Ishq Kinara[Love Ashore] Complete

4. Changes

Pulling the curtains to the side, Yusra opened the window to let fresh air in. Daud was busy on his laptop leaning against the headboard. Yusra sat on her side of the bed and looked at his busy form.

"How long are you going to take? It's way past midnight. You should sleep now."

"I know. I pulled an Elaf and piled this work. Was hoping to get done with it today but Amma called me and now here I'm. Nowhere close to finishing this work."

He smiled sheepishly which wasn't reciprocated by Yusra. She nodded absentmindedly.

"How's everyone there? How's Amma ji?"

"Everyone's good. Amma as well."

"She didn't ask about me and Elaf right? Why didn't we accompany you today?"

Daud looked away and sighed. He should've known.

"Oh! Right! How could we accompany when we weren't even invited. It was just you."

"Yusra.."

He held her hand. Yusra didn't say anything for a while but for how long was this going to last?

"What it is this time around?"

She asked slowly.

"Which of Elaf's doing or her word did your mother find unfitting and disrespectful?"

"Yusra, Amma doesn't hate Elaf or you! She just thinks that we've lived away from the family all our lives and because Elaf hasn't grown up with the rest of them, she's not like her cousins. But this doesn't mean she isn't one of them."

"I know my daughter is outspoken and she questions things which this society overlooks. But she isn't spoiled like your mother always tries to prove. Her heart is at the right place."

"She's her grandmother only! She doesn't think that Elaf is spoiled or ill mannered."

Yusra kept quiet. She didn't have in her to start an argument right now knowing fully well Daud would try his best to prove how his mother was the well-wisher here. Yusra hoped that were the case. Mrs. Bilqees Durrani hadn't accepted that one decision of Daud years back when he had announced he wanted to marry Yusra. A love marriage in the orthodox Durrani clan. It was chaos and a messy affair but Daud had stood his ground and to further prevent any damage, he had chosen to live in a separate house with Yusra where they were blessed with Elaf after an year. Things had fallen into place and to anyone else it seemed like Mrs. Durrani had made her peace with her son's choice but Yusra knew this wasn't the case. Mrs. Durrani had never liked Yusra and now Elaf with her rebel tendencies was getting her own place on the list.

But Yusra had had enough of this cold war. She hadn't said or done much when it was about her but now her daughter was being dragged into it without any fault of hers. She knew it wasn't easy to brain wash Daud against Elaf. He had his life, happiness and hopes all centered upon her. The reason why Mrs. Durrani wasn't able to pull things off the way she wanted to but she would never be able to do anything to Elaf just because she didn't fit a criteria that was applied on every girl in Durrani household. Yusra wouldn't let that happen.

She nodded in Daud's direction telling him silently that everything was fine but deep down she was still worried.

_____