Abeer said to his mother in a joking tone,
"The opposite can also happen, like your daughter-in-law fell asleep on your lap and you waited for me while putting her to sleep." Maliha Khan was taken aback by her son's jest.
Abir again said calmly but sternly, "From tomorrow, I don't want to see you just sitting around. If I need anything, I will ask for it, and keep the food on the table, I will eat." Without answering this, Maliha Khan said in a normal voice, "Tanvir, Megh hasn't eaten yet, can you go and call her? See if she will eat now!" Tanvir said okay and went upstairs, and Abeer also went to his room. He changed his clothes and freshened up in 5 minutes and came downstairs.
By this time, Megh had already come to the dining table. She thought she would eat quickly and escape before her brother came down after freshening up. While eating halfway, her gaze fell on the stairs. Abeer was coming down lost in his own thoughts, wearing a black T-shirt and trousers and holding his mobile. Megh observed Abeer with narrowed eyes. Seeing the man, Megh's heart rate started to increase. Now she clearly felt something happening inside her chest. But she couldn't understand what was happening. Unconsciously, Megh put her hand on the left side of her chest. She felt something constantly dancing inside her chest. The sound of Abier pulling out a chair and sitting down broke Megh's trance. She quickly lowered her hand from her chest. Abeer sat in the chair directly opposite Megh.
Megh's small chest was constantly trembling, the girl couldn't look up. She was annoyed by the shaking of her body and the pounding of her heart, the eighteen-year-old was in a state of confusion. She wanted to run away from in front of Abir but felt as if her feet were tied with chains.
Maliha Khan suddenly lightly nudged Megh's hand, "Hey, what happened to you?" Megh's trance broke for the second time. She immediately tried to act normal and said in a trembling voice, "Nothing!" Saying this, she tried to eat again, but this time the food wouldn't go down Megh's throat. Her throat was dry as wood. With trembling hands, she picked up the glass and finished half a glass of water in an instant.
Abir was eating lost in his own thoughts. He didn't feel the need to look at what was happening in front or around him. Everything in this world was incapable of creating interest in him. Seeing Abeer's nonchalant attitude, Megh started eating, somewhat back to normal. In between, she looked at Abeer for a moment, 'His face looked so sweet in the black T-shirt, his messy hair, his eating style made the eighteen-year-old have a crush for the second time.
Who could say, just two days ago, there was no memory of Abeer in Megh's mind or brain. Even if she suddenly remembered, she would only remember the memory of him hitting her, and Megh would be fuming with anger. And since yesterday afternoon, every time she sees Abeer, Megh's frail chest pounds. The fear that a sister had for her brother in childhood has changed today. Abeer's gaze is constantly freezing her like ice. This gaze has the power to pierce through a teenager's chest with sharp or pointed weapons. Megh was looking at Abeer with a fixed gaze, thinking random thoughts.
As soon as Abir looked up, Megh's attention shifted. Abeer's hot gaze seemed to be tearing her heart apart. She controlled her gaze and lowered her chin to her neck. Suddenly her mouth became shrunken like dried mango pulp. The eighteen-year-old didn't have the audacity to look at Abeer for the second time.
Meanwhile, Maliha Khan said to her son Abeer,
"Can't you just not start your new company? Your father is not taking it well. Why are you making your father angry..!! Your father loves you very much." Abeer looked at his mother with a sharp voice and started saying,
"Sons cannot be their fathers' favorite forever. Distance increases between father and son by prioritizing their own dreams and desires. This is not unusual. If every son held the reins of their father's dreams or desires, the world would not have progressed so much, and I would not have had to stay abroad for so many years away from the country. Appu himself started this company, if he had prioritized his father's wishes, he would not have reached this far today. Besides, I didn't say I would prioritize my dream over my father's dream. My dream is solely mine. I will handle both sides, you don't ruin your health by worrying unnecessarily about these things." Maliha Khan said in a worried voice, "You will get sick yourself by doing so much pressure and running around, son." Abir said in a serious tone, "I told you not to worry about me."
Tanvir said from the middle, "There are people to worry about Bhaiyya, Big Mom, you can relax." Megh, who had been eating silently until now, trembled at hearing this, and looked at Abir in panic. Abeer immediately turned his head and looked at Tanvir, and Tanvir's face immediately shrank. He said in a pitiful voice, "Sorry, Bhai."
Pin-drop silence at the dining table. No one was saying anything. Megh's mood suddenly turned bad. "Tanvir is an ardent devotee of Abeer. In a word, they are best friends. Abeer is serious, short-tempered, and talks little, but at the end of the day, Abeer has shared his unexpressed emotions with Tanvir all these years, even now. Tanvir loves Abeer more than Abeer does. If Abeer says stand on one leg all night, Tanvir will do it. Of course, why wouldn't he, Tanvir has had the desire to do politics since college life, he had no special interest in studies. He told Big Appu and Appu several times, but their strict answer was, we don't like politics. No one in this house will do politics. One day, compelled, Tanvir called his brother, after finishing the usual pleasantries, Tanvir said fearfully,
'Bhaiyya, I had something to talk to you about!' Tanvir couldn't believe his ears, Abeer was talking about it so normally. Abeer: 'You want to do politics, right?'
Abeer: 'It's okay if you do politics. But keep some things in mind, it's not as easy as it looks. You have to be dedicated and honest. You have to walk on the path of truth regardless of party or opinion, don't have a sycophantic attitude.' Tanvir said fearfully, 'Big Appu and Appu are not agreeing.' Abeer laughed and replied, 'I will handle all that, you promise me you will be honest in your place, and share any problem with me.' That day, Tanvir's eyes welled up with joy, if Abeer had been in front of him, he might have hugged him and cried, that day he promised his brother,
'He will be honest all his life and do politics with dedication.' Since then, whatever problems are related to politics, what should be done, what would be good, Tanvir has decided everything with his brother. Today he is the Vice-President of the Chhatra League. All the credit goes to Abeer. After the mayoral election next year, a new president will be appointed. So Tanvir is trying to become president this time.
Abeer has been arguing with his father and uncle about Tanvir's politics from the beginning. But Abeer's one statement is that Tanvir will do politics. This evening too, he told his father and uncle to not put any obstacles in Tanvir's way. In Tanvir's life, Abeer is like a tree, under whose shade Tanvir stands. Tanvir is helpless without his brother.
★★★
After finishing eating, Abeer went to his room, and Tanvir also left. But Megh is sitting, she came to the dining table first, she thought she would eat before her brother and escape, but that didn't happen. The thought that there is someone in Abeer's life is revolving in the eighteen-year-old's mind, she is circling her finger on the rice plate and thinking, 'My little heart is broken like this, it broke up before even falling in love, ugh!' She immediately consoles herself, 'Don't be sad, the boy is not good, don't you remember he hit you in childhood, a complete Hitler, a prince will come into your life over whom you will rule alone,' Maliha Khan again nudged Megh's hand and said, "Okay, you don't have to eat anymore," and Megh came back to her senses. Before Megh could say anything, she took the plate of food away. Megh was dumbfounded by her Big Mom's actions. Maliha Khan said, "If you sit with rice for 14 hours like this, the food will become poisonous." Megh also doesn't have much desire to eat anymore. She is busy consoling herself. She washed her hands and is going towards her room. Maliha Khan called Megh again and asked if she was full or if she should give her food again, 'I won't eat anymore,' saying this much, Megh went to her room. The girl doesn't even feel like studying, she is just lying down quietly. As soon as she closes her eyes, Abeer's smile floats before her eyes. His words when he brought the bike and said with a smiling face are ringing in her ears, how beautifully the man talks, his way of looking, the thick eyebrows he furrows when he is angry, everything seems to be floating in front of Megh's eyes.
Immediately Megh opens her eyes, her chest breaks with pain. Why is this person coming into my thoughts again and again, this person belongs to someone else. Saying this, Megh falls asleep out of resentment.
★★★
Today, Friday, there has been a commotion at home since morning. Meem, Adi, and Megh have livened up the drawing-room with mischief and chatting. The three sisters-in-law are busy cooking. Because Abeer has returned home, Abir's two maternal uncles, two maternal aunts, and their children will all come to visit. People from Meem and Megh's maternal uncles' and aunts' houses will also come to visit. Most people are working professionals, so no one has time except Friday. Iqbal Khan is busy shopping for groceries. He is running to get whatever is needed. There has been no news of Tanvir since morning, he had breakfast and went out, he has work at the party office, he said he would return in the afternoon and left. That's why Megh has no fear or dread. The girl is engrossed in chatting, lost in her own world.
Suddenly, Abeer called his mother from the corridor upstairs, "Mom, can you give me some coffee?" Saying this, he went back to his room. "He didn't even feel the need to hear the answer."
Maliha Khan made coffee and called Megh, "Give this coffee to Abeer, dear!" Megh immediately remembered the conversation from last night and suddenly said, "Why me? Let Meem give it." Maliha Khan said with some annoyance, "If they take it, they will spill it, then I will be in another trouble. Guests will arrive soon, go, dear." Megh didn't say anything else and walked slowly towards Abeer's door. Megh's throat was drying up, the pounding in her chest was increasing, her hands and feet were trembling. She stood rooted to the spot and gently knocked on the door. Abeer: The door is open. Megh pushed the door with trembling hands.
Abeer was doing something on his laptop. He didn't even look up to see who had come. Abeer: Leave it here. Megh couldn't walk, her hands were trembling even more now, she had no strength in her legs. She stood rooted to the spot. Abeer put the laptop on the table and stood facing Megh. He took the coffee cup from her hand and placed it in front of the dressing table. Megh was not paying attention to that. Every neuron in her brain was racing hither and thither. Megh came back to her senses with the intense smell of body spray. Abeer was standing one foot away from her.
The girl was startled by him suddenly standing like that. Megh turned around anxiously, forcing herself, and stepped towards the door. With a strong hand, Abeer grabbed Megh's elbow tightly and said in a stern voice, "Look here." Megh turned around unwillingly. Her chin dropped to her neck, her whole body was trembling, the cold threat made her earlobes hot, and the intense smell of Abeer's body and body spray was reaching Megh's nose. Abeer said in a deep voice, "I told you to put the coffee on the table, didn't you hear?" As soon as he said this much, Megh swayed and was about to fall.
Abeer held the unsteady girl by the arm and made her stand straight. Megh seemed to have almost lost consciousness but hadn't. With a sharp gaze, Abeer said in a serious tone, "Are you suffering from malnutrition? Of course, why wouldn't you, will you get nutrition by just circling your finger on the food plate!" Although he started in a serious tone, he ended it in a playful manner. Megh's body was sweating. Who would make this man understand that just by seeing him, all the strength of the eighteen-year-old vanishes somewhere, whose gaze takes away all her attention, concentration, and focus. Abeer said in a natural manner, "Can you go or should I come and drop you?" Megh composed herself and said, "I can." Then Megh slowly walked out of the room. Abeer was looking at the eighteen-year-old's walk. Megh somehow reached her room and lay down on the bed in one go. Her mind and brain were abnormally pounding. In a few moments, she lost her sense of existence. She was lying on the bed, having lost consciousness.
★★★
Guests started arriving after 11 o'clock. The house was filled with relatives. Meem and Adi took a bath and got dressed and were chatting with everyone. Abeer came out of the room only at prayer time. He looked much more handsome than other days wearing a cap and kurta. He greeted everyone and talked a little before leaving with his maternal uncles for prayers. Megh's body was still clinging to the bed. Meem went upstairs to look for her sister and saw Megh sleeping. Calling out to Megh, her sleep broke. Meem: Sister, oh sister, wake up. Why are you sleeping now? Guests have arrived at home. The call to prayer was a long time ago, wake up, pray and get ready, Mom sent me to call you.
After a while, Megh regained consciousness. She looked at the wall clock hanging on the adjacent wall, it was 1:15. She immediately sat up from lying down. She had gone to give Abeer coffee between 8:30 and 9 o'clock. She had been unconscious for over 4 hours. After sitting for 5 minutes, she went to take a bath. After praying, Megh put on a dress that Abeer had given her, a purple gown, somewhat gorgeous. She tied her long hair in a bun, she wouldn't be able to do anything if she left it open. She put on some light face powder and light pink lipstick.
She came out of the room around 3 o'clock. Her maternal uncles and aunts were all sitting down to eat. The younger ones had finished eating. She came out of the room and was trying to understand the situation standing in the corridor. The sound of hustle and bustle in the house was giving Megh a headache. Her gaze fell on the sofa. Abeer was surrounded by all his maternal and paternal cousins. Among them, her gaze fell on one special person, Mala Apa. Mala Apa is studying in her 3rd year of honors now, she is Abeer Bhaiyya's maternal cousin. She also has an elder sister, Myesha. She has finished her studies and is working now. Both sisters have come. But Mala Apa's gaze was somewhat different. She was looking at Abeer Bhaiyya in such a way as if she would swallow Abeer Bhaiyya with her eyes. Seeing this, Megh's mood became hot.
She immediately remembered the conversation from last night. Tanvir Bhaiyya said that there is someone in Abeer Bhai's life. Is Mala Apa that someone? Just thinking about it made her heart fill with pain. Abeer has a brother of the same age named Sakib. He can be called Abeer Bhaiyya's second best friend. Several other younger brothers were asking Abeer Bhaiyya many things, how it is abroad, how is the study, how to live, etc.
Megh was coming down the stairs slowly and steadily. Abeer looked at her for a moment and then focused on his brothers' conversation again. Seeing Megh, 2-4 people started calling her, "Hey Megh, how are you, come here." Meem ran towards Megh, "Sister, you look very beautiful, MashaAllah, may no one's evil eye fall on you!" Megh smiled slightly. Meem pulled Megh and made her sit on the sofa. While talking to everyone, her gaze suddenly fell on Abeer Bhaiyya. From upstairs, she had only seen Mala Apa's gaze. Now she was looking at Abeer, in a blue kurta, white pants, and a cap on his head, oh, how sweet he looked. Megh fell in love with Abeer's smiling face. She quickly averted her gaze and got busy talking to the others. The elders had finished eating. Megh got up, greeted everyone, and started chatting happily. She hadn't seen her maternal aunts for a long time. Before, she would see them occasionally at weddings, but due to Tanvir's harassment, the girl stopped going to weddings, so she didn't get to see her maternal aunts. Her maternal uncle, however, comes to visit occasionally and brings things.
After a day of visiting, everyone left for their homes. Everyone was asked to stay, but for working professionals, visiting means only a few hours. At the time of departure, Megh's blood boiled at Mala Apa's behavior. It would have been fine to just say they would visit, what's the point of leaning on someone, how strange. If Abeer Bhaiyya hadn't moved away immediately from Mala's behavior, she would have fallen on him. Megh went to her room fuming with anger.
After seeing off the guests, Abir also went out somewhere on his bike. In between, Tanvir came once, met everyone, and left again. There was some trouble at the party office, so he didn't have time to sit. Megh closed the door of her room and started crying. But she herself didn't know why she was crying. The girl cries when she is extremely angry.