Taabindagi (Sequel Of Sharar)

Two

"Idhar dijiye inhe," Ayat said, taking the puppy from Shahnan. Shahnan pouted but didn't protest.

(Give him to me,)

Ayat examined the puppy closely. "He's not hungry. He's well-fed. And I don't think he's a stray either. Shah, you should have checked around before bringing him home. He likely belongs to someone." The puppy snuggled comfortably into Ayat's arms, sensing the gentleness in her hold compared to Shahnan's.

"But he doesn't have a collar," Shahnan offered as an excuse.

"Maybe it slipped off, or they haven't put one on yet. But from his condition, it's obvious he's someone's pet. We should go back and find out who owns him; his family is probably worried," Ayat explained, feeling sympathetic for the puppy, who must have been frightened rather than hungry, as Sharfa assumed.

"He's mine," Shahnan said stubbornly, his voice full of determination. There was something in his bright eyes, something unfamiliar.

"Shahnan," Hanan interjected, "You can't just claim someone's pet. If he belongs to someone, we have to return him. If he's a stray, you can keep him." Hanan tried to strike a middle ground, one Ayat agreed with, but Shahnan didn't. He was afraid that if the puppy had a family, he'd have to give it back.

"He's mine, and he's not going anywhere," Shahnan took the puppy back from Ayat and stormed off toward his room, with Sharfa running after him to spend more time with her new friend.

"Hanan!" Ayat looked at Hanan, surprised by Shahnan's behavior. He was stubborn, but he had never been rude or disregarded them like this before.

"Don't worry," Hanan reassured her. "I'll check if the puppy is a stray or belongs to someone. If it's someone's pet, we'll return it. As for the kids, I guess they're bored of the cats and want a puppy now. Tunhare bachhe, mujhe bilkul bhi hairani nahi woh rah chalte kisi bhi janwar ko ghar le ayenge. Main soch raha tha iss ghar ko Zoo bana dete hain," he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

(Your kids, I wouldn't be surprised if they brought any random animal home. Honestly, I'm thinking of turning this house into a zoo,)

Ayat blushed at his last comment. "Aisa bhi nahi hai," she mumbled.

•••

It had been a week since Shahnan found that puppy, and he named him Buddy. Hanan had asked around the Arcades about the puppy, but no one seemed to know anything. He assumed the puppy was indeed a stray, though Ayat still wasn't entirely happy about it. Shahnan and Sharfa, on the other hand, were overjoyed, both using their pocket money to buy toys and bowls for Buddy.

Shahnan spent all his time with Buddy and was quite happy, but that happiness didn't last long. One day, Buddy's real family finally showed up.

A man in his early 40s, along with his young daughter-who seemed about Shahnan's age-arrived at their house, asking about the puppy.

"My daughter took her puppy out for a walk that day. She fell off her bike, and some passersby brought her home. By the time we realized, our puppy, Ace, had wandered off. No one brought him back. With Ava's condition, we were more focused on her at the time. But for the past week, all she’s been asking about is her puppy. She hasn’t stopped."

"I’ve been asking around, and it seems your son may have our puppy." The man had brought proof-papers from where they got the puppy and a photo of him. It was indeed Buddy, and the girl, Ava, seemed very attached to him, as her eyes kept scanning the living room, hoping to spot him.

Hanan looked at Ayat, who had already been staring at him. They were unsure how Shahnan would react to Buddy's departure, especially since he had become so possessive over the puppy.