Kahi Ankahi

Chapter 18

I walked in the Gloria Jeans outlet where we had planned to meet up. It had been a long time since I last met Jahanzeb. He and his family had shifted abroad five years ago but I'm certain that I'd be able to recognise him. I looked around and I caught sight of him. He was sitting on a table for two near the window. I walked over to him wanting to prank him but he got up as soon as he saw me.

"Hussssaaaiinn." He said, hugging me.

"Prank karne ka poora plan chaupatt kardia tu ne." I said, laughing and hugged him back.

"Mujhe prank karega? Saaley laakhon ki bheed mein bhi tujhe pehchaan sakta hoon." He said as we broke the hug. "Chal baith. Aaj ki coffee meri taraf se." He added. I smiled as I sat on the chair.

We ordered our drinks and talked about various stuff.

"Wese chala gaya tha tu?" He asked. "Samiya ki birthday hui thi na, wahan bohat miss kiya sabne tujhe." He added.

"Kuch ghaltiyan karke, kuch ghaltiyan karne chala gaya tha." I replied, staring at nothing in particular.

"Kya matlab?" He asked.

"Kuch nahi, kabhi fursat mein bataoonga." I said, with a fake smile.

Jahanzeb's p.o.v.

"Kuch ghaltiyan karke, kuch ghaltiyan karne chala gaya tha." He replied, blankly.

"Kya matlab?" I knew what he meant but I wanted to hear it from him.

"Kuch nahi, kabhi fursat mein bataoonga." He changed the topic with a fake smile and I didnt insist him.

Why does it look like he regrets his decision?

"Tu aur Qirat ab best friends nahi hain kya?" I asked and his head shot in my direction.

"Nahi mera matlab usually uski birthday pe tum dono ka dayout hota tha na." I added.

"Yaar Jahanzeb, main.. maine kuch aisa kardia jiski wajah se humari dosti, humare beech sab kuch khatam hogaya. Main abhi woh sab dohraake khud ko takleef nahi de sakta. Kabhi aur bataoonga. But i cant take this. Woh mujhse bohat naraaz hai, aur uski naraazgi bajah hai. Lekin main uske baghair... i-i mean usse baatein kare baghair nahi reh sakta." He spoke and i could see his eyes starting to well up but he blinked away the tears.

Iske aansoon aur tadap dekh ke aisa kyun lag raha hai jaise yeh Qirat se pyaar karta hai? Without thinking any further, I decided to help him meet Qirat and talk to her. I took out my mobile phone and texted him the location and time.

"Qirat ke liye birthday party organise ki hai maine. Meet her there, aur jo kuch kehna hai, kehde usey." I said as I tapped here and there on my iPhone screen.

"Woh meri shakal bhi nahi dekhna chahti, Jahanzeb." He said, looking down.

"Tu ne usko toda hai, jodne mein thoda time toh lagega na?" I told him.

Hussain's p.o.v.

"Tu ne usko toda hai, jodne mein thoda time toh lagega na?" He told me as if he knew what happened. "Chal coffee toh peele." He added.

"Yaar, jahanzeb.. sab theek hojayga na?" I asked him.

"Insha Allah." He smiled at me reassuringly.

I brushed off the thoughts and had a nice conversation with Jahanzeb. After an hour or two, we bid our goodbyes. I felt nice talking to him. I felt like he like he knew what I was talking about; as if he understood my pain.

I returned home and went straight to my room. I shut the door behind me and plopped myself onto my bed. Usse milke woh sab keh doonga jo kehna chahta hoon. I said to myself. I need to talk to Shehry about this. I was deep in my thoughts when there was a knock on my door. I walked up to the door opening it.