19. Pillow talk..

Wali was sleeping, his hands under his head, and he was facing her side. She carefully climbed on the bed, making sure he was not disturbed and lying very close to him, she started rubbing her fingers over his forehead, and kept looking at him.

She never looked at him for so long; his eyes always made her blush, but today, as he was sleeping, so she caught hold of the opportunity of endlessly admiring him. She was rubbing her fingers, and slightly ruffling his hair, thinking about the unexpected and beautiful turn her life had taken.

After rubbing her fingers for a while, she removed her hand, when Wali held it and Farah was taken off guard, "I am sorry, main ne tumhain utha diya na", she said as he opened his eyes,"I was awake", he entwined his fingers with hers', "awake?, tu itni dair se..", she sounded shocked, but Wali was looking at their entwined hands. They both were almost on the edge of their own pillows, facing each other and their hands were on the little space between them. Farah sensed the affection radiating from his finger's rub against her hands,  , "your hands are so warm", he spoke after a while, grabbing her hand again, and she smiled, "hmm, and ur hands are so rough and stiff", she cheekily said, holding his hand back, "I know, may be because of the work I do", he started tracing  lines of her palm with his fingers, and at that time Farah really looked at his hands, they WERE stiff and hard, before she just said spontaneously, but it was real, she immediately rubbed her fingers over his hand,"Wali agey inti sardi ho jaye gi, it will start snowfalling, tab bhi yehi contruction ka kaam karo gey?', she asked in a worried voice looking him, but he was still looking at their hands, "hmmm", and Farah thought her heart was caught in a fist, "kia hmmmm?, can't u do some other work?, hands go numb at freezing temperature Wali, kaise kaam karo gey?', her voice was strict and worried, "I am doing it for the past five years, I am used to it", he said as he traced her finger knuckles with his thumb, and Farah didn't know what to say more, "Wali", her voice was breaking a bit, and Wali looked at her for a moment, "when will your debts finish?", she asked in a soft voice and Wali kept on rubbing his hands over her upper side of the hand, "I will tell you when they  finish"

"ye kia baat hoyi? I want to know NOW!, and I have full right to know!", she tried sounding authoritative but the concern was evident and Wali was not paying attention to what she was saying, he had found a small scratch on the junction of her thumb and palm and was now rubbing his fingers over it.

"ye scratch kaisey aya?, kal tu nahi tha?", he asked as his fingers were constantly rubbing it.

"office main paper cutter lag gaya tha", she answered in stiff voice, but unable to hold the joy she felt when he asked, he gently kissed her scratch and Farah blushed deeply but she decided not to get carried away, "Wali plz batao mujhe", she said again but Wali's facial expressions showed he was in no mood to answer, he wasn't even looking at her, he was just admiring her hands,"Wali main tum se baat kar rahi hon!", this time she was really irritated and she was about to pull her hand from his grip when he held it more tightly, digging his fingers in her skin,"plz ye mat karna Farah", he said looking at her with a vulnerably in his eyes, and she held his hand back, "then share your problem Wali plz,

"kia pochna hai?'

"when will ur debts finish?"

"I have been working for 5 years, tumhain kia lagta hai kitne reh gaye hongey?

"ummm..thore hi reh gaye hon gey?", she said searching his face and he nodded, and Farah got furious on his nodding.

"you are just so irritating, main poch rahi hon  kitney thore reh gaye hain?"

"itney thorey k maybe I will be leaving my part time job in the next two months."

"wow!, tu Wali meri salary se bhi.."

"Farah ye mera problem hai, and let me handle it alone"

"oh so now u will behave like a 18^th century husband, Wali plz don't be so narrow-minded", she said, grabbing his hand more firmly.

"I have worked so hard to finish them, and now when I have reached the end, I don't want to take anyone's help.

"I am not anyone, I am your wife,

"haan tu main ne kab mana kiya hai, you are my wife,", he looked at her with a naughty smile, with fingers still tracing out every single line of her palms.

"that was not funny, Wali dekho..

"listen Farah, you don't understand!, I want to complete all with my own hardwork, , I don't care if I am narrrow minded or whatever, I want to complete it on my own..you don't understand what my parents had to go through

"Wali until and unless u won't tell me tu mujhe kaise pata chaley ga, u will need to share na..

" main is sab k bare main khud se bhi baat nahi karta hon"

"and what is that supposed to mean?"

"all of that is finished, and there is no need to talk about all that

"Wali that is not fair.."

She entwined her hands more firmly, waiting he would say something, or realize that she really wanted to talk about all that,  "Wali"

"Farah" he brought her hands to his lips and kissed it, "can we talk about something else plz, don't worry, I am fine aur  ab tu sab khatam honey wala hai, relax"

Farah looked at him ardently but the look in his eyes was so determined that she knew she won't be able to insist more, she decided to wait, maybe he would tell.

"ok, I called diya in the morning, she is so sweet, so UNLIKE you", she said in a displeased tone, grabbing his hand tightly, as an attempt to hurt him, and he giggled, "are ur ears alright?'

"ku?"

"nahi, actually she screams on phone", he said plainly and this made Farah laugh, "very funny, she is just excited and she is such a sweetheart" and Wali was happy seeing her smile, "btw main ne us ko pictures bhi bhejn hain apni, I hope she likes them"

"be sure of it", he said looking up at him an she just smiled, "umm..Wali, main aur kuch pochon?'

"ab kia hai?'

"ummm..did u ever had girl friends?, she said searching his face and Wali giggled, "u really need to ask me?", he said

"ummm, nahi, waise hi main'"

"I never had a girlfriend, but yes I was proposed a lot of times, and plz now I don't remember about all those girls so don't expect me to give their bio-datas to you", he said in a teasing tone, and Farah couldn't help smiling, "very funny!, I have a right to know about my husband's past life!", she said normally, but Wali sensed something missing, he looked in her eyes, noticing her eye-pockets getting wet., "and u also have a right to know about my past life, tumhain koi sawaal nahi karna hai Wali?', she said in a very low tone and Wali plainly looked at her, "I would have, if I had too", he closed his eyes, grabbing her hands firmly. "how did u come to know about my drinking habit Wali?", she finally came to her real point, Wali understood that she was talking about past life just to initiate this discussion, "why are u talking abt things I don't want to?', he opened his eyes and time his voice was angry, "Wali plz, ye tu bata do, it is very strange for me, main ne kabhi nahi bataya tu tumhain  kaise pata chala?", and tears rolled down her cheeks, Wali pulled her in his arms, and she cuddled close to him, 'plz Wali", he felt her tears on his neck, 'u know where I work part-time?"

"Wali plz main kia poch rahi hon..

"I work at the Weston road club, I have seen u drinking", he said plainly and Farah raised her head from his neck, she was never amazed at this extreme before, and he tucked her hair behind her ears, "Wali tum.."

"I have seen u cursing you yourself to loose your senses, I have seen you surrendering to shehna's pleading, i have seen you regretting your choices, I have seen you in search of one reason to stay away from drinks, and I have seen you moving away from that darkness", 

He spoke plainly and she just looked into his eyes and unable to say something, she slowly placed her head back on his chest, cuddling more close to him, just allowing tears to flow down. "Farah if I don't talk about all of this then isn't it enough to show that I care a damn", he said as his grip around her shoulders increased.

This was one thing Farah was deeply embarrassed off, she always wanted to tear that chapter out of her life, and seeing the attitude of Wali towards all of this made her heart go light of every burden. "you don't realize what this all means to me" she spoke in a very weak voice,

"u were better in the kitchen", he said tilting his head a bit but on hearing this Farah raised her head immediately, "kia mtlb?"

"u were very quiet in the kitchen yesterday, aj bht bol rahi ho!", he said moving close to her  and  last night came in front of her, making her blush deeply, and she placed her head back on his chest.

"tumhain pata hai k u are the most romantic husband of this world", she said playing with the buttons of his shirt, "pata hai", he said and Farah again raised her head, 'acha g!.."

" haan! well I am the most romantic husband , because I have the most beautiful and shy wife of this world." he said tracing the border line of a strand of hair on her face and Farah smiled and buried her head again in his neck.

"BY GOD!", main ne kabhi socha bhi nahi tha k tum asiey ho gey!"

"kaisa?"

"romantic!, u make me blush like hell", she said again blushing.

" Wo ku?

"kia ku?, mujh se baat bhi ki tum ne kabhi, shaadi k baad tu u have completely turned, "

"main ne kabhi baat nahi ki because I had no right over you, and I don't like to build false hopes, you had every reason to reject me, "

"aur jo unexpected proposal tha, wo tu araam se de diya tha, giving me an almost heart attack", she giggled and Wali smiled, "tab baat aur thi, when had kissed", and Farah lowered her eyes, "don't blush, listen to me", he raised her cheek and she was turning crimson red, "I realized that if I could let go off my rational side so easily with you, than I had to bring you in my life, further denial was not possible, so I asked you for marriage, simple!

 " there is no one like you in this world", she said placing her head on his chest. "I think u are in a mood to sleep now", Wali spoke up and she immediately raised her head again, "nahi mian.."

"kia nahi?, u are in a mood of something else?", he looked at her and she blushed, her eyes were  a bit swollen, "good night Farah, we both have work tomorrow, aj k liye bht batien ho gayi hain" he smiled lightly and she placed her head back on her chest, snuggling into his neck and he kissed her eye-lash, both of them welcoming sleep soon.