Chapter Two

His best friend was getting married, it felt great but he didn't like crowds and wished Pakistani weddings would be simpler. But in spite of all the palaver, he'd driven the groom's car to the venue and been at the centre of activities, done everything a best man or best friend is supposed to do. After all, Osama had done the same for him at his wedding. A voice interrupted his thoughts "Zaroon… Zaroon… earth to!" he looked at Osama who was frantically calling out to him in spite of being seated on his left on the stage. "What is it Osama? It's your wedding day, we're sitting here under the glare of the photographer, the videographer and half of Karachi. Must you shriek like a girl tonight?" he replied irritated and their friends on the stage laughed. Osama sighed and said "I wasn't shrieking..." then added "can you get me some water please? The wait and all this smiling business is getting on my nerves"

Zaroon gave his friend a curt nod and got off the stage, Osama could be such a diva at times. He was here with the groom's party and had headed straight to the stage with Osama, how did his friend expect him to navigate his way round a wedding hall full of just under a thousand people and find water? Or maybe he could just nick a bottle from one of the tables. Thinking just that, he made his way to one of the tables at the back that looked unoccupied and picked a bottle. "So you're still into claiming things that belong to others? I guess its true then, old habits die hard!" said a playful voice behind him. He turned around and saw a woman, dressed in a tasteful red and black printed silk saree she looked beautiful, and familiar. He thought he'd seen her somewhere but out loud he said, "I'm sorry, didn't know this table was taken". She smiled and said "It was about to be, but that isn't important. This bottle was intended for the table." He frowned, why was this woman talking to him like she knew who he was? And why couldn't he remember where he'd seen her?

He decided he'd risk being thought of as rude and asked "Have we met before?" She gave him a small smile and said, "I'm surprised you don't remember, but then it has been a while. I'm Aaiyla" she paused and added "Hashim Durrani's daughter?" he did a double take, how could he forget that name? She'd given him sleepless nights and was the reason he'd gotten married to Kashaf. But she looked different now, fuller with a few lines around the eyes her hair was all different and her smile didn't light the entire room like it did back then, she still had the spark though as she waved her hands in front of him just then "Hellooo?" she said, "Gone for a walk down memory lane or are you still trying to place me?" He smiled and shook his head "How can I ever forget you? I'm just bad at remembering faces" then added carefully "and you look a bit different now" she rolled her eyes and said "good different I hope? But wait… don't answer that. I've aged."

He smiled and said "Are you still as self-depreciating as you were back then?" and she gave him that grin which had first captured his attention and said, "I like to think modest but lets not get into that argument, how are you and the family?"

"Good, great actually. Sarah's married and has two kids. Mum and dad work part time now and spend the rest of the time with their grandkids and travel quite a bit. And I have a son, he's six. How about you? Is Sikander still keen on boxing?" He grinned remembering her younger brother's pathetic attempt to box his face ears ago and she had obviously not forgotten either, as she smiled and answered "He's a Chartered Accountant now, so amateur boxing has taken a back seat. Paa retired two years ago and now spends his time playing golf and bridge, Ammi still works with the disadvantaged kids but like your parents has cut down on the number of hours. And like you, I have a son. He just turned five." So she had gotten married after all, he thought but out loud he said "and what about college? Are you still studying or did you drop out?" he teased.

She gives him a mock glare and says "You'll be surprised, I graduated top of my class on time and I'm an associate at ASA now" he knew she wasn't bad but top of her class? Wow. How did she manage that with all that was going on in her life back then? He was about to ask her just that when she said "Hey, were you going somewhere with that bottle?" and he looked at the Aquafina he was holding in his hands and clicked his tongue "Dang, Osama wanted some water… see you later" he said as he rushed back to the stage, some best man he was!

"Here he comes, the man of the hour!" Asmara teased as he got on the stage and he noticed she'd already gotten Osama the water. "Where on earth were you Zaroon?" asked Osama and he opened his mouth to speak as he felt this overpowering need to tell his best friends who he'd just met but the lights dimmed as the bride chose that moment to make her appearance and everyone looked at the entrance. Zaroon and Asmara wished their friend luck and got off the stage to make way for Mariam who looked beautiful in a red, orange and dull gold outfit as she made her way towards her husband. Osama had done well for himself he thought and felt a hand on his jacket as Asmara adjusted the pocket square she had made him wear earlier in the evening, "honestly Zaroon, the thing is sinking into your pocket! A little attention to your dressing wouldn't hurt. What's happened to you?" she said and then fell silent almost as suddenly as she'd started. There was a brief pause before she started talking again, "Waqar is late again, he's had it if he doesn't turn up before dinner is served" she said referring to her husband and took out her phone to call him. Zaroon walked away, feeling sorry for Waqar. Asmara was one hell of a woman but boy could she nag!

Aaiyla saw Zaroon with Asmara from the other end of the room just as Mariam made her way to the stage and thought he'd done well. The woman he was with looked smart, confident and was dressed elegantly in a pale pink lehnga. Her thoughts were interrupted by Rushna who came up to her then and started talking about Mariam's outfit but it wasn't long before she sensed her friend was looking at someone else and saw Asmara "who's that?" she asked Aaiyla who sighed and said "She is part of a very long story… what were you saying about Mariam's outfit?" Rushna started to say something but then decided against it, she'd find another moment.

Later that night, he lay in bed thinking about Aaiyla Durrani. He'd met her nine years ago and she'd unknowingly altered the course of his life. She had aged alright, gone was big eyed unsure petulant girl he'd met. And in her place was his woman who was elegant, confident but he felt had retained some of her innocence. He was surprised her marriage had worked. He'd gone to school with Salman Ansar they were in the same year till completing A'levels and didn't really get along. Then Zaroon went to England and studied engineering while Salman went to the States and studied marketing, there was no reason for them to stay in touch but he occasionally had updates from friends and then heard about Salman from Aaiyla. He tried to tell her then that the man was bad news and totally wrong for a girl as naïve as Aaiyla but she wouldn't have any of it and so they went their ways. And now, they had met again after all these years. She had every right to smirk and tell him she'd been right at the time but hadn't and he felt deep admiration for her as he fell asleep that night.