Chapter 9 - Embarrassing You
"Zain, jaldi kar!" Fahad yells as he waits outside his brother's room. It is his twin daughters' first birthday. They should be celebrating it with a big party, but they don't feel like it. So a small family picnic on a secluded beach is what they decide on.
"Haan aaya bhai." He walks out of the room with his cell phone glued to his ear. "Kit-kit, tum time par ready rehna. Hum sab aadhe ghante mein pohoch jaaenge." He listens to her and his expressions change to that of a frustrated person. "What do you mean tum mere saath nahi aaogi? Pagal ho kya yaar? Mom, dad, uncle aur aunty Arub aur Sana ko lekar ek car mein jaenge. Are you going to go with bhai and bhabhi?" His temper is on the rise. "Dimaag theek hai tumhara? Un dono ko thoda time de do akele. Jabse twins hue hai tabse bechare akele time spend nahi kar paate hain. Shut up and no more arguments. Tum mere saath meri car mein chal rahi ho and that's it." He hangs up before she can reply.
"Um Zain, care to explain?" Nafisa asks.
"Sab sun to liya. Ab kya explain karu? Aapki behen kebab mein haddi banne waali thi. Bacha liya maine aapko."
"Ya phir khud ka chance maar liya?" Fahad mutters loud enough for Zain to hear.
"Unbelievable!" He grumbles and sprints downstairs. His family is crazy.
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"Hi!" She smiles at him as she sits in the car.
"Salaam karna nahi aata tumhe?" He teases her and she glares back in return.
"Tumse to achcha hi aata hai!"
"To tum sikha do." There, he is flirting with her again.
"Just drive Zain!"
"Hey, you know what's funny?" They are on the highway now.
"Your face? Because I know it is funny."
"Ha ha! No. Funny baat ye hai ki tumhare paas mere liye koi bhi nickname nahi hai."
"Hai to! Maachis ki teeli." She defends herself.
"Oh come on kit-kit. You don't even call me by that name anymore. Aur bulaogi bhi kyun? After all, you are all gaga over my body. Hai ki nahi?"
"Ji nahi!" She narrows her eyes at him. "Aur fida kaise hungi tumhari body ke upar? Maine kaunsa kabhi dekhi hai?" The words are out of her mouth before she can stop them. She clamps her hands over her mouth and her eyes widen. "Allah tauba, ye kya keh diya maine?" She is expecting him to tease her but he doesn't. She slowly focuses her gaze on Zain to see him smiling, his eyes on the road. She turns the volume of the music up high and then looks out the window. They don't talk for the rest of the journey.
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He is watching her play with the little ones from a distance. She is wearing a simple loose knee length shirt with leggings. Her hair is put up in a messy bun. She is building a sand castle for the girls. He smiles. He swiftly picks up his DSLR from its bag and turns it on. "Let's get to work baby!" He mumbles and then starts clicking. It's his favourite hobby, photography. Half an hour later, he is going through the photos on his camera. Most of them are her picture. "This camera is made for you madam!" he thinks to himself before packing it away for a while.
Taking off his shirt, he walks towards the water and wades into the silent waves. The sea is calm, unlike his mind, which is a clutter of thoughts. "Zain!" he hears her call out and turns to look at her. "Be careful." He nods at her, letting her know that he will take care of himself. He dives into the water and swims for a while until his mother calls him out for lunch. He lies down on his mat and soaks in the sun, letting it dry him. He is exhausted.
She gulps. "Is he doing this on purpose?" she wonders. He is lying there shirtless and she is having a hard time concentrating on anything.
"Aaliya!" Shabana shakes her out of her reverie. "Jaake Zain ko utha de. Bhook lagi hogi use."
"Nahi ammi, main nahi jaa rahi. Aap Fahad jeeju ko bhej do na."
"Aise kyun sharma rahi hai? Fahad aur Nafisa sair karne gaye hai. Jaa!"
She reluctantly gets up and walks over to where he is taking a nap. She sits down on her knees and is caught off guard by the look of innocence that adorns his face as he sleeps. A sigh escapes her lips and she properly sits down. Leaning into him, she screams, "Maachis ki teeli, utho!"
He screams back and sits up with a jerk. She is laughing like she hasn't laughed before. He is supposed to be angry, and hell he is. She watches the fury in his eyes and decides to run for her life. He is right behind her. "Just you wait kit-kit! Aaj to tum gayi." He yells and runs faster. They are now at the other end of the beach, far away from their families. He catches up to her and grabs her by the waist.
"Zain let go off me!" She screeches but he doesn't listen. He carries her behind the rocks and pins her to the rough pillars. "I am so sorry!" She mumbles. She knows he wouldn't listen.
"Tumhare chillane ki wajah se main ladkiyon ki tarah chillaya. You don't think I'll let you go do you?"
"Koi aa jaega Zain! Aur phir sab ulta seedha sochenge."
"Sochne do, waise bhi sabko humari Jodi bohot pasand hai. Oh by the way, dekh li tumne meri body? See, I am not a maachis ki teeli."
"Haan theek hai tum nahi ho patle. Bohot dole-shole bana liye hai tumne. Bola na sorry, ab jaane do, please!" she pleads, only to see him smirking.
"Not so easily kit-kit!" She shuts her eyes as he inches closer. She is sure her heart is pumping blood at an unacceptable rate and she will die.
"Ya Allah! Besharam bachcho!" Nafisa screams and hides behind Fahad who has turned around so as to not face the other two.
They both jump at the sound of Nafisa. Aaliya is embarrassed, and not in a good way. She is angry, way too angry to even look at his face. Pushing him out of the way, she walks up to her sister and brother-in-law. "Appi jo aapne dekha waisa kuch nahi hai! I promise." She is close to crying. She doesn't want her appi to think of her this way.
"Aaliya!" Nafisa takes her sister into a hug who bursts into tears, all the while mumbling a trail of sorry. "Aaliya meri baat suno." Her voice is soft, and she can't help but chuckle at her innocent little sister. "Main ghussa nahi hoon. Sachchi mein nahi hoon." She lightly pushes Aaliya back, forcing her to look at her. "Main aur Fahad sab jaante hai, okay? Ab rona band karo." She then turns to Zain. "Tumse to main bohot ghussa hoon." She walks over to him and he half expects a slap to land on his face, except it doesn't. "Just ask her out already!" She screams and then walks off with Fahad right behind her, who passes them both a look of exasperation.
She wipes her tears and then walks away, not listening to his calls. He curses himself and follows her back to where they all are having lunch. She doesn't talk to him all day, not even in the car. He doesn't get a goodbye from her as he drops her home. Realisation crashes his soul... he has royally embarrassed her today.
oOo Edited by Jyo. - 10 years ago
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