Happy reading.

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She opened the door only to see maid calling her for dinner.
She turned around concentrating at her room, it was her way of distracting herself. Concentrating on unusual things.

She heaved a sigh and went to freshen up for dinner.

She entered the kitchen to see maid and all the ladies arranging the dinner. She stepped forward to help them. She didn't want to live here as a burden as HE makes her feel. Except Naimal and her mother who hates her for no reason and HIM obviously everyone makes her feel at home.

"Aree tum rehne do. Ham mehmano se kam nhi karate." Rasheda (Naimal's mother) taunted her. Her hands stopped in midway from setting a plate.

"Koi baat nhi aunty hmare Abbu kehte hai ye manners ki baat hai jab bade kaam karrahe hai to chote unhe dekhte to nhi baithe reh sakte chahe mehman ho ya khud ka ghar." She composed herself and replied directly looking at her and glancing towards Naimal at last sentence who was sitting at dining table chewing salad.

Seeing Rasheda go red in anger Rukhsar at once came forward at her rescue. "Bhot sahi kehte hai beta apke abbu. Apki parwarish apke parents ne bhot achi ki hai".

"Mai to khud ye bate Mirha ko samjati hu lekin wo samajne ko tayar hi nhi. Koi angle se lagta hai uski 3 mahine me shadi hai."
"Aree aunty ap unki fikar na kare shadi k bad sab line par ajate hai. Kyu Mirha?" She turned to Mirha who just entered.

"Ha Mamma shadi k bad mai line par aajaungi. Allah na kare lekin Saas k dande kisko khane hai." She mumbled the last part making Hoor to laugh loudly.
"Ha jaise Saad bhai to khane dege na apko dande." They both burst laughing loudly.

"Dusro k ghar me itne zor se nhi hasa karte ye nhi sikhaya tumhare Abbu ne." She froze at Rasheda's voice. Her smile vanished from her lips.

"Rashedaaa."
Shahana begum's voice boomed in the kitchen area.
"Use mehman bhi kehti ho or badsalooki bhi karti ho. Tumne nhi sikha abhi tak mehmano se kaise behave karte hai."

"Lekin Ammi wo..."
"Lekin wekin kuch nhi, Hoor yha padhne ke liye ayi hai or jab hm sab logo ne use ghar ka fard man liya hai to tum kon hoti ho use mehman banane wali." Shahana begum accussingly eyed her daughter in law.

She went away angrily from there.
"Koi zarurat nhi hai unke piche kisiko bhi jane ki. Jab bhook lagegi tab khud aakar kha legi."
She ordered everyone.

Hoor, whose appetite was gone now reluctantly sat for dinner not wanting to upset her more.
Her khaala gave her guilty look upset of her bhabi who doesn't miss a chance on taunting her. Hoor gave her reassuring look and started eating. All were silently eating when Hamza tried to ease the situation.
"Dadijan mujhe khufiya khabar mili hai k aj apka favourite guldan toda gaya hai."

Ahmer who was drinking water spat it out on Azher's face who was sitting infront of him.

"Chiii...what the hell Ahmer!!!"
He exclaimed disgustingly wiping his face with tissue. Everyone burst out laughing at him.

"Kuch nhi hota guldan tha toot gaya." Dadijan casually shrugged and said after everyone calmed down.

All the youngsters including Zaydan stared at her disbelievingly except Hoor as she was forgiven for the crime which was being discussed at the minute.

"Dadijan...apki tabiyat to thik hai. Kya hua hai apko." Hamza still in shock checked her temperature.

"Chal hatt badtamiz kuch nhi hua mujhe." She slapped his hand away. At which Hoor giggled softly, gaining everyone's attention. "Dadijan ne hame maaf kar diya."
She happily exclaimed.

Fajar who was sitting next to her grasped her chin and shaked her head in every direction.
"Aree kuch bhi to alag nhi hai. Dadijan aisa kya dikha isme apko jo apne ise maaf kardiya." She dramatically exclaimed.

Dadijaan shook her head and ignored her grandchildren's over dramatic behaviour.

"Ap milo dinner k bad bahar."
Hamza, Haider & Ali whispered to Hoor together and glared at each other. Hoor laughed quietly realising a pair of eyes which was staring continuosly at her from quiet a while but chosed to ignore. He must be planning my death for sure for gaining this much attention. She thought and gulped last bite of her dinner and excused herself from his accusing stare.

×××××××××××

Entering her room she released a sigh. The way HE was staring at her sents chill down her spine. She still remembered her first encounter with him when this whole family had stayed at her place for some relative's wedding.

Flashback-

She welcomed her khala and her whole family heart warmingly. Meeting everyone she guided servants to keep their luggage in respective rooms when she colloided with a bag and fell on the floor in sitting position.
"Pata nhi kon badtameez is bag ko yha chod gaya. Acha hua laga nhi warna ham chodte nhi use." She was rambling continuosly and stood up from her position only to come face to face with a boy at least 4 to 5 years elder then her, was what she thought. She stared at his sharp jawline, his long nose and then his eyes which got her breath stucked in her throat. He was looking at her with such intensity that it would burn any one but she was not anyone she was Hooriya Rehman standing in front of him in simple yellow shalwar suit she was looking beyond this world. Both were busy staring at each other sinking each others features when someone coughed gaining there attention. They both turned towards the intruder who was staring at them with teasing eyes.

"Kis badtameez ne ye bag bich me dala hai?" She was embarassed cause of getting caught hawking at him like that but it didn't took a second to compose her posture and lash out all her anger on Ahmer.

"Ap mere bhai ko badtameez keh rahi hai!!!" Ahmer dramatically exclaimed earning a glare from his brother.

"Bhai...konsa bhai?" Hooriya confusingly asked.

"Hooriya meet my brother Zaydan Jahangir. Bhai ye hai Hooriya is ghar ki ronak."

Hoor was embarassed by first falling in front of him and then calling him badtameez.
"Assalamualaikum" she meekly greeted him.
"Waleakumassalam. Mujhe nhi pata tha k ap is par se gir jayegi. Apko dekh kar chalna chahiye tha." He replied in rough voice which sent goosebumps all over her body.
Zaydan wanted to apologise but ended up saying rubbish and cursed himself for speaking without thinking for the first time in his life.

"What!!! Ham dekh kar chalte. Ham. Suniye Mr. Zydan ya jo bhi hai  hamare ghar ka kona kona pata hai hame or hm yaha aankhe band kar ke bhi chal skate hai apse kisne kaha tha aise bich me bag dalne ko." She was not the one to sit back when it was not her fault.

"Dekhiye mohtarma..."

"Hooriya...Hooriya naam hai hamara."

"Apne bhi to mujhe Mr. Kaha hai."

" Ha to apko aitraz krana chahiye tha."

"Huh ?? Tum ho kon bhai."

"Abhi to bataya Hooriya Rehman hai ham. Huh... short time memory loss."

"Are are bas kare ap dono." Ahmer who was enjoying the show till now interrupted them.
"Bas bhi kar de." He said pleading both of them. " Hoor lo mai tumse maafi mang leta hu bhai k taraf se sorrryyy. But please stop this fight now. I will be getting headache now."

"Pehli baar aye hai yha isliye maaf kar rahe hai." She said flicking her hijab and went away.

"Yeh kya chiz hai..."
Zaydan again said in lost state.
"Aree bhai abhi to bataya usne wo Hooriya Rehman hai itne jaldi bhool gaye bhai." Ahmer replied teasingly with masoom expression on his face which recieved a glare from his brother.
"Bakwas band karo tum or chalo ye bag uthao."

"Han han cooli bana kar rakha hai sabne. Chale!" He replied dramatically and both entered with Zaydan's one hand on Ahmer's shoulder and other hand was occupied with his laptop bag.

×××××××××××

Hooriya was sitting with all the youngsters in the garden of the house. She didn't want to came here invading there privacy but Fajar & Ahmer dragged her here and now she was sitting in middle on the wooden chair and all except Zaydan and of course Naimal (they were sitted on the bench nearby) were gather around her for 'investigation' of their case in hand.

"So how did you do it?"
It was Ali who started directly.

"Do what?" She asked confusely.
"Masoom banne ki zarurat nhi hai chalo ab sidhi tarah batao kaise tumne Dadijan ko manaya."
It was Fajar who slapped her lightly and asked in a very serious tone.

"Hamne sach me kuch nhi kiya ham to bas unke paas gaye or..." She narrated the whole story.

They all fell down on the ground with a thud dramatically.

"Mujhe lakdi se mara tha"

"Mujhe chappal se"

"Mai to 1 hafte tak bann thi unke kamre se"

"Mere hath par 1 mahine tak chammach ka nishan tha"

This were there sentences of their so called "dukh bhari dastaan" which was earned because they use to break something or other of their Dadijan's Dahej.

They fell into comfortable silence after that.

"Pata hai Hooriya ap bhot special ho."