Taabindagi (Sequel Of Sharar)

One

"Pehle main aya tha," Kian was adamant too.

(I was here first,)

"Aap dono boxing karlo, jo jeeta woh khel lena Eifa ke sath." This was Aala Azrin. Although she was the eldest among them, she always had the most bizarre ideas.

(You two can box, and whoever wins will play with Eifa.)

Ayla and Ayat, who had been watching from a distance, thought it might be time to step in.

"Kian, woh chota bhai haina, aap kyu zidd karte hain ussey," Ayla scolded her son.

(Kian, he's your younger brother, why are you being stubborn with him?)

"Pehle main aya tha, usne zidd ki," Kian complained, on the verge of crying. Ayla always scolds him in these matters.

(I was here first. He's the one being stubborn,)

"Allah, idhar aiye," Ayat called her nephew to her and hugged him. "Shah, bohot buri baat hai, apko sabke sath khelna chahiye." Ayat looked at her son with sharp eyes.

(Oh God, come here,)

(Shah, that’s really rude. You should play with everyone.)

"Eifa meli hai," Shahnan again declared, his small, innocent face full of seriousness.

(Eifa is mine,)

"Saaf bola nahi jata, 2 kadam chalke gir jate hain aur abhi se haq jatana hai." Ayat scoffed, but Shahnan was unaffected.

(You can barely talk properly, trips after two steps, and you're already claiming things.)

•••

Later that night, when Hanan returned home from the office, Ayat shared her concerns about Shahnan's unusual behavior.

"Iss age mein Shah ki yeh sari baatein bohot ajeeb lagti hain. Hume samajh nahi araha woh seekh kaha se rahe hain yeh sab," Ayat expressed her worry.

(At this age, Shah’s behavior is really strange. I don’t understand where he’s learning all this,)

Hanan laughed it off. "Shiddat pasand toh humare khoon mein hai." He pulled Ayat closer, holding her arm.

(Passion runs in our blood.)

"Hanan, I'm serious," Ayat became irritated, feeling like her concerns weren't being taken seriously.

"Ayat, woh bachha hai. Ussey kya pata yeh sab, jo achha lagta hai bas chahta hai uske sath rahe." Hanan reassured her, gently cupping Ayat's cheek affectionately.

(Ayat, he’s just a kid. He doesn’t know anything about this. He just wants to be around what he likes.)

"Lekin iss umr mein aisi baatein?" Ayat pushed his hand away. Hanan made a face but pulled her close again, not giving her the option to move away this time.

(But saying things like this at his age?)

"Bachha hai woh..."

(He’s just a kid)

"Exactly, he is just a kid. Aur yeh kya baat hai ki Eifa meri hai?" Ayat's tone was serious, but Hanan couldn't help but chuckle again.

(Exactly, he’s just a kid. And what’s this 'Eifa is mine' talk?)

"Bachhe aise hi hote hain. Kisi cheez ko leke possessive ho jate hain toh phir share nahi karna chahte. Aur phir Baloo iklouta hai. Bachpan mein main bhi toh aisa hi tha." Hanan explained lovingly, trying to lighten Ayat's mood.