Muztarib-e-Mohabbat مُضطرب محبت

one

" Zoh? Kya kar raha hai?" Behroz peered over  Zohaib's hunched shoulders and tried to look at what his twin found so interesting on the office floor.

" Ssshhh Wait! " Zohaib whispered.

Behroz kneeled down beside him and looked carefully to notice a few sugar granules and an ant scrambling away from it.

Weird. Don't ants love sugar?

" Zoh!" Behroz was impatient to know what his twin found so amusing. He wanted in on the joke!

" I saw an ant on my desk while I was having a sandwich..." Zohaib started.

" Mujhe nahi bulaya? Tujhe pata hai na mujhe sandwiches kitne pasand hai. Chal theek hai, as long as it wasn't grilled chicken salami sandwich, I'm not offended" Behroz consoled himself.

" You won't like the next part then" Zohaib felt bad that he hadn't thought of calling his twin over despite knowing his obvious love for the said sandwich.

" Arre I forgive you. I know tu salami mere baghair nahi khayega" Behroz had too much faith in his younger brother.

" Toh ant dikhi, phir?" Behroz urged him to continue.

" So I placed a few sugar cubes in front on her " Zohaib was enthusiastic again.

" She had some and went to tell her friends" Zohaib bent over in laughter.

" Hass kyu raha hai pagal?" Behroz hit his crazy twin.

" And I will hide the sugar cubes now" Zohaib bent down and picked up the granules.

" Tujhme jinn aaya hai kya aaj? Bukhaar hai?" Behroz touched his forehead and checked his temperature. His twin is acting weird today.

" Ask me why I'm doing this? Go ahead!" Zohaib swatted his hand away and grinned at him.

" Why are you doing this Zoh?" Behroz sat down on a chair, it was too early for their daily dose of madness.

" Because I want her friends to think she's a liar!" Zohaib fell on the floor, rolling with laughter.

Behroz was bewildered for a second but then he too cracked a smile. This was actually hilarious.

" Pagal!" Behroz gave him a hand to help him off the floor.

Zohaib got up and dusted his pants but that was his biggest mistake. Why, you ask?

" Saaley! Zhutey! Makkar! Namak Haram!" Behroz got up from chair with a force so strong that his chair fell backwards.

" Kya hua?" Zohaib had a faint idea but maybe he was wrong. He prayed to Allah that he was wrong!

" Ye salami ke crumbs kaise girey tere kapdo par se?" Behroz was hurt.

His twin had salami without him? Is this what betrayal feels like? Is this what a heartbreak is?

He sat down with a thud on his chair again.

" Roz sachi maine jaanbujhkar nahi kiya" Zohaib kneeled down in front of his crestfallen twin.

" Aisi galtiya anjaane me nahi hoti hai, tune apne pure hosho-awaaz me mujhe dhoka diya hai" Behroz pulled his hands back from his brother's grip.

" Nahi Roz, aisa nahi hai. Par mujhe bohot bhook lagi thi aur usme hot and sweet sauce tha..." Zohaib was cut short by a hurt gasp.

" Hot and sweet sauce? Extra cheese aur jalapenos bhi they?" Behroz whispered. He prayed that he's wrong.

" Jawab dein mujhe Zoh! Kya is chuppi ko main teri haa samjhu?" Behroz shouted at him.

" Haa! Haa they usme extra cheese aur jalapenos. Fresh iceberg lettuce ke upar thinly sliced tomatoes, phir perfectly golden salami with charred edges, usspar six jalapenos..." Zohaib was in a Nirvana now.