Precious Gift - A Love Story

Continued from Part – 3...,

Monday:

In thet evening, Waseem was a little scared inside. He clenched his fist and gathered his guts to face his fear. He went to Amirah’s house. He prepared the speech what he will say to him to ask Amirah’s hand. His heart was beating like he just came from a marathon race. He stood near the door for few seconds and cleared his throat. He prayed: Allah, give me the courage to face it.

He knocked the door and inside Amirah’s heart started to beat faster.

Ammi opened the door.

“Assalamualaikum, Farooq Uncle?” Waseem said with a formal smile.

“Walaikum Assalam, Yes, come inside…” Ammi opened the door to welcome him.

“Assalamualaikum uncle,” Waseem showed his meekness.

“Walaikum Assalam,” Abu smiled to him and told him to have a seat.

“I know you, You are a son of Abdullah Mian right? Waseem!” he narrowed his eyes to remember.

“Yes uncle, you identify me correct…” Waseem smiled nervously.

“You and Amirah study together when you were kids, right?” he said recollection his memories.

“Yes, uncle… in fact, we are still in the same class in the college…” Waseem said smiling.

Inside the room, Amirah was curiously listening every word of their conversation. She was in another room, but her ear was sitting in the hall.

Waseem was about to speak, his lips departed and Ammi came up with a glass of water, “water…” she gave a formal smile.

He grabbed a glass with a faint smile and drank it whole in nervousness.

Farooq uncle smiling to him and Waseem was about to make serious conversation with him.

“Must be important work has led you here.” Farooq uncle spoke in a humble tone.

“Yes uncle…” he said and looked around the hall like he was searching something. He thought: Amirah must be listening in there…

Farooq uncle and Ammi were looking at him with a weird look.

“If you are here for your college stuff and you want to ask Amirah so I can call her…” Farooq uncle turned to call her––

“No No uncle… I’m here to talk with you… something very important.” He observed Farooq uncle’s facial expression.

“Important talk..?” questionable expression stretched on his face.

“Yes, uncle… I-I don’t know uncle, H-How to say it… but…” he stammered while saying.

“Just say it beta” Farooq uncle encouraged him.

“Uncle, I-I…” he cleared his throat, “…I, you know uncle, we both studied and played together since we were little kids…”

Farooq uncle’s face covered with seriousness.

“Uncle, we both really…” his shaky hand got cold sweated while saying, “…we both really love each other… and” he turned his face to observe Ammi’s expression, and continued, “…and I’m here to ask you for her hand…”

The room filled with silence.

Farooq uncle took a deep breath, and broke the silence, “And Amirah? Does she love you?”

Amirah couldn’t stay in her room when Abu’s words banged in her ears, she opened the door and came out to answer.

“Yes Abu, I love him too,” in her moist voice she finally spoke out.

Abu-Ammi both just stared at her without blinking eyelids.

Finally, Amirah confessed her love in front of Ammi-Abu. Both were just staring at her, but couldn’t utter a word.

“You both love each other. Before I give her hand in your hand, I want to ask something important.”

“Yes uncle…” he said.

“Are you come here with all things figured out?” Farooq uncle asked the main question.

“Sorry, I don’t get what you mean by “figured out”?” he made a questionable face.

“I mean - you told everything to your father? Is your father knows everything about you and her? Have you told him yet?” Farooq uncle asked with seriousness.

“Uncle, I will convince him… leave it up to me…” he assured him.

“What if he’ll say No…?” Farooq uncle asked.

“Uncle, I love her. If he says No, I’ll marry her. I’ll never abandon her.” He said with a strong determination.

“InsahAllah, I will go to your Abu and ask him about your marriage… then I will think about further…” he concluded the conversation there.

“Yes, uncle… Khuda Hafiz…” he gave humble smile to Ammi-Abu.

*

Tuesday:

Farooq uncle got ready to put the proposal of Amirah’s marriage. He was nervous while walking to Abdullah Mian’s place. Farooq uncle stood near a huge door, a security guard opened the door and his eyes got widen when he looked at the big luxurious bungalow with cars and servants. He choked up his thoughts to release increasing nervousness. He entered in the hall. Abdullah Mian was leisurely resting on the sofa.

“Khan Saheb! (Farooq Khan), welcome…” he raised his hands with a warm smile.

Both hugged and exchanged each other’s “Salaam”.

“Have a seat…” he showed his courtesy.

Farooq uncle sat in the comfortable sofa. His heart was still racing fast.

“How are you…? How’s going business?” he took a toothpick from a box to clean up the gap between teeth.

“I am fine Alhumdulillah.” Farooq uncle gave his pallid smile and continued, “By Allah’s grace everything is going well”

“Yes absolutely, Nothing without Allah’s blessing.” he smiled and stroked his red-black beard.

Farooq uncle just nodded. His mind was wrestling how to bring out the important topic. Abdullah Mian stroked his beard and said, “Yesterday Waseem told me that he was at your house for…” he left the sentence unfinished.

“Yes, for Amirah’s hand… that’s why I came here to… you know, to clarify our doubts if we have any…” he smiled.

“Yes absolutely.” He put aside the toothpick.

“Both love each other, and they know each other since childhood…” Farooq uncle said.

“Yes, I know that… Amirah is a nice and brilliant girl. And beautiful of course…!” he smiled and said, “…well, then, both have decided so there is nothing much to say…” he smiled.

“Yes absolutely” he agreed with him.

“Except one important thing, Khan saheb… “ he let out his greedy laugh.

Farooq uncle’s slow-paced heartbeats were about to throb.

“What will you give us in dowry? Hmm? I hope you must’ve thought about it…” he stroked his beard and laid his back in a comfortable position.

Farooq uncle cringed in his poorness. “Dowry” word felt like some has pressed burning iron on his wounded place. The pain of dowry was grinding him inside. He gulped his affliction.

Abdullah Mian continued in his wealthy tone, “…As you know Khan sahib, Dowry is in our tradition… so how can we skip it huh? So, I hope you’ll make us happy and surprise us by dowry… if you can’t manage to arrange it, then I don’t think we can move our relationship any further.” He gave his final words.

“Give me some time Abdullah mian… I will surprise you by dowry…” Farooq uncle said in poor voice.

“Now we are talking…” Abdullah Mian laughed egoistic way.

“Khuda Hafiz Abdullah mian” Farooq uncle said in a lower tone and smiled worriedly.

“Khuda Hafiz… Khan saheb…” he stroked his long beard with a greedy laugh.

To be continued in Part – 4…