Besabriyan

3|THREE

Zaviyar had yet to be habituated to the neighborhood. He sighed, remembering the conversation he had with his father before he barged out of his study to his room. The neglected youngest child of Ali Dawar family was wanted to get married just after a month into moving to their new home and it happened to be the first conversation he had had with his father in a while. His older sister and him had complied when his father wanted his son instead of his elder daughter to take over the position of CEO but marrying someone out of his own wish only to satisfy his parents was not even on his lists.

Their old place was better, for it had the reminiscence of his childhood, the essence of his late dadi and at times the love of their parents. Having grown up in a household where work was prioritized before family, he knew better than to sign up for a lifetime commitment. A man like him who was raised- trained- to run a business didn't think he was raised to love and he had only little to no time for anything other than work. His sister, who was divorced with a daughter ran a boutique, refused to rely on the family's earnings for a living.

Zaviyar looked out as he tried to remember the last time he had a proper talk with his parents and he remembered nothing. He stayed away from them as long as communication wasn't necessary. Closing the file and pushing it aside, he stood up and walked across the room while searching for his phone. He didn't know what to do with the useless files now that half of their things were yet to shift and he didn't bother himself with asking the reason for the delay. His room was practically empty and partially filled with the necessities and so was his study. He had brought important files with him when he shifted his things to his new study. The shredder was left behind.

Chugging down a glass of water, Zaviyar was just about to step out of his room to clear his clogged mind when Aahil's call blared loudly on the desk, "What?" Was the first thing he asked. With the tone that he used, Aahil knew that Zaviyar must have done something back at home given it was usually him who purposely did everything to annoy his parents.

"Hold back, tiger. I only called to check on you." Aahil rumbled.

"I'm doing well. Now thank you and good bye." He was about to hang up when Aahil yelled his name.

"Drive to my place. You sound agitated." The line went silent for a while and Aahil wondered if Zaviyar was still on the phone with him.

"I am agitated." He rumbled, keeping the water bottle in the little refrigerator in his study.

"Zavi boy?" He called. Silence followed so he called again, "Zaviyar Ali Dawar, if you're on the line, do fucking mind to answer me."

"First of all, do not cuss at me. Second of all, I have things to do so I'm going to the company." He said, perching his phone between his ear and the shoulder. Zaviyar would rather be walking towards his goals than be in the same space as his emotionally unavailable family and think about the random things he was having in his mind and marriage was the last event on his lists.

"Chokidari karne jaa raha hai?" Aahil snickered at his own joke that made Zaviyar scrunch his nose almost in disgust. No matter how many years they spent together, Zaviyar could never get used to Aahil's untimely lame jokes– it's almost non existent but predictable.

After his sister, Aahil was the person Zaviyar resorted to when his parents were absent in his life. Aahil hadn't had a life that related with Zaviyar's but he was understanding, not to the extent where he felt for his friend but he did understand and that was the only reason why he was sticking with him even though the other had turned sour. Yahya Ali Dawar didn't allow his son to take the position just after he graduated. It was Zaviyar's– everything the family owned was to be inherited by him but his father made him beg and win it instead of just presenting it in a gold platter. He made his son kneel in front of many of his colleagues. It was his- it was Zaviyar's but it wasn't time yet to have it all with himself.