Gurya (Doll) / Ehsas e Talluq (Realisation of Relationship)

Part-27

"What does my baby want for a birthday?" Ayaan kissed Momal's head who was sitting on her bed and reading a story book. He had just entered Hoor's room since Momal mostly slept with Hoor. During the day, the caretaker took care and did everything but at night Momal slept in Hoor's room unless she was on work and Meerab as always slept with Arsalan. If Hoor was not home due to work, she would either sleep in Ayaan's room  or the caretaker's room. It was 6:26 p.m. right  now.
"Would you give me whatever I ask, baba?" Her birthday was by the end of the month, on 28 and Meerub's birthday was on 7th of the month. Hoor's Nikkah was supposed to be on 20th so they had decided to celebrate both the birthdays on Momal's birthday, a week after Nikkah.
"Yes." He sat beside her on the bed.
"Promise?"
"Umm...Promise." He said, contemplating.
"You have to spend a whole day with me. You don't play with me. You are always busy with work. I don't even have mama. Arsalan chachu is busy with Meerub and office and now Hoor phupho is getting married, she'll leave me too. I'll be alone."

She hiccuped at the end and Ayaan abruptly hugged her close to him.  His heart clenched seeing his little one cry. He was responsible for whatever she was thinking. He got so busy with work that he neglected his daughter. He pulled her onto his lap and let her cry. She had talked about it before as well and he didn't do anything. If it goes on like this, Momal will not grow up like normal kids. He knew she was a shy, introvert and a sensitive kid but whatever was happening will have a bad effect on her personality. He kissed her forehead who was still sobbing and a tear escaped his eyes too.

She was his first born. She was the exact replica of her father. He remembered how happy he was when she was born. She was the one who made him father for the first time. He was regretting it all now that he failed to take care of her after Momina's death. He remembered how close Momal was to him in the first four years of her life. How  he and his little one would pair up and tease their mom. How Momal won't sleep unless her father comes back from work. But after the death of Momina, he got so upset that he abandoned her. He was so busy trying to forget Momina that he didn't even focus on his daughter. Arsalan also got busy with Meerub since she was too small. It wouldn't really be wrong if he called Arsalan mother of Meerub. He was the one staying late at night for her. He would wake up at 3 a.m. to make her feeders. His percentage went from 85 to 60 in the semester when Meerub was born. He was busy with work, Arsalan was taking care of Meerub and Hoor was in Pakistan. He had only lost his wife, his love but his daughter had lost her mother, father and uncle everyone. Now he wished he could bring the time, bring back the time and make his daughter feel loved, make her feel she's not alone.

He hugged her tightly who had stopped crying by now but was still hiccuping. He forwarded his hands and poured a glass of water and brought it to her. He made her sit and placed the glass in front of her mouth. She forwarded her hand to take the glass but he didn't leave it and placed a hand at the back of her head so she could drink it easily. He wiped her face with his sleeve when she was done and drank the last 2 sips himself and put the glass aside.

"I am free tomorrow, I'll spend the whole day with you. Ok?"
"But tomorrow isn't my birthday." She mumbled. He again felt bad that his attention to his daughter had turned so limited that she believed he was supposed to spend time with her on her birthdays only.
"It's okay. We can still do it."
"But I have school tomorrow too."
"You can take a leave." He held her small hand in his large one. He smiled seeing a small teeka of mehendi in the middle of her palm.

"Umm." She looked up at him and brought her mouth to his ears.
"I have a party with my friend after school. But it's okay. We'll do it any other day." She whispered in his ears and he chuckled.
"Okay Okay. You can party any other day with your friend. Tomorrow baba and Momi will have a big party. Ok?"

"Yes." She nodded and laughed wholeheartedly when he tickled her.
"Now go and make a list of the things you need for tomorrow. We'll go to the mall after an hour. Ok?"