Wearing her wrist watch, Anaya was going to Misba's room, Misba had fever last night, a maid told Anaya in the morning, Anaya thought of going to her room to ask her about her health. Misba was behaving strange from few days.
Misba sometimes reminds her of Inara, but a mature version. Only she was the one whom Anaya get along otherwise everyone in this house avoids her presence as if she doesn't exist.
Closing the straps, Anaya didn't realise when another person was coming from Misba's room as they both bumped into each other.
A loud gasp left Anaya's mouth as she almost fall down but Shaan held her hand,
"Dekhke chalo." Helping her to stand on her feet, he irritatedly told her.
"I... I am sorry." Meekly, Anaya mumbles. In return, Shaan could only scoff and left.
Shaan was a very cold person, if there was a competition for being the coldest person on planet, Shaan and Hatim would be fighting for first place, this was Anaya's POV. Shaan's cold behaviour was reasonable, they were step-cousins, never met before, never even heard of each other, but she could never understand Hatim's behaviour. Before she could think more about him, she stopped herself.
Knocking on the door, Anaya waited for Misba to allow her in,
"Come in!" Misba's soft voice came, as Anaya entered the room.
Misba was sitting on her bed with the comforter covering her legs, a book was placed on her lap and hot bowl of soup was placed on the table, untouched. She looked like a delicate princess, the one Anaya has read while growing up.
"Anaya, tum?" Seeing her step-sister there, Misba closed the book and smiled at her.
"Kaisi tabiyat hai tumhari?" Anaya asked as she sat on the chair.
"Ab theek hai. Sab khamakha itna pareshaan ho gaye." Thought Misba was smiling, but Anaya found the glint missing in her honeybrown eyes. Misba was a cheerful girl, but today she seems lost, maybe due to fever?
"You don't look fine to me." Anaya wondered aloud.
"But I am. My temperature is normal now." Misba stubbornly said.
"I am not talking about your temperature. You don't look fine. Are you okay? Did something happen?" Anaya once again asked, softly.
"I..." Misba was not expecting Anaya to notice it and was startled.
"If you want, you can share with me." Placing her hand on Misba's, Anaya softly told her.
"I... I am fine." Misba burst into tears.
"Misba!" Getting up from the chair, Anaya sat on the bed and hugged Misba. "Kya hua hai?" Anaya got scared, she never saw Misba crying, her father treated her like a princess, her every wish was fulfilled before she could even mention it, what happened that made her cry?
"I like Shaan." Slowly, Misba mumbles.
This revelation made Anaya froze as she break the hug, "toh usme kya hai? Tum mamma se baat karlo. Shaan toh kafi bawaqar shaks hai, well settled hai, problem kya hai? Kya woh tumhe pasand nahi karte?"
"Nahi, woh karte hain lekin..." Misba was fidgeting with her ring.
"Lekin?"
"Mamma tumhari aur Shaan ki shadi karwana chahti hain. Papa ne bade papa se bhi baat karli hai. Sab khush hain iss rishe se..." half of Misba's words fell into Anaya's ear while others hit the blank space, Anaya felt as if all the blood in her body freeze as she could not process anything.
Shaan and Her? How? Why?
Asking for her consent was another thing, her mother didn't even inform her.
•••
When Anaya asked her mother about this, she shrugged it off.
"Toh kya hua, main toh hamesha se chahti thi tumhari shadi iss ghar mein ho, jo izzat aur pyar tumhe yaha beti ke darje se nahi mila woh bahu banke milegi."
"But, mummy, Misba Shan ko pasand karti hai." Anaya once again told her mother.
"Anaya, Misba unki ladli beti hai, Shan se bohot achhe ladke se shadi karenge uski woh. Tum uski fikar na karo."
"Par mujhe Shan se shaadi nahi karni."
"Pagal ladki, itni mushkil se Mehmood Sahab mane hain iss rishte ke liye, aur apne bhaiyya bhabhi se bhi baat karli hai unhone. Aur kya kami hai Shan mein? Iklouta hai, well settled hai, shakal surat ka bhi achha hai, kya kami hai jo shadi nahi karni?"
"Mummy, main..."
"Ek lafz nahi, Anaya, itne saal main apni beti se durr rahi hoon, hamesha sahi mouke ka intezar kiya tha ki tum badi ho aur tumhari shadi main Shan se karwa doon, fir tumhe mujhse koi durr nahi kar sakta. Main yeh sab tumhare liye kar rahi hoon, Anaya, tumhe bhi toh mere sath rehna tha na hamesha se?" Holding Anaya's cheek, Geeti told her lovingly. But Anaya didn't feel any love.
•••
At night, Anaya couldn't sleep a wink, she was thinking about her mother. Geeti was doing all of this in Anaya's love, but how come she doesn't care about Anaya's happiness.
And Misba? What about her happiness? Geeti has raised her like her own daughter then how come she doesn't care about Misba's happiness.
Anaya was missing her home more now, the house where she grew up, her Fuppa, Fuppi, Inaya, Eman... even Hatim. She missed everyone.
Before she could realize, a tear fall on her cheek, wiping it off, Anaya sat up and picked her phone.
Dialling the only number she could trust.
"Hello!" He received the call after few ringing.
"Hatim bhai," Anaya's voice came out hoarsely, which scared Haider.
"Anaya? Anaya, tum theek ho?"
•••
Anaya did not tell the whole truth to Inaya and Eman, she just told them she didn't like Shan, Misba did and she didn't know how to talk to her mother and that's why she thought leaving the house would be the wise decision.
