"Assalamu Alaikum Aliza Bibi, how are you?" At that moment, the khansama (manservant) arrived with the tea tray and addressed Aliza.
"I am perfectly fine, Mureed Baba. How are you?" Aliza asked after his well-being in reply.
"By Allah's grace, Bibi! You've taken a long time to return this time." Mureed Baba said, placing the tea tray on the table in front of him.
"Yes, it took a little longer, but I have returned, Mureed Baba!" Aliza smiled again. The khansama left the tea and went back towards the kitchen. Naani started preparing tea for her.
"Oh yes, I didn't tell you, Umar has come."
While handing her the teacup, Naani suddenly said in an excited tone.
"Umar...! When did he come?" Aliza was surprised to hear Naani's words.
"Last week,"
"Did he come alone?"
"Yes, alone. He has come to take the CSS exam. He will stay here for one or two months now."
"CSS? But he was working in London, so then this...?" Aliza was somewhat confused.
"He left the job. He was saying he couldn't adjust there. His routine there had become very difficult. I think because of Jahangir he was forced to come here. You know, he has been putting pressure on Umar from the start. Last time he was here, he was very worried about Umar. He was saying that Umar can't stick to any work. Every year, after six months, his interest changes, and it's only natural that to move forward in life, it's very important to work steadily in one place. Even then he was forcing Umar to join the Foreign Service. Jahangir is in a good position now, he wants his son to join the Foreign Service too. Then he will also get him established."
Naani told Aliza in detail while having tea.
While having tea, Aliza listened to her, stroking Christie's head with one hand.
"Where is he now?" Aliza asked when she finished.
"He's sleeping, trying to adjust his sleep schedule now. There's a big difference between England's time and here, and coming here, he has to change his sleep timings a lot. On top of that, it's very hot these days. Yesterday he went out to the market to get some things and his condition worsened after returning. At first I was scared he might have had sunstroke, but the doctor said everything is fine. Just need to be a bit careful about going out now. In the evening, he regained some consciousness, but he's very witty. He was telling me,
'If I were a full Englishman, I would have surely died. I barely survived because being from here, I think the heat recognized me, I don't think there will be any problem again.'
I told him there's no need to be so happy, rather it's better to refrain from going out according to the doctor's advice. It's not necessary that if you survive sunstroke once, you'll survive it a second time."
Aliza listened to her somewhat indifferently. Naani kept talking about Umar.
"You know, what was he saying seeing your picture? He said, 'Aliza is Phupho's carbon copy.' I said how do you know, have you seen Samina so well or have you seen Aliza well? For Umar, seeing someone once is enough. Actually, two years ago he also went to Australia, for a tour with some friends. He went to Samina's place there too. He was praising her a lot. He was asking me if you talk a lot like your mother too?"
"I said, when you meet, you'll see for yourself whether she talks a lot or not. And he will be up soon anyway, meet him yourself. He also knows you are coming today."
Aliza still hadn't developed any interest in Naani's words. Without any reply, she kept having her tea quietly.
"Ammu has sent some gifts for you all, should I unpack them now or tomorrow?" Aliza said in response to her words.
"Don't unpack the things now, you'll get tired, rest. Tomorrow I will unpack the things with you myself, then I'll see." Naani told her.
After having tea, Naani told her to rest, and Aliza got up and went to her room. She lay down on the bed without even changing her clothes.
Umar Jahangir was not a new name for Aliza. Umar used to come to Pakistan on vacation almost every two or three years with his father and family, and he would stay here. This had been happening for many years. But this time Umar had come after almost six years, and for the first time, alone. There was only a formal hello-hi between Aliza and him. Aliza used to think Umar was very reserved. Even as a child, he wasn't the kind of kid who would easily mix with other children. Aliza was also of the same type, so no closeness ever developed between the two. Again, many times it so happened that Umar would come to Pakistan on vacation with his father, and Aliza would go to Australia to her Ammu for vacation. So they never got the chance to spend much time with each other, and even now, Umar Jahangir's arrival was not a cause of any special happiness for her.
.....….......
Aliza couldn't understand how long she had slept. When she woke up again, darkness had descended in the room. She picked up the wristwatch kept on the side table and tried to see the time. Seven o'clock was showing on the radium dial. Aliza got up and turned on the room light. Taking out clothes from the almirah, she went to the washroom. When Aliza came to the lounge, it was quarter past seven.
"So Mohsina is here!" Nana said as soon as he saw Aliza, Aliza went and hugged him, laughing.
"I tried to go to your room two or three times but your Naani stopped me, saying you'd be annoyed." Nana told Aliza.
Aliza sat on the sofa next to him, laughing, and at that moment her eyes fell on the person sitting on the sofa placed in the far corner. Who was watching her with great interest, smiling. When he caught Aliza's attention, his smile deepened. Even after seeing him after such a long time, Aliza didn't take long to recognize him.
When she had seen Umar five years ago, Umar was quite thin. But at this moment, he possessed a tall, broad, handsome appearance. He was eight years older than Aliza, but according to his height and physique, he didn't look older than Aliza's age. Aliza involuntarily hesitated a little. Aliza couldn't think how to address him, clearing her throat Aliza said,
"Hello, how are you?"
Umar bowed his head lightly.
"Oh, I am fine."
"It means you have recognized me. Am I right, Aliza?"
Umar answered her in such a way as if Aliza were his very close friend.
"Yes, Naani told me about you. She was....."
She was talking to Umar when Naani called her.
"Aliza! Shehla's phone, talk." Aliza looked startled towards Naani, she had the cordless phone in her hand.
"Excuse me!"
Aliza left her sentence incomplete, took the cordless from Naani's hand and went towards the dining area. Shehla was her friend and she knew that now she wouldn't be free for the next half hour. Shehla had the habit of talking at length, and today anyway she was talking to her after a month. She kept talking to her on the phone for a long time, and when she put down the phone and returned to the lounge, Umar was not there. Aliza started talking to Naani and Nana, and from them she learned that Umar had gone out with some friend. After having dinner, Aliza sat with Nana for a long time. Then she got up and went to her room; Umar still hadn't returned.
In the morning, Aliza woke up late; when she came for breakfast, it was half past ten. The khansama informed her that Naani had gone out. Nana had been at the club since then. Aliza was having breakfast when Umar also arrived there.
After saying 'Hello, hi,' Umar very normally pulled a chair right in front of her and sat down, and started having breakfast himself. Simultaneously, Umar was talking to her, asking about her busyness and her work in Australia. Aliza noticed that Umar had become much more cheerful than before. He wasn't as reserved as before. For quite some time, the two talked in English, then the khansama brought juice for her. For the first time, Umar said to him in very clear Urdu,
"Bring me yogurt in a bowl, but first check that it's not sour, and tomorrow make porridge for me, don't fry the eggs, boil them."
Umar gave instructions to the khansama and started drinking the juice. Aliza started looking at him somewhat surprised. And he understood her surprise. Putting the glass on the table, he said,
"What happened?"
"You can speak Urdu?" Aliza said, somewhat taken aback.
"Yes, I can, what's surprising about that?" Umar answered her sentence in Urdu for the first time.
"I was thinking that maybe you..." Aliza became somewhat disconcerted.
"Why did you think that, being abroad doesn't mean a person will forget their own language too."
"Whenever you came before, I never saw you speak Urdu, so I thought." Aliza tried to explain, but Umar laughed and stopped her.
"Before, I never got the chance to talk to you this long. And besides, I was young then." Aliza looked at Umar's face; he seemed quite happy.
"Last time I saw you, you were very young. I think you were eleven or twelve years old, and now you are even more than before... But I must admit you are prettier now."
Aliza's cheeks turned red, she lowered her head. Umar Jahangir seemed very strange to her; his direct attitude was not at all pleasing to Aliza.
"I will never sit alone next to him again," Aliza thought while eating toast.
Umar finished breakfast and got up and went to his room. Aliza remained sitting in the lounge with Christie.
Umar used to have breakfast late and then wouldn't have lunch. He also had evening tea in his room. But he had dinner with everyone. From that day, Aliza started having her breakfast much earlier than him. Gradually, she started feeling that after Umar Jahangir's arrival in the house, many things had changed. Despite spending very little time with the family members, many things in the house were happening according to his wishes and preferences.
Nana and Naani's conversations were only about him. They didn't talk about Aliza as much as before. At the dining table, most dishes were prepared according to Umar's preference. Taking Aliza's opinion on food had been reduced. Naani was always worried about Umar's health and comfort, and Aliza seemed to have become secondary in the house.
All this was not new for Aliza. Every year whenever her uncle's or aunt's family would come, she would be sidelined in the same way. Then Nana and Naani's attention would only be on the arriving guests. But all this didn't bother her so much because they would stay only for a few weeks. But Umar Jahangir would have to stay here for many days now, and Aliza felt as if Umar had very comfortably taken over her place.
That day after waking up from her afternoon nap, Aliza started looking for Christie as always. Christie was not under the stairs. At this time, Christie wouldn't be on the outer lawn either. Not finding her in her usual spots, Aliza started calling her. But Christie didn't come.
"Naani, where is Christie?" Aliza came to Naani's room. Naani was resting then.
"Check in Umar's room, she'll be there," she informed Aliza.
"In Umar's room? But Christie never goes to anyone." It felt as if Naani's words hit Aliza.
"Yes, but she has become very close to Umar. After you, she stays with him all day. She'll still be there." Naani said with her eyes closed. Aliza quietly came out of her room. Aliza still couldn't believe Naani's words that Christie could go to someone else other than her.
At Umar's room door, Aliza hesitated a little and knocked.
"Yes! Come in."
Umar's voice was heard immediately from inside and Aliza opened the door and went in.
"Christie, here you are..."
Aliza left the sentence incomplete. Umar was rocking in the rocking chair right in front. He had a book in one hand and the other hand was petting Christie. Christie was sitting in his lap. Even seeing Aliza, Christie didn't try to move from her place. She remained sitting very comfortably in her spot. Aliza started looking at her, surprised and disappointed.
"Yes! Christie is with me, go Christie." Umar put Christie down from his lap, and Christie started running towards her. Aliza became extremely angry at both of them.
"Just go to hell," Aliza said in a loud voice and for the first time in her life, slammed the door shut with full force and rushed out. Aliza went to her room and didn't come out until evening. By evening, Aliza's anger turned into worry. She was worried that if Umar told Naani about her behavior, what would they think. She regretted her own behavior. Aliza herself couldn't understand what she had gotten angry about. Christie going to someone else, or going to Umar, or not coming to her even after seeing her, or coming to her at Umar's words.
When Aliza came to the lounge, Christie was sitting there. Seeing Aliza, she tried to come to her, but Aliza pushed her away with a stern look.
Umar came out of his room for dinner normally. Nothing like what Aliza had feared happened. Umar smiled at her as always. Then, as usual, he talked with everyone during the meal, as Umar always did. Aliza kept eating quietly with her head down. After finishing the meal, Umar got up and went to his room. Aliza breathed a sigh of relief.
The next few days also passed like this. Umar had not spoken about this incident to either Nana, Naani, or her, but Aliza had noticed that Umar didn't try to call Christie. Even if Christie saw him and tried to go towards him, Umar would ignore her. This meant that Umar had understood the reason for that day's anger.
"Mureed Baba! Please cook a little vegetable for me for dinner today."
That day, after many days, Aliza made a request for dinner.
At the dinner table, Aliza lifted the lid of the dish with great joy, but immediately the expression on her face changed.
"Naani, why did Mureed Baba put chicken in the vegetable? He knows I always eat vegetable without chicken." Aliza said to Naani, somewhat surprised.
"I told him to put chicken. I was telling Umar about dinner. Umar said that since vegetable is being made, make it with chicken, I'll have a little too."
Aliza looked at Umar on the other side of the table while still holding the lid in her hand. Umar was serving rice on his plate. All the food on the table was either prepared at Umar's wish, or Naani and Nana's... This was Aliza's first request since coming from Australia. Aliza's appetite suddenly vanished. Somewhat disappointed, she placed the lid back on the dish, and when she also put down her spoon, Naani paid attention to her.
"Why, what happened? Didn't you take the vegetable?"
Aliza pulled the chair and stood up. Umar looked at her, startled for the first time.
"I'm not hungry."
"What nonsense is this, you just sat down to eat and now your hunger is gone? Sit down." Nana told Aliza.
"I'll have some milk," Aliza left.
"What will milk do? Aliza, come back, eat a little at least." Naani tried to call her back. But she left without looking back.
Umar watched Aliza leave in surprise.
"What happened to Aliza? Did she leave angrily?"
Aliza had heard Umar's voice behind her as she left the dining.
"No, Aliza never gets angry, she never gets angry. Perhaps she wasn't hungry anyway, I'm going to ask right now." Naani told Umar after she left.
Umar stared at the vegetable dish for a while then started eating, but his mind had become unsettled.
Naani came directly to Aliza's room after finishing dinner and gave her a long lecture.
"I am surprised, Aliza, that you didn't listen to me and got up and left like that. What will Umar think, that you are such a bad girl."
She was really annoyed.
"I am sorry," Aliza murmured softly.
"What's the use now? Anyway, in the future, remember that once you come to the dining table, you won't get up and leave like that. Especially when everyone is eating. If you didn't feel like eating, you could have taken salad or something sweet, but you should have sat there."
Naani was telling her all those etiquette-related things she had always taught. Aliza listened to her quietly, and Aliza's sadness increased further.
"Surely Umar must have said something about me to Naani," Aliza became more doubtful at her words.
"I have told Mureed to bring you milk mixed with Ovaltine right now. Now I don't want to hear any objection." Naani informed her as she got up and at the same time warned her about her possible reaction.
Aliza fell silent as she was about to say something. Naani left the room and she quietly lay down on the bed. Umar Jahangir seemed the worst to her today. The few small things that used to happen according to her wishes, now even in those, her say had ended.
Mureed Baba brought milk after a while. Aliza quietly took the glass of milk and drank it. Then she lay down to sleep, but it took her a long time to try to sleep.
To be continued, Insha Allah....