BEAUTIFUL PERSON AWARD! Once you are given this award you're supposed to paste it in the asks of 8 (or more) people who deserve it. If you break the chain nothing happens, but it's sweet to know someone thinks you're beautiful inside and out <3
@mrgrungusthefrog I'm literally gonna bombard you with flowers and will kidnap pinda for you, mwah mwah mwah đ
Junoon is soooo good I love childhood enemies? to loves/or asking for crazy teach me situation! Iâm gonna miss you and your Uzair fics! đ
thank you soooo much for your love and support đ„° this note truly means the world to me đ I am so so glad that you enjoyed Junoon (and yes the teach me troupe is just *chefs kiss*) ahhh im gonna miss you more my love but don't worry I promise to try and drop by sporadically to spoil you even more with the Uzair fics!!!(even if im not writing, im always reading and interacting so feel free to stop by the blog :o) but dont you worry because I have a few enemies to lovers plots cooking that can't go in vain... :D
Summary: pregnancy is not easy, especially when you're surrounded by a husband and family like yours!
A/n: it's been a long long time!! This was in our drafts since may end- please thank @obsessedwidskincare because this fic was 80% her and 20% me and then a whole lot her again! Proff read three times atleast by both of us because we kept adding and adding to it. Also big bog thanks to @twinblueflamee because I don't think y'all know how much she contributed to fleshing out the personalities of the kids and even their future partners; hence this chapter is dedicated to her!! Anyways enjoy this 5.5k hot mess because idk how y'all are gonna feel about it! Much loveeđ
THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. IT IN NO WAY OR FORM ROMANTICIZES, PROPOGATES OR JUSTIFIES THE ACTS OF CHARACTERS OR ANY REAL LIFE PERSONALITY. IT IS SOLELY WRITTEN IN CONTEXT OF THE CHARACTERS OF THE MOVIE.
Uzair's surprise for you had ended up surprising him more. Once the initial shock ebbed, making way for the warm fuzzy happiness to settle in, you and Uzair decided that the first two people to know about this should be your kids. For the better part of the night, you both discussed how to break this news to the two of them, especially to Bahaar as her five year old mind might not comprehend it completely.
The next morning Uzair and you took Ayaan and Bahaar to the beach. To make it more special you had Bahaar and Ayaan's favorite food spread out while Uzair fetched kulfi for the four of you. Just as you were feeding Bahaar her kulfi, Uzair cleared his voice, signaling Bahaar to come to him. She sat on his lap while Ayaan leaned against him.
âAyaan, Bahaar- Ammi Abbu ko aapse ek khaas baat karni hai.â
Uzair looked at you for assistance.
âTum dono ko pata hai na ki Yalina mami ke ghar ek baby aaya hai? Toh agar waise ek chota baby humare paas ho toh?â
âBaby?â
Bahaar asks confused.They both look at you and Uzair and then turn to each other. Uzair clears his throat.
âBahaar jaise Zayan ke ghar chota baby Saahil aaya hai humare paas bhi ek chotta baby aane wala hai.â
You look towards Ayaan and say
âTum logo ka chota bhai ya behen aane wala hai.â
Ayaan looks at you with trepidation in his eyes while Bahaar's small brain is processing the information overload.
Bahaar's eyes crinkled with excitement. Uzair groaned at Zayanâs name but answered reluctantly
âHaan Jaan, Zayan ki tarah tumhara bhi ek bhai ya behen aayega.â
Suddenly Bahaar's excitement vanished, a frown replacing the wonder that graced her face a few minutes ago.
She looks at you seriously and asks,
âBaby mere saath ghar ghar and tic tac toe khelega?â
You smile at her innocence, pulling her in your lap.
âHaan meri jaan, pehle woh bohot chota hoga par jaisi hi baby toda bada ho jayega toh woh apni Bahaar aapi ke saath khelegaâ
Still not satisfied, Bahaar asked in a low unsure voice
âAbbu aur aap roz story time karenge na, school chodne aayenge na?â
Your heart aches at her words- your sunshine feeling unsure of her place owing to the new dynamics. Before you could reply, Uzair turned Bahaar to him. Holding Ayaan's hand, he finds simple words to explain their young minds on how much they are loved and cherished.
âTum dono humari Jaan ho. Tum dono ki wajah se hum Ammi Abbu bane hai. Aur sabse badi baat, tumhari Ammi aur main lucky hai ke tum dono ne hume apne Ammi Abbu banne ke liye chuna. Yeh baby bhi tum dono se bohot pyar karega, jaise tum humse aur hum dono tumse karte hai.â
Ayaan hugged Uzair, squeezing Bahaar in between. You couldn't help but tear up at the sight in front of you.
Bahaar looks at you and jumps into your arms.
âAmmi! Baby aur main cycling karenge and main uski cute choti bhi banungiâ
You engulf her in a tight hug while Uzair moves forward to hold her back.
âAaraam se meri jaan! Abhi baby chotta hai aur Ammi ke pet mein bada ho raha hai. Toh usse chot na lage isilye hume Ammi ka khayal rakhna hai. Bolo rakhogi na Ammi ka khayal?â
he asks her in a gentle voice.
Bahaar's ears perk up at this, noting Uzair's words with utmost seriousness.
âBaby ko no boo boo. Ammi Tummy Baby safe!â
She responds, responsibly. You gesture Ayaan to come to you and he reluctantly settles on your lap and places his tiny hand on your stomach.
âAyaan khush ho na?â
You ask but subconsciously you are already aware of the doubts clouding his mind.
âJi Ammiâ
Ayaan responds in a rehearsed relaxed tone, attempting to mask his anxiety. You decide to give him some time to process.
âPar ek baat. Yeh baby wali baat hum charon ka secret hai. Abhi hum kisiko nahi batayenge. Okay?â
You try your best to convince the kids to keep the news under wraps as Uzair and you were still unsure of how to break this news to the family.
âSecret? Game khel rahe hai?â
Bahaar asked excitedly.
âHa jaanâ
Replied Uzair.
Ayaan looks at you and whispers
âAmmi yeh ek din ke liye bhi secret nahi rakh payegi.â
You nod at him, hugging him tighter and praying almighty to give Bahaar self control to keep playing the secret game.
And God did smile upon you, as Bahaar kept holding on to the secret for nearly a week, albeit small slips that were masterfully covered up by Ayaan and Uzair. Although you suspected that the secret will be out in the open soon, as you started experiencing one of the most common yet dreadful symptoms of pregnancy- morning sickness. Uzair was by your side, holding your hair back, helping you clean up and fetching you ginger biscuits to help with the sickness. He started chaperoning you to work and back, puzzling Donga on why he was suddenly relieved from his duty.
Ulfat too noticed the change in your dietary habits and insisted on making your favourite dishes, hoping to indulge you in eating a full meal. Hence on a lazy Sunday morning, as the entire family was seated for a late breakfast, Ulfat commented how you have been avoiding breakfast, forgetting lunch and skipping dinner every alternate day.
This caught Uzairâs attention and he was about to reprimand you but was beaten to it by Bahaar who nonchalantly said,
âAmmi ko boo boo hua hai toh Ammi no milk, no eggs, no gosht.â
Ayaan quickly stuffed half boiled egg in Bahaar's open mouth.
Just when Ulfat started reprimanding you for being careless with your health, Ayaan, bless his soul, asks you to pass him juice. You were about to fetch the jug, when your leg got caught at the edge of the chair and you almost fell on your face but Uzair was quick to react, his arms tight around you, holding you still. âKhayal rakho. Bacchi nahi ho tum, thoda sambhalo warna tumhe bed rest pe daal dunga.â
Ulfat and Rehman looked at each other and back at you two, trying to figure out what was going on.
âAbbu haath hatao, baby ko lag jayegiâ
Screeches Bahaar as she sees red when Uzair's hands wound tight around your waist.
Cutlery clatters, conversations stop and all turn to look at you and Uzair. Oblivious to the growing tension, Bahaar continues.
âAmmi ki Tummy mein baby Safe, hai na Abbu!?â
Uzair and you looked like deers caught in the headlights while Ayaan put his head down on the table.
âChachu, yeh sab-â
Naieem is interrupted by Ulfat who walks over to you and eyes landing on Uzair's hand on your lower abdomen.
âBhabhiâŠ. SURPRISE!â
You say in mock excitement, laughing awkwardly. Ayaan and Naieem look so done with your feeble attempt to placate the situation while Faisal, just like Uzair laughs awkwardly with you, joining your attempt to diffuse the tension.
âWoh Uzair aur main aap sab koâŠâ Your voice trails off.
Rehman, who has been quiet all this while, folds his newspaper and sits back, relaxed in his chair.
âUlfat, inse puchne ki koi zaroorat nahiâ
He says as a matter of fact.
He turns to Bahaar.
âBade abbu ki jaan, idhar mere pass baitho.â
Bahaar gives him a toothy smile, making her way to sit in her Bade Abbu's lap. Rehman feeds her a piece of apple and asks,
âBeta yeh baby wali kya baat hai?â
âSecret hai bade abbuâ
Bahaar speaks with her mouth full.
âHaan par bade abbu toh aapke best friend hai na? Aur doston mein to no secret! Aap toh bade abbu se sab baat karti hain!â
That did the trick and the Ammi Tummy Baby secret was out.
The reactions ranged from anger to jubilation, confusing you even further.
Ulfat, upset at not being the first one to know, decided that since you were pregnant, you were spared from her wrath.
But the same courtesy wasnât extended to Uzair as he was now in charge of not only chaperoning the kids but dressing them up for school, packing their lunches and getting groceries for the house.
On day 4 Faisal decided to go on a hunger strike as Uzair again handed him Rs 50 for lunch.
Naieem was indifferent but secretly was excited to see Faisal getting tortured by young cousins.
Faisal on the other hand was as excited as Bahaar as he now had a fifth gang member joining his Faisal Bhai Football Club.
You thought Rehman was happy but then he brought home a baby swaddle chair, beaming with excitement.
The most surprising reaction came from Hamza as his first reaction was to get mad at Yalina for not telling him. But when Uzair came back the next day with Saahilâs infant clothes and his cot adorned with the dreamcatcher you had so lovingly attached when you had gotten the cot for Saahil yourself, you knew that your co-wife was excited to be Mama again and already in love with the baby.
___________________
Somehow you made it through the awful first trimester, thanks to your husband and family and âget well soon kissiesâ from Bahaar. Well, Bahaar believed that since she spoke to the baby in tummy to not boo boo Ammi, your morning sickness ceased as the baby always listens to its Bahaar aapi.
Your second trimester was going smoothly with a few hiccups. However, the only bummer was that you were insatiable for your husband who was busy with the upcoming election campaign. He tried his best to be there for you, your appointments, spend time with kids but sometimes it became impossible for him to juggle all at once. By the 20th week you had taken an early maternity leave because you felt extremely exhausted after a minor six hour shift too.
Hence today Ulfat and Yalina decided to accompany you for your checkup.
After a very stressful day, one filled with political meetings and brain-storming for the election campaign, the men returned tired to a house bustling with unusual energy.
Ulfat stood right in the centre of the living area, shooting orders. The new cook was asked to make sheer kurma and halwa, while another helper was asked to fetch chocolates and Rasgullas, your favorite.
Ulfat then requested Vahida khala to make iced lemonade for her as she was feeling hot and tired. She turned around, eyes sparkling with excitement as she saw the men approach, followed by Naieem and Faisal.
Rehman is taken aback for a moment, while Hamza and Uzair look at him, unable to believe what they just heard.
âKya hua? Aap khush nahi hain kya? Ek nahi par do nanhi jaan aane wale haiâ
Ulfat says excitedly.
Rehman quickly composes himself, happiness breaking out on his face.
âMain bohot khush hoon Jaan! Par aise aab ke saamne? Akele mein pehle batati toh behtar hotaâ
He says, his voice still straining with confusion.
Uzair smirks while Hamza mumbles mubarakbad to Rehman and Ulfat. Naieem looks embarrassed and flustered while Faisal is at his wit's end.
Rehman whispers to Ulfat,
âBohot khush hu main par achanak kaise? Matlab pata hai kaise....â
Horrified, Uzair and Naieem wanted to throw up. Faisal elbows Naieem
âBhai, ek aur batvara property mein!â
Ulfat replies, âAchanak kaha, aapko toh pata hai na? Sabko pata toh hai yeh hua hai bas aaj dugni khushi mili haiâ
Hamza turns back at Uzair while Naieem covers Faisal's ears. Flustered, Rehman gestures to Ulfat to sit down.
âUlfat pehle baith jao pehle, thakk gayi hogi. Aisi haalat aur iss umar mein bohot khayal rakhna hoga tumheââ
Offended, Ulfat asks, ââUmar? Main abhi bhi 30 ke upar nahi dikhti.... Hai na?ââ
She looks at Naieem and Faisal for approval.
ââJi Ammi par aap baith jaiye warna bacche pe asar padegaââ
Replies Naieem.
âBacchon peââ corrects Ulfat. ââAur mere kaam karne se Y/n Uzair ke bacchon pe kyu asar padega?ââ
ââKYA!!??ââ
Uzair and Naieem ask in unison.
ââHaan toh?! Aap log kya samjhe?ââ
The men and boys looked embarrassed. Rehman looked a little disappointed but slightly relieved.
Ulfat looks at their faces as realization dawns on her.
ââYa Allah!!... Kaise itna badi gang and party chalate hai, sabka IQ milke toh Bahaar jitna bhi nahi hai. Aaj Y/n, Yalina aur main hospital gaye the check-up ke liye aur aaj hi sonography mein pata chala ke Uzair aur Y/n ko judwaa bacche hone wale haiââ
To say that Uzair was shocked would be an understatement. Uzair looked like a man who had just been told that Unicorns were real and that the earth was flat. He took 4 business days (5 minutes) to finally react.
Hamza literally facepalms at this while Rehman starts laughing.
ââUzair mujhe nahi pata tha ki tum meri bacche paida karne wale baat Hamza aur tum kuch zyada hi sanjeedgi se le loge!ââ
Uzair would have blushed but he was still reeling from the shock of the double surprise.
ââUzair, upar tumhare kamre mein reports aur tumhari biwi dono hai. Jaake khud check kar lo. Aur haan thoda pyar se baat karna, woh pehle se hi thodi emotional haiââ Ulfat warns Uzair.
Uzair makes his way to your room, preparing himself for your hormonal outburst. Though he was patient and kind, your incessant crying post a nasty bolt of morning sickness often made him feel helpless. Bracing himself, he opened the door to see you lying on the bed with an arm on your head.
ââY/n?â
You open your eyes to look at him, anger seething beneath your calm exterior. Uzair takes a step back, sensing danger but it's too late for him.
ââKaha jaa rahe ho, ruko!! Main soch soch ke pagal ho gayi ke itni buri morning sickness kyu hai. Kyunki ek nahi par do bacche hai! DO BACCHE!ââ you screech at him, getting up to throw a pillow at him.
The first pillow hits him right in the face. ââPagal ho gayi ho kya?ââ
Your eyes widen, as if he just called you by a slur. You pick up another pillow to hit him.
ââPagal? Main pagal?! Ha main hi pagal hoon!! Par tum bhi kuch kum nahi. Ek kaam theek se nahi hota tumse. Pata nahi konse waqt mein maine tumse Nikkah kar liya!â
He dodges the pillow just in time âEk minute!! Bacchi thi kya tum? Uss din mujhpe chadh gayi thi tab yaad nahi aaya kisse Nikkah kiya hai?! Kya gaa rahi thi uss din- Inko aata hi nahi hai, Inko pata hi nahi hai, Inse hota hi nahi hai. Toh dekho- pata bhi hai, aata bhi hai aur hota toh bohot acche se hai. Isiliye ek ki jagah do hue hain!â he finishes with a teasing glint.
As a doctor, you knew this was not an anomaly. But the woman in you just wanted to be angry rather than feeling scared.
Tears pool your eyes just as the adrenaline leaves your system making you slump on the bed.
Uzair moves close to you, taking you in his arms.
âUzair, 4 bacche under 10, matlab 3 bacche under 6âŠ.Kaise hoga humse?â
âMujhe bhi nahi pata jaan par tum saath ho toh sab ho jayega. Aur ghar wale bhi toh haiâ
âPata hai Ulfat bhabhi ne mujhse kya kaha? âY/n ek playgroup idhar haveli mein khol dete hai, aadhe se zyada bacche tumhare hi hongeâ!â
Uzair laughs at this.
âHaso mat! Uzair, main itni choti aur pyari. Konse angle se char-char bacchon ki Amma lagti hoon? Matlab tumhara toh theek hai, tum lagte ho Abba jaise par main toh Ayaan ki badi behen lagti hoonâ
Uzair rolls his eyes at this, taking offence to the comment made on him while ignoring everything else.
âTumhe main kya school college jane wale 4-7 bacchon ka Abba lagta hoon?â
You laugh at this, knowing what would tick him off too easily.
âNahi nahi par mujhe daddy zaroor lagte ho-â
âBas inhi baaton ki wajah se aaj hum yaha hainâ He says in mock anger but completely turned on.
âKhush ho tum?ââ you ask him a bit hesitant.
âBohot khush hu. Har din apni kismat ko shukriyadaa kata hoon ke accha hua uss din tumhara phone utha liyaâ He murmurs, looking down at your lips.
What started as an innocent kiss, turned into much more, hands wandering under clothes and before it could get any further, you heard small footsteps running towards your door. You quickly push Uzair away while adjusting your clothes, just as Bahaar makes her way into the room.
âAbbu aaj badi Ammi ne mujhe chocolates di aur rasgulla bhi diya. Woh bhi two-twoâ
She grins at you two, holding her arms out for Uzair to lift her.
Surprised at the fact that her strict badi ammi gave her sweets made you feel warm and fuzzy as this meant that she was very happy about the twins.
âPata hai badi ammi ne bola ke 2-2 new babies aayenge. Bade abbu ne kaha ek mera baby hoga aur ek Ayaan bhai ka.â
âHa meri jaan, aap dono ke babies hai yehâ Uzair murmurs, kissing Bahaar's hair. Giggling, Bahaar opens her drawing book.
âDekho maine drawing banayi hai. Bade Abbu ne colouring mein help ki!â
She presents to you the most beautiful drawing you have ever seen. Your 5 year old had made a stick drawing of the four of you, outside a small house with the sun shining between two blue clouds.
âBohot pyara hai meri jaan but Ammi ke baal chote kyu hai?â
You ask her teasingly, eager to know how her 5 year old mind worked.
She laughs at this, smacking her head imitating the âsilly youâ gesture often made by Ulfat bhabhi.
âAmmi yeh aap nahi, Yeh main hoon! Yeh two chotte babies hai aur yeh Ayaan bhai hai. Jab babies thode bade ho jayenge tab main aur bhai inko school, beach aur park le jayenge jaise aap, Abbu, Naie bhai aur Faizi bhai mujhe aur Bhai ko le jaate hain. Aur main apni lollipop aur ice cream bhi share karungi!â
Bahaar adds proudly.
Was it possible for a heart filled with love to love even deeper. Yes! Just like Bahaar who loved her family. Her already full heart expanded a bit more, bursting with love for her future siblings.
You look at Uzair who looks at you with the same wonder and awe. How did you two get so lucky?
Without a word you two smother Bahaar with kisses and hugs, making her giggle in joy.
At night, Uzair pins the drawing above the study desk in your bedroom. Bahaar had Ayaan help her name the drawing- A & B & babies. But here as she clarified- A & B didn't mean Ayaan and Bahaar, it meant Aapi & Bhai & Babiesâ€ïž
â--------
Ayaan sat alone in his room, sorting his books out to pack his bag for tomorrow. Usually you helped him with it and if you had a night shift then Ulfat would. Today despite you being at home, he did not ask you for help because you had just laid down on the bed to relax and he didn't want to ruin it.
Naieem, like his everyday routine, would wish all of his siblings a good night before going to bed. Bahaar did not have a designated sleeping place. She would sleep in Rehman and Ulfat's room, or sometimes in your and Uzair's, usually however she slept in the room her and Ayaan shared. Today she had chosen to sleep with bade abbu and badi ammi. Naieem was just walking back from his parentsâ room towards Ayaan's. Watching the little boy, barely just starting third grade- alone in his room, packing his bag, being responsible.
Naieem had seen the longing look in Ayaan's eyes when his mother had rather unconventionally announced the twins. He wasn't blind, or naive. He saw the same longing there was when Ayaan first came at the haveli. The longing for acceptance and love- he had seen it fade away as well and completely vanish after he heard Ayaan call y/n Ammi. It was as if a switch flipped- he was laughing more, talking more, it was as if he started acting like a kid again.
âAyaan?â
Naieem called him out as he entered the room.
âKya hua naie bhai?â
Ayaan who was just zipping his bag, turned towards Naieem.
âMain madad kare doon?â
âNahi Bhai maine kar liya! Dekhein.â
He lifted up his bag as if to show how well he did.
âHaan! Ab toh teen teen chote bhai behen ke bade bhai ho!â
âHaanâŠâ
Naieem sat beside him on the bed, he caressed Ayaanâs head.
âPata hai jab ammi abbu ne bataya ki Faizal ammi ke pet mein hai tab main bohot hi khush tha ki mera bhai aane wala hai. Maine sabko bata diya tha- poori school ko pata chal gaya tha ki Naieem Baloch ka bhai aane wala hai. Abbu ne bohot daanta tha! Lekin jab woh aa gaya na tab mujhe bilkul accha nahi laga tha.â
âKyun? Aap toh Faizal bhai se bohot pyaare karte hain na?â
Naieem pulls him closer in a semi-hug.
âKarta toh hoon lekin kyunki woh chota tha toh ammi abbu bas ussi par tavajjo dete the. Mere saath nahi khelte the. Mujhe laga woh mujhse ab mohobbat nahi karte. Main naraaz rehne laga, akele rehne laga, sab khud se karne laga. Lekin phir mujhe kya pata chala jaante ho?â
âKya?â
âYe ki chotte bacche bilkul buddhu hote hain! Unhe kuch nahi aata! Khud hi cheekte hain aur khud hi darr jate hain. Unko thodi zyada tavajjo chahiye hoti hai. Ammi bhi thak jaati thi iss liye shayad mere saath nahi khel paati thi. Lekin jaise hi Faizal thoda sa bada hua- mujhe maza aane laga! Har cheez mein woh meri nakal karta- main school jaata toh rota, mere jaise khaana khane ki koshish karta lekin uske daant bhi nahi theâ
Ayaan giggles.
âFaizal bhai bilkul buddhu the!â
âHaina! Wohi toh main kehta hoon hamesha se! Lekin Faizal ke aane ka matlab ye nahi ki ammi abbu ya chachu mujhse kam mohobbat karne lage. Woh mujhse itni hi mohobbat karte hain. Bilkul waise jaise Chachi aur Chachu tumhare chote bhai behen aane ke baad karenge.â
Ayaan did not say anything for a while. He fiddled with his fingers.
âLekin aap toh adopted nahi ho na.â
He said in a voice so small that Naieem almost felt his heart break.
âUsse koi fark nahi padta. Jaise Allah ne mujhe mere ammi abbu ke liye chuna, waise unhone tumhe unke liye chuna- tabhi toh itne saare bacchon mein tum unse mile! Chachi kitni khush thi ki tum unhe mile phir tumhare saath Bahaar mili. Unko itna khush maine unke nikaah ke din dekha tha.â
Ayaan's eyes filled to the brim with a thin sheen of tears.Â
âSacchi?â
âMain jooth bolta hoon kabhi?â
Ayaan shook his head and hugged Naieem, which Naieem reciprocated.Â
âAisa kabhi mat samajna ki woh tumse mohabbat nahi karte- waise bhi tumhe nahi lagta ki inn sab mein hum dono hi samajdar hain. Thode se sabke screw dheele hain.â
Ayaan giggles again.
âAccha waise ek aur baat- woh khaa lein na, uske baad thoda door hi rehna kyunki ya toh woh tum pe ulti kar denge ya toh potty.â
âKya?!â
âHaan, phir tumhe phir se nahana padega.â
âYe toh acchi baat nahi hai. Main woh potti kar lein uske baad hi khelunga.â
â---------------------------------
The next few days were interesting to say the least. If your first trimester was testing, your second trimester was proving to be a whirlwind of emotions. Your current mood board oscillated between being tired and hungry or being horny and hungry. Some days you craved weird food combos like Jalebi with kheema parathas, anda curry with hazelnut milkshake. The result of the junk food binge often had you throwing up. During these times Bahaar and Ayaan kept you company with Bahaar kissing her babies (your tummy) while Ayaan patted your hair to soothe your pain. Faisal often joined them, making you laugh with updates on his antics at school.
Ulfat and Uzair had sort of formed a mutiny against your junk food escapades. Whatever you desired was being made at home but it wasn't what satiated your craving. In times like these Hamza and Naieem came to the rescue with the former getting the food while the latter smuggled it in the house, safe from the everlooming presence of Ulfat. Yalina admitted feeling sort of FOMO but little Saahil demanded her full attention and rightly so.
There was one craving your husband gladly looked forward to- You craving for him!
Whether it was hormones or monsoon or the fact your husband was oh so sexy, you just couldn't seem to keep your hands off him. He was a willing participant though. One afternoon when Naieem, Faisal and Ayaan were at football practice and Bahaar was out on a drive with her Bade Abbu and Badi Ammi, Uzair faked a headache only to come home to drive you crazy with his body. Were you complaining? No. Were you secretly glad you were already pregnant so you could be reckless? Yes.
But today you craved kulfi falooda more than anything. It was past 11 pm, too late to call Hamza or Naieem and too risky to step outside alone. Uzair was getting ready for the bed when he saw you restless. He immediately understood and he honestly felt he was being too strict. You are pregnant, that too with twins and with the doctor already levying restrictions on you due to your petite frame and complications on carrying twins, a late night craving should not be the cause of sadness for you.
âKya khana hai batao, main le aaungaâ
Your face immediately lights up
âHakim chacha ke yaha ka Kulfi Falooda with extra malai, please!â
Uzair chuckles at your excitement, shaking his head in disbelief. Just a few seconds ago you looked like a woman whose puppy got lost and now you were practically bursting with excitement. Suddenly you stopped Uzair as your mood became serious.
âSuno! Ayaan ko saath leke jaana please?â
âAre abhi uske sone ka wakt haiâ
âPata hai par jabse pregnancy ki baat pata chali hai, mera beta thoda zyada samjahdar ho gaya hai. Tum pe gaya hai. Harr cheez andar rakhta hai. Mujhe darr hai ke kahin uska dil na tod de hum. Usse wakt kam naa dene lagein.â
âSahi keh rahi ho. Woh bolta nahi par hum sab samajhte toh hai. Usse apne saath le jaata hoon aur raaste mein jaane ki koshish karunga ke uske mann mein kya chal raha haiâ
Saying so, Uzair kisses your head and walks to Ayaan and Bahaar's room only to find Ayaan, trying to climb a chair.Â
âAyaan yeh kya kar rahe ho?â
âAbbu mujhe meri yeh bag chahiye. Aap utaar denge, please?â
Uzair nods and fetches the small suitcase. The same suitcase Ayaan and Bahaar carried from the orphanage, along with their belongings and clothes. Ayaan refused to let anyone help with it so you and Uzair figured it must be something important to him and hence never pushed him to unpack it.
âAbbu, Ammi so gayi hain?â
âNahi toh. Tum aur main bahar jaa rahi Ammi aur sabke liye kulfi falooda laane.â
âKya pehle hum Ammi ke paas jaa sakte hai?â
âHaan kyu nahi!â
_______________________
You were about to doze off again when the bedroom door opened with Ayaan holding his blue superhero solid suitcase. Uzair helps him up on the bed, the suitcase lying between the three of you.
Ayaan opens the suitcase, fetching a photo and handing it to you. You look at the photo and your heart breaks for your little boy. It was a picture of little Ayaan, with his Ammi Abbu and 1 year old Bahaar on what looked like her first birthday. The woman in the photo had this calm aura and kind eyes, eyes that looked exactly like Ayaan's. The man held Bahaar in a tight embrace, his short curly hair matching Bahaar's prominent curls. But most importantly, Ayaan looked happy. Comfortable in his mother's lap, he looked radiant, naughty and up for a mischief. Just as a 4 year old child should be. He looked so happy and content.
âYeh mere Ammi Abbu the. Mujhe ab inki shakal bas thodi thodi yaad hai. Aur yeh mera blanket tha jo Bahaar ko maine diya tha jab usko lene hospital gaya tha Abbu ke saath.â
You look up to see Uzair's eyes misting up. Your baby had grown up quickly and if anyone deserved any kind of happiness, it was your Ayaan.
He pulls you out from your thoughts as he fetches a soft worn green blanket with sunshine and rainbows on it, along with an elephant soft toy.
âYeh elephant Bahaar ne mujhe gift diya tha jab woh iss ghar aayi thi. Mujhe pata hai yeh Abbu leke aaye the, lekin..â he chuckles.
âToh yeh meri aur Bahaar ki taraf se babies ke liye. Jab bhi mujhe aur Bahaar ko darr lagta tha, ya bimaar hote ya ghar ki yaad aati, hum inn ke saath so jaate the. Main hoon babies ke liye par phir bhiâŠâ he lets the sentence go unfinished.Â
This was truly the greatest act of love. Little Ayaan was giving away the only things that were truly his so that his unborn siblings could feel the same love and security he felt with these. This gesture spoke louder than any words could- Ayaan trusted you and Uzair and truly loved the babies. Tears roll down your face, causing Ayaan's forehead to frown in worry.
âAapko accha nahi laga? Main wapas rakh deta hoonâ he said in a small voice.
âNahiâ you and Uzair speak at the same time.
âAyaan meri baat dhyan se suno. Yeh babies ke liye sabse best gift hai. Aisa pyara gift koi bhi nahi de sakta. Aur jab tak Ayaan and Bahaar saath hai, inn babies ko darr aur udaasi choo bhi nahi sakteâ
You pull him in your arms while Uzair strokes his back.
âAyaan tumhare Ammi Abbu ko hum kabhi nahi bhulenge. Ab hum saath mein unhein yaad karenge aur sunke liye har roz dua karenge.â Uzair assures him.
You three stay like this, cuddled and close, for a long time.Â
âNaieem bhai ne mujhe kuch kaha.â
Ayaan said, looking up at you.
âNaieem ne tumhe daanta?â
Uzair asked, surprised.
âNahi nahi! acchi batein kahin unhone.â
âPhir?â
You ask, caressing his hair.
âWoh unhone kaha ki aap dono mujhse bohot pyaar karte hain aur aapke babies aane ke baad aap phir bhi mujhse mohobbat karenge.â
You looked at Uzair in concern. Was he thinking that you both will not love him anymore after the birth of twins? Had you failed in reassuring him that?
âSahi kaha Naieem ne. Hum dono tumse bohot mohobbat karte hain aur aage aur mohobbat karenge. Lekin beta sirf ye bachhe hi humare nahi hai- tum aur Bahaar bhi humare hi bacche ho. Main jaanta hoon ki tum apne waalidon ko yaad karte hoge. Mujhe bhi apne waalidon ki yaad aati hai, lekin iska matlab ye toh nahi ki bade abbu aur badi ammi mujhse mohobbat nahi karte? Humari mohobbat kabhi kam nahi hogi. Lekin agar tumhe kabhi aisa lage, toh bas aise hi humare paas aa jana. Hum bhi abhi seekh rahe hain ki ammi abbu kaise banna hai.â
Uzair said, caressing his hair.
âAmmi promise karti hai beta ki woh kabhi tumse kam mohobbat nahi karegi. Magar humse koi galti ho toh haq se batana, hum kuch nahi kahenge.â
Uzair held Ayaan's hands in his and wiped his tears, Ayaan was sniffing.
Uzair clears his throat to change the mood.
âMaa bete ka pyaar phirse shuru ho gaya! Oh, ammi ke chamche- Abbu ko kuch nahi? Ayaan ko ammi aur Bahaar ko bade abbu hi pasand hai- main kisi ka azeez hoon hi nahi.â
âTum dono ko toh main- rehne do! Ab mujh bechare ko akela hi Hamid bhai ke yaha jaana padega.â
âNahi nahi Abbu, main aaunga na aapke saath! Sacchi- aap hi best ho!â
Saying this, Ayaan jumps out of bed to find his shoes. Uzair looks at you lovingly while you carefully place the blanket and toy on bed and look at the photo again.
âHum acche Ammi Abbu bane ya na banein par hume sabse acche bacche mile hain.â He says.
âAur ab inn bacchon ke liye hum sabse acche Ammi Abbu aur yeh babies sabse acche bhai-behen bannengeâÂ
You say softly, making a silent promise to the two people in the photo.
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The monsoon air in Delhi was heavy, thick with the scent of damp earth and oncoming rain. For Avani, life had always been measured in these simple, predictable rhythms. She was an archivist and a freelance illustrator, a woman who preferred the quiet company of old manuscripts and charcoal sketches to the loud, glittering world outside. She was fiercely independent, possessing a sharp mind and opinions she wasnât afraid to voice, though she usually chose to do so in the quiet comfort of her middle-class home.
But thousands of miles away, in Islamabad, a ghost was still haunting the corridors of power.
Two years prior, the Pakistani political landscape had been rocked by the tragic death of Noor, the daughter of Minister Tariq Alvi. Noor had been a tempest. In a society that demanded conformity, she had been loud, unapologetically rebellious, and fiercely critical of the political machinations surrounding her fatherâespecially his close alliance with the powerful and enigmatic Rehman. Her wild choices and sharp tongue had drawn immense public criticism, and in his embarrassment and anger, Tariq had harshly reprimanded her, demanding she silence herself.
They never got to reconcile.
Rehmanâs enemies, seeking a vulnerability to shatter the alliance, abducted and murdered Noor. The grief had broken Tariq. The realization that his last words to his only daughter were filled with anger and shame became a cage of regret he couldn't escape.
The turning point came during a lavish family wedding in Delhi. Tariqâs niece, Zara, was attending the festivities when she spotted a woman standing near the catering tables, laughing with a group of friends. Zaraâs breath caught in her throat. The resemblance was uncannyâthe same high cheekbones, the same expressive, defiant eyes, the same way she carried herself.
Without thinking, Zara snapped a photograph and sent it directly to her uncle.
When Tariq Alvi opened the message in his dimly lit study in Islamabad, his heart nearly stopped. The phone slipped from his fingers. It was Noor. It had to be.
The monsoon air in Delhi was heavy, thick with the scent of damp earth and oncoming rain. For Avani, life had always been measured in these simple, predictable rhythms. She was an archivist and a freelance illustrator, a woman who preferred the quiet company of old manuscripts and charcoal sketches to the loud, glittering world outside. She was fiercely independent, possessing a sharp mind and opinions she wasnât afraid to voice, though she usually chose to do so in the quiet comfort of her middle-class home.
But thousands of miles away, in Islamabad, a ghost was still haunting the corridors of power.
Two years prior, the Pakistani political landscape had been rocked by the tragic death of Noor, the daughter of Minister Tariq Alvi. Noor had been a tempest. In a society that demanded conformity, she had been loud, unapologetically rebellious, and fiercely critical of the political machinations surrounding her fatherâespecially his close alliance with the powerful and enigmatic Rehman. Her wild choices and sharp tongue had drawn immense public criticism, and in his embarrassment and anger, Tariq had harshly reprimanded her, demanding she silence herself.
They never got to reconcile.
Rehmanâs enemies, seeking a vulnerability to shatter the alliance, abducted and murdered Noor. The grief had broken Tariq. The realization that his last words to his only daughter were filled with anger and shame became a cage of regret he couldn't escape.
The turning point came during a lavish family wedding in Delhi. Tariqâs niece, Zara, was attending the festivities when she spotted a woman standing near the catering tables, laughing with a group of friends. Zaraâs breath caught in her throat. The resemblance was uncannyâthe same high cheekbones, the same expressive, defiant eyes, the same way she carried herself.
Without thinking, Zara snapped a photograph and sent it directly to her uncle.
When Tariq Alvi opened the message in his dimly lit study in Islamabad, his heart nearly stopped. The phone slipped from his fingers. It was Noor. It had to be.
Within forty-eight hours, Tariq Alvi had arranged for a private visit to India, pulling every diplomatic string available to him. When he finally stood in the modest living room of Avaniâs family, the tension was palpable. Avaniâs parents were bewildered, watching this powerful, grieving foreign dignitary weep openly at the sight of their daughter.
Avani herself stood by the doorway, crossing her arms, her defensive instincts kicking in. "Look, Mr. Alvi," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "I understand I look exactly like your daughter. But I am not Noor. I have my own life here."
Tariq wiped his eyes, his hands trembling. âBeta, main jaanta hoon,â he pleaded, his voice cracking with an ache that only a grieving parent could understand. âTum Noor nahi ho. Lekin jab se woh gayi hai, meri duniya andheri ho gayi hai. Main bas... main bas apne gunahon ka kaffara ada karna chahta hoon. Mujh par ek ehsaan kar do.â
He begged Avaniâs parents to let her come to Pakistan for just two months. He didn't want a replacement; he wanted closure. He wanted a chance to be the supportive father he never was to Noor, to treat Avani with the kindness he had withheld from his own daughter.
Avaniâs parents were deeply hesitant, terrified of sending their daughter across the border into a world of high-stakes politics. But Avani looked into Tariqâs hollow, sorrowful eyes and felt a profound pang of empathy.
"Two months," Avani stated, stepping forward. âSirf do mahine. Main aaoongi.â
The transition from the chaotic streets of Delhi to the heavily guarded, sprawling Alvi estate in Islamabad was jarring. Tariq kept his word; he treated Avani like royalty, showering her with affection and respecting her boundaries. Yet, the ghost of Noor hung heavily over the house.
It didn't take long for Avani to encounter the realities of Tariqâs world. Within her first week, a high-profile dinner was held at the estate. The elite of Islamabad society arrived in a flurry of silk, diamonds, and hushed whispers.
Avani stood near the grand staircase, wearing a simple but elegant midnight-blue saree. The whispers began almost immediately.
"Look at her. Itâs shameless how Tariq Sahab is trying to replace his daughter," a woman draped in expensive pearls whispered loudly to her companion. "And an Indian girl, no less? A Hindu? In this house?"
Avani stiffened, her jaw clenching. She was about to turn and walk away when a calm, resonant voice cut through the murmurs behind her.
âAap logon ki guftagu hamesha ki tarah bohot sasti hai.â
Avani turned to see a tall, striking young man stepping into the foyer. He possessed a commanding aura, his dark eyes sharp and assessing. This was UzairâRehmanâs right-hand man and chief strategist. He was a man accustomed to navigating dangerous political waters, rarely showing emotion, but his gaze softened subtly as it landed on Avani.
The women flushed with embarrassment and quickly excused themselves. Uzair stepped closer to Avani, a faint, polite smile playing on his lips.
âSalaam. Main Uzair hoon,â he introduced himself, his tone deeply respectful. "Don't mind them. This society thrives on judgment because they have nothing of substance to offer."
Avani let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thank you. I'm Avani. And trust me, I'm used to speaking my mind, but I didn't want to cause a scene for Tariq Uncle's sake."
Uzairâs eyes gleamed with genuine amusement. âAcha? To aap mein aur Noor mein yeh ek baat milti julti hai. Woh bhi chup rehna nahi jaanti thi.â
"I am my own person," Avani corrected gently, looking him dead in the eye.
âMain dekh sakta hoon,â Uzair replied, his voice dropping a register. "And honestly, itâs refreshing."
As the weeks passed, Uzair found himself frequently visiting the Alvi estate under the guise of briefings with Tariq, though his true motive quickly became transparent. He was drawn to Avani like a moth to a flame. She wasn't intimidated by his status, nor was she awed by the wealth around her.
One evening, they sat in the lush courtyard of the estate, the scent of jasmine filling the night air. Avani was sketching in her notepad, her fingers stained with charcoal.
âTumhe yahan darr nahi lagta?â Uzair asked, watching her intently. âEk anjaan mulk, anjaan log... aur tumhari pehchan par roz sawal uthaye jaate hain.â
Avani paused her sketching, looking up at the stars. "Fear is a luxury I don't afford myself, Uzair. Yes, people look at me with suspicion because of my religion or where I come from. But my faith and my identity aren't fragile enough to be broken by high-society gossip."
Uzair leaned back, a look of profound admiration crossing his face. âTum bohot alag ho, Avani. Noor jazbaati thi, par tum... tumhare paas ek thairao hai. Ek aisi taqat jo dilon ko jeet sakti hai.â
"And what about you, Uzair?" Avani asked, turning the tables. "You spend your life protecting Rehman, fighting his battles. What do you want?"
Uzair looked away, his expression darkening slightly. âMera maqsad sirf is mulk ko behtar banana hai, Avani. Is safar mein zati khwahishon ki jagah nahi hoti.â
Avani moved closer, placing a gentle hand over his. "Everyone deserves a personal life, Uzair. Even a political strategist."
The touch sent a jolt through Uzair. For the first time in his life, the calculating, cold strategist felt his heart race. He looked at her hand, then up into her warm, brown eyes. âShayad... shayad ab mujhe bhi ek zati khwahish hone lagi hai,â he murmured softly.
Their growing closeness did not go unnoticed. At a charity gala a week later, the underlying tension finally boiled over. The elite society of Islamabad, already resentful of Avani's presence and her unwavering pride in her own identity, found an opportunity to strike.
During a panel discussion, a prominent political commentator, Begum Shiraz, cornered Avani in front of a large crowd.
"Tell us, Avani," Begum Shiraz said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "How does it feel to live in a Muslim household, practicing your rituals? Don't you feel like an outsider? Or are you here to influence our culture?"
The room went dead silent. Tariq Alvi, who was standing across the room, moved forward defensively, but Avani raised a hand, stopping him. She stood tall, refusing to be intimidated.
"Culture and humanity aren't bound by borders or specific belief systems, Begum Shiraz," Avani spoke clearly into the microphone, her voice echoing through the hall. "I pray in my own way, and Tariq Uncle prays in his. What connects us is grief, love, and respect. If a society as elite as yours cannot comprehend that basic human connection, then perhaps it is your culture that needs introspection, not my presence here."
A collective gasp rippled through the audience. Begum Shiraz turned pale with humiliation.
Before anyone could offer a retort, Uzair stepped up onto the platform, standing squarely beside Avani. His expression was thunderous, his presence radiating an undeniable authority.
âAap sab ko main ek baat saaf kar doon,â Uzair announced, his voice carrying a dangerous edge that silenced the entire room. âAvani is ghar ki aur is mulk ki mehmaan hain. Aur jo koi bhi unki izzat par haath dalega, use Rehman bhai aur mujhse nipatna hoga. Apni hazaar sasti baaton se pehle, apni aukaat yaad rakhein.â
Taking Avani by the hand, Uzair led her out of the gala, leaving a stunned, silent crowd behind them.
As they reached the sanctuary of the estate's gardens, the sky finally broke, and a heavy downpour began to fall. The rain washed away the tension of the evening, leaving only the raw emotion between them.
Avani turned to Uzair, her breath hitched. "You didn't have to do that, Uzair. You risked your political reputation for me."
Uzair stepped closer, ignoring the rain soaking through his expensive suit. âMujhe apni siyasi izzat ki koi parwah nahi hai, Avani! Mujhe sirf tumhari parwah hai.â
He caught her by the shoulders, his eyes burning with a passion he could no longer contain. âJab se tum meri zindagi mein aayi ho, main badal gaya hoon. Main ab sirf ek hathauda nahi hoon jo Rehman Sahab ke dushmanon ko kuchalta hai. Main ek insaan hoon jo tumse mohabbat karta hai.â
Avaniâs heart hammered against her ribs. The rain streamed down her face as she looked up at him. "Uzair... our worlds are so different. In a few weeks, my time here will be over. I have to go back to India."
âTo mat jao,â Uzair pleaded, his voice cracking with a vulnerability he had never shown to anyone. âYahan ruk jao. Mere paas ruk jao.â
Avani felt tears mingling with the raindrops. She had fallen for himâdeeply, completely. "I love you too, Uzair," she whispered, stepping into his embrace. âMain bhi tumse mohabbat karti hoon.â
However, reality set in quickly. The public confrontation at the gala intensified the hostility from the elite circles, and Rehman's rivals began eyeing Avani as a potential target to hurt the administration, just as they had done with Noor. Recognizing the escalating danger, Uzair made a definitive choice. He would not let history repeat itself.
Rather than sending her back to face endless separation, or keeping her in an environment where her safety was constantly threatened, Uzair initiated a swift, quiet plan. He managed to transition his operations into international consultancy, shifting his professional base to the UAE. Within days, the two eloped to Dubai, exchanging vows in a private ceremony away from the prying eyes of society.
The bustling streets of Dubai, with their towering skyscrapers and gleaming glass facades, provided the perfect sanctuary. Here, they were safe, free from political crossfires and cultural scrutiny.
Living in Dubai offered them peace, but the initial silence from their families hung heavily over their early days of marriage. However, time and the genuine purity of their bond eventually wore down the walls of resistance.
A year after their elopement, the glass doors of their Dubai apartment opened to welcome their most awaited guests. Tariq Alvi and Rehman had traveled together from Pakistan, while Avaniâs parents had flown in from Delhi. It was the first time both families sat in the same room.
The initial silence was thick with unspoken tension. Avaniâs mother held her hands tightly, her eyes scanning her daughter to ensure she was truly happy and safe.
âHamein sirf tumhari fikr thi, beta,â her father admitted softly, breaking the ice. âLekin Uzair ne jis tarah tumhara saath diya hai, hamara darr ab khatam ho gaya hai.â
Tariq Alvi smiled warmly, looking at Avani with the familiar fatherly affection that had healed his own grief. âMaine tumse kaha tha, Avani, yeh larka tumhare liye duniya se larr jayega. Aur isne woh kar dikhaya.â
Even Rehman, usually a man of few words and stern discipline, nodded in approval as he looked at Uzair. âUzair ne hamesha soch samajh kar faisle kiye hain. Is dafa iska dil sahi jagah par tha. Tum dono yahan mehfooz ho, aur hamari duaen tumhare saath hain.â
That evening, the families dined together on a terrace overlooking the illuminated Dubai Marina. The laughter was easy, the conversations bridging the gap between two different countries and cultures, united entirely by the happiness of the young couple.
After their guests had retired for the night, Avani and Uzair stood by the balcony railing, the warm desert breeze rustling through the air. Uzair wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
âMaine kaha tha na, Avani? Main sab theek kar doonga,â Uzair whispered, his voice filled with a deep, profound peace.
Avani turned in his embrace, placing her hands on his chest and looking up at him with a smile. "You did. We did."
A/N: so sorry for the delay y'all I had no ideas to write and i was also very swamped (still am)
Word count: 7416
The next few days were quite monotonous. And this project y'all were doing, was fucking your brains out. And you'd much rather have someone do that. Not something.
You sure had a specific someone in mind, too.
You fought hard to keep your eyes open as Nidhi rambled on and on about Abhimanyu. From what it seemed, you were the only one not listening.
"Andâandâhe's so annoying! He's so chirpy all the time and it pisses me off." she aggressively shoved a book in her bag. She then, aggressively again, grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulders. You, Disha and Kanishka shared looks of concerns as she continued.
"It's like he never stops talking. He's always nagging me about some bullshit. Uss din ek bande ke saath baat kar rahi thi aur ye aata hai, poochta hai 'ye kaun hai, jaan?' aur uske bande ko laga ki Abhi mera boyfriend hai aur wo sorry bolke bhaag gaya! Can you imagine? Such a shame, he was so cute too!" she clicked her tongue and stopped angrily as you all made your way to the boys' dorms.
"And he pops his stupid, pretty face everywhereâandâandâit's likeâhis big fucking arms are always distracting me because he works out so much and he's so tall and handsome andâ" she paused in between as her eyes widened. She looked over at us to see the rest of us paused too, staring at her with widened eyes and opened mouths.
She wiped her hands on her kurti, looking around for a moment. Turning around, she speed walked out of the building before any of us could question her sudden like for Abhimanyu....and his big arms...?
You dragged your feet behind her on the way to the dorms. You could've sworn you sighed a breath of relief when you finally reached.
Disha grabbed the handle, opening the door and walking in casually.
In the time you guys were friends, you had quickly realised that the concept of privacy wasn't a thing between Disha and Kabir. It was also funny how often you wished for a relationship like theirs. Especially with all the mushy talks and sneaky kisses they shared.
You were greeted with the nothing-short-of-eye-candy sight of the wide expanse of Udaybir's back to you, stirring something in a kadhai.
Hearing you walk in, he looked behind and passed you an easy smile which you gladly returned.
Kabir came up to Disha, taking her bag from her hands and kissed her cheek as you and Kanishka gagged.
You kept you bag on the sofa as your eyes travelled to Abhi and Nidhi who seemed to be having a heated conversation.
"Tujhe sahi mai woh pasand hai?" he asked. If you were being honest, you hadn't really seen him this serious before.
"Haan. Hai. Bol kya ukhaadlega?"
"Uske baal. Taaki tujhe woh pasand na aaye."
Nidhi looked taken back at that. She also looked very impressed. You almost held yourself back from telling her to stop thinking with her ovaries at that point.
You smiled to yourself, going over to the kitchen to help him with the cooking.
"Hey. What's cooking?" good looking?
He banged the metal spatula on the kadhai, scraping off whatever was left on it.
"Hey." he smiled. "Just some chilli paneer."
You gasped. "You know how to cook that?"
"Damn right, I do." he said proudly.
"Need any help?"
"Nope. Go sit down. We have the drinks already, I'll bring the food over there."
"I'll help. There's too much to carry."
"No, heyâ"
You ignored him as you grabbed the two plates of chicken wings and momos and brought them over to the table.
While he prepared some drinks on the rocks, you dropped the paneer onto what amounted up to 3 plates and brought that over too.
The party, if you could even call it that, began with soft music. For a moment, it was just Kishore Kumar and Arijit Singh. Or Shreya Ghoshal and Lata Mangeshkar. And you all shared you life stories like you were 50 year olds reuniting after years.
This slowly dragged onto Badshaah. And then item songs.
In the middle of it, Udaybir leaned into you and whispered, "By the way, maine suna hai ki event organisers aur volunteers ki zaroorat hai independance day waale function mai."
You looked up at him and nodded.
"Mere saath volunteering karogi?"
It was a simple sentence. A friendly one at best. But it still made your heart skip a beat.
"Sure." you smiled. You didn't know what else to say, considering how your heart was beating a little faster.
He smiled back while turning back to the chaos infront of your guys. You didn't though. You kept your eyes stuck on the side of his face for a minute.
You finally looked away when Karan suddenly started screaming the lyrics to Sheila Ki Jawaani very loudly and very off key.
_______________
You stared at the volunteering ID card beside you with the ugly ass photo on it. To say that you were shocked at how bad the pictures turned out was an understatement.
Udaybir scoffed as he looked at his. You glanced at it and realised that you never wanted to hit someone so badly before.
He would be straight up lying if he said he looked bad.
"Yours still looks cute. I just look compressed."
"I think I might genuinely hit you right now."
"What?! Look at it!"
"Yeah, I'm looking! Kuch bura nahi hai isme. Aisi photo meri kabhi aajaye toh mai duniya ke chaar chakkar lagake aau." you grumbled.
Udaybir chuckled as he went back to making the mandela pattern on the borders of your project. You tried not to watch his fingers straining on the grip of the pen and continued doing your work.
"Waise, tumhaare paas koi blue, green, orange ya white kurti hai?"
"Hain? Kisliye?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Volunteering ke liye?"
"Mujhe toh laga volunteering mai sab black pehente hai."
"Iss baar toh bola hai tirange ka color pehenna hai."
"Acha. Koi nahi, hai mere paas."
"Waiseâumâmatch karle kya?"
"Hain? Kyu?"
"Wohâ" he hesitated. "Volunteers ko match karke pehenna hai isliye."
"Accha. Theek hai, toh fir ham dusro se baat karke decide karlenge kya pehenenge."
"Nahi!" you looked at him in confusion. "Mera matlabânahi, koi zaroorat nahi hai. Wohâbola tha ki same department waale hi match karenge. Har department se do log hai na? Bas unhe match karna hai." you tried to recall whether the teacher had said anything like that, but you must've forgotten with that pea brain of yours.
"Aur waise bhi, mere paas sirf blue kurta hai. Toh tum bhi blue hi pehen lena." he smiled nervously.
You nodded, convinced you had zoned out when the teacher was talking about the arrangements and everything.
_______________
The day for the function finally came. You had dressed yourself up in a beautiful dark blue kurti and a white loose palazzo. You paired that up with cream colored sandals. There wasn't much commotion with makeup since you weren't doing anything too fancy, so you put only a little bit. You decided to put the chunni over your chest. If it did bother you later, you could drape it behind your neck.
You walked down to your ground area where there was going to be a little function which would comprise of dances and songs that you had heard since you were 10.
Memories were also hitting you very hard and fast. You quickly realised that nostalgia was nothing short of bitter.
You were flying around getting your work done for about 20 mins, when your name was called behind you.
You looked behind you to see a sight that put the sun to shame. Your previously scrunched eyes to protect your eyes from the glare of the sun were almost wide open.
Udaybir was walking upto you in all his glory in a navy blue kurta that somehow marched your kurti in the exact same shade. It all went down to the bottoms too, that also matched yours. The only thing that was even remotely different was maybe the pattern.
He also adorned a dupatta wrapped around his neck scarf style.
He reached you as he stared at you for a moment. You realised you looked a little different from the tired girl in class with the tied hair and eyebags. No one was used to seeing each other in fancy clothes.
You tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear as you looked down at his shoes. You didn't notice how his eyes travelled from your bangles to over your curves and your feet.
"Sundar lag rahi ho." he blurted. You snapped your eyes back to his, not knowing if the compliment was meant for you.
It clearly was, since he looked almost red and was staring you right in your eyes.
"Tum bhi." you shyly muttered.
You two stared at each other for a pause. Then suddenly, as if your conscience came back, you cleared your throat and took a step back to let the tension pass a bit.
He did exactly the same.
Just then, a loud voice announced on the speakers for the volunteers to gather at a point.
As you both walked over there, you noticed that more than half of the volunteers from the other departments weren't matching.
You were confused as you brought this up to Udaybir, who brushed it off by saying that they must've not listened either, and would get scolded by the dean.
Which was even more confusing, considering most of the people who volunteered were also couples. Who volunteered to only to spend some time together.
And the entire day was passing without you noticing anyone getting scolded.
A/N: hi my loves,I want to sincerely thank all of you who have read, interacted, and appreciated my work! its so special and astounding to me that you all take the time to read these pieces and then genuinely enjoy them! I truly cannot express my gratitude enough for all the support you all have showered me with!! I absolutely adore all of your comments under each post and love interacting with all of you even more--those conversations brighten my day! ...as always ignore any spelling/grammar/etc etc mistakes and be niceeeee okiii byeeee mwah mwah mwah
Genre: Uzair Baloch x Reader [CW: Suggestive dialogue]
Word Count ~1800 words
*Disclaimer: all characters, topics, themes mentioned within this work do NOT affiliate with the plot and history of Dhurandar. This story does NOT glorify, support, and/or fantasise about the real-life equivalents(nor their action) of the movie characters aka Uzair Baloch, Rehman Dakait, and all else involved. Please be advised of its fictitious nature.*
(Older) Brother's best friend!Uzair who has been friends with Y/N's brother since 3rd grade. The duo grew inseparable, and Uzair Baloch is now practically an honorary member of their family.
Best friend's younger sister!Y/N who shares a five-year age gap with her brother and that demon of a man he calls his brother-Uzair Baloch. If you ask her, they're two steps away from seeing God in person.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who detested Y/N growing up-she was a leech on all their plans and a mommy's-girl tattletale who ratted both Uzair and her brother out at every minor inconvenience. Ulfat bhabhi once found out, and Uzair was sentenced to two hours of standing against the haveli pillar with his hands raised. Y/N found that very amusing and giggled every time she walked past him.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who matured and learned how to shut up, especially after Uzair once caught her sneaking out to a party while he was staying the night over. She had to BEG him to keep quiet, and he blackmailed her into giving up her snitching antics in return. A deal was made(much to her dismay).
Brother's best friend!Uzair who is now 26, good for nothing, and always rotting at Y/N's house with her equally good-for-nothing brother. He makes it a habit to barge into her room, muttering a quick, "Saab theek, rondu?" menacingly before exiting and leaving the door wide open. He loved seeing her fluster over this childhood nickname.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who is 21, in school to become a journalist, and always cooped up in her roomâfrustratedly grumbling a quiet "manhoos" every time Uzair barges into her space. God, she hated that nickname yet awaited his voice like clockwork every day. It's familiar, light... hers to listen to.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who is entering his best friend's house lazily at 10:00 p.m.âhead engrossed in his phone, snickering to himself as he attempts to make his way upstairs.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who is screaming at the top of her lungs from the staircase. "AMMI?!" "BHAI?!" "Kahan gayab ho gaye sab?" she whines as she paces between the bedrooms upstairs, a sharp tinkle echoing through the silent house.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who manages to ignore her usual complaints until the familiar tinkle gets closer and he's bluntly shoved pastâthe impact smacking into his shoulder as he stumbles off-guard.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who finally snaps towards her, pissed at the crash. "Dekh ke chala kar" he grumbles, annoyed.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who doesn't even spare him a glance, offering an unsolicited "Raste se haat" as she continues her search through the house.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who follows her movement with sharp eyes, watching how casually she brushes past him. Rude. "Phir shuru tera rona dhona?" he calls after her.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who halts in her steps and swiftly turns around to narrow her eyes at him, his taunt adding to her restlessness âGharwale kahan hai?â she interrogates.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who eggs her on further;shrugs and snarkily snides, "Tere se paak kar bhaag gaye."
Brother's best friend!Uzair who takes a small step closer, taking her in. Mesmerizing. Luscious hair straightened and flowing down her back, decorated with tiny strands of gold tinsel that glimmer every time she moves. A black halter dress hugging her frame, accentuating the elegant line of her shoulders and neck. Uzair wouldn't mind decorating that canvas with his mark. Â
Brother's best friend!Uzair who suddenly finds himself wondering when exactly she grew up.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who frowns at his statement and decides to ignore it while turning back around to look for help but is hiccuped by his commentary again âKyun pareshaan ho rahi hai?â she turns a deaf ear to him.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who is unimpressed by her attitude and yanks her backâhis grasp burning against her cool arm. Even with heeled boots adding a few inches to her height tonight, she still has to look up to meet his suspicious gaze. His heart betrays him at the sight of her wide doe eyes. "Kya hua?" he nudges gently.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who sighs âChoodiyan pehene main madat chaiye thiâ she softly shakes the stack of gold bangles that were clutched in her hands.Â
Brother's best friend!Uzair who can't help but chuckle at her innocent admissionâface portraying the harshest of heartbreaks when the reality was far less dramatic. He uncurls her grip and takes her bangles in his hands.Â
Best friend's sister!Y/N who is growing confused nowâalready too late in the night to deal with his taunts.. She extends her hand to snatch her accessories but misses.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who takes her delicate wrist into his warm, slightly rough hold and carefully slides the bangles down her hand. His thumb brushes absentmindedly across her knuckles, distracting her from the pressure of the fragile glass.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who is appalled by his tenderness. Eyes glued to his focused face: the way his brows draw together in concentration, the slight tension in his jaw as he bites the inside of his cheek to avoid snapping the bangle. Unfair. It is incredibly unfair how hot he looks. Because Uzair Baloch has spent years being annoying. Arrogant. A devil in her life. So why had he chosen tonight to look like that? God help her.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who is trying to keep his jitters at bay. Why had he decided to be chivalrous at this very moment? Why did helping her wear her choodiyan feel so right? Like heâd spend the rest of his life buying her more. Helping her wear them. Listening to their familiar chime echo through a home that would be theirs. He nearly drops the bangle at the thought. Absolutely not.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who slides the final bangle into place and immediately catches her staring. He should probably look away. Instead he finds himself staring right back. For goodness sake, she was his best friend's little sister! A leech.A tattletale. A nuisance- a nuisance heâd happily keep forever.
Best friend's sister!Y/N who notices him catching her stare and quickly retrieves her hand back, the bangles clinking both of them out of their trance. She clears her throat and turns away from him, making a dash for the front door. She could not deal with any more of him tonight.Â
Brother's best friend!Uzair who inhales sharply, trying to wrestle his emotions back under control, and yells out one final warning. "Ghar jaldi, rondu, warna."
Best friend's sister!Y/N who scoffs at his threat, not bothering to acknowledge his territorial demand as she snaps back with a sharp, "Meri marzi!" The gold bangles clink against one another as she disappears through the front door. The sound surrounding him for the night.Â
Best friend's sister!Y/N who sulks back home barely an hour later. Head hanging low, makeup intact, spirits thoroughly diminished. She drags herself upstairs, careless of the retired house, only wanting to collapse into bed and let her thoughts consume her.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who notices her defeated entrance from the kitchen, posture immediately straightening. Why did she look so upset? Had something happened tonight? Was she alright?
Best friend's sister!Y/N who is sitting at the edge of her bedâboots discarded, hair gathered into a messy ponytail, fingers fidgeting restlessly as she loses herself further to what was said tonight. She doesn't notice when a familiar figure quietly appears in her doorway.
Brother's best friend!Uzair who abandons his mischief, already wondering if he had some heads to bash. How dare anyone bother his the girl? He wants to simply check-up on her, but the second he catches sight of her miserable expression, he finds himself stepping further into the room- arms crossed against his chest as he stands across from her "Jaldi aagai, ronduâŠSab theek?"
Best friend's sister!Y/N who breaks from her trance- immediately looking up but regrets doing so. A fitted white shirt hugs his body snuggly, highlighting his defined chest, muscles flexing under the sleeves that clung tightly against his skinâ-her brotherâs plaid pajama pants hanging dangerously low on his hip, sneaking her a glimpse of his happy trail. She shakes her head to dismiss his worry and mutters a weak âSaab theek haiâ
Brother's best friend!Uzair who doesn't believe a single word. Arms falling to his sides as he takes another step closer. "Main kuch nahi bolunga" he promises. "Mujhe bata sakti hai tu."
Best friend's sister!Y/N who finally meets his worried gaze. The way his head dips slightly to keep his attention entirely on her. The way his voice loses its usual teasing edge. The concern. She bites her bottom lip in hesitation before quietly asking âMujhe woh sikha de..â
Brotherâs best friend!Uzair who furrows his eyebrows in confusion âKya sika dun?â
Best friend's sister!Y/N who looks up at him from her place on her bed and gulps before clarifying âWohâŠladkon ko maza⊠khush kaise karte hain.?â
Brotherâs best friend!Uzair who is taken aback at her ask. What. The. F-. his eyes widen as his brain confirms that his best friendâs little sister had just asked him to teach her how to pleasure men âDimaag kharab ho gaya hai tera?!â he whisper-yells at her, turning towards the door in an attempt to escape the conversation. âChup chap soja. Fazool khayal apne iss kharab soch se nikal.â
Best friend's sister!Y/N who hastily moves from her bed and catches his arm to stop him from leaving. Eyes begging for him to stay and help her out..why couldnt he just do this for her??? She just wants to learn and be more experienced in life! Her lips tremble slightly in persuasion as she insists âPleaseâŠmujhe kuch nahi aata. Main bas-â
Brotherâs best friend!Uzair who interrupts her before his restraint gives out completely. âY/N, na-â
Best friend's sister!Y/N who doesnât let him finish his sentence, softly whining in desperation, âUzair, please.â
Brotherâs best friend!Uzair who canât turn away from her hopeful look, her wide eyes full of need, her breath uneven, her grip still steady against his arm. The curve of her soft neck tempting his sinful ministrations Shit. Shit. Shit. He was losing himself to her pleading. He had to control himself.Â
Brotherâs best friend!Uzair who shuts his eyes to regain some control over his senses, hoping to blink away her naive look. He couldnât.
Brotherâs best friend!Uzair who silently asks for forgiveness from God; from his best friendâ her gold bangles tinkling in the heavy room as he snakes his fervent hand to the nape of her neck, pulling her face closer to hisâcrashing his lips onto hers.Â
He shouldnât have done thisâŠbut then againâŠshe had to learn somehow.
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The monsoon had arrived in Islamabad long before Bilal ever crossed the threshold, bringing with it a torrential downpour that seemed intent on drowning the cityâs sins. The rain did not merely fall; it threw itself against the windowpanes of the small apartment like frantic, impatient fingers, drumming an erratic rhythm that made the concrete walls feel closer, suffocating, and impossibly small. Outside, the capitalâs wide avenues and gridded sectors shimmered under the pale, jaundiced glow of streetlights, drowning in grey mist. Inside, however, the shadows did not rely on the weather. They gathered organically in the corners of the rooms, heavy and thick, like soot from an old fire that refused to be swept away.
Zareena stood motionless in the middle of her bedroom, her fingers curled tightly around a porcelain cup. The steam rising from the spiced chai had long since vanished, leaving the liquid dark, stagnant, and cold. She did not drink. She simply stared into the dark surface, watching her own fractured reflection warp with every distant roll of thunder. The physical remnants of her life were etched into her skin in varying shades of violet and yellow. The bruise on her left forearm was nearly a week old, fading into a dull, sickly green. The one hidden beneath the thick fabric of her sleeve, just above the elbow, was freshâa sharp, blooming purple that throbbed in time with her pulse. But the deepest bruise, the one she carried beneath an agonizingly practiced smile, was the oldest of all. It was a wound woven from years of quiet endurance, an invisible fracture that threatened to give way with the next breath.
From the adjacent living room, the soft, melodic sound of Zaraâs laughter drifted through the doorway, cutting through the heavy silence like a silver blade. Zareena turned her head slowly, her eyes softening as she watched her six-year-old daughter. The little girl was entirely absorbed in her own sanctuary, sitting cross-legged on the faded rug, carefully arranging her stuffed animals in a perfect, solemn circle. Zara was hosting a tea party. Her guests of honor included a plush rabbit missing its left button eye, a brown teddy bear whose fur had been worn smooth by years of tears, and a plastic doll with uneven, jagged hairâthe casualty of a pair of safety scissors and a childâs creative impulse.
Zareena watched her daughter from the shadows of the kitchen, a profound sadness tightening around her throat. Children possessed an uncanny, almost terrifying talent for alchemy. They could construct vast, impenetrable empires out of the most pathetic scraps left behind by adults. Zara could forge a majestic kingdom from a discarded cardboard box, a vibrant family from broken toys, and a sense of absolute security from a home that was actively splintering into pieces. It was a beautiful, devastating sight. Zareena realized, with a sharp pang of guilt, that the illusion could not last forever. Sooner or later, the fragile glass of childhood would shatter, and Zara would begin to notice the massive, jagged cracks marring the real world around her. She wondered, with a sinking heart, if the child had already seen them and was simply pretending the floor wasnât burning beneath their feet.
The heavy wooden front door did not just open; it slammed against the wall with a violence that vibrated through the floorboards.
Instantly, the laughter died. The transition from pure childhood innocence to absolute, suffocating terror was instantaneous. The silence that blanketed the apartment was unnatural, heavy and thick with adrenaline. It was the absolute stillness of the wildernessâthe paralyzing quiet that takes over a forest when a prey animal senses the distinct, lethal approach of a apex predator. Bilal had returned.
His heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed down the narrow hallway, each thud sounding like a death knell. Before his physical form even materialized, his presence announced itself through the oppressive, acrid stench of cheap cigarette smoke and stale rain. Zareenaâs stomach tightened into a painful, suffocating knot. There were some forms of terror that became so deeply ingrained in the human psyche that they ceased to feel like psychological emotions. They bypassed the mind entirely, mutating into primal, visceral instincts. Her body prepared for impact before her brain could even process the danger.
The bedroom door swung open with a harsh creak. Bilal stood framed in the doorway, a towering, ominous silhouette soaked to the skin by the unrelenting storm. Strands of dark hair clung to his forehead, and his eyes, wild and severely bloodshot, scanned the room with a volatile intensity. For a moment, his expression remained unreadable, a terrifying calm before the inevitable squall. Then, his gaze shifted downward, landing squarely on the half-packed suitcase resting covertly beside the old wooden wardrobe.
The shift in his countenance was immediate and terrifying. It was not shock that washed over his features, nor was it the confusion of a man realizing his domestic life was fracturing. It was rageâpure, unadulterated, intoxicating malice that contorted his face into something monstrous.
"Yeh kya hai?" Bilalâs voice was dangerously low, a guttural growl that vibrated in the base of his chest.
Zareena swallowed hard, the dryness in her throat making the movement agonizing. She forced herself to stand tall, though every nerve in her body screamed at her to shrink into the floorboards. "Aur kitna chalega yeh sab, Bilal? Main thak gayi hoon."
His jaw clenched so tightly the muscles bunched beneath his skin, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Main ne poocha yeh kya hai! Mujhe jawab do!"
"Aik suitcase hai," Zareena replied, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to anchor it. "Hum ja rahe hain."
"Mujhe andha samjha hai tum ne?" Bilalâs voice suddenly erupted, breaking from a low hiss into a deafening roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the apartment.
From the threshold of the living room, every remaining ounce of childhood warmth vanished. A small, frail figure appeared at the end of the dark hallway. Zara stood barefoot on the cold tile, her small hands clutching the one-eyed stuffed rabbit against her chest like a shield. She did not cry. She simply stood there, her wide, terrified eyes fixed entirely on her mother. She was watching, as she always did, absorbing the trauma in absolute, heartbreaking silence.
The little girl did not move an inch. Her tiny feet seemed rooted to the floor, her frantic gaze pleading with her mother for protection.
The argument escalated with the terrifying velocity of a wildfire fed by dry timber. Years of accumulated resentment, bitter disappointments, and unexpressed agony erupted into the small bedroom. It was an avalanche of broken promises, apologies that had been repeated so many times they had lost all linguistic meaning, and accusations sharpened by the cruel passage of time. The air became thick, unbreathable, and toxic.Then came the strike.
The sound of his palm connecting with Zareenaâs cheek was a sharp, sickening crack that echoed like a gunshot in the confined space. The sheer, brutal force of the blow snapped her head violently to the side. Her vision blurred into a smear of grey and black, and a high-pitched, deafening ringing filled her ears, isolating her from the sound of the storm outside. For a fraction of a second, the world became distant, floating away from her as if she were drowning beneath deep water.
When her vision finally stabilized, the first thing she saw was Zara. The little girl wasnât sobbing; she wasnât even hyperventilating. That was the most soul-crushing part of the realization. Zara wasnât surprised by the violence. She had expected it. She stood there with a hollow, detached acceptance, as if this brutal display was merely another predictable, miserable chapter in a horrific book she had been forced to memorize by heart.
Something inside Zareena snapped. It wasn't a violent, explosive break, but rather something quiet, absolute, and permanent. It was the sound of an ancient, frayed rope finally giving way under the weight of an impossible anchor. The fear that had dictated her every movement for years evaporated, replaced by a cold, crystalline clarity.
Bilal took another menacing step forward, his chest heaving, his right hand rising once more to deliver another blow.
But this time, Zareena did not cower. She did not raise her arms to shield her face. Her hand dropped blindly to the side table, her fingers wrapping around the cool, smooth surface of a heavy ceramic vase. In that desperate microsecond, the object felt strangely, impossibly light in her grasp. Before her conscious mind could analyze the consequences, her survival instinct took absolute control. She swung the vase with every ounce of buried strength she possessed.
The sound of the impact was dull and sickeningly heavy. The ceramic shattered into a hundred glittering shards, raining down on the carpet like porcelain snow. Bilal staggered backward, his eyes widening in absolute, profound shock as a thin line of crimson began to bloom across his temple. He stared at her, unable to comprehend that the prey had finally turned. Then, the light left his eyes, replaced by a sudden, heavy darkness. His large body collapsed forward, crashing onto the floor with a resounding thud.
The apartment fell into an absolute, breathless vacuum. Even the torrential rain outside seemed to hold its breath, the pounding against the glass dulling into a faint murmur. For several agonizing seconds, neither mother nor daughter moved. They stood frozen in the wreckage of their old life, staring at the unconscious man on the floor.
Then, Zaraâs tiny, fragile voice cracked through the silence. "Ammi...?"
Zareena looked down at Bilalâs still form, watching the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of his back to ensure he was still breathing. Then, she looked up, meeting the haunted eyes of her daughter. In that silent exchange, a profound understanding passed between them. She knew with absolute, terrifying certainty that if they stayed past the dawn, nothing would ever change. Not tomorrow, not next month, not next year. The cycle would continue until there was nothing left of either of them but dust.
People in the outside world always spoke of freedom as though it were a grand, cinematic eventâsomething that arrived with the booming triumph of fireworks and celebrations. They were wrong. Zareena realized then that freedom often arrived shivering. It arrived terrified, bleeding, covered in sweat, and barely able to draw a clean breath.
"Zara," Zareenaâs voice trembled, but beneath the shaking lay a core of pure steel. "Hum yahan sey ja rahe hain. Jaldi karo."
Within fifteen chaotic, breathless minutes, the entire trajectory of their lives had been violently compressed into two large, weathered suitcases. They packed with a frantic, desperate efficiency, grabbing only the absolute essentials of their existence: practical clothes, Zaraâs school textbooks, a handful of faded photographs from a time before the darkness settled in, a few cherished toys, and their legal identification documents.
Deep within the lining of Zareenaâs winter coat lay the true key to their escape: twenty lakh rupees, painstakingly hoarded over five agonizing years in a secret bank account Bilal never knew existed. It was money stolen from grocery budgets, birthday gifts, and hidden jobsâa fortune built from pennies and sheer willpower. That was all that remained of her youth. Years of human existence, suffering, and survival had been reduced to nylon luggage. The sight was profoundly, beautifully tragic. A whole life, Zareena thought, should have weighed so much more than this.
By the time the old sedan - the one her family had owned for years, cleared the toll plazas of Islamabad,, the pale, slate-grey fingers of dawn were beginning to bleed across the horizon. The sprawling city, with all its concrete ghosts and traumatic memories, slowly dissolved into the rearview mirror, swallowed by the rising mist.
Zara lay curled in the passenger seat, her tiny body swaddled in a warm shawl, her arms locking her one-eyed rabbit against her chest as if her life depended on it. She was not peacefully asleep; her slumber was fitful and defensive. Every few minutes, her small body would twitch, her eyes snapping open in a panic to ensure her mother was still gripping the steering wheel. Only after reaching out to touch Zareenaâs sleeve would she sigh, her eyelids fluttering shut as she drifted back into the shadows of exhaustion.The mountain road stretched out ahead of them like an endless, winding ribbon cutting through the jagged Margala hills and into the deeper, untamed territory of the north. The rain followed them, sweeping across the windshield in great, blinding sheets that the wipers struggled to clear. The future remained entirely obscured, buried beneath thick, impenetrable layers of mountain fog. For the first time in her adult life, Zareena possessed absolutely no plan, no safety net, and no destination. She possessed only a direction. Forward. Always forward, away from the shadow of the man who had nearly destroyed them.
By late afternoon, the urban landscape had completely vanished, replaced by dense, primeval forests of pine and deodar that clung to the steep cliffs. The air grew biting and cold, carrying the sharp, clean scent of wet earth and pine resin. Exhaustion had begun to dull Zareenaâs reflexes, her eyes burning from lack of sleep. Seeing a small clearing ahead, she pulled the car onto a gravel turnout near a perilous, winding mountain bend.
Perched precariously on the edge of the cliff was an ancient, weathered roadside tea stall. The structure looked as though it had grown out of the mountain itself, constructed from rotting wooden benches and a rusted, corrugated tin roof that rattled violently under the weight of the rain. A thin, fragile plume of grey smoke curled lazily from a makeshift brick hearth, rising into the gloomy sky.
Behind the wooden counter stood an elderly tea seller, his form shrouded in a coarse wool khaddar shawl. He was a man of impossible age; his long beard was completely white, resembling the winter snows that capped the peaks above. His dark, deeply lined eyes carried the peculiar, heavy sadness of an elder who had lived long enough to outlast his peers, his family, and the very era he was born into.
Zareena walked up to the counter, holding Zara tightly by the hand. The warmth of the burning coal hearth was an instant comfort against the mountain chill. "Assalamualaikum, Baba," she said softly, her voice raspy from exhaustion. "Do cup chai milegi? Aur thoda sa paratha agar ho toh."
The old man looked up, his expression gentle as he observed the pale, bruised face of the woman and the wide, haunted eyes of the child. "Waalaikumassalam, Beti. Baitho, baitho. Chai abhi tayaar hoti hai."
They sat on a low wooden bench beneath the overhang of the tin roof, watching the old man deftly pour milk and black tea leaves into a battered brass saucepan. Desperate for any information about the remote valley they were entering, Zareena leaned forward slightly. "Baba... hum yahan sey agay ja rahe hain. Jo purani haveli hai, pahaad ke us paar... kia aapko maloom hai woh raasta thik hai?"
The moment the word haveli left her lips, the old manâs hands froze. The practiced, rhythmic motion of his tea strainer stopped completely. The gentle, welcoming smile vanished from his face, replaced by an immediate, stark stillness that bordered on absolute terror. The atmosphere beneath the tin roof shifted, turning icy cold.
"Aap wahan ja rahi hain?" The old manâs voice had lost its warmth, replaced by a strained, hollow tone. "Uss manhoos jagah? Khuda ke liye, Beti, wahan mat jao."
Zareenaâs heart skipped a beat, but she forced a calm facade. "Ji, humein wahan jana hai. Meri dadi ki zameen hai wahan. Hamara aur koi thikana nahi hai."
The old man remained silent for several long, excruciating moments, staring down at the boiling tea as if reading omens in the white foam. Slowly, with trembling hands, he poured the steaming liquid into two chipped, mismatched porcelain cups and set them before Zareena and Zara. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper, competing with the howling wind.
"Shukriya, Baba," Zara murmured, taking the warm cup in her small hands. The heat seemed to revive her slightly, and she sat up straighter, her curiosity piqued by the old manâs ominous demeanor. Like all children who had known too much sorrow, she possessed a deep, insatiable love for storiesâtales where the monsters were tangible and could be defeated, unlike the monsters of reality.
The tea seller turned his gaze toward the dark, jagged peaks of the mountains, his eyes clouding over as if he were peering through the fabric of time itself. "Long before Pakistan existed, before the British surveyors cut these roads through the living rock of the hills, there was a powerful landlord who built a magnificent haveli in that isolated valley. He was a man of immense stature, with wealth that could buy the allegiance of kings. He had vast tracts of land, thousands of loyal servants, and absolute power over life and death in these mountains."
The wind whistled sharply through the cracks of the wooden stall, mimicking a distant, mournful wail.
"But," the old man continued, his fingers tightening around his own wooden stirring spoon, "he did not possess the one thing he wanted most desperately."
Zara leaned forward, her tea forgotten, her eyes wide. "Woh kya chahta tha, Baba?"
The old man looked directly into the childâs eyes, his expression solemn. "Waqt, meri jaan. Unhein waqt chahiye tha."
It was a strange, enigmatic answer. The kind of statement that did not merely pass through the ear, but lingered in the mind, growing heavier with every passing second.
"They say his youngest wife, whom he loved to the point of madness, fell ill with a mysterious wasting disease," the tea seller explained, his voice dropping into the low, rhythmic cadence of a traditional folklorist. "Every renowned hakim failed. Every prayer offered at the shrines returned unanswered. Every medicine turned to poison in her throat. Desperate, and driven mad by the thought of losing her, the landlord turned away from the light. He went searching for things that human beings should never seek. He sought out the ancient secrets buried in the roots of these mountains."
The rain outside intensified, hammering against the tin roof with a deafening fury that made the small stall feel like an isolated island in a chaotic sea.
"My grandmother believed that he went into the deepest caves, searching for a Djinnâa being that did not belong to our world, a creature that lived between the ticking of moments, in the blank spaces between yesterday and tomorrow. He begged this entity for more time. He offered his wealth, his lands, his very soul, just to buy his wife a few more years of breath."
"Aur... kya unhein waqt mila?" Zara whispered, her voice filled with a mixture of childlike wonder and innate dread.
The old manâs face darkened, the deep lines on his forehead casting long shadows in the firelight. "That depends entirely on which version of the legend you choose to believe, Beti. Some say his wife survived, but she was no longer humanâshe became a hollow shell, moving through the house without casting a shadow or breathing air."
He leaned closer across the counter, his eyes reflecting the dying embers of the hearth. "Others say the house itself became a living, breathing entity, devouring the life force of anyone who crossed the threshold. And a few... a few old souls believed that the haveli stopped obeying the laws of time altogether. It became unmoored from the world. A place where the past, the present, and the future exist in the same room, at the same moment."
A sharp, icy chill crawled across Zareenaâs skin, completely unrelated to the mountain wind. She tightened her grip on her teacup, her knuckles turning white. The old manâs words felt uncomfortably heavy, vibrating with an ancient truth that her logical mind wanted to reject.
"The villagers of the old valley spoke of impossible, terrifying things," the tea seller continued, his voice dropping so low they had to lean in to hear him. "They spoke of children hearing the laughter of playmates who had died fifty years prior. They saw the hands of old grandfather clocks running backward with furious speed, while the sun remained fixed in the sky. They spoke of vast, ornate rooms appearing where empty stone walls had stood only a moment before."
The old manâs gaze locked onto Zareenaâs, holding her captive with the sheer intensity of his warning. "Within my own lifetime, a young shepherd entered the grounds of the haveli to seek shelter during a sudden, violent blizzard. He was missing for days. His family wept, believing he had frozen to death on the peaks."
"Phir kya hua?" Zara asked, her breath catching in her throat.
The old man hesitated, a sad, bitter smile playing on his lips. "He returned to the village three days later, completely unharmed, his sheep trailing behind him."
"Yeh toh achi baat hai," Zareena reasoned, trying to shake off the oppressive dread tightening around her chest.
"Nahi, Beti," the old man whispered, his eyes wide with a lingering, ancient horror. "Wohan ke logon ke liye teen din guzre thay. Magar us charwahe ke liye? For him, only ten minutes had passed. He had stepped inside the grand foyer, wrung out his wet shawl by the fireplace, and walked right back out. To him, the world had aged three days in the blink of an eye. He lost his mind within a month, screaming that the clocks in his head wouldn't stop ticking. He never went near the valley again."
The silence that followed was absolute. Even the rain seemed to alter its tone, sounding less like falling water and more like a chorus of distant, whispering voices trying to break through the tin roof.
The old man turned back to his hearth, his shoulders slumping under the weight of the memory. "My grandmother always ended her warning with the same words, words passed down from her ancestors." He turned his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the gloom. "'Beware of houses that remember more than people do."
A violent shiver ran through Zareenaâs spine. For reasons she could not logically explain or articulate, the old manâs story did not feel like ancient folklore or a campfire tale designed to scare travelers. It felt like an omen. It felt like a direct, explicit warning meant specifically for her. But as she looked at the dark road ahead and thought of the broken man waking up in the apartment in Islamabad, she knew there was no turning back. The monsters behind them were real; the monsters ahead were still only stories.
"Aapka bohot shukriya, Baba," Zareena said, rising from the bench and placing several crumpled notes on the counter. "Magar hamare paas koi aur rasta nahi hai. Humein jana hoga."
The old man did not touch the money. He simply closed his eyes and nodded slowly, a look of profound pity in his gaze. "Khuda aapki hifazat kare, Beti. Khuda hafiz."
Night had fallen completely by the time the rented sedan finally crawled into the isolated valley where the ancestral estate lay hidden. The storm had reached a terrifying crescendo, lightning ripping across the black sky in jagged, blinding veins of violet and blue, illuminating the landscape for fractions of a second.
The haveli emerged from the absolute darkness like a monstrous, forgotten deity rising from a nightmare. Its colossal silhouette towered against the weeping sky, a massive, sprawling structure of ancient black stone, intricate wooden balconies, and towering minarets that seemed to pierce the underbelly of the clouds. It stood entirely alone, surrounded by a dying orchard of twisted, barren trees. It was silent. It was ancient. It was watching.
A brilliant flash of lightning fractured the sky, bathing the entire front facade of the mansion in a stark, terrifying white light. And in that fleeting, minuscule microsecond, Zareenaâs heart stopped completely. She would have sworn, on her own soul, that she saw movement in one of the high, arched windows of the third floor. A dark silhouette. A human figure, standing perfectly rigid against the glass, staring down at the approach road. Staring directly at them.
The lightning vanished, plunging the world back into pitch-black darkness. The window became an empty, unreadable void once more.
Zareenaâs breath hitched, her heartbeat quickening into a frantic, erratic rhythm against her ribs. She gripped the steering wheel so tightly her wrists violently shook. It was just a shadow, she told herself desperately, her mind clawing for any logical explanation. A trick of the light. A reflection of the rain against the old glass. Nothing more. But deep within her gut, a voice whispered that she was lying to herself.
The car approached the massive, towering wrought-iron gates that guarded the perimeter of the estate. They were choked with thick, thorny vines that looked like tangled nests of black serpents. Zareena shifted the car into park and stepped out into the freezing rain, her hands trembling as she approached the lock. To her surprise, the ancient, rusted chain lay broken on the ground, snapped by time or something far more deliberate.
With a heavy, straining push, she forced the gates open. The metal did not merely swing; the hinges groaned and shrieked against the rust, a high-pitched, agonizing scream that echoed across the desolate valley like a dying animal. The wind howled through the iron bars, a cold, violent gust that nearly knocked her off her feet.
The trees within the estate grounds swayed violently under the assault of the storm, their bare, jagged branches scratching against one another with a dry, rhythmic clattering. It sounded precisely like a gathering of old, withered spirits engaging in a hurried, malevolent whispered conversation, passing the news of the newcomers from branch to branch.
Zara slowly stepped out of the passenger side, her tiny shoes sinking into the thick, dark mud of the driveway. The little girl tilted her head back, her wide eyes taking in the immense, terrifying scale of the black haveli. The rain soaked her hair, plastering it against her pale forehead. She did not look amazed by the grand architecture; she looked profoundly unsettled. She frowned, her small lips parting as she turned to her mother.
"Ammi," Zaraâs voice was small, but it carried an eerie clarity that cut through the roaring wind.
"Hmm? Kya hua, beta?" Zareena asked, wiping the rainwater from her own eyes as she grabbed their heavy suitcases from the trunk.
"Yeh ghar... yeh ghar bohot udaas lagta hai," the child whispered, her eyes never leaving the dark windows above.
The words sent an instantaneous, inexplicable chill straight through Zareenaâs veins. It was a terrifyingly accurate observation. The haveli did not look abandoned. It did not even look traditionally haunted, like the broken ruins of old ghost stories. It looked lonely. It looked profoundly, agonizingly lonely. It bore the heavy appearance of a structure that had spent decades, perhaps centuries, trapped in a state of perpetual suspended animation, waiting in the dark for someone to arrive. Anyone.
A powerful, unnatural gust of wind suddenly swept across the overgrown courtyard, carrying with it the faint, impossible scent of blooming jasmineâa flower that had no business blooming in the dead of a mountain storm. The wind slammed against the heavy front doors of the mansion.
Somewhere deep within the dark, cavernous interior of the house, a heavy wooden door slammed shut with a resounding boom.
A second later, another door slammed on a higher floor. Then another. Then another.
The consecutive thuds echoed through the empty halls of the haveli in a perfect, rhythmic sequence. It did not sound like accidental drafts moving through an old house. It sounded like heavy, deliberate footsteps walking down a long corridor. It sounded like an echo of a life lived long ago. It sounded, with terrifying clarity, like a welcome.
Mother and daughter exchanged a long, terrified glance in the pouring rain, the shared trauma of their past tying them together in this new, incomprehensible nightmare. There was no going back. The road behind them was swallowed by the dark, and the man they fled was a monster of flesh and bone.
Behind them, without warning, the massive wrought-iron gates began to move. Slowly, deliberately, the heavy metal frames swung inward.
The iron groaned and shrieked one final time before the gates slammed shut with a deafening, metallic crash that vibrated through the very earth beneath their feet. The broken chain rattled against the bars, a sound that felt absolute, permanent, and entirely unavoidable. It was the sound of a trap snapping shut. It was as if the valley itself, or some unseen, ancient intelligence residing within the stone walls, had quietly, firmly decided that they belonged to this place now. They were no longer guests; they were residents.
And high above them, in a forgotten, dust-covered room hidden deep behind walls that time had forgotten, a dark shadow stood perfectly still beside the rain-streaked window. It did not move. It did not breathe. It simply watched the mother and child standing in the courtyard below, waiting with an infinite, terrifying patience.
Because some stories in this world begin the moment people make a conscious choice to enter a house. And some storiesâthe ones born from the dark folklores of an ancient landâbegin because the house has finally, patiently found the exact people it has been waiting for across the centuries.
Authors Note
DRUMROLLSSSSS đ„đ„đ„ Finally done with the first chapterrrrr yayyyyyy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Requests are closed, as I need to complete this series (it's long af đ)...
Y'all... this is officially my first ever horror AU đâ
I usually live in the land of angst, emotional damage, found family, and people staring dramatically into the rain, so writing actual horror had me side-eyeing my own draft at 2 amđ
Also, if the haveli starts giving red flags... trust me, it's only getting worse đ
Anyway, please be nice to me because I'm entering my horror era for the first time đ«ĄđŻïž
Happy haunting besties đ»âš
Send prayers for Zara and Zareena đđđ
âš Wrote this extra poetically because apparently horror wasn't enough and my brain decided to use every fancy word in its vocabulary đâ
I hope you enjoyed the spooky vibes, emotional damage and the unhealthy amount of metaphors and shashi tharoor level vocab đ» đ đâ ïž
I love you Uzair fics and the best friend Uzair ones are so hard to come by and I loved yours!! Canât wait for more
oh my goodness...im at a loss for words :o thank you so so much for this note!! I am so glad you're enjoying the fics <3 this is my first ever note and its making me so giddy and happy that you guys are enjoying the pieces, this means so so much mwah mwah mwah kisses
A/N:(I have a toxic relationship with this blog, I literally came back in a day even though I wanted to reset...oh well :D) this is absolute bs but take it as a peace-offering, apology gift, from my end for breaking your hearts with Sukoon(...thank YOU for all the LOVE HELLO??? IM SOBBING YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!) idk what else to say about this except đ€·ââïž anyway, wrote it super quickly or else I would have lost the idea :o as always be niceeeeee and ignore any spelling/grammar mistakes. okiiii byeeeee! <3
Genre: Uzair Baloch x Reader
Word Count: ~1000 words
*Disclaimer: all characters, topics, themes mentioned within this work do NOT affiliate with the plot and history of Dhurandar. This story does NOT glorify, support, and/or fantasise about the real-life equivalents(nor their action) of the movie characters aka Uzair Baloch, Rehman Dakait, and all else involved. Please be advised of its fictitious nature.*
Bestfriend!Uzair who is training Y/N how to use basic weaponry in the Baloch factory at 11:30 PM while a storm crashes outside because, according to him, "yeh zamana bahut kharab ho chuka hai."
Bestfriend!Y/N who yawns right in his face because this teaching moment could have waited for literally any other day. It's not like she's about to get jumped tonight.
Bestfriend!Uzair who is unimpressed by her slouched posture, damp hair from the rain, and heavy-lidded eyes that keep fighting sleep. Without another word, he grabs her by the sleeve and drags her deeper into the empty Baloch factory.
Bestfriend!Y/N who stands awkwardly in the middle of firearms while Uzair rants about different types of self-defense ammunition suitable for "someone like her" (whatever that's supposed to mean).
Bestfriend!Uzair who catches her dozing off while standing, clicks his tongue in annoyance, and fires a training round into a nearby target just to startle her awake."Uth aur dhyan se sun.." he says as she nearly jumps out of her skin. "Hamesha chaukana rhe. Kabhi bi, koi bhi aa sakte hai tere aas paas."
Bestfriend!Y/N who jerks upright immediately, eyes wide before narrowing into a glare aimed directly at Uzair, who is doing a terrible job of holding back his laughter.
Bestfriend!Y/N who doesn't hesitate to step forward to slap him. "Bada maza aa raha hai tujhe, kaamine" she grits out.
Bestfriend!Uzair who catches her wrist before her hand can connect and simply places a pistol in her palms instead. "Try kar."
Bestfriend!Y/N who stares down at the weapon and then back at him dumbfounded. "Tujhe goli maar doon?"
Bestfriend!Uzair who shrugs "Safety pe hai⊠Koshish kar ke dekh."Â
Bestfriend!Y/N who accidentally clicks the safety off while fumbling with the weapon and sends a shot off into the empty space beside him as he movesâmaking him flinch back on instinct. Whoops, she shrugs.
Bestfriend!Uzair who snaps immediately, jaw tight. âKuch karne ke layak hai tu?! Mujhe lag jaati toh? Idhar aa.â he orders.Â
Bestfriend!Y/N who drags her feet as she walks toward him, pistol still twirling in her hands carelessly.Â
Bestfriend!Uzair who grabs her wrist and yanks her into him and turns her around in one motion, her back pressed firmly against his chest as he sets her facing the empty space ahead.
Bestfriend!Y/N whose breath hitches as he locks her into place, his warmth caging her in and seeping through her cold skin.
Bestfriend!Uzair who takes her soft, cold hand in his, adjusts her grip, and wraps his fingers over hers before lifting the pistol toward the target ahead.
Bestfriend!Uzair who leans down slightly, voice gravely, low as he corrects her hold, speaking right beside her ear.
Bestfriend!Uzair who can faintly smell her due to their proximityârain and roses. Gentle, enveloping in a way he cannot give into. Ever.Â
Bestfriend!Y/N who freezes as his face moves even closer, his whisper grazing her ear and sending a shiver down her spine; the steady weight of his hands fully enclosing hers. She gulps.
Bestfriend!Uzair who slides his other hand to her waist to steady her, palm splayed across her stomach, his touch burning through the fabric and making her stiffen.
Bestfriend!Uzair who whispers something low under his breath, his beard faintly grazing at the nape of her neck as he adjusts her stance.
Bestfriend!Y/N who hears nothing. Too lost in the feeling of his calloused hands guiding her, the weight of his palm at her waist grounding her in place. His words brush her ear, but none of them register. Theyâre too close.
Bestfriend!Uzair who doesnât notice how still sheâs gone and pulls the trigger anyway, the sound startling Y/N back to reality.
Bestfriend!Y/N who jerks back in surprise at the shot, her body recoiling further into his hold.
Bestfriend!Uzair who instinctively tightens his hold to keep her from stumbling. For a second, neither of them move or breathe.Â
Bestfriend!Y/N whose eyes are wide, heart suddenly thudding loud enough that it may just burst out of her chest.
Bestfriend!Uzair who finally realizes she's not responding to a word he's saying. "Y/N?" He leans down to look at her.
Bestfriend!Uzair who follows her gaze only to find her staring determinedly ahead, at the far wall of the factory where the bullet has pierced through the target's heart. A smile tugs at his mouth. "Dar gayi?"
Bestfriend!Y/N who blinks back to reality and scoffs immediately. âBilkul nahi.â The lie is obvious as she pulls free from his hold and turns to face him defiantly.
Bestfriend!Uzair who leans down slightly, voice droppingâteasing, faces inches apart. âJhooti.â
Bestfriend!Y/N who nearly forgets how to speak. God. Since when did his voice sound like that?
Bestfriend!Uzair who keeps creeping closer, both their eyes dilated, the air between them suddenly thick with tense desire. One wrong moveâŠ
Bestfriend!Y/N who places the gun under his chin, stopping his antics and whispers âDobara meri raat kharab karne ki koshish kiâŠâ she digs the barrel deeper into his skin, slightly lifting his face to meet her eye-to-eye âto goli tere aandar hogiâÂ
Bestfriend!Uzair who flashes a cocky smirk at her confidence, proud of it. He raises his hands in mock surrender, eyes never leaving hers, and takes a heavy step back. An airy chuckle breathed out.
Bestfriend!Y/N who slams the gun against his chest, turns around with a huff, and walks out of the factory, heart still racing at whatever just happened.
Bestfriend!Uzair who clutches his chest, keeping the gun pressed where she left it, and calls out, âKaal raat. Same time. Yaad rakhiyo!â as he shakes his head in amusement while keeping his gaze locked on the way her hips sway into the night.Â
Tag list(if you would like to be added/removed please let me know!): @mrgrungusthefrog @luvvkk @debsreads21 @twinblueflamee @lakshana-ke-lakshan @bitchy-bi-trash @between-smoke-and-roses @obsessedwidskincare @roses-and-iron @precioussophia @mainyahaankyunhoon @nazmnotes @laal-pari @falakrazzaq @ishq-e-rehman @crimsontraditiongolem @kamalkafool @ppinkitten @mujhekoimarsbhejdo+ everyone-everywhere+allatonce
A/N: right so I hate this. like absolutely hate this. I will probably delete this. had to thug it out and finished it(took me three week btw) and its garbage but alas it is effort im not willing to let go. have fun reading it--if you guys hate it, feel free to let me know! if you oddly like it--well let me know too because I appreciate both perspectives. im truly exhausted but ive got some fun ideas cooking up of you guys if you all would still wanna read my work after this monstrosity :o enough of my rambling, please please enjoy this piece!
I high recommend listening to Saiyaara[Tanishk Bagchi], Javeda Zindagi[Kshitij Tarey], Jhol[Mannu], Nafrat[Darshan Raval], Duaa[Nandini Srikar] and any other sappy song as it will heighten your reading experience! please ignore any grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes and/or anything else that's faulty(I'm tired) okiii byeeeee mwah mwah mwah
Genre: Uzair Baloch x Reader
Word Count: ~5800 words
*Disclaimer: all characters, topics, themes mentioned within this work do NOT affiliate with the plot and history of Dhurandar. This story does NOT glorify, support, and/or fantasise about the real-life equivalents(nor their action) of the movie characters aka Uzair Baloch, Rehman Dakait, and all else involved. Please be advised of its fictitious nature.*
2 years. 730 days. 730 glances. 730 kisses. 730 smiles. 730 promises. The earth revolves around its sun twice in that frame. He, however, stood stagnant for the first time in 730 daysâ for he had lost his sun all together. Â
Uzair couldnât grasp when he had started taking her for granted but god, oh god, would he offer his bleeding heart at stake just to keep her.Â
Y/N sat impatiently on Uzairâs bed, draped in a simple black saree dusted with faint gold flecks that caught weakly under the bedroom light. It was her motherâs saree; Uzairâs favorite. Tonight was supposed to be theirs. Y/N had finally completed her third year of medical studies, Rehman bhaiâs years of labor within Lyari had finally begun bearing fruit, the kind sweet enough to let Uzair breathe on his own terms for once.
Yet somehow, he still couldnât.
The room sat heavy beneath the suffocating heat. Lyari was notorious for its clammy nights, but this felt different⊠artificial⊠as though the resentment Uzair held was seeping into the hot air locked within. Uzair paced slowly-footsteps uneven against the floor, phone pressed tightly against his ear while the veins on his arms protruded, hinting at his agitation during the call. One moment he was still by the window, the next he turned sharply again, dragging frustrated fingers through his damp, humidity-clung hair before snapping at the voice on the other end.
His jaw remained locked, grinding his teeth to halt the frustration threatening to spill out of him. Each exhale grew sharper than the last. Y/N followed every movement from the edge of his bed, hands fidgeting on her lap. At first, she watched him with concern. Then slowly, quietly, she sank into herself in understanding.
She had lost him to someone else yet again.
Three weeks. Three weeks since they had been allowed uninterrupted time together, and even tonight, when the world had finally slowed enough to hand them a few hours of peace, she sat waiting for him to finally look at her.
His kurta clung to his back with sweat as he halted by the window once more, completely consumed by the conversation refusing to end. The pale light from his phone sharpened the exhaustion beneath his eyes. He never noticed her stand as she pushed herself off the bed quietly, her saree brushed faintly against the floor tiles as she walked toward the bathroom in resignation.
The flickering bathroom light stung, highlighting the taunting reality of her state. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her curls had long since fallen loose, softened by the stuffiness and hours of waiting. The glitter around her eyes no longer caught light the way it had earlier. Her lipstick had faded nearly two shades lighter than before-applied carefully in hopes of leaving traces of herself across Uzairâs skin. Maybe behind his ear; across his jaw if he was lucky enough.
But only her efforts remained visible and this time she didnât bother fixing it.Â
Tonight, the chain felt sturdier than whatever held them together. She unclasped it slowly, wincing faintly when a strand of hair caught against the hook before slipping free.
From outside, she heard his curt âKhuda hafizâ followed by the rustle of fabric and the dull sound of pacing resuming almost immediately after. He was probably dragging his hands through his hair again, trying to regain control over whatever had stolen him away this time.
Y/N looked at herself one final time in the mirror. Less adorned now, easier to disappear into the night.
She stepped back into the room softly, and Uzair still hadnât looked up. She made her way quietly toward the bedroom door, fingers wrapping carefully around the handle, hoping to slip away without interruption.
âChalo. Waise hi time kaam hai.â Uzair directed, his eyes still fixed on his phone while his thumbs moved hurriedly across the screen. The collar of his kurta had darkened, a sign of his weariness, fabric wrinkled heavily around his forearm from how long he had held the phone there.
Y/N said nothing. Her fingers tightened around the handle again hoping to disappear. Only then did he finally look up.
âY/N?â agitation still lingered beneath his voice.
âHm?â she answered softly, turning toward him.
His gaze dropped immediately toward her hand curled around the handle.
âKahan jaa rahi ho?â
âGharâ she admitted quietly.
He looked at her. Really looked. Her hair, once curled neatly down her back, was now dull. A few strands frizzed around her face. Her lipstick had nearly disappeared. The glitter around her eyes no longer caught the light in his periphery.
Then his gaze shifted lower. Her neck was bare. His necklace was gone. Something about its absence irritated him even more.
âTum kahin nahi jaa rahi ho.â The firmness came slower now.
âUzair, main-â
âHum dono bahar jaane wale hain.â He adjusted his damp collar absentmindedly while stepping toward her, as though the night could still be salvaged if they simply continued where they had left off.
âDer ho gayi haiâŠâÂ
âKya?â he halted at her mutter.
âDer ho gayi hai.â a pause.
She pulled the bedroom door open not wanting to explain herself further, but Uzair reached it before she could leave, pushing it shut with a sharp thud against the frame.
âYeh kya befazool ka natak kar rahi ho? Jaa rahe hain na bahar?â he snapped at her, frustrated, as though she were the difficult one.
Y/N finally broke âNahi jana mujhe bahar! Samajh nahi aa raha ya phir behre ho?â
âKyun nahi jana? Huh? 5 minute kisi se baat kya kar li kaam ke baare mein, tum apna chehra mukaar logi?!â
â5 minute?! Yeh sab 5 minute ki rukawat thi?â She flailed her hands around the room to highlight their disheveled state.
âTo agar mera kuch kaam aa gaya, usme kya masla hai tumhe? Abhi bhi jaa sakte hain bahar⊠yahi chahti thi na tum?â His voice rose in agitation, reminding her that this had been her plan.
âEhsaan mat karo mujh pe. Bheek nahi maangi thi maine tumse⊠waqt guzarne ka mann tha, lekin tumhe fursat kahan hai humare liye?!â she countered, matching his level, yet shocked by his nerve. How dare he?
âFursat hai, issi liye tumhare saamne abhi khada hua hun.â He stepped closer to her in defiance, narrowing his eyes, daring her to continue this fight.
âMat khade raho phir! Waise bhi kya haasil-â
âMinaat kyun karwa rahi ho?! Raat khatam nahi hui haiâtumhe samajh nahi aa raha?! Thodi si der kya ho gayi⊠main nahi kar sakta tha isko ignore.â His tone rose while he attempted to bargain weakly.
âKar sakte the, Uzair.â
âTumhe zyada pata hai?â He snapped at her audacity.
She blinked, wounded by his insinuation; This conversation was spiraling.
âNahi⊠mujhe kuch nahi pata hai, lekin itna zaroor bol sakti hun ki tum humeinâŠâ she pointed between their heavy souls, ââŠprioritize nahi karte.â
âKy-â He faltered at her accusation, eyebrows drawn in disbelief. âKaam sambhal raha thaâ isme mujhse kaunsi galti ho gayi? Batao.â He seethed.
She knew he wouldnât listen to her words; far too prideful to engage, so she retreated. As always.
âKuch nahi hai batane ko. MainâŠâ she sighed and nodded apologetically, âmain jaa rahi hun apne gharâŠbaad main baat kar lenge⊠khayal rakhna.â She crossed past his shoulder and reached for the door handle.
âZyada nata-â
âUzair, bas!â she cried âBohot ho gaya. Nahi hota mujhse ab intezaar.â admitting agonizingly, blurry eyes meeting his unfocused ones. âZindagi ruk gayi hai meri tumhare peeche bhaag bhaag ke. Thak gayi hun main!â She finally faced him, pleading for relief.
âY/N-â he tried calling for her, shocked at her outburst.
âAur kitna wait karun mainâŠâ Her lips trembled, hoping heâd understand her plight.Â
Something flickered across his face at her admission: worry, fear. What did she mean? Red tinted his gaze as he stared at her worn-out frame, struggling to make sense of the pain she was insisting upon. Wait? Wait for what? He had always been there for her- day and night. Whenever she needed him. What more could she want from him? Everything was hers already.
These thoughts ached inside him, fueling his growing animosity for the wasted night even more. How could she dismiss his efforts so easilyâŠespecially when he was trying to make up for their lost time. Before his heart could make sense of anything, his ego took over, twisting her words into a misunderstanding he no longer wanted to address.
âTheek hai. Jana hai to jao. Main nahi rokunga.â
She finally took a breath in relief. He heard her for the first time.
âLekin tum aaj gayi, to phir wapas aane ki jurat mat karna.â He shrugged detachedly, hiding his trembling hands in the cold pockets of his kurta.
Y/Nâs eyes widened at his ultimatum. Did he justâŠHe did not mean that. He couldnât have.Â
âUzair tum yeh k-â she tried to amend but was only met with his averted gaze and taut shoulders.Â
Uzair couldnât have cared less to hear her out.Â
Her posture stiffened at his uninterest. He was far too old to be playing these games with her but if he wanted to end it right here-right nowâŠso be it.Â
âTheek hai. Behtar hoga,â she agreed curtly. This was it. âAb tumhe apna keemti waqt mujh pe zaya nahi karna padegaâŠâ she noted while exiting his room without turning back.
Uzair felt paralyzed at those words. He hadnât expected her to concede⊠shit.
The door remained slightly ajar, swaying faintly as the sound of her heels faded farther into the distance. He simply stood there, eyes foggy yet fixed on the spot where she had stood seconds ago. His heart recoiled-feet scrambling past his barricading bedroom door, hoping to catch the glimmer of his favorite saree and drag her back to him- beg for her forgiveness, but he was met only by the flickering candlelight decorating the haveli hallways.
His body had moved too late.
She was gone.
Y/N had leftâŠand he had let her.
Month 19 [Day 30] Lyari â Karachi, Pakistan
A month had passed by since that night. A month since he had seen her. heard her. held her. Uzair hadnât been functioning well since that hour. Restlessness clinging to his nerves- eyes frantically searching for her in everything he did.Â
Walking through the market with his bhabhi? He would lead himself astrayâstopping at the shops she was a regular at.Â
Driving past any hospital? He would slow down his jeep, hoping to catch her walking home after class.Â
Playing football with Faisal? He would miss the goal. Body unmoving; convinced she was nearby because he was being drawn by her perfumeâlillies.
Uzairâs descent to madness didnât go un-noticed. His friends found him taking detours during their drives- conveniently driving past her streets. Rehman bhai often caught him writing scattered syllables on work order receipts: her name etched in his conscience. Ulfat bhabhi noticed his worst: when the jittery tremors tugged him to her college. Every Wednesday. 6:30pm. Sharp. Making him wait outside the rusted metal gatesâa make shift hurdleâ just for a glimpse of her. A fleeting chance to have her back. Yet when his drunk form was dragged back into the haveli on those nightsâŠUlfat knew he had lost himself again.Â
Most nights heâd settle in his balcony, after the familial commotion had hushed. A cup of chai rotting cold on the table as two cookies lay limp in the trayâas though the accessories were chosen to lure her back to him. Heâd wait. Patiently. Succumbing to his guilt. Legs crossed on the sofa, cushion hugging tightly against his gnawing heart like a hopeful kidâfighting sleep in fear that he would miss her in case she did come back, to him the peace offering, during the silent hours. But she never did. And by dawn the chai and cookies were clearedâas was his himmat.Â
Uzair was running desperate. Her untouched jewellery glimmering under the dull bathroom light haunted his every sleep. How had he said those words so easily? Why didnât he take them back? What else could he do? He would give her space - he would give her anything, dammit, if only she would let him. If only he could find her again.
He had left no stone unturned in his search across Lyari, seeking her warmth like a shivering puppy, but it was as though she had vanished. Where was she?Â
He needed her.He needed her.He needed her.Â
And if there was a god kind enough to answer his every waking, pitiful prayer, then Uzairâs sukoon would be brought back to him.
Month 20 [Day 18] Lyari- Karachi, Pakistan
Wednesday [7:30PM]
Uzair sat on the veranda floor, his back pressed against the couch for support. It was the first Wednesday he hadnât rushed to her collegeâŠHis energy had long since faded. He nursed his second glass of whisky (a surprisingly small amount for him these days) while mindlessly turning her necklace between his fingers, its engraving mocking under the setting sun. Another month had passed without her. He wondered if she missed him as much as he did. Did she lie awake at night, haunted by their words? Maybe she had stood outside the guarded haveli gates, unable to make herself step inside.
Rehman bhai and Ulfat bhabhi exchanged quiet whispers behind him, glancing wary looks in his direction, but Uzair remained lost to it all. He sat numb to his surroundings, deciding that his sorrows were worth more than reality.Â
The haveli gates creaked as Dongaâs entrance boomed across the open area where the family was dispersing. He whispered short salutations across while making a headway straight towards Uzair, settling on the couch against which the lonesome boy was frozen. Donga tilted his head in curiosity as he took in his friendâs unmoving state. He gave a quick, unamused, glance over to a retreating Rehman before grabbing Uzair into a chokehold and vigorously shaking him around.
âUllu ke pathe, nikal iss dukh se-kitna rona dhona kaarega tu?â he loudly complained while giving Uzair a slap against the back of his head. Uzair just sat there, allowing himself to be swayed. Donga let go of the chokehold at Uzairâs lack of resistance with a sigh.
âAa jaye gi bhabhi⊠chinta mat karâŠâ his voice softened. âChal, bahar chalte hain.â He nudged while peering down to meet the wilted gaze staring blankly ahead. âWoh angrezi mein kehte hain naâŠâmy treat.â Waahi hoga.â he coaxed further, forcing a cheeky grin and clapping his back in encouragement , hoping to break Uzairâs trance. Uzair reluctantly nodded and stood up. Maybe going away from Lyari for a bit wouldnât be too terrible. Maybe his luck would finally shine. Maybe heâd come across her.
âWaise bha-â Donga continued, helping Uzair stand up when he was interrupted. Hamza stumbled through the entranceâwide-eyed. Breathless. panicked. His chest heaved violently beneath his kurta as he tried to find Rehman bhai, but Uzair barely noticed any commotion. His eyes locked onto the small red-tinted card crushed tightly in Hamzaâs fist.
Something inside Uzair was unsettled.What happened? Did Hamza find her? Was she finally back? Was that a note from her?
He slowly stepped toward Hamza, unable to quiet the frenzy building inside him. âWoh kya hai, Hamza?â he asked softly.
Hamza instinctively tried hiding the card behind his back. Unmissed. Why would Hamza do that?
âT-tere li-â
âHamza.â Uzair stepped closer. âHaath mein kya hai?â His voice came quieter this time.
Hamza looked toward Donga for help, subtly shaking his head no, as if warning him the conversation waiting ahead was not meant for Uzair to hear. Donga immediately picked up on it. Uzair stood between the two scheming men, eyes still glued to the red-colored paper hiding in plain sight.
âUzair bhai, iska chhoro na, hum cha-â The glare Uzair shot at him was enough. Stay out of this.
âMu band rakh.â Uzair snapped, gaze never leaving Hamzaâs.
Hamzaâs grip tightened around the now-crushed card, palm growing sweaty beneath it. Uzair continued stalking toward him slowly, hand extending out.
âBhai, meri baat sun le-â Hamza retreated backwards. One step. Then another. Trying to create space between them.
âKya chhupa raha hai tu mujhse?â Uzairâs agitation heightened with every step forward.
âTere liye nahi hai, baat samajhâ Hamza insisted weakly. But Uzair had reached his limit.
He grabbed Hamza by the collar roughly and shoved him against the nearest brick wall of the veranda. Hamzaâs breath hitched. Uzair stared into his dilated eyes, already knowing his best friend was hiding something pivotal. His grip tightened against the collar as he tried snatching the paper away, but Hamza quickly hid his hand behind his back.
That only enraged Uzair further. âHamze.â His jaw clenched. âHaath dikha.â
âMain nahi kar sakta⊠tere liye nahi hai yeh.â
âYeh kya bakwaas laga rakhi hai tune?!â Uzair barked, shoving him harder into the wall. âItni jaldi mein kyun bhaga andar aur card kyun chhupa raha hai?!â
Yet Hamza remained still. âRehman bh-â
âNahi hai yahan. Ab bol.â
âUzair, please meri-â
âDikha mujhe!â
Uzair pressed him harder against the wall, forearm tight across his neck before finally snatching the godforsaken paper from Hamzaâs hand.
Hamza immediately tried grabbing it back. Too late.
Uzair stepped back slowly, letting go of his captive as he unfolded the crumpled red card. Donga glanced toward Hamza, ready to intervene, but Hamza widened his eyes sharply at him. No.Not now.
âUzair, woh Rehman bhai ke liye ha-â Hamza tried again desperately.
âBol m-â Uzairâs words died the second the card opened fully in his hands. Gold lettering sewn delicately across the center.
Y/N
Weds
Fawad.
Y/N. His Y/N. WedsâŠ
The world went silent. Uzair stood frozen. Chest tight, breath hitched, fingers gripping the invitation for support. His heart had stopped, yet his mind ran rampant trying to make sense of the horror before him. Short breaths pulsed unevenly through him as the growing hollowness slowly spread through his being.
The card trembled faintly in his hands as his eyes dragged over the gold lettering again. Slower. Frequent. Burning. As if the words would disappear if he stared hard enough. Hamza noticed immediately, stepping forward to steady him, but halted the second he met Uzairâs ruined eyes.
âY-yehâŠâ his voice cracked softly. âKab?â ache carried through his tone.
âAajâŠâ Hamza swallowed.
Uzair felt his nerves tremble violently beneath his skin, mind incapable of accepting that his sukoon could ever do something like this.
Two months. Two months of waiting. Aimless drives. Bloodshot eyes fixed on empty roads. He had mapped out the entire land for her. Had not slept for her. Had barely lived. Only for the hope he followed to lead him here?
No. Nononononono. He wouldnât let this happen.Â
Before either of them could stop him, Uzair shoved past Hamza and stormed toward his jeep. âUzair!â Donga shouted after him.
The engine roared through the haveli grounds as Uzair tore into the streets, every thought leading back to her.
She would not walk towards that nikkah. Not unless it was him waiting at the altar. Not while he still had so much left to say. And not before she listened.
[8:45PM]--Karachi, Pakistan
Y/N sat before her vanity, wrapped in a soft maroon joda embroidered with gold that caught beneath the warm wedding lights. The scent of fresh lilies lingered around her as she adjusted her dupatta over her head, dark mehendi staining her hands, his name hidden within the patterns only meant for him.
For a moment, she truly looked at herself in the mirror. Adorned like every bride. Beautiful. Ready. Yet the ache settling deep within her chest didnât let her believe that she was truly getting married.
Every vow, every prayer, every promise she had ever held carried his name. The card should have said the same, but it couldnât. Not after that night. She hadnât spoken his name in a long time now, choosing instead to bury every memory of him somewhere deep enough that it wouldnât haunt her- because acknowledging him meant accepting that she had truly lost him.
Still, she remembered his words clearly. Spoken so easily. So dismissively. And no matter how desperately she tried to erase them, her rooh still ached for his warmth.
The realization tightened painfully around her chest as guilt slowly began to set in. Everything she had spent so long trying to build with him was now just an illusion- an alternate reality where she never reached. Â
A shaky breath escaped her lips. Her fingers curled tightly around the edge of the vanity as her thoughts spiraled faster than her mind could contain. The room suddenly felt too congested, too loud despite the silence ringing in her ears. Tears blurred her vision as panic settled beneath her skin. Maybe, just maybe, she wasnât destined for this night because she was losing herself againâŠto him.Â
Her bedroom door slammed open, the sound tearing through her thoughts and making her flinch in surprise. She glanced her teary gaze toward the mirror to check who had barged inâonly to meet a dark pair of eyes staring back at her.
His eyes.
Uzair Baloch.
Her breath hitched. For a second, she could only stare at his reflection, her chest heaving beneath the heavy jewelry resting against her skin. He looked almost unreal standing there, like a manifestation of every thought she was trying to forget.
Her grip loosened from the vanity. She squeezed her eyes shut, covering them with the heels of her palms as she shook her head in quiet dismissal. The faint tingling of her bridal jewelry echoed softly through the room, grounding her just enough.
This wasnât real. It couldnât be.
She sighed, hoping to clear away the tricks her mind was playing, but when her eyes flickered back to the mirror and caught his, she knew this wasnât her imagination anymore. Her eyes widened at his looming frame, hair longer now, shaggy, as if a testament of his chaos. She tracked her view back to his tired face, eyes unrelenting of their storm. She hadnât moved, couldnât bring herself to, just stared at him through the reflection.
âU-â
âTum shaadi kar rahi ho?â The suffocating silence shattered between them, his voice rough and breathless.
Y/N remained still, not trusting herself enough to stand, so she merely nodded meekly.
He stiffened at her confirmation-unbelievable. âNahi.â he ordered
Y/Nâs breath caught, brows furrowing in confusion.What was he talking about?
He sniffled softly, shaking his head as though trying to reject the reality in front of him before taking another step closer. Y/N slowly turned in her seat, watching him stalk toward her, confusion deepening with every uneven breath that left him.
âUzair?â
âChalo, ghar chaloâŠâ he beckoned impatiently. âTum yeh shaadi nahi kar sakti.â He still refused to properly look at her, his gaze restless, avoiding hers entirely while Y/N sat frozen, unable to process the absurdity of what he was saying.
âYeh kya-â
He finally looked at her. Eyes fierce. Unafraid
âSunai nahi deta? Uttho, ghar chalo.â He pointed at her yet she didn't break, irritation washing over her
âKya bol rahe ho tum? Kaunsa âgharâ? Andar ghuse kaise tum?â she retorted in agitationÂ
His jaw tightened instantly, tension coursing through his nerves -not appreciating her accusations as though he hadn't just given up everything to take her back- why was she turning this whole ordeal against him?
âHumara gharâŠâ he reminded firmly. âHaveli.â
A humorless scoff left her lips. âWo mera ghar nahi hai.â Her voice hardened. âNa kabhi tha. Na kabhi hoga.â
âKya bakwaas kar rahi ho-âHis tone sharpened immediately at her declaration. Because in his mind, the haveli had always belonged to her.
âPagal ho gaye ho tum?!â she finally snapped, pushing herself to her feet and stepping toward him. âKamre se bahar niklo.â she pressed, not in the mood to deal with his bullshit.Â
âMein pa-â
âBahar!â she yelled at him, grabbing his arm to force him toward the door, but before she could move him, his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist, pulling her back until barely inches remained between them.
The fire in his eyes was long gone, replaced with something unidentifiable. âKyunâŠâ he whispered looking down at her glossy eyes- dropping his heated guard.Â
âKya kyun?!â Â she pressed immediately, searching his face for the arrogance he had walked in with, but she couldnât find it anymore.
âKyun kar rahi ho yeh shaadi?â His hand still burned against her wrist.
âMeri maarzi, rishta aaya tha, acha lad-â
âJhoot..â
âKya matlab jhoot?!â she snapped, yanking against his hold. âTumhe kya pata hoga?! Uss raat tumne mujhe nikala tha!â She tried pulling her wrist free again, but his grip only tightened.
âDo manhineyâŠpuri layari ukhardi tumhare liye ki pata nahi kiss kone mein tum mujhe wapis miljaogiâ he admitted painfully, his grief stricken eyes never leaving hers
Her words died in her throat, anger simmering down as she witnessed him surrender. Why was he telling her this? Why would it matter now?
âGalti ho gayi thiâŠâ he whispered hoarsely. âMaafi mangna chahta tha-â
âBas, Uzair.â
âMera sukoon cheen liya tumne jis raat tum chali gayi.â Y/Nâs face twisted instantly.
âC-chali gayi?â she repeated in disbelief. âTumne mujhe jaane ko bola tha!â
âHo gayi galti mujhse!â he snapped suddenly, his voice rising again. âMujhe pachtawa hai uss baat ka! Har roz kosta hoon apne aap ko!â
âTo apne ghar jake pachtao, meri zindagi aur maat kharab karo!â she tugged her gripped wrist again, finally setting herself free
He blinked at her audacity- her insinuation that he was the reason for her short-falling life, that it was him for all her failures
âApni zindagi tum khud kharab kar rahi ho!â he fought harder trying to make her realize that this marriage would ruin her even more
âTumhe kyun fikr hai?!â
âMohabbat karta hun tumse.â he admitted angrily, inching closer towards her.
She scoffed. âKaisi mohabbat? Woh mohabbat jisme tum mujhe apna waqt nahi de paate the? Ya phir woh jisme tumne mujhe kabhi suna hi nahi?â
Her lips trembled, eyes welling up, as she took a small step back. âNafrat ke layak hai tumhari mohabbatâŠâ
His heart seized. The tears gathering in her eyes hurt far more than her words ever could. Because for the first time, he realized she looked at his love and saw nothing worth fighting for.
âAise maat bolo. Kya nahi kiya tumhare liye maine, hm? Apna pura wajood tumahre saamne rakh diya tha maineâ he emphasized âChalo mere saath, tumhari haar bat sununga, tu-main-â he stepped closer, unable to pour his feelings into words frustration bleeding through.Â
He grasped her mehndi clad hands again, placing them right above his staggering heart. âMere dil ki dhadkan ho tumâŠyeh kya rahega tumhare bina?..â tears spilled through her eyes as she took in his every confirmation, his every loyal word, hand clutching his creased kurta as he continued âmain wada karta hunâŠbaas tum he kush dekhna chahta hunâ aapni sukoon ko wapis lana chahta hunâ
âKya faida iss wade ka?!â she cried. âJab main roz tumhara intezaar karti thi tab kahan thi yeh mohabbat?â Her hand tightened against his kurta. âKaise khush reh sakti hoon main tumhare saath agar tum mere saath rahoge hi nahi?â The words struck him harder than anything she'd said that night. Because her anger had been replaced by fear. Years of it.
âAaj ho...â her voice cracked. âKal nahi.â
Uzair froze. Y/N shook her head, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.
âKya guarantee hai, Uzair?â she whispered brokenly. âKya guarantee hai ke tum mere saath hamesha ke liye hoge?â Silence swallowed the room. And suddenly he understood. This was never only about the missed time. It was about every conversation that felt like it could have been their last.Â
Y/N let out a tired broken laugh. âMain aisi zindagi nahi bita sakti.â Her fingers loosened against his kurta. âTum gaye toh mera kya hoga?â she questioned- trying to make him realize that his promises fell flat in front of their crumbling reality.Â
Uzairâs anger showed his rational yet again this night- not willing to negotiate her loss âek muka to do-â
âMuka tha! Pechele do saal se muka tha! Tumne wo gawaya-â she jabbed her finger against his rising chest âaur kya chahate ho tum mujshe- kya hai mere paas tume dene ko?!âÂ
âMaat karo yeh shaadi.â he begged harshly, eyes frantically searching hers.Â
âUza-â she tried to call in exhaustion
âMarr jaunga main!â The room fell silent at his pain and vulnerability. Uzair's chest heaved. âNahi jee paunga apne aap ke saath...â he whispered brokenly. âKhali hoon main...â
She looked at him with a hard-stareâwhy now? Why had he chosen to say this now? 2 years. 730 days. 730 opportunities he was given to reassure Y/N that she was his for life. Why? now.Â
Anger. Hurt. Remorse bubbled as she struck back âMarro.â The word left her lips in a whisper. Then louder. âJao. Marro phir!â Her palms slammed against his chest. again and again and again âKyun khade ho mere saamne?!â Another shove. âJao na!â The lilies slipped from her haath phool one by one, scattering across the floor. Glass cracked beneath their feet as part of her chooda shattered from the force of her movements, but she didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Her tear-filled gaze never met him as she kept pushing him. Kept hitting him. Forcing months of grief, years of disappointment on to him with every hit.
And Uzair let her. He didn't stop her. Didn't grab her wrists. Didn't move away. He simply stood there and took it. As though he deserved every blow.
âAab batane ka kya faida?! Gaya humara waqat! Nahi wapis aayga-â she rambled as she continued to trash against him, tiredâher light dimming.
Uzair inhaled sharply before finally catching her moving wrists, gently lowering them to her sides. She didn't resist. Didn't have the strength to as she sobbed helpless.
His arms wrapped around her before he could stop himself. One hand cradled the back of her head, pressing her gently against his chest while the other rubbed slow circles across her back.
And Y/N broke. She wept into his warmthâmouring what could have been tonight.Â
The duo remained frozen, unable to move from each other's grasp, longing for this moment for months now. Uzair held her tighter as though keeping her close would maybe make her feel the true essence and worth of all the words he had confessed tonight.Â
The heavy silence stretched between them. Resting his chin on top of her dupatta-covered head, Uzair glanced down at the destruction surrounding them. Her makeup ruined. Lilies scattered across the floor. The scent of them slowly fading with every shaky inhale. Broken pieces of chooda glinting beneath the wedding lights.
Uzair swallowed hard, maybe in guilt, maybe in exhaustion. Maybe because for the first time in his life, he had no idea how to fix something. He let out a deep sigh and whispered a final plea in the air âY/NâŠâ the words lost in defeat
Y/N hiccupped against his chest. The night that was meant to celebrate her future had instead forced her to mourn the one she had always wanted. Her throat burning raw from all the words. She didn't fight his hold. Didn't fight his plea. She couldnât. He had taken her very last breath.Â
âNahi hai aur himmat.â she whispered hoarselyÂ
 âPlease. Jaane do mujhe.â
Uzair shut his eyesâŠknowing it was his time to retreat. He could not believe that loving him had become a burden to her; not when he had spent every waking moment of the past two years trying to brighten the only life that fueled his own. How could he let her go though? After everythingâŠ
He pulled away, looking at her streaked face intently. God, even now, looking at her face brought back his sukoon. He gently wiped her face, erasing their history one tear at a time. She let him. He tucked the fallen pieces from her bun which framed her anguished face behind her ear. She let him. He lifted her chin upwards, moving her face to meet his, both of their gazes bare of all their burdens.Â
Y/N was a bride but not his brideâŠ
Uzair took hold of her now-empty wrist, his touch cold, as he led her towards her bedroom door, his steps crunching over the glass of her broken bangles.
Y/N looked at him warily, panic settling at his unknown movements. She tugged at his hand to free herself, but his grip only lingered.
âU-uzairâ she called out, continuing to tug as he led her through her homeâs hallway.
âY-yeh kya kar rahe ho tum, Uzair⊠mera haath chodoâ she repeated as he weakly dragged her down the stairs, through the awaiting crowd.
Her fear grew as he remained silentâpassing the staring aunties, passing Hamza, who had followed his best friend, helpless, unable to stop him either.
âUzair! Pl-â her words stumbled as he finally released her hand, placing her at the edge of the embroidered carpet that led to her mandap.
âMain tumhara hoon. Hamesha tha. Hamesha rahungaâ he reminded her, broken. And she couldnât do anything but stand in the weight of it.
âJao. Karlo nikaah. Nahi rok paaya tumheâŠâ he whispered as Hamza stepped in, trying to pull him back faintly, âlekin yaad rakhna⊠haveli ke darwaze hamesha khule rahenge⊠aur main intezaar karta rahunga.â
âGhar hai woh tumhara.â he declared in finality, glancing down at her deeply stained mehndi hands, as Hamza pulled him away.
Y/N followed their every last move⊠until his presence disappeared behind the lavishly decorated gates.
And he did not look back. Not once.
Not knowing Y/Nâs mehendi had hidden his name all along.
Summary: It passed. You will become a new person again and you will be loved the way you want to be.
A/N: final part guys!!! also if u have any requests for udaybir please let me know! I'll try my best to write about others as well but please lmk. this entire chapter is just one scene lol. i really recommended listening to muse by esha tiwari while reading this.
Word count: 8298
first chapter second chapter
You dreaded the rest of the day as you dragged yourself to the shower and back out to make yourself look atleast somewhat presentable. This wouldn't have been a problem if a certain man just loved you. But alas, you couldn't blame him. Have you seen you?
You grabbed your car keys and somehow drove up to his apartment.
Going up the lift, you thought about how to act. Should you be acting nonchalant? Indifferent maybe? You didn't know.
The lift dinged open as you walked up to his flat and knocked.
There was no answer.
You knocked once again, and pulled the handle to see it was unlocked. You walked into his apartment as you heard a couple laughs that sounded..awfully feminine.
To say your heart dropped would be an understatement.
From where you stood, you couldn't be seen. But you could see him.
Udaybir and some woman sat in his balcony with cups in their hands as they laughed and talked about something.
You had never seen him laugh like that with you. Hell, you'd never shared a proper cup of tea either.
The woman was gorgeous. Waist length raven black hair and striking eyes, she was a sight to see. No wonder he'd fall for her.
You walked in a little further unknowingly and suddenly Udaybir turned to see you.
His smile dropped a little and came back full fledged again as he whispered something to the girl who turned to look at you too, in almost a...knowing look?
They both stood up as they came out of the balcony. She easily stood at 5'9 at the least, much taller than you. You understood, you thought. Why would he compromise his awesome height genes for a 5 feet nothing woman?
They both hugged each other as she turned and waved at you, passing you a million dollar smile. You heard the door click close as you walked to the balcony, leaning on the railing.
"Ye thi woh?" you asked, not looking away from the view.
"Kaun?" he acted confused. You ignored his question as a result as he sighed and leaned his back on the railing on the wall opposite to where you were standing.
"Kaun thi woh?"
"Koi manager. Koi photo shoot hai South Africa mai. Bata rahi thi."
"Bohot acha photo shoot hoga jo itna hass rahe the." you tried to keep the humor flowing through your words. But that was quite hard, considering how badly you wanted to just grab him and kiss him.
You both were silent for a few moments m None of you said anything, letting the wind flow through your hair. What would you even say?
"Oh, I'm actually in love with you since the past year and I want to hopelessly devote myself to you. What's for lunch by the way?"
"Uday?" you weren't sure if he was looking at you. But you felt his attention n you.
"Agar koi hoga toh tu mujhe batayega na?" you asked quietly. Keeping your voice from cracking and immense pain seeping in was hard. But you managed. You left out the 'aur'. Because you weren't anyone to him, let alone someone. You weren't privilaged enough to ask about someone 'else'.
"Hai koi." you could hear your heart cracking into a million different pieces. You knew this day would come. You knew it. Why were you still so disappointed?
You forced a bashing laugh and tried to keep disappointment out of your voice.
"She's pretty."
"Who?"
"The girl. That was here."
"Well, yeah." if you heard another crack, that was another piece of your heart breaking. The back of your eyes stung with tears as you struggled to keep your voice steady.
"When were you gonna tell me?" you said. Anger seeping into your voice. You were many things, but you weren't a homewrecker.
"I-I just..I had to find a way to tell you. I couldn't just dump everything on you. I dont want to ruin our friendship."
"What friendship, Uday?" you whipped around to face him. "We aren't friends. We're fuck buddies."
"You should've told me if there was some girl who you love. It's not like I own you, I wouldn't have done anything. Just left."
"Wha-" he seemed genuinely confused.
"Can you just tell me what you need help with so I can get done with it and leave?" agitated, you started walking back into the house, when you felt a hand wrap around your wrist and pull you in.
You stumbled as you used his shoulders as leverage to balance yourself. He was still standing with his back leaned to the railing, except now he had you in his arms.
"Uday, kya kar raha hai?" you tried to free yourself of his grip, which only tightened the more you struggled.
"Tujhe lagta hai mai us ladki ko pasand karta hu?"
"Aur nahi toh kya? Itna hass raha tha." you tried to keep the jealousy at bay.
He laughed, eyes flicking down to your lips.
"Pagal aurat. Shaadi shuda hai woh."
You looked up at him with scrunched eyebrows and looked away immediately. From how close you were, you could feel his breath on your face.
"Raat ko jab sota hu na, tu mere sapno mai aati hai. Mere paas soti hai. Uth ti hai. Har din kaam karke aata hun aur tere paas so jaata hu."
You looked at him in utter shock. You weren't in the state of mind to tell him that you thought of the exact same thing.
"Mere saath bahar ghoomti hai. Jahaan jaate hai waaha pyaar dikhata hu tujhe. Tere ishaaron pe naachta hu main. Tu joh bolti hai woh khareed deta hu. Jo bolti hai woh karta hu."
"Pyaar karta hu tujhse." you swallowed thickly as a gasp left your mouth. You opened your mouth to speak but nothing really came out.
"There's no one you were talking about in the car, was there?" you shook your head hesitantly, not trusting yourself to speak.
He leaned in a little closer.
"The first time I went outside and I thought looking at a dress ki, 'ye uspe accha lagega', ushi din pata chal gaya tha ki tere liye mai sab kuch khone ke liye taiyyar hun."
"Bas tu nahi. Tujhe kho dunga na, toh jaan jaise chali jaayegi. Ek din tujhe dekhe beger rehta hu toh lagta hai jaise kisine dil pe pathad rakhdiya ho."
He must have noticed how quiet you were listening to all this.
"Kuch toh bol. Chilla de merepe. Thappad-wappad maar. Do chaar gaali hi dede. Bol ki mai paagal hu. Chutiya hu. Tere laayak nahi hu." his voice cracked slightly. "Chup toh mat reh."
You couldn't stop your bottom lip from wiggling. Tears stung your eyes as you struggled to keep your voice steady.
"Bohot pyaar karti hu tujhse, Uday." you caressed his face with the softness of a long time lover.
"Ek second nahi jaata jab mai tere baare mai nahi soch rahi hoti hu."
"Bas dost ke naam pe dosti rakhti hu tujhse. Warna toh kabki tod li hoti." you both giggled like little girls as you sniffled.
However you couldn't really stop the bitterness from entering your bones. All those months of pining made you sour about your feelings for him.
You couldn't help it as a tear escaped your eye and grief overcame over you again. A sob tore apart your throat as you tried to make sense of how many times you'd given up so many things for him. And how many times you'd do it again.
Udaybir couldn't stop the guilt from etching his face either.
"Do you know how many nights I've cried myself to sleep because of you?" another sob broke through you.
"Literally beside you. While you made me think you'd never love me the way I do." you hit his chest weakly as you cried.
"You made me think like I was unworthy." he grabbed your head and buried it in his chest as you sobbed ugly.
"I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry. I'll be making it up to you for the rest of our life. I promise. You'll never feel like this again."
You looked up from his neck, eyes flicking down to his pink lips. They looked so inviting, especially when you just wanted to kiss him silly since the part year.
"Why have you never kissed me, Uday?" you decided to ask the burning question.
"I thought I'd fall in love if I did. But I fell in love either way."
You chuckled as he swiped his thumbs on your cheeks to wipe your tears. For a moment you just stared at each other before you heard Udaybir whisper 'fuck it' under his breath.
He put his hand on the side of your neck, thumb stroking your cheek, and smashed his lips against yours. He poured his entire soul into it. His jealousy, his love, his lustâeverything. Your hands came up to his biceps as you tried to keep yourself steady.
You could feel another fresh batch of tears coming in as you felt the emotions from his lips. You both moved in a sort of rhythm was only understood by people who have loved each other for so long that they cannot keep away.
You both pulled away to catch your breath a little. You then shamelessly grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back to another kiss. His hands tightened on your waist as you let out a small moan when he slipped his tongue into your mouth.
Your tongues mushed together as you tried to make sense of why you'd never done this before. One of his hands drifted your waist up to your face and your hands dragged down from his neck to his chest.
The noise he made at that was downright unholy. A low, deep groan that reverberated through your entire body and sent a jolt down your core.
It was poetic, really. Two lovers, if you could even call it that, kissing for the first time. The only difference was, it didn't feel like there were any fireworks in the background or anything. No crazy screaming or anything.
It was calm.
It was steady.
It was a type of quiet that you only imagined in books and movies. A comfortable type of quiet that someone lives in with someone else when they've known each other for so long that they don't know the world without each other.
You pulled away as he rested his forehead against yours. You both closed your eyes and just felt the heat of the moment. You opened your eyes to see Udaybir's eyes already trained on your.
You raised your eyebrows at him as if to ask 'what?'. He shook his head and chuckled.
"You're so beautiful. I can't believe I didn't do this before."
You both giggled like teenagers as you grabbed his face and rubbed your noses together.
"Ab tumhe kahi nahi jaane dunga. Apne haathon mai basa ke rakhlunga bilkul."
You laughed softly as you felt his racing heartbeat through his shirt. He kissed your forehead lightly.
It passed. You didn't have to imagine another universe where he loves you and only you. You didn't have to pry away the thought of him with another woman prickling at you every moment.
Summary: You and Udaybir have had an arrangement for a while now. When one day things get a little too domestic at your apartment, you start to wonder about some things. And then you figure out something horrifying about yourselfâyou are in love. And it definitely is not reciprocated.
Warnings: suggestiveness.
A/N: I'll try to fit this into a two shot. But this is already really long lol. This is not a part of DDECM. Just a random 2 shot. It's 1am pls excuse the typos and mistakes.
Word count: 9883
Sleepless nights weren't really strangers to you. They are almost a friend. You would often find yourself laying awake, staring at the ceilings, wherever you were. You would close your eyes for a moment and try to sleep, but then an unsupervised thought would come crash into your brain and poof. No more sleep. You didn't really realise when things did a 180 on you. Where you would sleep in cars playing loud music, all of a sudden you couldn't even sleep when it was as quiet as a lion's den. You just waited for your brain to start making you feel like shit again.
Tonight was no different.
You laid awake on your side, your eyes shifting to glance at the clock on the wall to see what time it was. It was about 10 minutes left to 2am. The soft snores from beside you continued as you started overthinking again.
He doesn't really like me, does he?
You can't fucking ask him out. You agreed to this. When about 10 months ago you and Udaybir agreed to this arrangement, you knew of the unspoken rules:
1. No falling for each other.
2. No kissing. You weren't sure why this was a rule. You just assumed it was like this because he had never kissed you in the entire time you'd been..doing whatever this was.
3. No possessiveness. No one can stop each other from fucking others. It seemed like this wasn't that bad of an idea for about the first 4 months. Then you realised all of a sudden how he was rarely ever spotted with another girl. You were definitely just overthinking this too, but this was still just an unspoken rule. Maybe this pussy just too good.
4. No staying the morning after. None of the 'making breakfast together' bullshit. Another arrangement that lasted only about 2 months. One day, he came over, then he came (pun intended) and then because of how much you both tired each other out, he just fell asleep next to you. You had nearly forgotten how the next morning to his hand on your waist and completely freaked out, but decided to not go back to that memory again. It wasn't a healthy thing to think about your friend (with benefits)
5. No one could know. He was a model and stuff. How could he be keeping his reputation up by roaming with a mediocre girl like you? That was what you thought until he practically dragged you to an event he had to go to, as a plus one. You didn't know why he didn't take some of the prettier girls he knew. He said something along the lines of, "I know you the best." and, "You know me more than any of those people. Plus I'm not sleeping with the others, I don't know why you keep thinking that." You weren't sure why you vividly remembered the second part, but you refused to believe it.
6. You don't remember the rest. The lines blurred too quickly, atleast for you.
He didn't seem to be bothered by anything much. He was still the carefree guy with a big dick who you fucked pretty often. Even if he had some inner turmoil within himself, none of it showed on his face.
You didn't really know how to feel about that.
You remember it, vividly. The day you fell. Hard.
___________
You let out a frustrated groan as your phone pinged with another mail. You were on leave today, did these people not fucking understand?
Maybe this day wouldn't have to come if your shitty boss didn't fucking yell at you infront of a room full of people. The only reason you were staying in this firm at all was because of the fat paycheck.
It had been a small mistake, a result of slight misunderstanding and miscalculations. You had interchanged the first draft of a merger out for the second one since you felt the second one was better. It wasn't that you didn't have liberty to do that either. Just, your boss was frustrated that the first one hadn't been shown first. At the end of the meeting, she explained how she actually really liked the second draft and didn't need to see the first one.
Maybe she could've held on to the yelling then.
You couldn't keep the burn of tears behind your eyes as you rushed to the bathroom and broke down. You noticed how she never snapped like that at the prettier employees. You weren't sure if that was a looks thing or if she was gay or something.
Especially because you weren't the one who literally spelled the name of the merger wrong. On the official document. You'd convinced yourself it was because the other girl was much more youthful looking. Longer hair, smaller face, prettier voice. Taller.
Yes, later you learned that that girl was literally her niece but whatever. Still was grounds for a good ass whooping.
You'd been home the entire day and kept trying not to constantly spill your tears. You didn't have any energy to cry anymore. Maybe it was nearly the date for your period. You phone pinged again and you saw a message from Udaybir. You weren't really in the mood to get dicked down. And he wasn't the type to do emotional conversations. You and him both knew that you weren't the type to decline some good ass dick, so this surprised the both of you.
Udaybir
Hey pretty.
Can I come over?
You
hey lol
im not really in the mood
rain check?
Udaybir
Yeah no worries
You okay?
You
peachy wbu
Udaybir
You don't sound fine
You
we're texting
where did you hear me
Udaybir
Oh shut up ykwim
You
lol
im good dw
Udaybir
I'm going to worry because you would've sent atleast 9 stickers by now
What's going on?
You
Uday im fine
how are you tho
Udaybir
Peachy too
I'm gonna go
Got some work
You
yeah sure bye
Udaybir reacted â€ïž to "yeah sure bye"
He sounded disappointed. You almost debated on going back on your word and just calling him over and get done with it. But you decided against it because you would probably start sobbing in the middle of it. And you were not a pretty crier. Nor were you stupid enough to open up emotionally to him just yet. You had gone on multiple meetups, that you refused to call dates, where you let him in your heart just a little. And him too. But that didn't really matter too much.
Between another session of sulking and trying not to absolutely break again, you heard a knock on the door. Who the hell could it possibly be at this hour? Nevermind, it was just 6pm. Maybe ironing? You made sure to check the hidden pepper spray spot before you walked up to the door. You peeked through the keyhole and you saw Udaybir standing there.
A surge of anger rushed through you. You didn't expect him to show up even after you said no. Why the hell was he here then?
You opened the door. He looked up and smiled at you. You raised your eyebrows in question. He was still in work attire, a simple light blue untucked button up and black dress pants, meaning he came straight from work. Was he really this desperate?
He walked past you into your house as he lifted up two packets of something.
"Brought your favourite chopsuey. Aaj pata hai discount mai mila? Woh bhi 40%. Lag raha hai jaise jackpot jeet liya ho." he chuckled, putting the bags down on your table.
The way he moved through your apartment with such practiced ease squeezed your heart a little.
"I thought I told you not today?"
"I'm not here to fuck, Y/N. Hum ab bhi dost hai. Mujhe apne doston ki parvah hoti hai."
The words 'since when?' hung between you as you gravitated towards the packet that contained your chopsuey. You admitted that you were a little hungry. Before you could reach for your food, Udaybir snatched the box from your hands.
"Lekin pehle, tum mujhe bataogi ki tumhe kya hua hai aaj. Fir khaana peena."
"Oh, come on." you groaned.
"No. You tell me first."
"Fine." you launched into an angry rant about yesterday. At the end of it, you had lost your appetite again.
"You want solutions or you just want me to listen?"
"I just want you to listen." you continued as he listened to you attentively.
He nodded at each word you spoke. He cracked jokes in between to lighten the air a little and you were surprised it worked.
When you were finally done, you felt a lot lighter. You didn't tell him how fucking ugly you felt near those other women, or how you thought about how you almost always looked down when one of the those other girls walked beside you outside.
The moment you started thinking about it again, was probably the breaking point. You tried hard to keep your tears in check, coughing in between to cover up the voice cracks. But Udaybir noticed. He noticed everything.
"You know I'm not your boss, right? You can cry, Y/N."
2 hours of unshed tears made their way to your eyes. Your throat closed up as a choked sob escaped your mouth. You buried your face in your hands to not provide him with the displeasure of your crying face.
He pulled you by the back of your neck to his chest. Your cries were muffled by the the shirt that you were most definitely ruining with your tears.
"It's like I'm never enough. For anyone. Or anything." you cried.
"You're enough. You're enough for someone. Always, I promise."
His hand rubbing your back and the other one caressing your hair to soothe you were working really well. You calmed down after about 15 minutes of just ugly crying.
You pulled away from his chest and looked away immediately. He didn't need to see you like this.
He held your chin and turned your face back to him. Wiping your tears, he pressed a light kiss on the top of your head. It all felt too intimate. You weren't sure when 'dont stay till the next morning' became 'getting take out for my friend who I'm having sex with'. You looked up to see him already looking at you. The evening sun shone right behind his head from the window and gave him sort of an angelic look.
You didn't think he had looked better than this before. The sun shone on his face and lit it up like the sunshine. The orange sky in contrast to his dusky skin made him look almost like a God. You could see his lips moving, but couldn't hear him. His hair was tousled and messy, lightening up like a halo. His brown eyes looked more hazel now. They were as bright as the times he would tell you about how much he missed his village. And when he ate the pasta you cooked.
The sunlight between the lines on his face made him look almost 10 years younger. Had he always been so beautiful?
You got knocked back into reality when he pulled away to reheat the food. You stared at his back. Why was this so normal for him? How was he so normal about just strutting through your house in his work clothes? Nothing about this was friendly. It was too domestic. Too lovey dovey. Too much of something you couldn't name yet.
You suddenly thought about how things would change when he would get a girlfriend. Bile rose up your throat as you thought about the kinds of women he talks to. What the hell was he even doing with you? There was so much better out there. There was no way you were what he wanted. Maybe he was having sex with others. But he never told you about them? Maybe he just didn't want you to know. He was slightly aware of your insecurities. Maybe he was just being nice.
No, you couldn't think this way. He was never yours. You will never be his. You didn't do this jealousy-love stuff. You weren't jealous, you were simply making an observation.
But the way he held you today scared you. It wrapped a large hand around your heart and squeezed the very part which held a soft corner for him. You couldn't keep your mind off of how his hands wrapped around your waist and how they caressed your hair, even when he brought you your food and sat beside you telling you about his day. Telling you about his day? When was that so normal?
There were so many things wrong with this. You and him would never work. You, the awkward, self deprecating girl who was sure she looked desperate. And him, the charismatic, walking sex god. You were vastly different. He would be embarrassed to even walk with you outside.
Your chest physically hurt as you thought back to the many times you'd given in to him. You thought about how if he was in a situation like yours tomorrow, you'd drop everything for him. You'd give up so much to hold him close and to caress his hair the same way he did to you and kiss him all over his face. Twice on his lips maybe. Maybe a third for good luck. Maybe a fourth because you loved him so much.
A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you so much for all the love and support shared on my first piece- I truly felt spoiled! You guys are the sweetest community ever (and funniest too :D) Iâm truly so glad that you all enjoyed my work. Special thank you and love to everyone in my comments(you guys were so cutie- this one is dedicated to youuuu <3), @mainyahaankyunhoon , and @mrgrungusthefrog for re-blogging the post (donât know how it works but you guys are amazing for doing so!) Here is another long piece for you lovelies- the concept was there figuratively but Iâm not 100% confident with its execution so be niceeee again and ignore any grammar and/or spelling mistakes. (P.S. not sure how tagging people or post-visibility on tumblr works but hopefully this reaches its audience) okiii, byeeee!
Genre: Uzair Baloch x Reader
Word Count: ~3600 words
*Disclaimer: all characters, topics, themes mentioned within this work do NOT affiliate with the plot and history of Dhurandhar. This story does NOT glorify, support, and/or fantasise about the real-life equivalents(nor their action) of the movie characters aka Uzair Baloch, Rehman Dakait, and all else involved. Please be advised of its fictitious nature.*
Uzair was never one for love. Heâd never experienced love firsthand enough to seek it. To him, love was subjective. People in love were fools, especially men like him whose lives were nomadic, unpredictable, and rash. But his aversion(s) never stopped him from playing around town⊠Not when his bhabhi constantly pushed him to settle down and start his own legacy, not when most girls in town already knew of his scandalous reputation, not when he had nothing left to lose to his banjara-pan until he came across her.
Only vaguely, for a soothing second, but that blink was enough to rattle his adrenaline-dependent heart. It was a fleeting moment⊠She stood off to the side with her back turned toward the haveli, giggling softly with Yalina, clad in a white anarkali (matching his white kurta), luscious gold embroidery trailing down her sleeves before meeting the delicate hand chain adorning her wrists and fingers. Faint traces of mehndi hid beneath the gold. Uzair didnât have the sharpest of eyes, but from his balcony, everything about her seemed painfully clear. The soft scrunch of her nose in disbelief at whatever Yalina was saying, the way loose strands had escaped her braided bun and swayed in the warm night breeze, and how she kept smoothing them back into place⊠How she shifted between her feet, her payals chiming softly with every restless movement as Yalinaâs words didnât catch a break. She radiated against the darkened sky. She was his sunlight. No⊠sunlight was too harsh for someone like her (her glow could never burn his sore eyes). She was his moon, reflecting an ethereal peace over him that slowed his racing heart.
Uzair hadnât even noticed when Hamza stepped beside him, far too lost in the sight of his chand. He could swear the stars themselves dimmed in jealousy whenever she entered the room, and why wouldn't they? She was perfect, wrapped in a sparkle only a select few were blessed with, and God had truly taken time blessing her with a radiance unlike any other, a light capable of setting even a man like Uzairâs heart on fire.
An angel.
âKya dekh raha hai?â Hamza asked, trying to follow his line of sight, but he couldnât pinpoint what his best friend was staring at.
âPariâŠâ he replied absently.
âHuh?â Hamza frowned at him. Was he going insane? âPaagal ho gaya hai? Raat ko kaunsi pari dikh gayi tujhe?â But Uzair barely heard him, still lost in her.
She shifted slightly to her right, revealing more of her glowing face, and Uzairâs breath hitched. Her cheeks were tinted pink with a subtle sheen to them, as if rose-kissed. God, could she get any more beautiful? He noticed the delicate gold jhumkis brushing against her skin every time she turned her head. He found that the soft clink of her earrings echoed around him. The more his gaze lingered on her, the deeper he fell for the unknown deity standing only meters away. He was just about to catch the sound of her voice when a sharp smack landed against the back of his head. The sting rang through his ears, jolting him from his trance. He turned sharply toward the source of the blow only to find his thoroughly unamused friend lowering his hand back to his side.
âGir ja issi balcony se jitna tu aage jhuke ja raha haiâ Hamza muttered, watching his friend lean dangerously over the railing.
Uzair, however, felt both furious and strangely lost. Just how long had he been standing there watching her?
âZyada haath chalaye na toh agli baar shareer se alag milenge tujheâ Uzair said, turning towards Hamza completely and warning him half-heartedly. âKya hai? Kyun pareshaan kar raha hai? Ek toh Rehman bhai ke kehne pe tujhe Eid pe bulaya-â
âHaan haan, main bohaut shukar guzar hoonâ Hamza cut in, rolling his eyes. âDus minute se yahin khada hoke teri aisi khoi shakal dekh raha hoon. Pata nahi kya be-fazool âpari-pariâ laga rakha hai. Teen baar bhabhi neeche se bula chuki hain aur tu jawab hi nahi de raha. Isliye main upar aaya tujhe bulane kyunki Jamali sahab aa gaye hain.â Hamza complained while heading toward the stairs, fully expecting Uzair to follow.
Uzair, however, remained rooted to his spot.
âHaan toh, isme main kya karun?â Uzair asked, genuinely confused.
Hamza stopped midway down the stairs and stared at him like he had completely lost his senses. âTujhe nahi pata kya karna hai?â he snapped and shook his head before continuing down the staircase. âAb neeche aa, warna main bhai ko bhej dunga.â
Uzair immediately straightened at the threat.
He had slipped a little too far away from reality and needed to recover before it began reflecting in his behavior. With one last glance toward the courtyard below, he hurried downstairs to join his family in welcoming the Jamalis to their haveli for Eid, hoping heâd finally see her face-to-face.
Uzairâs breath stalled the moment the haveli gates opened. As the Jamali family stepped into view, his eyes searched only for her.
But she was nowhere to be seen.
His brows furrowed slightly. Where had his pari disappeared to?
[Her]
Yalina couldnât remember much of her life before Y/N. There wasnât much to it before her anyway. Y/N was her flame. She was the volt that gave Yalina her energy, she was the moon if Yalina was the sun, she was the light that brightened every room. The pair grew up together, from sharing their lunch at school to playing cupid during senior formal season. There was no Yalina without Y/N and she wouldnât trade her best friend for anything in the world.
Y/N was always the first to know everything: Yalinaâs first broken bone, Jamali Uncleâs first political loss, Yalinaâs momâs embarrassing fight with the local juice vendor. Hell, she had even accompanied Yalina to the Baloch haveli for the Eid dawat, though she had to leave before the grand welcome because her mother kept calling, threatening to lock her out for the night. Even when Yalina first bumped into Hamza while rushing out of the raided party, Y/N knew Yalina had fallen for the brooding, armor-built man long before Yalina admitted it herself.
So it wasnât surprising to her when Yalina bombarded Y/Nâs phone at sharp 7:00 AM with multiple missed FaceTimes.
Y/N was still lost in her world, splayed across the dining table downstairs, trying to capture the meaning of her blurred dream. Her phone, lying a few meters away from her, vibrated every five seconds, adding relentless background noise to her already chaotic imagination. The buzzing slowly dragged the phone closer toward Y/Nâs outstretched arm before the call disconnected once more. Exhausted by the constant noise, Y/Nâs mother stormed out of the kitchen, snatched the brightened phone, and slammed it near her ear.
âAgar kisi ka phone uthana nahi hota toh phir rakha kyun hua hai iss faltu cheez ko?â she complained as Y/Nâs phone continued buzzing insistently.
Y/N jerked awake at the sharp noise of her mother and looked up at her with heavy eyes, still battling between falling back asleep or paying attention to her mother. âKya hua?â she asked hoarsely, trying to figure out the debacle that required such disturbance this early.
âTumhara yeh phone pichle 15 minute se non-stop baj raha hai. Dhyan se naashta bhi nahi bana sakti kitchen mein. Ya toh utha lo ya main isko khidki se bahar phenk dungiâ her mother said exasperatedly before walking away to the kitchen, still muttering in frustration.
Before Y/N could retort in her defense, her phone buzzed again. She sighed and picked up the device weakly, still fighting the lethargy from waking up so unexpectedly. She squinted her eyes to decipher the notorious caller before recognizing the name âchottuâ. She rolled her eyes, unsurprised. Of course it was none other than Yalina Jamali herself disrupting Y/Nâs peace at this hour.
She finally answered the call and before she could present any salutations, she was flooded with, âKisi khai mein giri thi ya phir mujhse nafrat karti hai? Huh? 15 minute se phone non-stop bajaye ja rahi hoon aur tu ulluon ki tarha soi padi hai. Shehzadi ko koi farak hi nahi padta ki uski best friend yahan marr rahi hai. Bas isko pura din bed pe leta do. Bachay bhi itna nahi sote, kamini!â
Yalina rambled nonsensically as Y/N stared at her best friend tight-lipped and entertained, mumbling a soft good morning. Yalina inhaled sharply and Y/N took the opportunity to interject. âMaar kyun rahi hai? Jameel Mammu ka phir se kisi ne kaat diya kya⊠ya phir Mammi ne kisi se ladai kar li?â she joked, but Yalina didnât find it humorous.
âItne bhi bure din nahi chal rahe mere. Actually⊠mere kuch ache din shuru ho gaye hain⊠Y/N,â she called out to her best friend softly, âmeri baat pakki ho gayi hai.â She blushed.
Y/N looked at her confused. So what was the big deal in this?
âHaan toh? Medical tuition cancel nahi hui⊠usme kya ki baat pakki? Tune mujhe iss liye phone kiya? Chottu, main subah 5 baje soyi hoon. Abhi tak landscape bhi nahi khatam kiya. Thodi toh hamdardi dikha leâ she whined.
âTu na sar mein hawa leke ghoomti hai. Susti se nikal, pata nahi kya bakwaas kar rahi hai. Kaan khol ke sun- meri baatâŠâ she waved her diamond-clad ring finger toward the screen. âPakki ho gayi haiâ she clarified, hoping her best friend would finally understand, which she did loud and clear judging by the shriek she let out.
Her mother yelled back from the kitchen, âBefazool cheekhna band karo warna main bahar aa ke wajah deti hoon cheekhne ke liye. Chidiya ghar nahi hai yeh!â
Y/N ignored her motherâs lecture and replied softly, âMujhe sab kuch bata. Abhi!â while running upstairs to her room.
[The Night]
True to Yalinaâs word, Y/N was there for it all: wedding outfit selections, flower-arrangement fiascos, taste-testing reception sweets, and lying to vendors for free goodies. Alongside late-night anxieties about what kind of wife she would make, the last week had been an erratic whirlwind; especially last night, when Yalina had casually declared that Y/N alone would do her bridal mehndi for her.
Y/N nearly choked on her kheer at the announcement. According to the bride, it was only fair to keep their childhood tradition alive. Y/N had shot the idea down repeatedly before eventually caving to her chottuâs relentless tantrums.
Yalina tugged her hand back slightly, planning on walking towards Hamza while Y/N clicked her tongue in annoyance.
âHaat mat hila. Saari mehndi kharab kar degi tu. Main phir nahi lagaungi. Waise hi meri peeth dard kar rahi hai aur tune mujhe khana bhi nahi khilayaâ she tugged Yalinaâs hand back into place and continued her work carefully.
âRuk ja. Hamza aaya haiâ Yalina whispered excitedly, glancing toward him through the dancing crowd.
âArrey waah. Shauhar saab se kuch pal door nahi raha jata? Bas 24 ghante aur. Phir jitna unke paas jana hai ja. Main kuch nahi bolungiâ Y/N teased with a smirk, still not letting go of Yalinaâs hand in hopes of maintaining her rhythm.
âAur bakbak kari na toh yeh saari mehndi tere mun pe laga dungi⊠ruk yahan, kuch kha le. Main abhi aai.â
Before Y/N could protest, Yalina hurried toward Hamza, nearly tripping over her lehenga in the process. Y/N giggled softly as she watched her best friendâs antics. She shifted slightly, stretching her sore back while reorganizing the scattered mehndi cones beside her. The cool night breeze brushed against her face, but another breath followed close after it, warmer, closer. She moved her head to find the source of the breeze when she was startled by the presence of a tall man sitting across from her.
Who was he, and why was he here?
She smiled-maybe he was someone Yalina knew. He was handsome nonetheless, clad in a black kurta with gold mirror work spanning across the fabric. He had broad shoulders, tense in posture, and long arms that complemented his veiny hands, his fingers curling against his knees as though he suddenly did not know what to do with them.
Y/N cleared her throat, catching herself before she gawked at him even more, and softly asked, âAap kaun?â
Uzair couldnât respond. He couldnât bring himself to do anything.
It was her.
Her. Her. Her. In front of him. His pari.
For days he had resisted accompanying Hamza to the mehndi ceremony, choosing instead to rot inside his room with the cruel realization that the girl he had finally found had disappeared from his life just as suddenly. Hamza had dragged him here against his will.
Y/N laughed awkwardly at his lack of response and looked around for someone familiar to help her because truly, who was he?
Uzairâs heart restarted at her breathy laugh. He gulped shyly and finally managed, âM-main Uzair⊠Hamza ka dost.â
âAhh, achha,â she hummed. âSorry, maine aapko pehchana nahi. Kabhi unki taraf se kisi se mulaqat hi nahi hui haiâ Y/N responded honestly.
âKoi baat nahiâŠâ he looked away, wiping his clammy, sweat-ridden hands on his pants to calm his nervousness.
âA-â
âAap Yalina ki mehndi kar rahi hain?â Uzair rushed to break the stretching silence, and Y/N blinked back in surprise.
âHaan. Bachpan se mein hum dono ki mehndi karti thi. Eid par, birthdays par, har choti badi cheez par. Phir usne zid ki ke shaadi ki mehndi bhi mein hi lagaun. Purane dino ki tarahâ she reminisced.
âKafi pyari yaadein hain⊠aapki tarahâ he remarked with a soft smile.
âHein?â Y/N frowned towards him softly, unsure if she had heard him correctly.
He stared at her wide-eyed, âNahi. Mera matlabâŠâ He coughed awkwardly. âKuch nahi.â
âWaiseâŠâ Uzair spoke carefully this time. âAap mujhe bhi mehndi laga sakti hain?â
âKya?â she stared at him. âAapko mehndi lagwani hai?â she clarified falteringly.
âAgar aapko ajeeb na lage tohâ he urged anxiously, not wanting to be perceived as weird.
âMain ne kabhi mardon ke haathon par aiseââ
âKoi baat nahi, main pehla hi sahiâ he interrupted softly, extending his hand forward, but his gaze stayed fixed on her face.
Her eyes were wide in surprise. Her brows drew together before softening into hesitation as her smile faded and she bit the inside of her cheek anxiously. She glanced around, searching for an escape or at least a familiar face, but when she saw Yalina immersed in conversation with Hamza, now pulling him away from the crowd, she had no choice but to look back at the charming man in front of her.
Her gaze flickered back to an awaiting Uzair, then down at his extended hand. She lingered. Just for a moment. Searching his expression for confirmation, unsure if this was a joke or if he was actually serious. But when she met the quiet optimism in his eyes, something in her softened at his sincerity. She finally placed his calloused yet velvety hand in hers.
âKya chahenge aap apne haathon par?â she asked while prepping her mehndi cone. His hands strangely felt delicate against hers, as if the scars scattered across them were nothing but false accusations tainting his worth.
âAapka naam.â he answered in a heartbeat
âJi?!â she breathed, caught off guard, snapping her head up in shock.
Uzair nearly cursed himself. âNahi, mera matlabâŠâ He stumbled over his words instantly. âAapka naam mujhe pata nahi. Toh bina naam keâŠâ
âOh, achha- mera naam Y/N haiâ she exhaled in relief.
The name settled somewhere deep inside Uzairâs chest. Y/N. Bright. Sweet. Delicate against his tongue.
âBahut pyara naam hai⊠Y/N,â he tested it softly and couldnât help but smile at how perfectly it fit her. âJo aap banana chahein⊠wahi qabool hai.â He smiled at her. The way he said it made her heartbeat stumble unexpectedly, yet she nodded and began tracing on his palm.
Uzair remained completely still throughout it all. His eyes rarely left her face, almost afraid she would disappear if he blinked too long. He couldnât believe he had found her again in this wave of people. He would have missed her had her signature gold jhumkas not caught his eye.
She looked brighter today. A blue sharara with golden accents highlighted her frame, making her seem like part of the night itself. Her braid rested over her shoulder, decorated with a gold paranda and tiny white flowers, surrounding him with her scent- one he would embed in every fiber of his being if she allowed him to.
Her cheeks were still pink, but softer tonight, dulled slightly by exhaustion. He noticed the tiny childhood scar hidden beneath her makeup- he would kiss it away for her every night if he could. He noticed she continued biting the inside of her cheek, a sign that she was engrossed and concentrating on the task in front of her, her nose releasing soft, steady breaths to keep her hands still, hands he wanted to hold till the end of time.
To break the lingering silence, he asked her quiet questions. She told him about interior design. About her love for sketching and coloring. About wanting to travel through old cities rich with history and stories. She spoke gently, never louder than necessary, but Uzair found himself wishing she would continue talking long after her sentences ended. Her voice was the only sound that soothed his restless heart.
At some point, a strand of hair slipped loose beside her face. Y/N tried brushing it away unsuccessfully without ruining the mehndi. Uzair moved before thinking. His free hand lifted carefully, tucking the strand behind her ear. Her jhumkas tinkled softly- its charm still echoing around Uzair. His fingers barely grazed her skin, but goosebumps still erupted along her arms instantly.
Y/Nâs breath caught. She did not dare meet his eyes, knowing she would lose herself in them.
Lost in his daze, Uzair never realized when she finished.
She exhaled in relief after completing her work, admiring the design, then looked up to tell him, but paused.
Their faces were mere millimeters apart.Â
Her breath hitched. His eyes were dark, deeper than the ocean at night yet strangely inviting. They held hesitation, yet innocence. A small scar traced his cheekbone, similar to hers, but his felt unfair against the softness of his expression. For someone built so intimidatingly, there was an unbearable gentleness to him. Y/N felt it in the way he kept staring at her- his somber eyes flickering between hers. In the way his hand remained relaxed inside hers, trusting her completely.
His lips remained slightly parted, as though he had something to confess, but words were lost.
Neither moved.
The space between them held stillness, fragile and dangerous. Their shallow breaths mingled in the small space as the festivities outside blurred around them.
A soft grunt broke the trance from behind Uzair. Y/N pulled back first, blinking as reality returned.
Yalina stood there with a knowing glint in her eyes but said nothing as she sat back down beside Y/N. Her gaze moved between a flustered Uzair and a frozen Y/N before she finally spoke.
âUzair bhai⊠Hamza aapko dhoond raha hai, shayad wapis haveli jana hoga.â She smiled teasingly at his flustered state.
He nodded and stood up hastily, glancing around the veranda, trying to escape the cloud he had lost himself to.
Yalina looked at her blush-ridden best friend and snorted as Y/N quickly returned to reworking her mehndi. She noticed him about to rub his hands again and warned, âUzair!â He stopped instantly. âHaat mat ragadna! Saari mehndi kapdon pe lag jayegi!â
He looked at her worried face. She was worried about his mehndi. Something unbearably soft settled inside him as he nodded quietly.
âMehndi ke liye shukriya⊠kaafi haseen hai.â His eyes lingered on her one final time. âAap ke haathon mein jaadu haiâ he admitted, hearing his friend call him again. Y/N smiled before she could stop herself. He turned to Yalina, congratulated her quietly, and left with Hamza waiting nearby.
The moment he reached Hamza, his friend immediately grabbed his wrist suspiciously. âTu meri dulhan hai?â
âHaan, tera naam chhupa hua hai isme,â he retorted, extending his hand. âDhoond ke dikha, taaki pata chale kitna pyaar karta hai tu mujhse.â
âHaraami,â Hamza muttered, rolling his eyes. âMujhe koi shauk nahi apna pyaar jatane ka, woh bhi tujhse.â Still, his gaze drifted toward Yalinaâs mehndi-covered hands waiting for him across the veranda. She recognized his reverence and offered an enamored smile. âKaafi khoobsurat kaam hai yehâ he muttered softly.
Uzair glanced down at his own hand again before replying, âKaafi.â
âTujhe kya lagta hai? Rang gehra aayega?â Hamza asked, his sight lingering at his dulhanâs hands.
Uzairâs eyes drifted back to Y/N. He spotted her quietly observing him.
He gave her a small wave. She returned it softly. Smitten.
A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first ever little drabble online(in terms of writing, creativity, and even posting!) and I wanted to give tumblr a go (I'm usually a reader but wanted to put my imagination to use). I hope whoever comes across this enjoys the story as much as I had fun writing it :) I'm not used to any of this so please be niceeeee and ignore any grammar and/or spelling mistakes. Byeeee!
Genre: Uzair Baloch x OC(Nyla)
Word Count: ~2500 words
*Disclaimer: all characters, topics, themes mentioned within this work do NOT affiliate with the plot and history of Dhurandhar. This story does NOT glorify, support, and/or fantasise about the real-life equivalents(nor their action) of the movie characters aka Uzair Baloch, Rehman Dakait, and all else involved. Please be advised of its fictitious nature.*
Nyla lay wide awake in her bed through the treacherous heat of this summer night. It was almost September, but the scorching weather in Lyari had decided to extend its stay this season. Her ceiling fan was squeaking, her stomach was growling, and sleep was long forgotten. She lay awake, contemplating how she had accomplished nothing over her break. Being in her last year of law school- she had desperately wanted to enjoy her youth over the last summer break, but her time had disappeared somewhere between sleeping, eating, and rotting at Yalinaâs. Her plans to go crazy had quietly died as graduation crept closer. Frustrated and restless with her non-adventurous personality, she decided to change her fate during these last few days. Starting now. She wanted to see the Lyari sunrise. Today. Right now. But who would take her to watch the sunrise?
Uzair was fast asleep, his work and rugged travel of the day had knocked him out at 11:00 PM before dessert could even be offered to him after dinner. He couldnât wait to catch up on sleep and relax tomorrow during his day off. The soft breeze from his rustic fan added to the cozy atmosphere of his room as it lulled him further into sleep⊠until a faint buzz echoed. He ignored the noise, assuming a mosquito had entered his haven during the day, and snuggled closer into his pillow when the relentless buzzing grew consistent, followed by repetitive message notifications. Who the hell is dying at this moment, and why do they need to bother Uzair especially at this hour?
He groggily answered his phone, hoping to silence the nuisance before it could snatch away his beloved sleep.
âAbbe kya masla hai? Teri ammi bhaagi kya jo itni raat ko meri neend kharab kar rahe ho?â
âMeri bechari ammi ko kuch nahi hua hai!â Nyla exclaimed in horror as she stared at her screen, dumbfounded at Uzairâs words. This foul-mouthed idiot.
âNyla?â
âHaan, mein hi hoon. Meri ammi ke peeche kyun pare hue ho?â
He blinked in confusion, looking at his screen to verify he wasnât going crazy. Once he confirmed that it was indeed Nyla, his clingy best friend from school, he sighed and responded sleepily.
âPhone kyun kiya? Raat ke teen baj rahe hain aur tumhein issi waqt mera sar khana hai?â
âTo dekho na⊠maine kaunse tumhari aankhon ke saamne dupatta baandh ke rakha hai?â
âBakwas mat karo. Mujhe asli sunrise dekhna hai, pahadon se, Uzair. Leke chalo na.â
âTumhara dimagh kharab ho gaya hai? Raat ko pee kar soyi thi kya?â
âHaan⊠paani pee kar soyi thi, uska isse kya lena dena?â
âNyla. Chup chap phone rakho aur so jao. Pata nahi kahan se yeh fazool khayal aate hain tumhein.â
âUzair please na, maine kuch bhi nahi kiya iss summer aur main tang aa gayi hoon. Buddhi ban gayi hoon main :(â
âTo doctor ke paas jao, mera sar mat dard karo. Goodnight.â
He hung up.
She looked at her blank screen, unamused. How typical of Uzair. Over the course of their friendship, Nyla had learned that the best way to convince Uzair was to either blackmail him or annoy him until he gave in, and since the bastard had been behaving suspiciously well recently, Nyla decided to annoy him until she could watch her sunrise.
[4:05 AM] Outside Baloch Haveli
âChacha, darwaza kholo na. Mujhe Uzair se milna hai.â
âLekin aap hain kaun? Aur iss waqt?â
Nyla sighed in boredom. 15 years. 15. And the security still couldnât recognize who she was? She took off the hastily made dupatta mask from across her face and looked at the door guard.
âAb pehchana? Aur kaun hoga, chacha? Aap na side hoiye, mera keemti waqt zaya ho raha hai aur Uzair behosh pada hai,â she ranted as she hastily moved past the guard without a second look and entered the haveli like it was hers.
She didnât bother to tiptoe around as she made a straight dash up the stairs to Uzairâs room. To her luck, the bhondu had forgotten to lock his door before he went to bed. Wow. For a guy this wanted, he sure didnât care enough about his safety.
She quietly slid into his room and pulled the door shut. She looked at him intently. He looked oddly peaceful. No tension gripping his shoulders, no stress flexing his hands, even his forehead wasnât adorned with wrinkles, the ones that appeared whenever he thought too much and got lost in his own world. He looked normal for once. Gentle. Warm. Inviting.
But then she shifted into an annoyed stare. The man had the audacity to hang up on her when she said please. So without a second thought, she climbed into bed after grabbing the nearest full glass of water and dumping it onto him.
He jerked awake, scrambling to find the source of danger, and grabbed his pillow as defense before standing up and swatting it through the air in hopes of hitting the perpetrator.
âRehman bhai! Koi Hai???? Haveli-â
âUzair chup!â she whisper-yelled.
He finally halted his antics and stared directly at her, wild-eyed. Was that- Nyla?? What was she doing here at this hour?!
âTum pagal ho?! Yahan kaise aai aur upper se paani kyun pheka?? â
âTumne mera phone kaata aur mujhe sunrise dekhna tha, toh iss liye chal kar aayi tumhare paas.â
âB-â
She landed a hard stare on him as if daring him to finish that gaali. He ran a hand through his now messily wet hair in frustration and sat back down across the bed from her.
âYahan kya kar rahi ho?â
âMujhe sunrise dikha laao.â
âDimaag daan de aayi ho ya bachpan se hi nahi tha?â
âZyada bolo mat. Fifth standard tak tumhara English homework main karti thi. Aur tumhe itni takleef kyun ho rahi hai mujhe pahadon mein leke jaane mein? Sana ko toh bada-â
He stared at her wide-eyed, immediately shutting her up.
âBaat khatam mat karna. Dauray aa gaye hain kya tumhe? Pata tha law padne ke layak nahi ho. Dekho kya haal ho gaya hai tumhara. Ajeeb baatein kar rahi ho.â
She ignored his bullshit and continued.
âChhuttiyan khatam ho rahi hain aur maine kuch bhi nahi kiya hai. Ek hi toh meri wish hai ki main sunrise dekh loon. Le chalo na, please?â
He groaned in frustration and moved closer to her, cradling her face in his warm hands. Huh. Since when had Uzairâs touch felt so calming, soâŠnecessary?
âMeri kam dimaag dost, yeh kya zidd kar rahi ho? Meri haalat toh dekh lo. Please aaj nahi. Ghar jaake aaram se so jao. Hum agle hafte jaayenge,â he negotiated.
She looked at him intently with a frown as she smacked his hands away. He winced and looked at her, offended.
âMain paanch saal ki bachi nahi hoon.â
âToh phir bachon waali zidd kyun leke mere room mein ho?â he groaned out in frustration, glancing at his pillow-yearning for his sleep.
She focused on his sleep-adorned features before sighing. Uzair looked at her defeated form and thought that his convincing had worked, and he dropped the breath he was holding in relief, but before he could move away, she flicked his forehead hard.
âOw- yeh kya tha??â
âTum jana agle hafte. Main jaa rahi hoon, aaj.â
He looked at her irritated and laid back down in bed, facing away from her.
âHaan haan toh jao na. Meri raat kyun kharab kar rahi ho? Pata nahi kaunse taare dekhe the maine jis din tum meri zindagi mein aayi. Jeena mushkil ho gaya hai mera.â
He continued to rant as she scurried off his bed and stated, âMain Donga bhai ke saath chali jaungi.â
âHaan toh jao na.â
âToh phir main jaa rahi hoon!â she yelled from across the room before leaving and clicking the door shut.
Uzair stayed put for a second, annoyed by her antics and now completely wide awake, before groaning into his pillow.
[4:30AM]
Nyla sat in the passenger seat humming mindlessly as she watched the passing scenery. She never appreciated how Karachi was vibrant and domestic during the daily hustle and bustle, but quiet moments like these grounded her.
Uzair, on the other hand, was fuming. His sleep-ridden eyes and mind couldnât fathom why he had agreed to her drama. Again. The audacity Nyla held to coerce him into anything was unfair. He glanced between the empty roads of the town and her.
How dare she sit there so calmly, like she hadnât just ruined his entire night. How dare she look so radiant at this hour, hair slightly messy from earlier, still smiling to herself like she had won the lottery. Her dimples showed up too easily when she did that. Her eyes softened at the corners when she was thinking of something she liked.
And somehow, he always noticed.
She looked so serene it almost irritated him. So like home, a place he wasnât supposed to go.
He broke from his trance and shook his head, the lack of sleep tinting his thoughts a little too dangerously.
âNeend aa rahi hai?â she looked at him, amused.
âNormal insan ko iss waqt neend hi aati hai.â
âTum normal nahi ho, Uzair.â
âTumse toh zyada hi hoon, chudail.â
She smacked his arm. âChudail kis ko bola, huh? Main toh aa rahi thi na akele-â
âShhh, bolo mat. Waisi hi tang hu aur mat karo apni bak bak.â
She frowned and snapped again, but Uzair beat her to it by turning her face away toward the window.
âBatameez.â
She huffed and stared out the window again.
[5:15AM]
Uzairâs jeep remained eerily silent while parked near the river flowing through the mountains. Nylaâs head rested on his shoulder as the two remained asleep amidst the refreshing nature while waiting for the sunrise. The birds around them had started to wake up, ensuring that the world knew that a new day had begun. Uzair groggily broke from his nap at the bird calls and looked around, confused, forgetting where he was. He felt a heavy stiffness on his shoulder and looked down to find a peaceful Nyla fast asleep on his shoulder. Her mouth slightly pouted and her eyebrows furrowed, as if her dreams reflected her conscious worries.
Uzair could recall every stupid decision of Nylaâs, but each memory only deepened his awe for her. She was carefree, loud, honest (a little too honest for her own good), and extremely smart, but Uzair would never admit to any of this. Her cursive handwriting had inked itself into his mind since their school days, and he had kept all of her handwritten notes, especially as they grew older. Her love for rose-scented perfumes lingered like a trace he could never quite escape, the scent following him wherever he went, including in his jeep. He never wanted to acknowledge the hold she had on him, but he wouldn't escape from it⊠ever.
He shook his head to clear out these thoughts and looked up to find the horizon illuminating with the first rays of the day. Nyla was about to miss the one thing she had insisted upon and ruined his night over. He shifted his gaze back down to her and hesitated. This girl was a disaster, but she was his disaster. The same one who was going to miss her sunrise.
âNyla. uth ja.â he flicked her forehead.
âUzair maat kar.â she snuggled closer into his shoulder, hiding her face away from his ministrations.
âNyla. uth. Subah ho gayi hai.â She groaned and melted even further into him. He sighed exasperatedly and pushed her head away, causing her to smack her head against the window unceremoniously. âLaash ki tarah sona band kar. Tumhara sunrise miss ho raha hai.â
She groaned at the subtle ache and rubbed the side of her head while glaring daggers at him. âAaram se uthna nahi aata kya, sar pe mar-â but the complaint dissolved as she glanced around and gasped at the illuminating sky. Nyla looked at Uzair in disbelief and quickly unlocked the seatbelt and scrambled out of the car to the edge of the river. Oh, how gorgeous this sunrise was!
âUzair, aao na.â she squealed as she witnessed nature in its most authentic form.
Uzair reluctantly followed her down and stood a few meters to her side. âGirna mat. Main doctor ke paas nahi leke jaunga agar tumhe lagi to. Yahin pe padi rehna phir,â he murmured as she ran closer to capture the scene. The view was breathtaking as the first calls of the day were showcased through the soft pink, red, and orange hues of the sun that peeked through the back mountains and left a faint shadow in its wake. Nyla stared in awe and, giddy, she turned back to Uzair with a picturesque smile, dimples out, and whispered a quiet thank you.
âJaldi karo thoda,â he grumbled, not meaning a single word of that sentence. She rolled her eyes, but her smile didnât leave. Not even for a second.
She turned back to admire the view and took a few pictures to capture this moment, but Uzair? Uzair was admiring her. The way her dimples deepened with each gasp and laugh, the way her chest rose a little too quickly due to the thrill of it all, how she slightly tilted her head without realizing when she adored something, how the soft sunâs streaks highlighted the honey-gold in her eyes, which were usually mistaken for dark brown, how her cheeks held a tint, a dusty rose color which hid in plain sight that any other person would miss but he could never. It was his favorite shade of pink afterall.
The scenery around fell flat to the beauty that stood in front of him, but he would never admit to that. Not today. Not tomorrow. He would just cherish her from afar.
He followed her every movement and sighed fondly as he fell deeper for her innocent heart. She rushed back to him and grinned dreamily as she emphasized her gratitude. He shook his head and ushered her back towards the car. Both Nyla and Uzair leaned against the hood of his car in contentment. Uzair realized that amongst all the wonders of the world, his beloved would always be her. His Nyla.
His train of thought was broken when Nyla whispered into the air, still staring at the now complete sunriseâŠ
âYeh kitna khoobsurat hai na?â
âBohat khoobsurat.â He said without thinking, his quiet gaze refusing to move away from her.