A flame in the Storm

Chapter 46

After that day every moment in the city had become hell for me, everywhere I went memories of Raafay followed. We weren't in contact since it became awkward and painful for both of us. Our parents didn't force it either. Though we weren't together all these years, at least I could talk to him and see him, but even that privilege had been lost. So when the opportunity arose to leave the city, I took it with open arms.

I am in New York from six months, we are opening our largest franchisee store here, it should have been the happiest moment for me, being a huge milestone for our company, but everything seems bland.

Farah's mother survived for three months after her revelation to her daughter. But those three months were happiest for the family, as they lived like one. They invited Salman over many times and they got to play with Ayaan, their grandson.

Though slow, her relations with her father improved. Sara is now taking care of his business. He had detached from the world after his wife's death and spent his time wallowing in sorrow and tobacco. As his health began deteriorating, Farah and Sara with the fear that they may lose him too, decided to spark his interest in the second thing he loved the most after her: business. So they began asking for his advice even for trivial reasons. Eventually, he began going back to the office and is on the way to recovery with a guilt-ridden heart that he ignored his wife during good times. Three of them now, share a strong bond after everything they have gone through together.

Farah got everything she wanted after losing the one person she had longed for her whole life: her mother.

I sat in an open cafe gesturing for a coffee to the waitress. There were swarms of people going by, doing their mundane tasks. It made me wonder how alone we could feel in a place full of people. Taking out my phone, my eyes landed on the person I missed the most, Raafay. We always take granted the people who are there for us, until one day when they are no longer there, our world comes crashing down. Missing him was like stabbing myself in repeat mode.

I started going through all his photos on my phone; it had become a habit since I couldn't see him in person. Sometimes I talked to his photo, wishing he could actually listen. I was running my thumb on his face, carving every feature when someone startled me from behind "cute picture."

I looked around to see Rashmi, helping who had changed my life.

"Rashmi!" I shrieked, not believing my eyes, after exchanging a few emails for some years, we had lost contact. But this face remained engraved in my heart.

"How are you?" she shouted back, "and what are you doing here?"

A little boy was holding her hand, "who is this?" I asked pinching his chubby cheek.

"He is my son," she said as he remained close to her feet. "Say hi," she asked him.

"Hi," he said in a meek voice, which would melt anything,

"Hi," I said ruffling the toddler's hair, "he is so cute."

"Thanks, he has got his father's look."

"His mother isn't behind either," I remarked, taking in the glow radiating from her, she had never been more beautiful.

She gave me a shy smile.

I gestured her to sit, and remembering her boyfriend's name from college, asked her, as I thought he might be the father, "How did you find Amit?"

"Through Facebook," she said, "but he isn't the father. He was already married and had two kids. Couldn't blame him for not waiting for me for eight years while I was married" she laughed.