Humsafar .

eight

Jaane kaise baandhe tu ne akhiyon ke dor

Man mera khincha chala aaya teri or

I don’t know what enchantment your gaze brought

My heart became drawn to you irresistibly

Chapter 8.

It's only a big deal if you make it out to be a big deal.

Hassan x Anaaya

"What?" Anaaya gulped, already dreading the upcoming conversation. She didn't know how Hassan was going to react. She thought about lying for a minute but then decided against it.

If he was understanding and kind, if he was a mature person, he would understand.

"Was I your first kiss? Is that why you were nervous?" He repeated his question, elaborating it this time.

Anaaya was nervous to kiss him because this was the first time her heart had beat so fast, the first time that she had actually felt her palms get sweaty. She hadn't felt overwhelmed like this before. That made her nervous.

"Why don't we sit and talk about it?" She suggested. Hassan typed away at the laptop and looked at her.

"So, no?" He asked with a raised eye. Anaaya swallowed the bile in her throat.

"No, Hassan. You were not my first kiss." She said it clearly, she closed her eyes for a second. A little intimidated.

"Oh, alright." Hassan shrugged murmuring those words and then casually went back to his work.

What?

Anaaya walked forward, sitting on the  edge of the bed. Hassan put his laptop away, trying to give her more attention.

"That's it? I expected a different reaction." She said, in utter disbelief.

Hassan smirked. 

"As in I should scream in jealousy and whine at you?" He shot back. Was that the reaction she had expected? Did she really think he was that kind of person?

"No, I mean not alot of desi husbands can handle this kind of information." She clarified. He got up from his laid back position and took her hands in his.

"Anaaya, I wasn't a saint before you and I'm sure you weren't a saint before. But it's the past. So whatever, right?" He looked at her for reassurance. She nodded.

"Right." She mumbled. "So I reckon I wasn't your first kiss either?" She questioned, right after that.

"No, my first was Lisa." He replied. She raised an eyebrow.

Lisa? Ew? Who was Lisa? Anaaya felt a tinge of jealousy for no reason.

"Lisa?" She interrogated. Hassan sighed.

"She was my girlfriend back in university, after that I got so busy I had no time for any relationship." He informed.

She played with the ring on her finger as she told him about her love life.

"I haven't had a relationship, ever."

"Then who did you kiss? Random guy?" He asked, laughing. Anaaya rolled her eyes.

"He was my friend. We just wanted to experiment stuff together and it felt nice so we kinda just went with the flow."

"Experiment?" He repeated with a raised eye.

"You know, find out how it feels like they say in books and movies." She remarked.

"Yeah,"

She c****d her head at one side and then stood up again, packing away her jewellery and putting her things into the bag.

"So this, Lisa..how long was your relationship?" She casually questioned him.

Hassan stood up as well, putting his laptop on charge and opening his own wardrobe to take out his reception clothes.

"Two years, I think." He mumbled in distraction.

Anaaya decided to just go for it. What harm would asking bring?

"Oh, that long? So did you guys, I mean..do it?" At that, Hassan turned around and looked at her. She entered their dressing room or walk in closet or whatever this room was turned into and pulled out her dress from the adjacent wardrobe.

She leaned against the wall and Hassan came towarde her, nodding.

"Yeah. Just a few times though. I was too scared that I would get her pregnant or something." He chuckled remembering the memory.

Anaaya wanted to be bitter. But at the same time she felt relieved. If he had been a complete saint, then she would have been left feeling guilty about everything.

"I reckon you are a virgin?" Hassan asked her.

"I am. Yeah, I mean I'm no saint, I have done things but nothing of that sort, yeah I'm a virgin." She rambled and Hassan smiled at her.

"Okay, I'll be honoured to be your first, then." He cupped the side of her face and Anaaya held his hand, keeping it there.

"You know, I was scared to have this conversation with you. I didn't know you much to understand how you would react." She told him honestly.

"I know. A part of me dreaded this conversation too. I didn't want drama because of things that happened in the past." He explained his perspective. Anaaya couldn't agree more.

"Yeah." She murmured. Hassan went back to taking out his essentials.

"Besides, it's not like those people are in our lives anymore, right? Lisa texted me a congrats after four years and I don't think we'll ever talk after that." He continued.

Well, f**k. Anaaya still talked to Ahmad. Would Hassan mind? Ofcourse he would?

I'm still bestfriends with my whatever Ahmad was to me. Ofcourse he's not gonna like it.

But why do I care so much if he likes it or not?

Ugh.

Anaaya thought to just get out of the conversation and not mention anything.

"Yeah, yeah." She said, trying to walk away but his question stopped her.

"Are you still friends with that person?" He enquired.

Okay Anaaya, say no. He doesn't know Ahmad anyway..

No, Anaaya tell him the truth.

But what if he tells you not to talk to Ahmad?

Would you stop talking to him?

Nope.

But then he would mind it and that would make me feel bad.

Her brain had an internal battle going on.

"No, no." She blurted out. What the f**k? Anaaya tell him the truth!

She screamed at herself.

"Actually I kind of-" She started off but stopped when she heard a loud knock on the door and then some footsteps.

"Bhabhi, the car's waiting for you." It was Hiba's voice. She stood at the corner of their room and announced that it was time for her to go.

Anaaya sighed.

"Yeah, I'm coming." She mumbled. Hassan kissed her cheek.

"So I'll see you in the evening, then."

With that, she left for the bridal studio to get ready for the reception.

"Mama! Baba!" She exclaimed greeting her parents with the most wide smile. Her mother looked at her in awe, her eyes teared up a little, seeing her Anaaya look so beautiful and radiant.

She engulfed her into a hug.

"MashaAllah, look at my daughter. You're glowing, Anaaya. We miss you already." She told her, moving away so Anaaya's father could hug her too.

"Me too, I miss you all."

"It has been, what? Two days?" Her father joked.

She rolled her eyes playfully. Sure, it had been just a day and a half since the Baraat but things were different now, she wasn't in Islamabad anymore, she wasn't going to live in her parent's house anymore.

"And Hassan kesa hai? (How's Hassan?) He's good to you, right?" Her mother enquired as both the mother daughter duo stood near the stage.

Anaaya was dressed in a white and gold dress for her reception while Hassan also had a white suit on. He had gone off to meet his friends and relatives while Anaaya was talking to her parents.

"He's great, mama. He's thoughtful and understanding. You were right." She replied to her mother.

Her mom smiled lovingly at her.

"See, it's not necessary to fall in love and then get married, sometimes you fall in love at eighteen and sometimes you fall in love at fifty. Arranged marriages aren't that bad." She started her lecture again.

Anaaya groaned.

"Oh stop it, now." Her parents laughed at her scowl. Anaaya's eyes landed on Ahmad who was busy talking with one of Anaaya's cousins.

As her mother started to walk away, she first called out for him.

"Ahmad, udhar kidhar ho beta? Idhar ao." (What are you doing there? Come here.)

Ahmad took hasty steps towards Anaaya, giving her a small side hug.

"Heyy," She greeted.

"You good?" He asked seriously. There was no playfulness in his eyes. He genuinely wanted to know if she was happy or not.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How are you?" She asked him back. Ahmad chuckled, his mood getting lifted all of a sudden.

"How can Ahmad be without Anaaya? And her kisses?" He shot back. Anaaya gasped.

"Ahmad, ssh." She tried to shut him up.

"What? It's a joke." He defended but she knew if anyone heard anything, she would get into big trouble.

While Ahmad and Anaaya talked, Hassan was trying to find Anaaya in the crowded marquee. He had to introduce his wife to his grandmother who had arrived from Karachi for one night only.

"Aunty, have you seen Anaaya?" He asked Anaaya's mother. She nodded.

"Yeah, she's there with her friend." She pointed him to Anaaya's direction.

Hassan saw Anaaya deep in a conversation with her friend. She looked extremely serious while her friend had a bored look on his face.

He didn't want to intrude but he had to take her away. His grandmother was waiting.

He took a few steps towards Anaaya and could hear her voice. It was audible enough since he was at the calm side of the marquee.

"I know but you need to be careful. I don't want people to just start up drama already." Anaaya told him to which Ahmad just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on babe."

"Ahmad, you can't flirt like that anymore." She said scowling.

"Why?"

"Because Hassan doesn't know I'm still friends with someone I used to kiss. I mean I will tell him but-" At that point, Hassan put a hand on Anaaya's shoulder and she suddenly realised he might have heard everything.

Fuck.

No drama, God, please.

She shook off the bad thoughts and looked at Hassan.

"Oh, hi, umm this is my friend Ahmad, you met him at the baraat." She told him. He gave a firm nod and moved forward for a handshake with Ahmad.

"Yeah, I remember. Welcome." He greeted him.

"Thankyou. I'll go get dinner now, see you, Anaaya." Ahmad excused himself from the awkward encounter and she was left all alone.

"Come, we have to meet my grandmother." He guided her to walk forward.

"Yeah, you okay?" She questioned softly. Hassan nodded, looking ahead.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked. Anaaya could feel the cold demeanour.

"Sure?" She asked again.

"Yes, Anaaya. I don't lie."

Hassan replied and Anaaya knew. He had heard it all and he was angry at her.

At their reception.

What a f*****g great start to their marriage.