❝Phir le aaya dil majboor kya keeje

Raas na aaya rehna door kya keeje

Dil keh raha use maqammal kar bhi aao

Wo jo adhoori si baat baaki hai

Wo jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai❞

-Barfi

They were welcomed into the living room, a large hall with British interiors. Anahita wondered why British? Was their Badi Ammi secretly competing with their mother? Or did she want her daughters to experience the feeling of being British? Maybe she wanted the Khan siblings to feel their mother's presence whenever they visited her? That is why, perhaps, Asif liked it here.

Servants got sherbets and snacks for them. Abhaiveer politely declined, but Shoaib was persuasive. Nausheen was outraged to learn that they were staying in a hotel, and insisted they stay here in the guest quarters.

"We will arrange separate cook and utensils for the guest kitchen." She added with a tone of finality.

Anahita refused out straight and even Abhaiveer thought it would be trouble for three-four days.

A middle-aged woman walked in with two girls on either side of her. Anahita got up and joined her palms together. Badi Ammi acknowledged her. Abhaiveer stood up too. Before she sat on the wing chair, Anahita touched her feet.

"God bless you. Grant you happy married life and may you always wear red." She patted her head. Anahita smiled humbly and sat down along with Abhaiveer.

It was awkward. Did Badi Ammi know about her past? From her warm smile and gentle words, it didn't seem so. Anahita relaxed in her seat. Abhaiveer impressed Badi Ammi.

"Please dear, you are like Shoaib to us. Our damad and we can't let sons-in-law get upset. As we are from the girls' side, we have to be humble."

Anahita glanced at her husband from the corner of her eyes. She knew if this was Bombay or Jaipur, he could have lectured about this thinking being wrong and all, but out of courtesy, here he was quiet.

The lightness of everything turned to a sharp heaviness in Anahita's chest as Nausheen guided her towards Asif's room. As they approached the room, she struggled with the impulse of running away. But Abhaiveer caught her hand and kept her steady. She pulled her hand away and kept staring at the floor, eyeing her footwear.

Gentle and muffled music hummed from the room. Anahita licked her lips, taking in a deep breath. Chills ran through her spine, and her heartbeat got erratic.

How must he be looking now? Did she have it in her to come face to face with him? He wasn't told of her arrival. How will he react? Her brain was fogged with so many questions. Nausheen knocked at the door and Anahita found her breath getting stuck in her throat.

"Come in."

Butterflies flickered in the bottom of her stomach, and her heart skipped a beat and then got irregular again. His voice was huskier and roughed a bit. Maybe because of excessive smoking.

"Wait for a second, let me check," Nausheen muttered to her guests and walked in. Anahita closed her eyes as the door opened and then shut on her face. Did he see a glimpse of her? She wondered.

❝Chaudhvin ka chaand ho, yaa afatab ho
Jo bhi ho tum khudaa ki kasam, laajavaab ho
Chaudhvin ka chaand ho ❞

Chaudhvin ka chaand (1960)

Anahita kept her gaze fixated on scrapping her red nail paint. Her head snapped up when the door was opened. Nausheen glanced nervously at her friend. Anahita reached out to hold her hands but pulled back before anyone noticed.

The room reeked of smoke, along with a woody smell. There was the fragrance of lavender incense sticks, perhaps to nullify the effect of cigarette smoke.

Anahita gulped as her gaze darted to the two men in the room. There stood a man in a faded shirt and dhoti with a shaving kit in his hand, his concertation on the man's jaw that was foamed with shaving cream.

❝Zulfe hai jaise kaandhe pe baadal jhuke hue

Aankhe hai jaise may ke payaale bhare hue

Masti hai jisame pyaar ki tum, woh sharaab ho

Chaudhvin ka chaand ho❞

Anahita heard her ears pulsating and her breath turned heavy upon seeing the tall man seated at the edge of the bed. His chin up.

"Just final touches and I will see you." He replied without opening his eyes. Anahita guessed, he didn't know yet. It saddened her to find the playfulness in his voice was missing.

She looked around the room. There was a study desk right next to the French window, which welcomed a warm breeze from the outside. Anahita ran her gaze through the floral wallpaper, it calmed her nerves a little bit. But the thought of being in the room after so long with the man she loves made her anxious again.

"Done, sir."

Anahita flinched and darted her gaze to the men. Asif wiped his face with a pink hand towel and thanked the man. He picked out a few coins from the right pocket of his white kurta and handed them to the man.

"So, then—" He looked up and stilled. 

❝Chehra hai jaise jheel me khilataa huaa kamal

Yaa zindagi ke saaj pe chedi hui gazal 

Jaane bahaar tum kisi shaayar kaa khwaab ho

Chaudhvin ka chaand ho ❞

The moment their eyes met, Anahita's heart stopped beating. The aching in her heart returned. Her hands and feet turned cold. Asif didn't look away, and neither could she. Anahita found herself rooted. The time stood still and everything around her blurred. Every noise was muffled. She saw Asif and him alone in the room. Her hands twitched to want to touch him, her feet wanted her to run to him. But her brain was numb. 

It was like a flood gate had been opened. The emotions flooded through her.

"Nausheen!" Asif raised his voice, pulling down two photo frames on his bedside table. Anahita was unmoved, though it was a surprise that he was raising his voice. He was always so gentle.

"Why did you—" He clenched his jaw.

Nausheen swallowed, - "Bhaijaan—I had to—you weren't—"

"I warned you before,"- he pointed a finger at her, - "to not disrupt her married life. Didn't I tell you? I didn't want to cause any troubles in her life?"

Anahita clasped her hands, darting her eyes to her friend, who stood at the corner.

"I assure you, there is nothing of that sort." Abhaiveer interrupted. Asif looked at him, but not at Anahita. Even though she was just next to him.

"Hello,"- Abhay walked to him, extending his hand, - "I am Abhaiveer Singhaniya, Anahita's husband and friend."

Asif observed him before shaking his hand.

"Mr. Khan, you needn't worry. I brought Anahita with me. Think of her as your long-lost friend visiting you after ages."

Asif's posture relaxed. He smiled a little for a fleeting moment.

It pained Anahita to see him pick up a wooden cane and stand up with its support. She felt Nausheen's gaze on her and recollected how their father, Ijazul Haq had beaten Asif mercilessly, breaking the bone of his left leg. Perhaps it required surgery. Now, it was a lifelong burden on him. Remembering his passion for horses, horse riding, and the fact that he can no longer ever ride a horse or play his favorite sport, polo, brought back the guilt feeling, weighing on her chest.

Feeling claustrophobic, Anahita turned around and dashed out of the room. Tears flowed down her eyes, but she ran aimlessly until she reached the back garden. The gush of heat wave tingled her skin, but she stayed there. Under the bright afternoon sun.

It was her fault, everything. She ruined his life. She damaged him, his future. Now, he was dangling over his deathbed. All her fault. The cruel fate. Anahita covered her face and fell to her knees.

So, they met. How do you, my sweeties feel? Drop your thoughts in the comment, please *_* and don't forget to vote, my lovelies.