her. I can see the love and care when Zayn brings chocolates for hana. He never verbally said that they are for hana but he always puts them in fridge and every morning, it is not there. I have seen hana many times, sneaking in the kitchen to get chocolates. She knew that the were zayn's but she still took them and every morning when Zayn asks about his chocolates, she lies. Hana never knew that Zayn knows that she is the one who steals them but still he will always bring new ones and will still put it in the fridge.
In all these days when Zayn was ignoring hana, he still bought the chocolates and put them in fridge but in all these days, she never touched them. There were a lot of chocolates now in the fridge but Zayn still bought new ones every night for hana but she never touched them.
"hey hana, do you wanna get some ice cream?" I asked while looking at her through the mirror. Hana looked up with a new found shine in her eyes.
"Yes!" she replied very quickly but in a soft and polite voice. I smiled and nodded at her and she looked back at her lap. She was pressing her lips but there was still a very big smile on her face. Zayn scoffed at hana but still looked outside. Daniyal was silently laughing at hana's excitement.
We reached at an ice cream parlor and got out of the car. Hana went towards zeeniya and both of them leaned on zamid's car and talked while Zayn, Zamid and I went to get the ice creams. Daniyal was with them and teasing them here and there. I can see zeeniya blushing and hana and daniyal laughing at her. Hana was giggling softly while daniyal's laughter can even be heard from the ice cream parlor.
"Assalamualaikum, what would you like to order?" A young man behind the counter asked in a polite way.
"Please get a strawberry flavor and a vanilla flavor ice cream with extra topping of chocolate and wafers." Zamid ordered for himself and zeeniya and them looked at me.
"Vanilla and chocolate flavors with extra toping of chocolate only on chocolate flavored ice cream and nothing on the vanilla one, please!" I ordered for myself and daniyal.
"Two large cups of your special!" Zayn ordered. I and zamid looked at him in questioning.
"Hana likes the special of this place. We have been here many times before!" He replied back while rubbing the back of his neck and sheepishly smiled as all of us were not allow to go out after midnight once we are back at home but it seems like both of these siblings have been breaking the rules to have some fun and that too without any of the others knowing.
'Ah, I guess he will definitely not be needing any push to clear himself with hana' I thought with a smirk on my face. Zamid was also smirking as we got a leverage on Zayn to blackmail him now. After our orders arrived, we took them and gave to the others. Hana took her cup from Zayn and mumbled a soft thank you and instantly started eating it. There were a lot of pineapples as the toppings and it seems like hana likes them a lot.
Daniyal was having a conversation with Zayn while zamid and zeeniya were enjoying themselves so hana moved a little away from them and went to sit on my cars bonnet. She was looking at the night sky while eating her ice cream. She seems to be enjoying herself. I made my way to her and leaned on one side of the car and looked at her.
"so, was everything okay during the trip? Nothing to worry about na?" I asked her while leaning on the car. She looked at me and smiled.
"Nope! Nothing worrying happened! In fact, I enjoyed a lot! Ap ko pata hai (do you know), it was my first trip and I enjoyed a lot!" She started softly and then she got excited and shared all of her experience. She was talking at a very fast speed. She was moving her hard here and there while telling me about her whole day. She was talking continuously for the past 10 minutes. It was really hilarious to see her talking like that. After she was done, she looked at me. I was smiling all this time. It is really cute and sometimes I really want to pinch her cheeks. She still had some baby fat on her cheeks and it makes her to look really adorable.
'Ma Sha Allah!' I unconsciously thought. Hana blushed when she looked at me. I raised a brow at her in question.
"I talk too much na! I know! Mamma told me that I talk too much when I'm excited! Sorry about that Rayaan bhai!" She sheepishly said and rubbed her neck. This makes her look just like Zayn. And I just smiled.
"Well, it was good to here you say more than one sentence to me! I always felt like you don't like to talk to me but I guess that's not the case! You do know na that I am always there whenever you wanna talk to someone! You would always complain to me when you were young about others but now, you don't even talk to your Rayaan bhai! After all you are not the small hana now, right?" I chuckled and then asked her rhetorically. She instantly started to shake her head.
"No no bhai jaan, it's not like that! I just thought you will get annoyed with my rambling. And no one teases me now as they did when I was a kid. In fact, no one says anything to me now other than Zayn bhai. He is always scolding me for anything and everything! Huh! Hitler bhai!" Hana started and then ended her complaints with a sadness in her voice and pout on her face. I felt really bad that everyone is ignoring her so much. I know that everyone is busy in their careers and none of us have time for relaxation but we still managed to spend weekends together where we watch movies and talk to each other. We never included hana in those nights. I vowed that from now on, I will make sure that she spends time with us! After all she is the youngest and she needs our attention. She is getting lonely and she never talked to any of us like she talked to me today. I think she had opened to Zayn but none of us. And I want her to be comfortable with all of us. We have already ignored her during all this time but not anymore. She is going to be mine and I would never want her to experience any of this ever again. That's a promise!
.........
Here you go peeps! Next chapter is again gonna be about hana and her bonding with others. I'll add small scenes of Rayaan and hana too but they are gonna be microscopic small!