Humsafar .

five

Mere dil ke shehar main,

Ghar tera ho gaya, ho gaya..

Sapna dekha jo tum ne,

Wo mera ho gaya, ho gaya.

In the city of my heart

You have a home now,

The dream that you once had,

Is mine now.

Chapter 5

The key to a healthy relationship is just trust and loyalty. Nothing more, nothing less. 

ANAAYA

"Ahmad, where are we going?" Anaaya questioned her best friend 

who had arrived back from Karachi in a hurry and told her to just get in the car.

She had no idea where she was going or what was happening but she knew she could trust him. She had been friends with him for years now.

The only thing she was worried about was the fact that she hadn't informed her parents about her sudden absence.

"So now you're gonna question me everytime I take you somewhere?" Ahmad counter questioned her not being used to Anaaya asking him about things.

Anaaya sighed.

"I'm just, Ahmad let's go home, okay? Mama, baba must be worried." She explained. He chuckled.

"Babe, just one coffee. I already missed your engagement party and you're gonna be off to Lahore in three days."

One cup wouldn't hurt.

Besides he was right. In three days she was going to be someone's wife, someone's daughter in law. In three days she wouldn't be sitting in her favourite street one cafe but instead, she would be strolling the streets of Lahore.

Life would change.

"Fine, just one coffee." She agreed, looking at him.

"Coffee with kisses?" Ahmad teased, poking his tongue out.

Anaaya rolled her eyes at him.

"You wish." She said with a scoff.

"Come on, you're not even married right now, besides you don't even love him." He tried to persuade her.

She didn't love him but she liked him. And it seemed he liked her enough too. She didn't want to sabotage their relationship before it could even build.

She couldn't do those rebellious immature things with Ahmad anymore.

"Just because I don't love him yet, doesn't mean I can't be loyal to him." She responded to his question and then leaned down the car seat, too tired to even say a word.

She was still in her engagement dress and she knew she would fall asleep if she didn't drink some coffee.

They didn't go inside the cafe but instead ordered the coffee and started to drink in the car.

Ahmad wae still very much stuck in the kissing zone, making Anaaya feel a little uncomfortable.

"Not even a goodbye kiss?" He pouted, asking her. She drank a sip and raised an eye at him.

"You want a brotherly kiss? I can give you that." He almost choked on the coffee.

Brother? Seriously?

"Really? Two years of on and off benefits and now I'm your brother?" He asked with a scowl. Anaaya laughed at his outburst.

"I'm kidding, but seriously not anymore." She said seriously this time, trying to get rid of this topic, once and for all.

But Ahmad still wasn't convinced. He wanted more and more.

"Come on, one last time." He persuaded. This time, she put a firm look on her face, the one that she used with people outside of her world, people who she worked for.

"Dude, no!" She exclaimed, pushing him away as he leaned close.

"Anaaya, please, aa na." He tried again, putting his lips near Anaaya's.

She was shocked. What the f**k?

"I said no! Get off me Ahmad!" She pushed him back with a force this time, her hands putting him properly in his place.

Ahmad frowned at her sudden behaviour. They had always been playful. She would say no and he would still kiss her, he would say no and she would still kiss him.

All for fun, banter.

"So I'm a tissue paper for you? You used me and now you're throwing me away?" Ahmad questioned her with a deep aggressive look.

Anaaya hit his shoulder.

"Don't change the topic. Did you really try to force yourself on me?" She yelled with fury. His face changed colour hearing that. What? He didn't even realise that such a thing had happened. Or maybe this was just Anaaya's perspective.

"What? Are you mad? I always did this when you were mad at me." He answered back.

"I said no and you still.., God, you're disgusting. What the hell." She whispered more to herself than to him.

"Anaaya, stop over reacting okay? I'm sorry if you felt that way, I didn't mean it." He apologised but it was of no use.

He groaned as she didn't reply to him.

"Just drop me home." She mumbled, not looking at him.

"Please, okay..just-"

"I said drop me home Ahmad." She said firmly this time.

Ahmad started to drive the car and Anaaya didn't utter a word.

She gulped after every few seconds and sighed but didn't say anything.

He waited for her to say something but it was of no use.

"I'm sorry. I didn't, I wasn't in the right mind. I didn't mean it." He fumbled with his apology. He had crossed his limits, he knew that but he didn't think it would be a huge issue for her.

They had always been this way to each other.

"Anaaya, talk to me." He whispered as she was about to get out of the car.

He held her slowly by the arm, holding her for the sake of old times.

"You went out of line today, Ahmad. I'm choosing to let this go, for the sake of our friendship." She finally said. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry."

"Goodnight."

She got out of the car after that, not looking behind even once.

--

HASSAN

On the other side, Azlaan was sat beside his brother in the aircraft. The plane had just taken off and both the siblings were quiet before Azlaan decided to speak up.

"So brother, finally engaged hmm?" He teased. Hassan sighed.

"Yeah, you guys really did it." He blamed his family for trapping him.

"But you don't seem too unhappy about it." He remarked making him smile.

"Well, Anaaya's nice enough." He said back, Anaaya was understanding and kind so far, she was mature and someone who was easy to talk to, so he didn't mind getting engaged to her.

"She is. I mean bhabhi's great but-" Hassan felt a tinge of hesitation in his brother's tone and he frowned, drawing his complete attention to the topic.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing," Azlaan denied.

Hassan didn't want to persuade him, neither was he super curious to know about it. But he didn't want the shadow of doubt clouding his judgement so soon.

"You said 'but' so speak up if there's something I should know." Hassan told him seriously.

Azlaan nodded.

"Okay, so there's this guy on bhabhi's...well social media." He trailed off. Hassan shrugged.

"And?"

"And half of bhabhi's i********: is filled with pictures of them." He stated showing a picture of Ahmad and Anaaya. Hassan hadn't seen her so radiant and happy as he saw her look in that picture.

It still didn't phase Hassan.

"Maybe he's one of her close friends, I met quite a bunch today." He mumbled, not really caring.

"No bhai, he wasn't there."

"So maybe he's an ex. I mean I'm sure she had affairs and such." He said with a shake of head.

"You don't mind?" His brother questioned.

"Should I?" Hassan shot back.

Azlaan gulped down a glass of water. He wanted the best for his brother. He didn't want Hassan bhai's future to have any problems. If there was any trouble, it should get sorted out early.

"Bhai, they even go on trips together, so maybe you should talk to bhabhi about it." He suggested. Hassan chuckled mockingly.

"And say what? My brother stalked your i********: like a little girl and now I want to know about this boy you have pictures with?"

Besides, he trusted her. If she had any relationship with anyone before him, it didn't matter. And if there was something he should know about, he hoped to God she would tell him.

"Fair enough. I just thought I should tell you." Azlaan mumbled.

His brother patted his shoulder, touched by his concern.

"Anaaya's mature. If there's something I should know, she would have told me" Or she will tell me.

--