Khamosh Mohabbat

Part 8

As he entered the living area, she was nowhere to be seen, which means, whoever that person was had left. He was about to ask his mother about her, when she came out of the kitchen, eyes at his mother and very softly said,

"Phuppo, Khana Tayyar hai," saying that she did not stop there, turned and walked back into the kitchen, leaving a very stunned Hamza.

"What!! Is she Maya? She looks like this! She is so beautiful?" Hamza thought in his head stunned, his mind was not able to register. Didn't say a word but his gaze was fixed on her disappearing figure.

Durri was looking at his expressions and was inwardly happy with the way his facial expressions changed and the way his eyes followed Maya.

She coughed slightly to bring Hamza back, he looked at his mom and suddenly realized that he was staring at Maya. Flustered, he quickly averted his gaze and tried to compose himself.

"Um... what's for dinner mom, I am starved?" Hamza stammered, trying to regain his composure.

His mother, noticing his sudden change in demeanour, smiled knowingly. "Oh, that's Maya's department now, let's go to the dining room and see. She's such a great cook and insists on cooking herself."

Hamza's heart raced at the mention of Maya's name. He had never seen anyone so captivating before. Her presence seemed to fill the room with an enchanting aura. But then suddenly his expression changed.

"I cannot cheat Ayesha, no I cannot," he thought to himself and came out of this trance. Fighting himself, he followed his parents to the dining room.

All three of them took their usual seats, Ali Sb on the head of the family chair, Hamza to his left & Durri to his left.

Just then, Maya reappeared from the door, a maid following her with food dishes. She was carrying a bowl of salad in her hands too. She carefully avoided any eye contact with Hamza, placed the bowl in the centre and took the seat next to Durri.

The menu was his favourite food items like biryani, mutton Karahi and Bhindi.

He didn't comment and just silently had food. He was avoiding any glance in her direction but despite careful avoidance, he couldn't miss the extremely white hands that could be seen while she was moving a dish or a bowl.

He kept talking to his dad about business, he noticed that Maya did not speak a single word.

He thought in his heart, "Huh! Ganwaar, khoobsurat honay se kya hota hai, she has zero styles or sense of style, Kahan ye aur kahan meri Ayesha."

After this thought, he was content that he would be able to curtail his attraction towards her.

Maya was the first one to leave the table, telling Phuppo that she was having a headache and would rest in her room.

Phuppo understood that tomorrow was her father's chaleeswa so she must be sad, so she just let her go.

As she leaves the room, Hamza sighs in relief and focuses on the dessert. He was surprised that all the food was very tasty.
" Haan tau ganwaaar ko aur ata bhi kya ho ga pakanay ke siwa."

After dinner, he informs his parents that he's going out with his friends and leaves the house.

——- —————

At around midnight, Hamza returned home, he parked the car and climbed up the stairs to his room. After changing into his night suit, he went out on the terrace for a final smoke before hitting bed to sleep.

As he stepped onto the terrace, he saw a silhouette sitting under the tree on the bench. Legs curled up to her chest, arms around the folded legs, face tilted to the other side and rested on the knees. She looked like a sad figure image on some magazine cover page.

Hamza was not an unkind person, he felt bad and sad for this girl, for Maya, his paper wife, but! But Ayesha, he can't cheat Ayesha.

When Hamza laid eyes on Maya today for the first time, he couldn't deny the immediate impression she made. She stood before him, her beauty captivating, with a natural grace that seemed to radiate from within. Her fair complexion, tall stature, and modest attire only added to her allure.

Despite the undeniable attraction he felt, Hamza knew he had to steel himself against it. He couldn't allow himself to be swayed by Maya's beauty, no matter how captivating it might be. He was committed to Ayesha, and he couldn't betray her trust by entertaining the thoughts of another woman.

Hamza forcefully taught himself, "You have to maintain a polite distance, keeping your interactions with her strictly formal. Avoid any lingering glance and stay determined to resist any temptation that might arise."

But try as he might to suppress his feelings, Hamza couldn't help but find himself drawn to Maya's presence. Maybe it was the power of the Nikkah that bonded them, and he couldn't deny the connection he felt, despite his best efforts to resist it.

Yet, even as he grappled with his growing attraction to Maya, Hamza remained steadfast in his commitment to Ayesha. He knew he had to stay true to his vows and honour the trust she had placed in him, no matter the challenges he faced along the way.

And so, with a determined mind and a resolute spirit, Hamza resolved to keep his distance from Maya, focusing instead on rebuilding the trust he had broken with Ayesha. It wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to do whatever it took to make things right and preserve the love they shared.

He finished his smoke and came back inside to sleep.

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