Chapter : 24 - Yeh izhaare mohabbat hai?

"You just proposed to me right now Uns,"  I asked her while controlling my crazy heartbeat.

"No," she replied instantly.

"What?" I asked, now trying to control my breathing.

"I'm asking for my Eidi," she said with a mischievous smile.

"What? You're asking ME as your Eidi. What else am I supposed to understand? It's a direct proposal from you," I said to her.

"No, Nader, I'm just asking for an Eidi, that's it," she said very calmly.

"You're driving me crazy now, Uns," I said while calming my nerves.

"Phir woh beh ikhtehaar hasne lagi," (Then she burst into laughter). Her cheeks lifted when she laughed, and she clutched her stomach to control her laughter. After so many days, I saw her laughing.

Uski muskurat toh mera dil ki dhadkano ko badati  hein hai, lekin uski hasi bhi kuch kam nahi hai, bahut hein jaan lewa hai.

(Her smile wasn't enough to increase my heart beat,now even har laughter too, It's very intoxicating. My breath stopped when I saw her laughing like that).

Today, I am the luckiest person in the world because I am having the opportunity to see this woman laugh.

"Mujhe jhelna mushkil hai nader," she said with a smile while her gaze was fixed on the table.

("It's difficult to tolerate me, Nader")

"Main jhel lunga," I replied.

("I'll manage")

She looked up towards me, then continued.

"Mai khubsurat nahi hoon," she said.

("I'm not beautiful")

"Mere liye behad khubsurat hoon," I replied

("You're incredibly beautiful, for me")

"Mujhe bahut jaldi gussa aata hai," she said.

("I get angry very quickly")

"Mai seh lunga," I replied, looking at her.

("I'll endure it")

"Mujhe bahut jaldi rona aa jata hai", she said.

("I cry very quickly")

"Main apna kanda deh dunga, aap apna sar rakkhe ro lena", I replied.

( " I'll give you my shoulders, to cry freely keeping your head on it")

"Mai choti choti baat mein, naraaz ho jaati hoon", She said.

("I get upset over little things,")

"Mai manalunga," I said.

("I'll convince you,")

"Mere haath seh chize tuth jaati hai", she said.

("Things break from my hands")

"Mai naye la dunga", I replied.

("I'll replace them")

"Mujhe aapse mohabbat hogayi hai, Nader", she said.

("I have fallen in love with you, Nader")

"I—"

"What did you say?" My breath stopped at her last sentence, as I lowered my gaze from her and looked at the table.

I don't know what happened to me, but for the first time, I lowered my gaze from her. My eyes refused to look at her at this moment, my heart wasn't controlling it's beat, nor my breaths were even now, how can her one sentence have so much power over me?

After stopping my breath and accelerating my heartbeat, she got up and went towards her cabin. After 2 minutes, she came out with a bag in her hand. She came and sat again, then focused on her bag, taking something from it.

"This is for you," she said, giving me a box.

"What is this?" I asked her.

"Open it and see," she said.

I opened the box to see a beautiful white shawl wrapped with red roses beside it.

"Whats this?" I asked, not understanding anything.

"When you perform Umrah, wear this," she said, giving a genuine smile.

"Umrah", I murmured slowly.

I was looking at the shawl when I heard her call my name again.

"Nader!" I looked up at her.

"Yes, tell me, Uns," I said.

"Honestly, I am very boring, Nader. I don't know how to propose to someone. So, that's it," she completed.

"Toh, yeh izhaare mohabbat hai?" I asked.

("So, these were expressions of love then?")

"Any doubt?" she asked, her tone now serious.

"Not at all," I said, laughing at her tone, feeling the fire in her personality once again.

"Will you say something now?" she asked, not getting any response from me.

"I don't want to say anything, I just want to hear you," I said, locking my eyes with hers.

"But I want to hear you, Nader," she said.

"Then listen, Uns.

Aap pehli ladki hai, jisse meri aankhon neh pasand kiya hai.

(You are the first girl whom my eyes have favored).

Before you, my gaze never went to anyone else, and now, beside you, it won't look at anyone else," I said, looking at her. She didn't say anything and just looked down when a tear drop fell on the table.

I lifted her chin up to see tears forming in her eyes and dropping from the side, making her nose turn red.

"I can give you my shoulder to lean your head and cry," I said.

She smiled at my response while wiping her tears with her sleeves.

I took my handkerchief and started wiping her tears.

"I won't stop you to cry, Uns, All I want to see is tears of joy in your eyes and nothing else," I said, handing her the handkerchief.

"You didn't answer to my proposal yet?" she asked, while unknowingly keeping my handkerchief in her bag.

"I'll give you an answer soon, just not here," I said.

"Why not here?" she asked.

How can I tell her now that I don't want to start my love with a lie? I lied to her once, it's just one lie for me, but it's a question of her entire life. I want her to know my truth, and then she can decide about me.

"There's one place, I'll give you my answer there," I said while folding the shawl and placing it in the box.

"So, do you want the card now?" I asked, holding the card in my hand.

"Why do I need the card now? I've received my Eidi, haven't I?" she said with a mischievous smile.

She will surely kill me with her acts now, I thought to myself.

"Why do you want to kill an innocent heart, Uns?" I asked her dramatically, placing my hand near my heart.

"If you talk like this now, I'll really kill you, Nader," she said, anger now visible on her face.

"Accha, baba, I won't do it," I laughed.

"Pack your stuff, I'm taking you somewhere," I said while getting up.

"Where?" she asked, getting up too.

"Let's go for coffee," I said.

"What's wrong with the coffee at my cafe?" she asked, folding her arms now.

"The coffee at your cafe is also very good, but I want to take you out and make the sky jealous. I want to tell it that my moon is incredibly beautiful compared to its moon," I said, and noticed her cheeks where turning red now. She was blushing.

"And even say that, my Moon's blush is incredibly beautiful". I added.

"Bhegairat," she murmured and walked past me. I followed her.

"Where should we go?" I asked her, sitting inside the car,

"Wherever you want," she said softly.

"That's it, that's enough now Uns, no more of this. I'm not used to your softness. Don't do it," I said, noticing her calm demeanor.

"What's your problem, Nader? If I get angry, it's a problem; if I talk to you with love, it's a problem. What should I do in the end?" she asked, utterly frustrated.

"Yes, This! this is exactly what I want. My old fiery Uns, the one who gets angry at me, who commands me. That's what I want," I said.

She was surprised to hear this.

"But, Nader, people don't like the woman who gets angry at them, and—"

"But I fell in love with that woman. I like it when you Command me, when you get angry at me. That's what I'm used to.

Kyun mai, Gusrail Uns ki mohabbat mein dewaana hua tah, aur mujhe wahi Gusrail chahiye", I said.

("Because, I fell in love with the Gusrail Uns, and that's the Gusrail I want")

"Don't change yourself for someone else. Your absolutely perfect the way you are, Uns."

I was driving when Uns suddenly called my name. I looked towards her.

"Stop the car, Nader," she said hurriedly. I stopped and looked towards her, seeing her reaching for the lock.

I pressed the button and came out, opening the door for her to step out.

"What happened, Uns?" I asked her.

"This place!" she exclaimed excitedly.

I looked towards the direction she was pointing and saw the same mall we had visited for shopping last time.

"This?" I asked.

"Yes, this mall. Let's go in, I want to buy something for you," she said while walking.

"What?" I asked.

"Let's buy an Ihram for you," she said again, walking.

But I stopped in my tracks upon hearing the word "Ihram."

"Why do you want to get that for me?" I asked, my tone becoming serious.

She turned around to see me standing there and came and stood in front of me.

"I saw you performing Umrah in my dream, Nader. Now, if such a pure dream has come to me, then it's obvious that something is going to happen," she said very calmly.

"It's just a dream, Uns," I said.

"Turning dreams into reality is what life is about, Nader," she smiled, then held my hands and started walking.

My hands were intertwined with hers, but for the first time, my heart wasn't racing at her touch. Instead, I felt a strange sensation.

Uski mohabbat chahata tah, woh milegai, toh phir kyun mera dil nahi maanraha? .

(I wanted her love; I got it, so why wasn't my heart agreeing now?)

Why was I feeling disconnected from her? She has boundless faith in Allah, and here I am, barely knowing Him.

"Ihram" is worn during Umrah, but since I'm not going there, what's the point of all this? I can't keep Uns in the dark anymore; I need to tell her that I'm not the person she thinks I am.

But I fear losing her after revealing the truth. If she leaves, I won't be able to stay anywhere.

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize when we reached the men's section. She brought me back to reality by flicking her fingers on me.

"Let's buy this," she said, showing me the Ihrams.

I just nodded in agreement.

After buying Ihrams, we were browsing around when I felt Uns holding my hand again and leading me in another direction. We stood in front of a makeup collection now.

She stood beside me, glancing at some lipsticks.

"I've never seen you wearing makeup," I said to her, shocked to see her here.

"Because I've never shown you," she said, looking at me with a warm smile.

"Why?" I asked.

"I just do a little bit at home, never outside, Nader," she said while searching for something to check the lipstick shades.

So, I offered my hands for her to use.

"I have my hands, Nader," she said.

"Lekin main meri malika ke saaf haathon ko kisi cheez ka daagh laghne nahi deh sakhta", I told her. .

("But I can't let my queen's clean hands get stained")

Her expression changed instantly.

She smiled at my response, but it was a different kind of smile; the usual sparkle wasn't there in her eyes. Something was troubling Uns internally, but what could it be?

"Check the shades," I said, wanting to change the topic.

Without saying anything, she began checking the shades one by one on my hand.

"Which color will suit me?" she asked, looking at the shades.

"Red," I said instantly.

"Why red?" she asked.

"It's the color of your cheeks when you blush," I said, and I could see her cheeks literally turning red now.

"Yes, exactly this color," I teased her.

"I'll punch you, Nader," she stared at me, giving death glares.

I laughed at her cuteness. Yes, I find her fiery nature cute.

I might sound crazy, but that's how it is. I love her more when she behaves like fire in front of me.

"Why all pink?" I asked her, seeing her purchasing dozens of pink shades.

"They are not pink," she said.

"What? Then what are they? Blue?" I asked, utterly confused.

"This is rose pink, it's coral pink, and this is peachy pink," she said, taking each shade and telling their names.

How? I mean, how can she define the color? Every shade looks exactly the same here.

"And this?" I asked, showing her red shades, hoping she would definitely say red, come on, it's deep as red, it should be exactly red.

"It's ruby red," she said, taking the shade.

"Oh wow, not just red, but ruby red, huh! Great," I exclaimed.

Aziz, how will you handle this in the future? I'm already getting anxious about the future, I thought.

"Let's go now," madam said, while purchasing her precious lipsticks.

She was busy admiring the dark sky when I handed her the coffee mug.

"Thank you," she murmured and took a sip.

I stood beside her, leaning against the front of my car, and admiring my moon.

For Urdu/Hindi Readers.

For English Readers.

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Chapter Aesthetics :

Her gift.

Their moment in car.

Her hands were intertwined with mine.

He extended his hands for her to check.

Coffee date!

Why Red?