Contacts OF Hearts

Anus' Feelings About Annie

Nazima was setting pasta on the table and called out to Dua.

"Hi Mama, just let me wipe my face with a towel and I’ll be there. Wait for me for two minutes," Dua shouted back from her room.

Nazima switched on the fan and placed the pasta on the table. She served some into her own plate and some into Dua’s plate, and then sat there waiting for Dua.

......

Ali drove home. Today, Ali’s face looked different from before. It had been different ever since he saw Dua.

That one girl was now occupying his heart and mind. They say that one glance is enough for a lover. And since the moment he had seen her with that one glance, his heart had started beating restlessly.

He himself didn’t understand what was happening to him.

But he did understand one thing that girl had gotten to his heart very deeply.

At home, misses Ajmal was setting the food on the dining table. The moment she saw them, she came running.

"Hmm, what’s for lunch today?"

"Ohhhh, Annie , you’re always hungry. I can say for sure that you must’ve already had something to eat at university. You must’ve eaten well, but the moment you come home, all you think about is food. Nothing else."

They all sat down and their plates were served.

Ali came in right behind them. Hearing that, he said,

"Yes, she’s absolutely right. Because of madam I had to wait outside the university for ten to fifteen minutes. Because madam was busy eating in the canteen. And now the moment she’s home, she’s hungry again."

Dua made a pouty face. "What brother, now you’ve started on me too?"

Hearing this, Ali walked up to her, called her over, and pulled her into a hug.

"No, my child. I was just telling her."

But his face also had that teasing look.

He was serious by nature. But he wasn’t that way with his own family.

With relatives and outsiders he was very composed.

At home, he only smiled for a reason. It’s not like he would joke around and laugh at everything.

We can’t really call it laughing. We can call it smiling.

He always had a normal, calm smile. And when he smiled, his dimples looked really beautiful.

......

Ali came to the kitchen, washed his hands, and sat down to eat. Looking around he asked,

"Mama, where’s Zain? I don’t see Anus either. Where is everyone?"

Mrs. Ahmed replied, "Son, your aunt went to call Zain. He’ll be here in a bit. You know him — until you give him an earful, he won’t find peace. Anus has gone for some urgent work."

"Okay. But I really don’t understand this Zain. When will this boy grow up?"

Just then Mrs. Ajmal also came in from behind and said, "I don’t understand him either. Everyone keeps covering for him."

Annie also came in. Minkii came too. Reena was there as well. Everyone was gathered now. They were all waiting for Anus and Zain.

Finally Zain was coming down the stairs. The moment he saw Ali sitting there, it was like his throat went dry. He had been coming down singing, in a very filmy, carefree style. But seeing Ali, his whole song got cut off.

Ali said, "Yes yes, please come. Have a seat. Our lunch time is here, but for you this would be breakfast, right? Because you’re only getting up now."

"No no brother, I didn’t just wake up. I’ve been up for a long time. I even had breakfast early this morning, right after you left. I did all the work. I just went to my room for a bit, had some important work. I was thinking about what to do next semester. I was talking to a friend about it and reading something on my laptop. You can ask Mama."

The people at home had already warned Zain about how they had gone to wake him up. So hearing his lie, they all just exchanged smiles.

Then Minkii said, "Don’t lie, brother. He’s lying. He was sleeping. Aunty went to wake him up but he wasn’t getting up at all. He was saying ‘when brother comes, I’ll get up then’."

Hearing this, Zain ran down saying, "Brother, this girl is such a liar. I’m telling you, she keeps blaming me for everything."

Minkii immediately stood up with her hands on her waist and said, "Yes, I keep blaming you. Brother, let me tell you, he was saying that you keep staring at him all the time, you keep looking for him. Do you know what all he says about you behind your back?"

And just like that the two of them started fighting again behind Ali’s back.

Then Ali slammed his hand on the table and said, "Enough! Do you two start fighting every single time? I’ve had enough."

He got up from his seat, grabbed Zain’s ear in a teasing way and said, "Get your act together. Got it? Or one day you’ll regret it. Just fix yourself, okay?"

And then he also sat down.

Zain said, "Okay brother," and sat down too.

........

Anus and Ali were more or less the same age. There was only a difference of a few months between them.

Mr. Ahmed and Mr. Ajmal got married at the same time both brothers.

That’s why there wasn’t much of an age gap between their children either. They were all close in age.

The entire Anus Khan family had a certain aura. His personality matched his mind.

He was fair, tall, and had built himself up really well by going to the gym regularly.

But he was a little different from the rest.

He wasn’t bad, but he was definitely different.

......

On his mobile, he kept looking at a picture again and again. That picture was of Annie.

Yes, Annie.

Anus loved Annie madly. But he had never told Annie.

And Annie didn’t know either.

Everyone knew Annie’s nature. She was mischievous and had a very cheerful, playful temperament.

But if there was one person she was scared of, it was only and only Anus.

--

Anus was almost twenty-eight. A tall, well-built young man.

In terms of looks, all the children of the Khan family were in a league of their own whether it was the girls or the boys, each one more beautiful than the last.

And Anus was no less in beauty either.

His personality had a faint resemblance to Ali, but he was different. A little different.

He was sitting by the edge, smoking.

The smoke curled up slowly from between his fingers as he stared into the distance, lost in his own thoughts and watching picture of Annie.