Tera Deedar Hua ??? ?

The semester had come to an end, and after their last encounter in amusement park, Barkat and Hanan had deliberately kept their distance.

They hadn't crossed paths outside of the classroom, both choosing to stay within the boundaries they had set.

Hanan's mind, however, was still preoccupied with her-her words, her demeanor, and the unspoken connection that lingered.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed in him, but he wasn't sure what it meant or how to navigate it.

As he walked through the door of the Zaidi household, the familiar scent of home filled the air, but the tension in his chest remained.

He entered the living room, where his father, Bilal, his mother, Huma, and his elder brother, Hashim, were seated, talking in low voices.

They all looked up at him when he entered, the conversation halting abruptly.

"Abbu, muhje office join karna hai," Hanan said, his tone steady but carrying a quiet urgency.

("Father, I want to join the office.")

For a split second, there was a stunned silence.

It was as though time had frozen, and his words hung in the air, leaving his family momentarily speechless.

His mother, Huma, blinked and looked at him with disbelief, her brow furrowed. "Hanan, lekin itni jaldi kya hai? MBA khatam kar lo, uske baad join karna. Abhi tumhari umra hi kya hai?"

("Hanan, but why the rush? Finish your MBA first, then join. You are still young for this")

Her words were meant to be soothing, but they felt like a slap to his already fragile confidence.

His thoughts drifted back to the conversation he had had with Barkat weeks ago, when she had called him a "kid."

Her words had stung more than he wanted to admit, and the frustration that had been simmering inside him since then boiled over.

"Enough, Ammi!" Hanan snapped, his voice rising in frustration, startling everyone in the room. "Main baccha nahi hoon! Aur aap hi log kehte thay na ki mujhe zimmedar banna chahiye? Aur jab main kadam badhane ki koshish kar raha hoon, toh aap log umra ka taana de rahe ho!"

("Enough, Mom!. I'm not a kid! And you all used to say that I should become responsible? And now, when I'm trying to take a step forward, you're throwing age-related taunts at me!")

Huma's eyes widened, taken aback by the sharpness in his tone.

Bilal, sitting beside her, immediately stood up, his face reddening with anger.

"Hanan!" Bilal shouted, his voice low but full of authority. "Yeh koi tarika hai apni Ammi se baat karne ka?"

("Hanan! Is this how you talk to your mother?")

Hanan froze.

His heart skipped a beat as he realized the weight of his words.

He had crossed a line-his mother, who had always been his biggest support, and his father, who expected nothing less than respect, had both been hurt by his outburst.

The reality of his mistake hit him like a ton of bricks.

His stomach churned with guilt.

"I... I'm sorry, Ammi. Sorry, Abbu," he muttered, his voice small now, the anger dissipating into regret.