Ishq Kinara[Love Ashore] Complete

6. Realizations

Putting the article section of the newspaper aside, Daud looked at his daughter coming towards him with a smile on her face. The tray with the tea and cups was in her hand indicating that she had been the one to prepare the evening tea today. An involuntary smile had graced Daud's lips as well. Evening tea was soothing but when Elaf made a special effort for him and Yusra it would get better ten folds.

"Put the newspaper aside, Durrani Sahab! The tea will get cold."

She sat down close to him on the couch. The backyard of their house had a small garden attached to it and Yusra's impeccable aesthetic sense had turned it into a heaven of sorts.

"Ah! Your mum's special baked cakes! This evening should never end."

Daud took a sip of his tea and then took a bite of the cake as well. As usual it was one of Yusra's best.

"Where's she by the way?"

Elaf took hold of his newspaper earning a narrow eyed glance from him.

"She got a call from Khala and since I have no interest in their tea so I came to you with this tea. She should be joining us shortly though."

Daud nodded. Elaf was now reading an article aloud and asking for his opinion as well when something flashed across his mind.

"Elaf, I was meaning to talk to you about something."

She looked up from the newspaper.

"Yes, Baba?"

He smiled. She was all ears and the newspaper was forgotten now.

"Your Dado talks about you a lot. You should go and meet her sometimes."

Elaf's brow scrunched. She had a very expressive face and Daud who had been through almost all of her moods all these years immediately knew she wasn't pleased.

"She told you this? That she wants me to meet her?"

"Of course! You're her granddaughter after all."

Elaf placed her tea cup on the table and turned completely towards him.

"Baba, I'm going to say something and I know you won't like it but you will listen to me and don't cut me in the middle just because you don't agree."

"Okay! That's kind of a heads up."

"It is. The thing is, I don't think Dado is fond me or having me around. She's made it very clear that I'm not someone she likes more than her neighbors and she hates all her neighbors!"

"Elaf, Beta this is not true."

"She's always giving me this weird challenging look as if provoking me to do something."

"That's not it. She just thinks that you're different from the rest of your cousins because you haven't been brought up in Durrani house."

"Then it's not my fault, Baba! This is the life I've always known. You, Mama and me. I can't just mold the way Dado wants me to just to fit in. And when there're so many people in a family someone has to be the odd one out. It's nothing to be frightened of."