"Tum khush hona iss rishte se?" Asked Anaya. Both Inara and her were in the kitchen. Inara was washing the dishes and Anaya was drying them.
"Haan aur nahi toh kya. Pata hai, jabse yeh rishta hua hai na mujhe itne new gifts aur kapdd mile haina. Kapde! Iske baad na main tumhe apne kapde dikhaungi. Bohot pyarey pyarey jode diye hain mami ne mujhe..." Inara was in her own little world and was happily saying.
"Pagal ho kya?" But Anaya interrupted her. "Tum kapde ke liye shaadi kar rahi ho kya? Umar bhai kaise hain, unke barey mein kya khayal hai? Puri zindagi tumhe unke sath guzarni hai." Anaya knew that Inara always wanted to get married. But she never knew she would be this much crazy.
•••
"Yeh dono sath mein kitne achhe lagte hain. Jaise koi prince aur princess. Allah janey humari life ka Rajkumar kab ayega." Inara was looking at the pictures of a celebrity, who recently got married, and wishfully said.
"Rajkumar na, aise ghar baithe baithe nahi milta. Tum apne kamre mein baithi ho aur tumhara Rajkumar darwaza torh ke aye." Eman knocked on her head, and snatched the magzine from her to look at the pics.
"Eman ki bachhi, jitni ki ho, utni ki baat karo." Rubbing her head, Inara scolds her.
"Dekho bhai, iss baat se tum bilkul disagree nahi kar sakti ki mera tum dono se zyada experience hai pyar mein. Maine zyada movies dekhi hain aur novels padhi hain inme." Folding the magazine like a mic, Eman walked around the bed and announced.
"Achha! Aur kya kehta hai tumhara experience?" Teasingly, Inara asked.
"Yahi, ki pyar pane ke liye hi nahi, pyar karne ke liye bhi mehnat karna padhta hai."
"Mehnat number 1, ladka dhoondna padhta hai. koi achha, suljha hua, aur well settled taki agey jake gharwalo ko reject karne ke liye loophole na mile." Pointing at Inara, Eman told her. Like she is educating a kid.
Anaya, who was sitting on the study table, and reading a book, rolled her eyes at them.
"Aur ladka, normally, college mein milta hai. Ladki apni first class ke liye late ho rahi hai, aur jaldi jaldi apne classroom mein ja rahi ho aur ussi wawt woh takrati hai ladke se, jo khud apni class ke liye bhag raha tha, dono ki kitabein zameen pe girti aur dono ussey uthane ke liye jhukte hain aur pehli nazar milte hi..." Eman played the whole scenario, and Inara did imagined it until Anaya burst her bubbles.
"But tumhara bad luck ki tum girls college mein padhti ho."
Her sentence made Inara sulked her mouth, and Eman cleared ger throat.
"Issi liye hum dusre angle pe atey hain. Prem gali angle. Mohalle ka pyar. Ladki chatt pe baal sukha rahi ho, ladke ki nazar uspe ruk si jati hai aur..."
"Aur roz roz tum chatt pe baal sukhane gayi toh Hatim bhai tange torh denge tumhari." Before Eman could complete her story, Anaya once again interrupted them.
"Afsos, tumhari kismat mein Rajkumar nahi hai, fuppi fuppa ki pasand hai." Anaya crossed her arms over her chest and casually told her.
"Isliye khwab dekhna bhi band kardo Rajkumar ke." Eman sided with Anaya and told her.
Eman and Anaya felt like traitors to Inara as she glared at them.
"Uda lo mazak mera. Dekh lena mere liye Rajkumar hi ayega. Aur tab main tum dono ki shakal dekhungi. Aur yeh na meri baddua hai ki, Eman, koi tumhe tumhare jaisa hi khadoos aur padhaku aur mamma's boy mile. Aur tum Anaya, Allah kare tumhe Hatim bhai jaisa koi mile." Angrily, Inara cursed them. Instead of getting scared, both Anaya and Eman burst out laughing.
•••
"Umar? Woh toh theek hain. Unko toh main bachpan se janti hoon. Mujhe unka koi zyada load nahi hai." After thinking a little bit, Inara told her.
"Bachpan se janna alag hai aur shaadi alag hai." drying the plates, Anaya said.
But before Inara could reply anything, Eman came there.
"Anaya api, kya yeh sach hai apka rishta tay ho gaya hai?" She didn't look at left or right and asked. Anxiety was written on her face.
"What? Kab hua yeh?" Inara quickly turned off the tap and looked at Anaya.
In front of them, Anaya stood like a culprit. What she is supposed to say now?
•••
Anaya never felt at home in Mehmood's house.
Mehmood have a daughter Misba who was same as Anaya's age. They were step sisters. Anaya also had a half brother - Zeeshan. Both of them were kind enough to her. Misba even befriended her and used to take her out for shoppings or movies.
Anaya rarely interacted with Mehmood but knew he didn't like her stay there, Geeti was neutral. Although, it was her who called Anaya there, but she never for once tried to make Anaya feel at home. Geeti would always be busy in trying to please Mehmood and his family.
Mehmood's elder brother, Kashif, used to live near, they often visit them. Anaya did hear Kashif's wife passing negative remarks on Geeti, which she had to ignore with a soft smile. Mehmood would never take stand for her.
All these years of love and serving them, humans even make a bond with their pets and servants, but to Khawar family, Geeti was just a second woman.
And it broke Anaya's heart. All her life, she was away from her mother, all her life, she was unaware of her mother's love, but still never complained to anyone because she thought her mother is happy with her family. Now she knows the reality.
•••
Dedicated to @anuradha1015
